Spectro28

Hi All --

Any speculation on possible availability of A2DP Bluetooth streaming on the PCM 3 with a software update? I saw a post yesterday on using a DVD to hold 8GB of music (nice post) but would still like to stream music/podcasts from my iPhone without connecting it (for my ~1/2 hour commute, and then realizing I left my phone in the car a couple of hours later). That post referred to the Bluetooth Audio being available in the "Sources" section of the PCM -- I don't see such an option for a source in my car.

It works great in my wife's 2011 Ford Fiesta (for all the Microsoft disparagement I've dished over the years, that Sync system works really well).

So -- might this come with a software upgrade to the PCM?

Cheers -
Marc

ELMEL

My wife just got a new 2012 Boxster S with PCM 3.0. The manual indicates that A2DP is supported, but I can't seem to get the car to show AUX-BT (yes, my iPhone 4 with A2DP is paired). Has anyone gotten a PCM3 unit to do this? I know PCM in the Panameras will do this (I've done it), but I believe those are 3.1.

Betternotbigger

Go to the computer store on the street corner and pay $10 for an 8GB USB memory stick. Fil it with tunes and put that in the USB connection. Control the interface from PCM. Job done.

ELMEL

I don't know about the OP, but I've already got an iPod dedicated to the car for use with PCM. But I also want to be able to stream sound from an iPhone for things like Pandora, or for when I want a passenger to be able to DJ while I drive, without a cord.

Spectro28

For me, the advantage of streaming is that I sync my phone every day, downloading new podcasts every day. I listen to a lot of podcasts commutuing. Pandora would be nice, as would some of the "genius" playlists I've been making... so I'll jack my phone into the iPod cable and listen. I just dont want to keep up with syncing an extra device all the time...

I just get bummed when I get up to my office and realize my phone is down in the car, 10 minutes walk, with no time to go get it.

Minok

My expectation is, no it won't happen. Despite software being updatable on many modern hardware products from cars to hifi receivers and amps, it is a very rare case where a firmware or software update for such 'appliances' actually adds features not previously present. The manufacturers use those updates only to fix faults in the originally sold feature set. They concentrate all 'new feature' development on what goes in the next version of the product. Now if the next release of the car has it, and its still PCM3 hardware... then an update may be possible... but only as a side-effect.

ELMEL

Minok, the PCM3 manual says it's there. But it isn't. Grrrr.

Minok

Hm, well if it says its there, and your phone has it too (and turned on), then I'm not sure why its not working... that would be something Porsche should address pronto. But then their response to the "PCM doesn't let the iPod go to sleep and thus drains the battery down" effect was, thats the way we designed it, you have to live with it.

I've not used A2DP as I've had too many problems with phones starting to play in my pockets that I don't put music on them anymore... I'll have to see what options my phone has and test things.

rijowysock

i found A2DP does not work on the base systems for cayenne, does work on bose/pcm setups, and those are standard on pana so works on all. i guess it did not work on the second posters boxster because no pcm or bose?

as far as 997, i think maybe only the newest ones have the software to allow this... if at all. my 997.1 and 997.2 did not.. and my cayenne does not as well because i dont have bose or pcm.

the DVD does not work on the base stereo's as well, have to burn on CD-R

ELMEL

I have PCM3 v2.2 and Bose.

Loomis

PCM manual says Aux_BT is there, but it's not. This stumped my salesman at Niello, so he brought it back into the shop where it proceeded to stump the tech, the service manager, and the service writer. They hooked it up to the Porsche diagnostic tool and did activate the Aux plug (it was set to off), but couldn't figure out how to get Aux_BT to work. My phone syncs, but I can't play music over BT.

Since the salesman was able to get Aux_BT to work with his phone on new Cayennes and Panameras on the lot, but NOT on the 911 or 911 GTS, their conclusion is that the feature doesn't exist on the sports cars. Pisses me off. I have no ideas other than to wait for an update or perhaps find a way to ask Porsche.

On the bright side, the Cayman R rocks!

ELMEL

Yeah, the service manager at my dealer inquired with an engineer at PCNA and was told that AUX-BT is only available on 3.1 (Panameras and Cayennes, as Loomis said). He didn't know if an update would be available. Oh well. I can live with this.

The other thing I'm bummed about is that the Phonebook can be transferred over Bluetooth, but those same vCards aren't recognized in the Nav system. WTF? To add insult to injury, there's a feature to export and import Nav records, but the data is in a proprietary format and the feature can only be used to export from one PCM and into another (when you're getting yours replaced under warranty, for example, or if you have more than one car with PCM and you want to do the data entry into one car and export to another).

JWB7405

I have 2012 997.2 Turbo (just purchased) and ran into the same problem trying to set up AUX-BT for streaming iTunes. I'm guessing you will be able to stream iTunes in a 991 when it arrives, and if so, that Porsche might still update its PCM firmware to allow it in a 997.2.

talkinghead

Is there any updates on this subject? Frustrating that I can stream Pandora on my '10 4Runner, but not in my $120k 997.2. Arrgh.

ELMEL

I was unable to get this to work in a 991. But maybe I missed something.