I installed the 8000 a little over a month ago and am enjoying the unit very much.  It has its pros and cons like everything, but all-in-all I'm very pleased.  I am disappointed that using CarPlay and AppRadio modes are not seamless at all, and are to a point mutually exclusive (since you have to alter settings and change cables in order to switch between the two).  

My question is this: what do you folks mostly use, and why?  I find myself using CarPlay most often - are there any compelling arguments against that?  Due to the difficulty in switching back and forth, i kind of feel like you have to pick one and go with it - do you guys feel that way as well?  

I'm excited to see how the two are refined with future firmware and software updates - i'm also interested to see if Pioneer starts to move away from AppRadio altogether and focus primarily on the integration of CarPlay.  

I use CarPlay, without a doubt. Appradio mode is so buggy and unreliable that when I got my new 4000NEX, I didn't even buy the cables to hook up Appradio. Just wasn't worth the hassle for something that didn't work half the time I tried to use it

So far, I'm loving CarPlay. If they'd just add Waze, I'd be thrilled.

I use CarPlay all the time now. It works well with the stock radio and my Sirus ,so moving back and forth is smooth.

I use the CarPlay side for:

Maps. Apple maps works great for me in my location. It's more up to date than the built in navigation on my 8000NEX, updates are free and I can ask for directions through voice commands. I can set my destination at the office on my iPhone, and CarPlay picks it up when I get into the car. All of my favorite destination are available without having to re-enter them into the NEX navigation.

Music. All of my music is either on my phone through iTunes, or through Beats and Spotify. All work well with CarPlay

Mail and Messages. I use these all of the time with Siri hands free and CarPlay

Reminders. I can set my reminders through a voice command while driving

I use the default 8000NEX for my HD Radio, Sirius Radio, backup camera, SD card music and movies

One thing I'd love to see is for CarPlay to be able to access the SD card for music and show song info in the Now Playing app. I use the SD slot for all my lossless files and I wish I could control them through the CarPlay interface (as opposed to the ugly Pioneer one that looks like it's from 2003).

One thing I'd love to see is for CarPlay to be able to access the SD card for music and show song info in the Now Playing app. I use the SD slot for all my lossless files and I wish I could control them through the CarPlay interface (as opposed to the ugly Pioneer one that looks like it's from 2003).

While that would be nice, I think the main prerequisite for CarPlay compatibility is that the iPhone must be the source. Anything outside of the phone (like an SD card) is off limits to CarPlay. 

While that would be nice, I think the main prerequisite for CarPlay compatibility is that the iPhone must be the source. Anything outside of the phone (like an SD card) is off limits to CarPlay.

 

Yeah, I realize that it'll probably never happen, but to me, it's the one thing that would make the CarPlay experience close to perfect.

Great topic! I use Car Play mainly. However, I miss my Waze. Waze is critical to life in Los Angeles. I also like to put football on the HDMI when I'm stuck in traffic. I really hate what a pain it is to switch back an forth, but when I do I tend to stay in that mode until I'm forced to switch. One thing I learned is that when you are in App Radio Mode phone calls are handled by unreliable bluetooth. Whereas CarPlay uses the mic directly and the people on the other end of the line can hear me much better.

I do not use carplay at all, For me, carplay offers music and phone, I have lived in Austin for 60 years and if there is a remote chance that i need direction, i have my nav add-on, or if i am in app radio mode i have waze among several other programs. I use dash command sometime in app radio mode, but for the most part, i have all my lossless on sdcard(64gb) and all mp3s on solid state drive (usb1) and all my movies on solid state drive (usb2). If i want youtube or netflix, i just hit hdmi and turn my iphone6 to horizontal in its holder. So bluetooth is dedicated to phone calls, and i have access to all my media without having to change any wires or settings, just change input, and start iPhone app if using hdmi as input.

Joe, it sounds like you have a good setup.  what is "scared (64GB)", and why and why split up lossless and lossy files?  Also, what plug(s) do you use for your phone?  is it the lightnight to HDMI adapter thing?  

I am more like the others, though.  I have defaulted to CarPlay and it's just a matter of time before i pull the unit out and use USB 2 for a mass storage of some sort.  I don't mind switching back and forth between CarPlay and the basic radio interface, since it's only a touch of a button.  

I do find myself using the Pioneer's navigation more than the Apple one though.  i think it just looks better and is a little more robust.  I understand Apple's intent of minimizing driver distraction, but some of the things they disable really take away from the user's experience.  

EDIT - Just realized for "scared" you probably meant SD card.  that makes sense.  

scared was autocorrected from sdcard on this macbook and did not catch that one. 

I really did not split up the lossless and lossy, I already had lossy on solid state drive, and audiophiles on this forum, got me to thinking i was missing out on the quality of music, so i ripped about 60+ gb of FLAC music from some of my collection to see if i could tell the difference.  Instead of pulling out solid state drive and putting it on there, i formatted a 64 gb sdcard to fat32 from exfat and put it on there. 

Normally i have iPhone 6 connected to apple digital adapter(hdmi)(mounted in glove compartment) via lightning extension. I have car charger mounted in glove compartment connected to digital adapter so all is hidden, and only 1 cable comes out of glove compartment to iPhone holder mounted on dash beside my nex. 

scared was autocorrected from sdcard on this macbook and did not catch that one. 

I really did not split up the lossless and lossy, I already had lossy on solid state drive, and audiophiles on this forum, got me to thinking i was missing out on the quality of music, so i ripped about 60+ gb of FLAC music from some of my collection to see if i could tell the difference.  Instead of pulling out solid state drive and putting it on there, i formatted a 64 gb sdcard to fat32 from exfat and put it on there. 

Normally i have iPhone 6 connected to apple digital adapter(hdmi)(mounted in glove compartment) via lightning extension. I have car charger mounted in glove compartment connected to digital adapter so all is hidden, and only 1 cable comes out of glove compartment to iPhone holder mounted on dash beside my nex. 

This sounds like good news! I thought that 32gb SDHC was the highest capacity that could be used in the headunit, and from your post it sounds like all I'd need to do is reformat to fat32. Is there a specific 64gb SDXC card that this works with, or can I just get any one? And you are able to use all 64GB, right? 

there are people that have formatted up to 256 gb sd card, and used them on the nex. SDHC max capacity is 32 gb, and in order to use larger sdcard, you must format to fat32. It is best, if you are going to use SDXC formatted to fat32, put all the media you want on it and leave it. You have a good chance of losing data if you are constantly writing and changing the contents. There are people that have lost data by constantly rewriting data on these reformatted cards. Just beware, and search on the web about reformatting the SDXC cards. I happen to use a little more expensive samsung SDCARD that has a fast read speed. I have used the SDXC card for a couple of months and have had no issues. I have around 62gb on the card.

I love carplay. I don't touch appradio mode. I do use HDMI sometimes to play movies for people in the car (seriously, a movie can play on the radio and I can drive. It's called looking at the road, not the screen.) but I never touch appradio mode anymore. 

One thing I'd love to see is for CarPlay to be able to access the SD card for music and show song info in the Now Playing app. I use the SD slot for all my lossless files and I wish I could control them through the CarPlay interface (as opposed to the ugly Pioneer one that looks like it's from 2003).

Just press the mode button to get to the pioneer music controls. Use that to control the SD card, and carplay navigation will still play through the speakers thanks to Pioneer's audio mix feature. 

This also is the case if for some reason you are using the Pioneer nav and carplay at the same time for music. 

Just press the mode button to get to the pioneer music controls. Use that to control the SD card, and carplay navigation will still play through the speakers thanks to Pioneer's audio mix feature. 

 

This also is the case if for some reason you are using the Pioneer nav and carplay at the same time for music.

 

No, I know how to do all that, it's just that I don't want to use the Pioneer controls. I find the interface to be very ugly and unappealing. What I want is to be able to use the CarPlay Music app to access the lossless files on my SD card so that when they play, I'll see the song title and artist info and album art in the CarPlay style. I also realize that this will most likely never happen.

(seriously, a movie can play on the radio and I can drive. It's called looking at the road, not the screen.)

Please tell me you're not in the Delaware area. 

Will Apple Car play work through the apple hdmi digital adapter?  To change between that and app radio mode do you go into setting and just change from hdmi to usb?   

I believe CarPlay only works through USB1.

Will Apple Car play work through the apple hdmi digital adapter?  To change between that and app radio mode do you go into setting and just change from hdmi to usb?   

apple hdmi digital adapter, only uses the lightning to usb cable for charging only. you have to hook up to usb1 as Don Montalvo stated, and change smartphone setting to usb. Not a seamless transition. Unfortunately, it is either CarPlay or AppRadio.

^{So basically for app radio mode you have to use the hdmi adapter and plug a lightning cable from that to usb 1.}  

^{If you want to use car play you have to unplug that connection and plug a lightning cable directly into usb 1.}

^{I was really hoping I could switch between the two interfaces but I guess not.}

^{Thanks for the info.}

^{So basically for app radio mode you have to use the hdmi adapter and plug a lightning cable from that to usb 1.}  

^{If you want to use car play you have to unplug that connection and plug a lightning cable directly into usb 1.}

^{I was really hoping I could switch between the two interfaces but I guess not.}

^{Thanks for the info.}

It doesn't matter which usb you use for Appradio mode. The usb cable is solely used for power. You could technically make a power source for your phone directly to the battery, and Appradio wouldn't even notice.

It doesn't matter which usb you use for Appradio mode. The usb cable is solely used for power. You could technically make a power source for your phone directly to the battery, and Appradio wouldn't even notice.

this is precisely how i have my digital adapter hooked up. The adapter is in my glove compartment along with the cigarette lighter i removed from my dash to install a usb plug that goes from usb1 to dash(initially setup for CarPlay). The cigarette lighter has a dual port usb charger in it and one goes to my hotspot and the other connects to the a/v adapter and i use lightning extension available to hook up to iPhone if i want to use app radio, and usb1 is available for whatever i feel like plugging into it. My truck came with two 12volt power supplies right beside each other(1 lighter, 1 power supply). So removing 1 was an easy move to glove compartment.

My Carplay audio only works for podcasts - won't play any other audio. I'm running iPhone6 with ios 8.1.1,  on an AVIC5000 NEX. Everything is  working for me except audio. If I bring up songs or playlists or artists, I can't select anything. Scrolls just fine, but there is no 'go' button or response.  

I heard from Pioneer that there is an ios8 problem, but from what I'm reading here on the forum you guys are able to play your itunes music on your hu's.  Any ideas why?

Veet

That's odd, veet.  I have a 5S with 8.1.1 and everything seems to work fine.  Are the songs that you're trying to play physically downloaded on your iPhone?  i.e. Maybe they are not physically downloaded (but accessible from the cloud) so the NEX lets you see them, but can't access them.  

Does Spotify work without issue?