Audi satnav and TMC
Discussion
Back in November I traded by three year-old 3-series in against a new Audi A8 3.0 TDi. OK, it's no M5 but there are few more comfortable places to eat up the miles.
I opted for full-screen satnav on both cars. Both systems are claimed to include TMC - the service that forewarns of traffic jams and gives the GPS an opportunity to navigate round them.
Trouble is, turns out that Audi has declined to do a licensing deal with the one company that currently supplies data on UK snarl-ups - ITIS Holdings (their data is broadcast by Classic FM) because they're unhappy with the quality of information provided; instead, they're hoping to provide TMC via an alternative service that uses a network of local radio stations to provide the data.
Audi hopes to send existing customers an updated disc containing the codes necessary to access this information in June. I'm not sure how concrete this date is because I'm not sure whether the service is currently broadcasting or how far advanced are the licensing negotiations.
Which leaves me with a £50k 'technology flagship' that represents a step backward from a three year-old car that cost less than half that price when new, in that its satnav routinely navigates me into tail-backs that my old car could have avoided.
Is there anyone here who has an inside line to the world of TMC - maybe someone who supplies aftermarket systems, works for a distributor or a car company - who can help me here?
For instance, I know that the Audi A8's satnav is manufactured by Harman Becker. Do they make the OE system for any other cars (VW Phaeton? Merc? BMW? Porsche?) and if so, have these makers done a deal with ITIS or the mystery second company for TMC that works in the UK? If this is the case, does anyone know how I could get hold of one of their discs and whether it would work in my Audi?
Alternatively, any insider information on what this alternative TMC service will be like, when it will go live or how far advanced are discussions between Audi and that company, I'd appreciate it.
I opted for full-screen satnav on both cars. Both systems are claimed to include TMC - the service that forewarns of traffic jams and gives the GPS an opportunity to navigate round them.
Trouble is, turns out that Audi has declined to do a licensing deal with the one company that currently supplies data on UK snarl-ups - ITIS Holdings (their data is broadcast by Classic FM) because they're unhappy with the quality of information provided; instead, they're hoping to provide TMC via an alternative service that uses a network of local radio stations to provide the data.
Audi hopes to send existing customers an updated disc containing the codes necessary to access this information in June. I'm not sure how concrete this date is because I'm not sure whether the service is currently broadcasting or how far advanced are the licensing negotiations.
Which leaves me with a £50k 'technology flagship' that represents a step backward from a three year-old car that cost less than half that price when new, in that its satnav routinely navigates me into tail-backs that my old car could have avoided.
Is there anyone here who has an inside line to the world of TMC - maybe someone who supplies aftermarket systems, works for a distributor or a car company - who can help me here?
For instance, I know that the Audi A8's satnav is manufactured by Harman Becker. Do they make the OE system for any other cars (VW Phaeton? Merc? BMW? Porsche?) and if so, have these makers done a deal with ITIS or the mystery second company for TMC that works in the UK? If this is the case, does anyone know how I could get hold of one of their discs and whether it would work in my Audi?
Alternatively, any insider information on what this alternative TMC service will be like, when it will go live or how far advanced are discussions between Audi and that company, I'd appreciate it.
Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff