Bluetooth audio

[jona2125]

I was wondering if anyone can help me out with the trouble i'm having with the SYNC system. I use my ipod through bluetooth because its quicker than the usb to find songs because the usb mode locks my ipod out from using it all (ipod touch 3g 64gb if anyone wanted to know). I was just having trouble using my phone with sync also. It won't designate my phone as my phone and my ipod as my audio device at the same time. it wants to use my phone as audio and phone and then i cant use my ipod unless i switch it back manually but whats the point of even setting up my phone if i can only use one or the other at once. the only way around it is to use line-in but then i lose freedom of my ipod being in my pocket so i dont have to worry about if its in there while im not in case i forget to grab it. i tried reading the manual but no joy. any help would be much appreciated.

[xmech2k]

I don't know for sure, but I think Sync can only use one bluetooth item at a time. Like if multiple phones are in the car, it will choose the primary. Have you gone to the Ford Sync Forum and searched? Probably better chance of someone with specific knowledge there, too.

[Blizzard35]

I don't know for sure, but I think Sync can only use one bluetooth item at a time. Like if multiple phones are in the car, it will choose the primary. Have you gone to the Ford Sync Forum and searched? Probably better chance of someone with specific knowledge there, too.

 

Your best bet would be to go to "www.syncmyride.com" and look under the FAQ section. I know other iphone/itouch users have expressed concerns over similar situations. One of the reasons I didn't go with an ipod touch was because of the problems one can have while using SYNC. With my ipod Classic 80gb, I have no issues at all with SYNC but, I use the usb connection. I have a HTC Touch Diamond cell phone that is connected by bluetooth that has worked almost flawlessly. Keep in mind, there will be issues with "any" device that uses "wireless" technology, bluetooth or other. Operating circumstances, temperature, interference etc. can affect the performance of an electrical wireless device. Also, at "syncmyride.com" they have a list of "tested" phones/mp3 players etc. to work with SYNC. Always check that resource "before" making a purchase/choice of a new device, so there are no surprises afterwards about compatibility. *Also, SYNC is a Microsoft development, the iphone/itouch devices are Apple/Mac developments.

[jona2125]

Your best bet would be to go to "www.syncmyride.com" and look under the FAQ section. I know other iphone/itouch users have expressed concerns over similar situations. One of the reasons I didn't go with an ipod touch was because of the problems one can have while using SYNC. With my ipod Classic 80gb, I have no issues at all with SYNC but, I use the usb connection. I have a HTC Touch Diamond cell phone that is connected by bluetooth that has worked almost flawlessly. Keep in mind, there will be issues with "any" device that uses "wireless" technology, bluetooth or other. Operating circumstances, temperature, interference etc. can affect the performance of an electrical wireless device. Also, at "syncmyride.com" they have a list of "tested" phones/mp3 players etc. to work with SYNC. Always check that resource "before" making a purchase/choice of a new device, so there are no surprises afterwards about compatibility. *Also, SYNC is a Microsoft development, the iphone/itouch devices are Apple/Mac developments.

 

Yes I went to syncmyride and registered. I had the Touch Diamond and wasn't impressed. I got the HTC Hero and it works great with SYNC. With Google and Sync I can't go wrong. The iPod Touch works absolutely flawlessly with SYNC. I only find USB is slow which is why I use it through bluetooth. I was successful one time with sync, I had my phone and iPod connected at the same time but I don't remember how. The music was playing and then my phone rang and then the music stopped mid-ring and then the phone continued its first ring through the speakers of the car. I only am frustrated by this because it is like a feeling of freedom when my iPod isn't tethered to my car by an annoying cord be it USB or AUX line. I love the car though. I just picked it up a 9 days ago. It's a SEL in Sport Blue with Moon & Tune. This is the only thing that has got me scratching my head. I guess I'll just be using USB and maybe I will get used to it. Oh and about being connected to multiple phones. I understand what you are saying but here's my thoughts. If the iPod Touch is a stand alone bluetooth device that only streams audio, shouldn't bluetooth audio and phone be seperate. I think the only reason I am having trouble is because my phone has media so SYNC wants to automatically stream from my phone. I wonder if I could find a way to turn off the bluetooth audio part so I can use my phone solely as my phone and my iPod as my audio device over bluetooth. I have a great feeling of doubt on this one. I will continue to work on it though.

