mdrobc1213

Updates..Have an 09 997.2 Carrera S which replaced my previous '05 997.1 Carrera base and while both cars are marvels of driving and handling and that classic 911 look..I have to say PCM 3.0 while much better than PCM 2.0 leaves a bit to be desired in terms of ability to add things after the fact. Its like Porsche purposely made it so its an all or none deal and you can't get anything after the car has left the factory. Also is it me or does Porsche seem to always be like a generation behind the latest and best A/V stuff in their cars? Its like MB, Audi, and other brands have hired and stole all the best electronics design guys or they don't read any of the auto A/V industry stuff cause you never see it in a Porsche until its like 4-5-6 yrs old it seems. Anybody remember the interior radios in the 996? It was my 1st Porsche and I must say I almost walked away like are you kidding when I saw the radio options. LOL I know they are meant to drive but A/V is a significant part of most of our auto experiences now a days especially as we spend more time in our vehicles and in traffic it seems or on our way on vacation avoiding the horrendous costs of airfare now adays due to gas prices.

So where am I going here? SAT radio intergration or shall I say RETROFIT into a PCM 3.0...just blows. Recently found out that I Nav-TV does offer a PCM 3.0 Sirrus module however it seems to work ONLY with certain versions of PCM 3.0 (ones without NAV). Important glitch that any of you considering this is that you NEED to check which PCM version your car has thru a screen before ordering/installation. I just had my dealer try it and they stopped at the step where the instructions said DO NOT INSTALL NON Compatible with this ver PCM 3.0 when they were prompted to check the PCM versions. My Porsche tech even checked with NAV-TV and affirmed that YES they haven't yet reached full operability with PCM 3.0 and it seems that the way Porsche is guarding the enable codes it may never happen as he said he tried quite a few ways to re-code the car and force PCM to enable/see the Sirius unit and it would error everytime saying NO PCM detected even with the new Sirius PCM module from Nav Tech. Talking to him further he says Sat radio seems to be hard wired as part of the new PCM 3.0 radios as a CPU module rather than a separate fxn which makes it VERY difficult to add on afterwise without replacing the entire PCM unit but on contrast since Porsche will NOT unlock the codes or release them for cars NOT built with Sat and PCM 3.0 off the factory floor it looks like 3 yrs out (2009+) there still are/will be NO good options for this.

His observation...Porsche is always about 2-4 yrs behind A/V stuff in their cars and get beat by everyone else before they are like hey that's a good idea (i.e. updated PCM 3.0 vs PCM 2.0). Am leaning toward agreement on that one. For example...my 2012 Audi A7 has google integrated NAV and Hi Res maps, allows me to navigate from a saved address on my phone (contacts), is its own mobile hotspot, and has a 40 gig harddrive which I can upload music to using SD AND has Sat radio and Ipod by just checking the Audi MMI option on the order sheet! My previous 09 BMW could upload CDC's straight into the NAV and also store stuff on a 40 gig HD.

Behind the road curve...maybe not as far as driving goes but behind the electron curve...yes...c'mon Porsche get with it!

nicoff

I agree with your sentiment 100%. I recall that for years getting an iPod to work in any Porsche required 3rd party solutions that left a lot to be desired. That was at a time when even rental cars allowed you to easily plug and play your ipods!
Maybe now that Porsche/Audi are under the same ownership (VW) things will change.
Would like to hear more about your experience with the A7. Nice article about it in WSJ yesterday.

UNC Nick

Definitely agree that the AV technology in these cars isn't exactly up to the $100k car standards in lux alternatives out there. Flip side of the coin is that those technological performers aren't in the same ballpark when it comes to the performance and drive that we've got in the 911. Each has a purpose. I'm in the process of selling my BMW 550 and just sold my 996 to move back into a 997 as a daily driver. When it came down to it, the heated/cooled seats, touchscreen nav, ipod integration, etc is more than enough technology for what I want in my daily drive. When our family needs more creature comforts in the trip, we'll take the technology-loaded SUV. All this said, I'm in the same situation as you with the 997 and Sirius and not too thrilled about it. Guess I'll now just be adding a separate tuner and running it through the AUX like I did in my 996. Not the factory integrated look, but I'll have a custom installer make it look pretty good and the features will be 10x better than the stock option. There's almost always puts and takes...

My $.02.

mdrobc1213

Yes there was a write up on the A7 in USA today which I am reading. Car is very very nice. Remarkable from a technical standpoint and drive is very much surprising in that its better than expected. Sporty enough for daily work and long drives/trips is much better than my old e92 M3 which it replaced. Almost waited for the S7/S6 but when I saw it in person it looked so much better than pics I had seen and everything worked seamlessly that I was sold. Considered the Panamera hard but for the $$$ couldn't justify it...A7 has it all standard vs Panamera which I would have had to option out the azz to get to A7 standards (all I checked was sports package on the car and dark wood..everything else was standard..NAV, IPOD, BT, Hardrive music, Google and Internet connectivity,etc). Also finally A7 was MUCH more pleasant to look at from the rear cabin back than the Panamera...couldn't make that go away no matter how I looked at it. BWM 5...too blah..didn't do much for me/M5 too dayum expensive for same car asthetically, Jag XFR nice but their electronics are even further behind Porsche's it seemed...Lexus...no real contender here IMHO and Mercedes..just not me..new CLS don't like the lines, E class...same. Caddy is looking nice wit their new CTS-V coupe and sedan but in the end...A7 won by a mile when I looked at what I got for the $$ in this race!
Yeah I hear you...interior of the new Audi's just is phenomenal...they should charge the rest of the industry for lessons in interior design and tech integration. Just the best I've had so far albeit with one or two annoying gliches (i..e can't rip from protected media to media hardrive..must copy to an SD 1st then you can upload). But yes its taken Porsche HOW long to improve the 997 interior with PCM 3.0 and they're getting there but still seems to be an afterthought. This stuff should be designed into the vehicle from the get go. Yes I know tech is changing but hell Sat radio, NAV, BT are like industry standards and alot of the tech stuff you'll find easily avail in Europe (like internet and TV tuning) but for some reason (maybe legal) getting it across the Atlantic in good working order into our cars is like an act of god is needed. BMW is a perfect example in that you can order an individual BMW almost anywhere in Europe and get a dayum good fuel effiecent diesel engine to boot as an option on almost any car in the line up but try getting one here or a diesel or a hatchback and oh my god..they act like they don't even MAKE the model you're inquiring about but looking at in European Car magazine or staring at on BMW's UK or European website! LOL

