USB port question

I have a Prius with a USB port so here are two things to consider:

1. If you decide to use a USB port supplied by Toyota (if it works like mine), you will have to live with two things: (1) folders a limited to 255 entries and (2) it plays the tracks exactly in the order they are physically recorded on the drive - which is not the way you see it when you display its contents on your computer. So you need to physically put it in the order you want (sorted or playlist) before you use it. I use a free utility called, "Drivesort Version 1.223" to order my tracks before I put the flashdrive in the USB port. The same holds true for an external USB drive. And of course once the car starts moving you can't use the prius display to move quickly forward/backwards - you need to move a track at a time through the steering wheel.

2. The other option is to play through the car speakers through a device supporting USB Bluetooth Audio. That is normally a smart phone (my iPhone 4 works fine), iPad, etc. I have tried pairing a laptop with bluetooth (which works with my Bose bluetooth speaker), but all I get are blue screens (no pun intended) on Windows Vista.

 

I have a 2011 Prius III with nav. I bought a 16GB usb drive and put lots of music on it. I have one large file that I wanted to use to play random songs from, but apparently the Prius will not recognize more than 255 songs. My Blackberry will stream music. If I put a few thousand files on a card in my Blackberry, is there still a limitation on the number of files it will stream? Maybe that's a Blackberry question. If so, I'm not sure if I can get a random function or find a way to put the songs in random order. Any suggestions on accomplishing this? Thanks.

 

There are some work arounds with blutooth and dice for the base radio. The problem is they are expensive and the results are inferior. Check out Crutchfield and check with your local hack shacks to help you decide. Question everything.

 

I know an iPod is not necessarily affordable for everyone, but with my iPod (60 GB model), I imported my songs into iTunes and transferred them to my iPod. In my 2011 Prius, it lets me cycle through tabs like "Artist", "Album", "Genre", etc. while driving. It's pretty nice compared to a USB flash drive...which I have also tried.

 

I want to install a DICE MediaBridge 1500 in my 2011 Prius III with JBL and XM, but no NAV.

Crutchfield says it will work, but DICE doesn't indicate any support for the 1500 in a 2011 (it is supported in a 2010).

Does anyne knw if it will work in the 2011?

Shawn

 

On their web site, Dice asked for make, model, and year. I put in 2011 Prius and it showed compatible. By the way, check other sources than Crutchfield. They appear slightly high. For example, on eBay, it was about $20 less for the same thing (I think).

In that price range if you have not already checked, take a look at Parrot. They have competitive equipment and announced some new stuff at CES.

Another option would to give up some tight integration for price. Speaking of the 'other end', I purchased a $8 gadget in eBay which plugs into the cigarette lighter adapter and will provide bluetooth phone, play music via flash drive and USB as well as a plug for audio devices - all through the FM radio. You give up a readable display and it has no bluetooth audio for playing iPhone music (which I know is what you want - but when I use it, I copy music to a 2 GB flash drive). Not bad for $8. Fits in the palm of my hand and mobile enough I take it on trips for rental cars that do not have bluetooth. In the $50ish range there appear to be very similar FM transmitter devices that handle both Bluetooth HFP (phone) and A2DT (audio) but give up flash and USB. You can do a search on ebay for "car bluetooth music" or "car music fm" to get a feel. Be careful since the inexpensive ones that have usb/flash and a2dt may not have phone.

I am not sure if you have just an MP3 player or an smartphone. But for example if you have an iPhone like me, you can do a lot of what you want through car phone apps (many free). For example, my primary navigation is Garmin USA (about $40) - I do not use the prius navigation system though I have one since its interface is poor and it turns off most of its functionality above 15 mph. The Garmin app has integrated traffic at a yearly price (I think about $30), but right now I use 'beatthetraffic' which is free or $2. Radaractive is my primary app for red lights and police traffic (though many prefer trapster which I dislike). I use gas buddy for gas prices.

Joel

 

My original comment to kalome was specific to "base radio" as he has the Prius II. The JBLs in levels III-V has more better options. Same radios in 2010 and 2011, though wiring may differ.

 

I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions, but the MediaBridge 1500 did not show up on the list as being compatible on the 2011 Prius -- only the FM modulator units (two of them). On the 2010, both the modulators and MediaBridges are available.

I have no problem with the modulator unit, and in fact, it may be the best choice in the long run. They do not have Bluetooth A2DP on the modulators, which I also want, in addition to USB. I am curious as to what changed in the radio or wiring between 2010 and 2011.

Is there a modulator with Bluetooth input only (to accept A2DP)? I don't care about hands-free calling, since I already have that.

Again, thanks for your help. I am still curious as to why Crutchfield says it will work. Are there other MO/Internet car audio companies I should shop? eBay and Amazon are ok, but I'm sure there may be others.

Shawn

 

These are the two main supplier/wholesalers for most car audio aftermaket and may help. You would still have to buy through a distributor.

Pac-audio.com Products | iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future

Metra Online | Catalogs | Metra Auto Parts Online Warehouse

 

Sorry for resurecting this old thread!
I recently bought a 2011 Prius TWO, not II. I normally play mp3 thru a thumb drive in the other car. The 2011 Prius Two, not II, does not come with usb for flash drive mp3 music playing.

So, I bought this! 3.5mm aux in to usb female, does not work!
Help?

Thanks!

 

What the...?
OK, best case, you bought a doohickey that requires specific support from the car to work right. You cannot just directly connect USB to audio, for a variety of reasons:

• USB has 4 wires (power, ground, Data+, Data-), normal audio jacks only have 3 (Right, Left, and Ground). Their connector obviously has 4 contacts, so it's not obviously a total fake, but the Prius undoubtedly only has the 3 I mentioned. (Some devices, like the iPod/iPhone, do use 4-contact jacks, so that they can support a microphone and/or remote on the audio jack; either 3- or 4-contact plugs will work in them. But the iPhone certainly doesn't support USB over the audio jack, even if it has the right number of conductors.)
• Audio signals are analog, USB signals are digital. If you listened to the data going over USB, it would just sound like white noise (like a waterfall, or the static between radio stations).
• The USB drive requires 5 Volt power on the power connector to be able to turn on.
• etc, etc, etc.

Now, although I've never seen such a thing, it would be possible to make an AUX jack that could detect if you had connected one of these adapters, and speak USB through it. Maybe somebody makes such a radio, rather than just taking the easy route of putting a USB jack next to the AUX jack. But the Prius radio is not one of these.

It would also be possible to make such a doohickey work in theory for any AUX jack, but it would require a battery and a small chip to decode the audio and output it to the audio jack. It would not be as small as what you have there.

Worst case, you bought a cheap piece of garbage that the seller knows will never work, but is so darn cheap that the seller also knows you won't go through the hassle of returning it, so he gets to keep your money.

 

Thank you for answering this post. I thought I would try it since it is not expensive. You are right that the seller/maker will not have to worry about returning this product, it was shipped from: SHENZHEN EMS CHINA thru the mail.
It is now obvious to me after learning from your post that it could not have been so easy and the maker of this thing is certainly aware of that.
I have not used burn Cds in a while. I will check to see what Toyota sells or other aftermarkets.
Thanks again!

 

The AUX plug should play mp3's or stream audio from an ipod or a phone's headphone jack.