[akirby]

As already stated you can only have one bluetooth device connected at a time. I don't understand the problem using the USB connection for your ipod? What is it you can't do with Sync when it's usb connected? You can't manually select the songs on the ipod of course but that's what the Sync interface is for and as far as I know you can do everything from Sync you could do manually plus you get voice control.

[FtLewis2002]

ummmm...I don't know the specifics for bluetooth, etc but I stream pandora through my phone on bluetooth audio, and if the phone rings, it pauses while I answer, and when I hang up it resumes playing without skipping a beat. (Technically, that's 2 bluetooth devices running, but it's in the same cabinet) It works just like it does when I have my iPod running in USB mode and having the phone ring. If it's not doing that and working correctly, it could be a setting in your iPod, or maybe there is something wrong with your Sync system. It's too bad the dealerships don't have anybody who really knows a damn thing about Sync.

Edited February 10, 2010 by FtLewis2002

[jona2125]

As already stated you can only have one bluetooth device connected at a time. I don't understand the problem using the USB connection for your ipod? What is it you can't do with Sync when it's usb connected? You can't manually select the songs on the ipod of course but that's what the Sync interface is for and as far as I know you can do everything from Sync you could do manually plus you get voice control.

 

Going through the USB is just slow that's all. Plus I lose freedom of being able to leave my iPod in my pocket. And I did have them both connected as I stated. My iPod was playing music over bluetooth and then my phone rang over bluetooth and the music stopped and i took the call all through SYNC. It is possible I just forget how I did it.

[FtLewis2002]

Going through the USB is just slow that's all. Plus I lose freedom of being able to leave my iPod in my pocket. And I did have them both connected as I stated. My iPod was playing music over bluetooth and then my phone rang over bluetooth and the music stopped and i took the call all through SYNC. It is possible I just forget how I did it.

 

Don't know...My iPod is the same speed through USB as it is through bluetooth. I have a touch also. Kind of a waste since it just sits in the center console 99% of the time.

[akirby]

When you connect your phone via bluetooth, that's one bluetooth connection that's used for both phone calls and audio streaming (if your phone supports it). To Sync it's still just one bluetooth device. If you have your iPhone connected to USB and you're sending the audio to the DOCK connector (USB) then the phone itself is still connected via bluetooth so you should be able to send and receive calls via bluetooth also. Sync would stop audio playback during the call.

 

The only difference in using Sync to control the iPod or iPhone is that you have to use Sync to control it, not your thumb. On a Nav equipped vehicle you use the Nav touch screen so it's basically the same. I guess on a non-Nav vehicle it would be harder.

[FtLewis2002]

When you connect your phone via bluetooth, that's one bluetooth connection that's used for both phone calls and audio streaming (if your phone supports it). To Sync it's still just one bluetooth device. If you have your iPhone connected to USB and you're sending the audio to the DOCK connector (USB) then the phone itself is still connected via bluetooth so you should be able to send and receive calls via bluetooth also. Sync would stop audio playback during the call.

 

The only difference in using Sync to control the iPod or iPhone is that you have to use Sync to control it, not your thumb. On a Nav equipped vehicle you use the Nav touch screen so it's basically the same. I guess on a non-Nav vehicle it would be harder.

 

I'm thinking his issue is in his iPod. It works either way in my Fusion at the same speed. I streamed the ipod via bluetooth last night just to try it, when I usually use my phone for bt audio using Pandora or Slacker.

[akirby]

I'm thinking his issue is in his iPod. It works either way in my Fusion at the same speed. I streamed the ipod via bluetooth last night just to try it, when I usually use my phone for bt audio using Pandora or Slacker.