Just a shame...but i too will likely get an Sirius unit to plug into the PCM 3.0 and use either the AUX input or FM as my dealer tech said that's really the only option unless Porsche decides to uncode/recode their Sat options.

Chris from Cali

I wish Porsche would go the opposite route and just offer a no-frills 911. Give me power locks/windows/A/C and not much else.

Rob - it's tough to compare Porsche's A/V stuff when Audi is always pushing the standards... Thank goodness you've got one of each to keep you balanced.

mdrobc1213

Ha! Yes this is true...but on those long trips...man no Sat radio is just painful! LOL But the A7 is nicely filling the vacum left by the M3!

ADias

More entertainment while driving is really what we need, especially in a sports car.

Minok

I'm all for them not chasing the latest tech until its got traction, so I'm fine with a little lag. But this is why I didn't buy a 997 until the 997.2 came out.

Porsche does seem to go vertical-software-market-enable-code happy with their internal configs but then do such a stupid job on the design and features of the system that its either factory original Porsche option or you don't get that feature by 3rd party means. They should ease off the whole -enable code- nonsense unless it is to turn on a feature built into the car/PCM, but that should not prevent 3rd party module additions.

But then this is sorta like the "$5,000 Tag-Heuer Watch" vs "$200 Casio Watch" issue: one is very expensive and has very few features and is way behind in timekeeping technology. The other lets you do modern whiz-bang stuff like temp, elevation, compass, multiple time zones, etc... and costs way less.

Dstutler

All good but is there a way to add BT Audio streaming on PCM 3.0 v2.2? I've checked the manual and have downloaded a UTube video but I don't get the Aux BT as the video says I should.

Dennis C

I agree with these comments.

I have PCM 2.1 in my 997 and it is primitive compared to the MMI system in my wife's Audi SQ5. I did add a Mobridge system to my 997 that gives me bluetooth telephone connectivity as well as streaming bluetooth audio. I don't have satellite radio and I have no interest in adding it. I thought I wanted it until I used it in the Audi. I don't think the programming that is available is worth the money. I much prefer streaming Spotify or Pandora.

andy92782

I'm fine with the capability of my PCM 3.0 997 although I'm glad it has the Universal Audio Interface option (iPod + USB input). For music, I just pop in a 16GB USB stick loaded w/ tunes and it's been great.

It would be nice to be able to stream music via Bluetooth from my phone (should I happen to want to stream Slacker Radio) but I can always use the 1/8" wired audio input for this. I don't need to do this badly enough. If I did I'd probably just order up something like this and stuff it in the armrest:

My car also came with XM Radio. SiriusXM is letting everyone get a free taste these past couple weeks. Personally I think the audio quality is garbage. I'd never pay for it. Maybe if I went on a long road trip I'd activate it for a month but otherwise, no way...

ngng

all these OEMs need to supply a display and offer vehicle APIs then offload software to 3rd parties like apple & google, or even make it open source.

Dstutler

I have this device and it works VERY well. Always a little hiccup now and then with Pandora but that's it.

ogun228

Strange isn't it and a bit befuddling that people get a car for it's driving dynamics together with a high degree of practicability, leading one to assume that they are car enthusiasts. Then the same persons gripe ad nauseam about the lack of audio/video options and/or flexibility.
Forgive me for being a bit naive in my assumption, but who in the boody hell cares about A/V crap that one can only hear at a marginal level at best?
Shouldn't these people pay attention to their angles of attack and/or exit on a nice curve on their daily drive, while monitoring the oil temp, oil pressure gauge while in "sport" and enjoy a daily driving experience second to none? Shouldn't they be listening to their engine in an effort to know its sound when in good shape so that they can quickly spot potential problems if any?

Please, try to enjoy your car for its avowed purpose, letting those frilly things be where they belong: in the background. Realize that you are member of a small group of car "nuts" that truly value the driving experience whether in stop and go traffic, the boring freeway or the curvy country road. Try to revel in the mechanical marvel under your seat, the way it works so seamlessly together, the precision of it all, the way it does precisely what you tell it, the way it saves your *** when you get stupid and/or careless.

Guys, this is not a common car, it is a Porsche. Drive it and A/V be damned!

The Mick

. We'll said! I have both an Audi and a 997... I can assure you I don't have the 997 for its audio capability or quality. The sad part of this conversation is that the electronic driver aids and audio are now becoming one of the most important factors in new car development for all brands. I too would like to see a new 911 void of all electronics, something built purely for the thrill of the drive... Unless I want a 991 Cup, this is a car I can no longer get from porsche.