Completed the iPod integration over the weekend, using the Nissan part connected to the Sat radio connector in the trunk. First, kudos to the folks that have provided EXCELLENT write-ups about the install, and controls - they made the task simple.

The results are good and bad: Given that my optimal solution is that the iPod screen shows up on the dash LCD, and our wheel selector on the dash functions as the click wheel on the iPod...it's very disappointing.

Because you have to click once on the track button for every change of Artist, Album or Playlist, running a large iTunes library is not really viable. On my 80GB iPod, am guessing I have something like 500 artists? Clicking 500 times isn't my idea of fun...

However, if you're using playlists, it's great - playlist plays, song info is displayed on screen, life is good, and you can scroll (using tuning ****) to any song in the playlist. But not all music in the library is typically embedded in playlists (at least mine isn't).

So combining the two ideas, my current solution is as follows:

• I created playlists for all of my favorite artists (about 20), and placed all of their music into each playlist.
• Then, I set up synch for my iPod Nano to only load those playlists. The Nano is now connected in the trunk.
• Now, on the LCD screen I can quickly choose either my favorite playlists, or favorite artists in their playlists, and scroll to individual songs at will. This is cool.
• When looking for a more esoteric song that's in the library but not in a playlist, the 80GB iPod is still connected in the armrest. Songs / artists can thus be found using the click wheel

Perfect? Not even close, but then I'm not sure that my definition of a perfect iPod interface exists.

Useful? Yes, it's pretty good considering that all of the music I listen to most often is readily available (around 3.5GB), and I still only have to synch to one iTunes instance so new music gets immediately added. Thought I'd post this so anyone considering it knows the pros and cons. It sounds great btw.

Just curious, how do you scroll to music using the hard drive? Can you scroll to artists or albums etc.?

 

I'm not sure how it works on the hard drive (I don't have Nav), but I have an 08 that came with iPod integration and it works much the same as your after market solution.

I wish it worked as you describe, with the iPod screen showing up on the dash LCD and the Infiniti controller functioning as the click wheel, but it doesn't. Trying to navigate by artisit from AC/DC to ZZ Top takes forever (yes, you can use the wheel but it moves too slow). Same with searching for a specific song. I have given up and just leave it in the Random Track mode.

For what it's worth, I never use the radio (AM, FM or XM). I dropped six of my favorite CD's into the changer and will occassionally play one of those if I am in the mood for something specific, but mostly I just let the iPod surprise me.

 

G35Now, You definately have the right idea. Playlists! I have a 60GB, also with 100's of artists and songs and searching for an artist beginning with M-N can seem to take forever sooooo...
I have created 5 more playlists called A-E, F-J, K-O, P-T & U-Z. If I want to listen to Nirvana I just go to playlist K-O and scroll a little instead of alot.

 

Does the interface not allow you to select by genre? That's a little easier then playlists since it preserves the subfolders.

 

Hmmm...going to check right now!

EDIT:>>> Nope, acts like playlists - it does not preserve the folder structure, it just acts like genres are playlists. You can scroll through the songs within a genre like a playlist, but that's it.

 

If it does, then it's the same concept as the playlists. Just set up 27 genres (a-z and #), and you are good to go.

 

the musicbox (harddrive) is actually very quick: you can scroll albums/artists/genres (one at a time - you have to change that by going through musicdrive settings, i have mine permanently on Albums, and all my albums start with the artist name - so it's by artist then by album) by using the radio tuning ****, and it goes by very quickly. then you choose the song by the click wheel or by pressing the buttons.

I love the musicdrive and wish it was bigger, sounds like the iPod solution is only a partial replacement, and sounds like there's no point doing it if you have a musicdrive. The 3.5GB nano capacity is less than the MusicDrive to begin with, and a larger iPod would get annoying to browse through.

 

Quite the depressing post, as I'm still on the fence on getting the G, and haven't taken my nano in for a test drive yet.

So to summarize, the factory iPod kit includes a full iPod plug (including charging) and is best controlled via the iPod?