 

I'm pretty sure when he said it was slow through USB he was referring to how you select and play songs and playlists. When you're used to doing it directly on the iPod with your thumb I could see how doing it through Sync might seem a lot slower.

[FtLewis2002]

I'm pretty sure when he said it was slow through USB he was referring to how you select and play songs and playlists. When you're used to doing it directly on the iPod with your thumb I could see how doing it through Sync might seem a lot slower.

 

Really? Mine is a lot faster than I can navigate it...I've got over 100 albums on mine, so when I say "play album screaming for vengeance" it is playing by the time the chick finishes saying "playing album screaming for vengeance". Maybe he's not pressing the media button twice and bypassing the "sync, please say a command" prompt?

[akirby]

Maybe he's not pressing the media button twice and bypassing the "sync, please say a command" prompt?

 

I was referring to manually selecting the songs using Sync versus doing it on the iPod itself, not using voice commands. But that is a possibility. If you don't use the shortcut it can take a lot longer to start playing a song or artist.

[jona2125]

Well I did get it to connect my phone and my iPod at the same time but the music was choppy as hell. And yes I meant slow two ways. It is slow to sit there and find music and to say commands would be nice but the damn thing never finishes indexing my music so I can never use SYNC USB at all anyway. I drove for 45 minutes waiting for it to index and it still didn't fully do it. I have I think upwards of 7,000 songs or something so I'm sure that has something to do with it too. That is why I use bluetooth because my friends can get in, use the iPod to find music without having to sit there and press a button to look through everything one-by-one. I just use the USB to charge my iPod or Phone. Eventually I'll do something like Pandora and just stream everything from my phone but I'll wait til the iPad comes out then I'll probly just use the 3g on that to do everything

[FtLewis2002]

Well I did get it to connect my phone and my iPod at the same time but the music was choppy as hell. And yes I meant slow two ways. It is slow to sit there and find music and to say commands would be nice but the damn thing never finishes indexing my music so I can never use SYNC USB at all anyway. I drove for 45 minutes waiting for it to index and it still didn't fully do it. I have I think upwards of 7,000 songs or something so I'm sure that has something to do with it too. That is why I use bluetooth because my friends can get in, use the iPod to find music without having to sit there and press a button to look through everything one-by-one. I just use the USB to charge my iPod or Phone. Eventually I'll do something like Pandora and just stream everything from my phone but I'll wait til the iPad comes out then I'll probly just use the 3g on that to do everything

 

Your iPod is having a problem. I have 5600+ songs and mine indexes in about 30 seconds after I update the iPod. You've got something that isn't indexed in the artist/album/track format that Sync uses. That's my guess anyhow.

[jona2125]

Your iPod is having a problem. I have 5600+ songs and mine indexes in about 30 seconds after I update the iPod. You've got something that isn't indexed in the artist/album/track format that Sync uses. That's my guess anyhow.

 

Yea idk whats going on with the usb but. it working now. Its working properly now. i have phone as phone and ipod as bluetooth audio. I can make calls and take calls. Call comes in, music stops, call ends, music resumes. All through sync through TWO bluetooth devices

[FtLewis2002]

Yea idk whats going on with the usb but. it working now. Its working properly now. i have phone as phone and ipod as bluetooth audio. I can make calls and take calls. Call comes in, music stops, call ends, music resumes. All through sync through TWO bluetooth devices

 

In bluetooth mode, anything that's in an audio format will play regardless of the id tag on the individual file. Sync only recognizes that id3 tagging, or whatever it uses, so that's why you're having problems indexing through the USB connection. At least it recharges though, right?

 

Someday when you get really bored and have a few hours, open up your iTunes and check your songs. I believe that's what is stopping you from indexing.

