Slow Guy

My Macan is about 2 weeks out so I would like to start getting the music files together both on the internal HD and on a USB drive. Is there any specific directory/file structure the HD needs? Is documentation available (other than the Owners Manual that I don't have yet) for me to review?

I know I can just plug in a Ipod but would like to utilize the full features of the PCM.

TGED

It is really easy to do, you can just arrange songs into different folders on an USB stick, and when you are playing back a song from the plugged-in USB stick, you can just select OPTION and you can choose to transfer the particular song or the corresponding folder onto the PCM HD. Later on, you can also add more songs into any folders that are already on the PCM HD. There is an advantage when using the PCM HD, you can display a folder list on the round screen next to the speedometer and use the scroll wheel on the steering wheel to click into any folder, when you use an iPod, you can only display the playlists on the PCM main screen.

Slow Guy

Thanks for the info.

Slow Guy

Just a little more info on this....
You can transfer files from USB drive but not an iPod, it must be formatted in Fat16 or Fat32 (don't know about ExFat though), the PCM will not recognize a USB thumb drive (memory stick) formatted in one of the Mac formats.

I'm still playing (learning) with this thing....

Edit: Just to clarify, the PCM will play an iPod attached to the USB port (via a std Apple to USB cable) even if it was formatted in a Mac format, it just won't "transfer" the mp3 files to the Jukebox hard drive.

KeninBlaine

It is an Apple thing. Their devices don't share files with non-Apple devices apparently.

TGED

In theory, you should get better sound quality using an USB stick when your songs are purchased from iTunes. Apple uses AAC format on iTunes songs, when you plug in an iPod to the PCM, it indicates the songs are in MP3 format, therefore, there is a format conversion from AAC to MP3, since both are lossy format, there is a degradation in sound quality. But when you transfer the iTunes songs onto an USB stick and playback on the PCM, it indicates the songs are in AAC format. Even after the songs are transferred into the PCM HD, they are still in AAC format.

fincher

Would this be a bug in the PCM and it's actually playing AAC? Cannot see how the PCM would be able to convert AAC on the fly to MP3 as each track is played.

TGED

On both my Panamera and Cayenne, as well as on all the Porsche loaner vehicles, all my AAC songs from various iPads/iPhones all show up as MP3.

fincher

I think it's still AAC when playing. My Touareg RNS850 doesn't indicate anything other than the media type and all of my music is AAC from iTunes...and I use an old iPhone as an iPod, SD Cards, Bluetooth, etc.