So that would better allow me to pick my podcast of choice for my daily commute over the aftermarket / Nissan part? I just put an aftermarket unit that does the playlists in my wife's Pilot, and is fine if you just load up a handful of genres into the playlists and hit the random button. Ok for her limited library, but not my 4k song / 100 unplayed podcasts.





Steve

 

Would you seriously let how an iPod interface functions stop you from buying a G?

 

Not sure I completely agree with this - the Nano capacity is just what I happen to have handy. Where do you draw the line? I can choose lots of different capacities with an iPod, up to a HUGE selection. Am going to try the A - E concept for playlists, which should let me scroll to any artist - that will be cool.

Still though, wish some car manufacturer...well, specifically INFINITI! would do the iPod interface...

 

I thought you saw the other post. You can select Playlists, Artists, Genres, Songs etc. and scroll through the music fairly quickly from whichever you select. here: https://g35driver.com/forums/showthr...46#post2844246

 

Unfortunately the music box is limited to it's current size and takes a fair bit of time to rip mp3's (at an acceptable but low 132kbps) via cd's. It's ok for what it is but a PORTABLE mp3 player is the best solution IMO. Most people here are using iPods with capacities from 2 to 160 GB. Mine has 60GB of Music, Movies (which I can also play on the in-dash lcd display), Pictures and more. The iPod intergration we did works well and allows the selection of any music on the device by Genre, Artist, Playlist or Song title and all at an acceptible selection speed. Also if you preset the iPod to shuffle and/or repeat it will function accordingly. Don't knock it until you have tried it.

 

i stand corrected then!
it seems to me the ipod interface would be 100x better if artists/albums could be scrolled through like the musicbox, seems to me that shouldnt be too difficult to rig.

for that matter, have you guys tried scrolling using the 'tune' ****? thats the **** on the opposite side of the volume ****.

 

g35fromAZ wrote this for us:

There are three controls on the console...forget the Volume, it works on the radio as well as the steering wheel. the three controls are:

1)Seek-Cat (Right Side of clock, left of Tune and above Track, a button not a ****)
2)Track (below Seek-Cat)
3)Tune (right of Seek-Cat and Track)

Here is how mine works. When the iPod is playing:

Press the Seek-Cat (you may have to press it twice to wake it from aslumber...not rapidly)

After you press the Seek-Cat you can press it or the Track button to rotate through the iPod mode. The iPod modes in order are:

Playlist
Artist
Album
Song
genre
Compose
cancel
Setup

Pressing the Seek-Cat toggles FORWARD through each mode each time you press it (ie Playlist, Artist, Album.....Setup)

Pressing the Track toggles BACKWARD through each mode each time you press it (ie Playlist,...Setup, Cancel.......Artist)

Once you are in the mode you want to use; for example you want to search by Artist, so you scroll through the modes as listed above until you are on Artist:

-Rotate the Tune button one click to the right..This selects the mode.
-Once you have selected the mode you go back to the Seek-Cat and Track buttons to scroll and find the Artist.
-Pressing the Seek-Cat will toggle from top to bottom in alpha (Allman Brothers, Bad Company, The Who, ZZ TOP),
-Pressing the Track button will toggle from bottom to top in alpha (ZZ Top, the Who, Bad Company, Allman Brothers).

Once you are on the Artist,
-Turn the Tune **** clockwise and you would select the Artist.
-Once you select the artist it should start playing. You would then use the Tune to go forward or back through the tracks.

 

The thread is drifting a bit toward just the general iPod integration since it is so similar to the work-around for the 07s. I took the time to rate every song in my iTunes. You assign stars from 0-5. It took several months to complete but it was worth it. Next I created "Smart Playlists" that automatically add songs based on parameters I set. I have one for 5 Stars, 4+ Stars, 3+ Stars, and similar ones for various genres, such as 4+ Stars country, 4+ Stars Rap/Hip-Hop, 3+ Stars Rock, etc. Now, depending on what kind of music I want to listen to, I can choose that playlist and it will play only those songs I've rated high enough in each genre. I usually have it on 3+ Stars and I get a mix of over 2200 songs of all genres.