[jona2125]

I've been having a lot of success with the bluetooth. My phone connencts in unison with my iPod. Was in Florida for a bit on vacation so messing with iTunes wasn't an option. What exactly would I look for? Plus I'm in the process of recovering 200gb of data of a failed hard drive, that has all my old iTunes music on it. As of now iTunes is useless until that recovers in approximately a few days maybe longer. I just do not like using the usb mode at all anyway. It's very demanding to change playlists and stuff. I get the voice part of it and how you just say it and it does it but my friends like to be able to look at the abundance of music through the iPod's screen and pick out songs. Bluetooth is just by far more simplified. Next week a new system is going in and in about 2 months the cars going to Florida for a little bit. Thanks for everyone's help. And everyone who told me I was wrong about connecting my iPod and Phone at the same time over bluetooth, you were wrong, no offense.

[akirby]

And everyone who told me I was wrong about connecting my iPod and Phone at the same time over bluetooth, you were wrong, no offense.

 

I know for a fact it only allows one bluetooth PHONE connection at a time. Perhaps it allows one phone and one ipod bluetooth connection simultaneously.

[FtLewis2002]

I know for a fact it only allows one bluetooth PHONE connection at a time. Perhaps it allows one phone and one ipod bluetooth connection simultaneously.

 

Yes, it will allow the bluetooth phone and bluetooth ipod connections from the same device, simultaneously. It will pause the ipod for incoming calls just like when you're on bluetooth for a phone, and usb connection with the ipod.

[akirby]

Yes, it will allow the bluetooth phone and bluetooth ipod connections from the same device, simultaneously. It will pause the ipod for incoming calls just like when you're on bluetooth for a phone, and usb connection with the ipod.

 

But that's only ONE bluetooth connection, right? The phone and ipod functions use the same single bluetooth connection because it's the same device. I know when my wife's Razr is paired and I connect my iPhone, it disconnects her Razr. ]

 

jona2125 says he had his phone (HTC Hero) and ipod both paired via bluetooth at the same time and I don't think that's possible.

According to syncmyride.com you can only have one paired device at a time using bluetooth. You can have one bluetooth device and one usb device though.

Edited March 3, 2010 by akirby

[FtLewis2002]

But that's only ONE bluetooth connection, right? The phone and ipod functions use the same single bluetooth connection because it's the same device. I know when my wife's Razr is paired and I connect my iPhone, it disconnects her Razr. ]

 

jona2125 says he had his phone (HTC Hero) and ipod both paired via bluetooth at the same time and I don't think that's possible.

According to syncmyride.com you can only have one paired device at a time using bluetooth. You can have one bluetooth device and one usb device though.

 

I have had my iPod connected via bluetooth (16gb iPod touch with 3G) and my phone paired up (HTC Hero) at the same time. I think bluetooth uses a different frequency for the phone connections than the media connections. I can see Sync being limited to 1 bluetooth phone connection at a time, otherwise you could have 2 phone calls going at the same time...in theory.

[akirby]

I have had my iPod connected via bluetooth (16gb iPod touch with 3G) and my phone paired up (HTC Hero) at the same time. I think bluetooth uses a different frequency for the phone connections than the media connections. I can see Sync being limited to 1 bluetooth phone connection at a time, otherwise you could have 2 phone calls going at the same time...in theory.

 

That explains it then, although the syncmyride website certainly doesn't explain it that way. Does the ipod show up in the Phone list?

[jona2125]

I know for a fact it only allows one bluetooth PHONE connection at a time. Perhaps it allows one phone and one ipod bluetooth connection simultaneously.

Well it allows my phone and iPod to work together. I'll make a video just to prove it.

[FtLewis2002]

That explains it then, although the syncmyride website certainly doesn't explain it that way. Does the ipod show up in the Phone list?

 

Hmmm...Not that I know of. Do you mean in the pairing part? The iPod uses the Media Stream Bluetooth part to connect, and the phone uses the Sync Bluetooth part for the phone. There are 2 separate bluetooth thingamajigs in the car. It doesn't connect through the phone bluetooth settings.