With the MSN Direct service ending soon, is there another option or hack available with the Z110 or Z120? I am going to be buying a nav unit in the next couple of weeks and will probably go with the 120. But it still has the MSN service. Go figure....
The service is still available.
Currently there is no other service available to replace MSN Direct.
The service is still available.
true, but in about 1.5 years, it won't be. Don't want to buy the module for something that is ending soon. Would love to see a replacment device such as that Sirius offers.
I just think there's not much demand for this type of service anymore, which is why MSN D is going out. With all these smartphones out there with always on internet 3G, it's just hard to compete with that.
A good concept here though.. Would be nice to have the head unit (Tether) use the 3G service off your cellphone to access information like that and then display it on the radios screen. Pioneer should work on something like that. Using Bluetooth so it can be compatible with diffrent phones, not just iPhone with it's 30pin cable.
Guys:
Has ANYONE heard anything new from Pioneer about offering ANY other traffic option after MSN Direct goes away???
I know there are tons of threads in here about MSN Direct leaving in Jan 2012... but not as much about ANY replacement options (if any). I've seen folks saying there's currently no FM-RDS, TMS, etc.
Am I wrong, or is Pioneer simply going to tell everyone we're out of luck and use this as a reason for us to all buy new $1000 nav units in Feb 2010? That seems like pretty foul pool to me...bad karma.
- JD
There will be no announcement until 2012. Pioneer will likely be introducing a new unit at that time so your fears are likely. That of course is nothing new for a manufacture to discontinue support for discontinued products. Pioneer is still the only company like this that offers the ability to upgrade to the new head unit with a software upgrade without having to purchase the new unit. However 2012 will probably bring a completely new hardware unit that wont be able to be software upgraded so current owners may be out of luck with traffic at that time.
I was looking at a JVC unit on crutchfield, and it says that you can get the traffic info via HD Radio (built in) on that unit. If you have HD Radio on the 120, would you be able to get the traffic updates through that?
No.