Not sure about FLAC files but I've verified it does work with Apple Lossless (.m4a) though still a bit garbled on my iPod Classic. Next step is to use an older iPod Touch to see if it is similarly afflicted. An iPhone 6+ is not.

FWIW, I'm typing this in the car connected to the in-car wi-fi network and out to the Internet using a GiiGaff 3G SIM. £5/month for 500Mb is reasonable value. Easy to setup but you have to log in to the wireless router using address 192.168.1.1 to set the APN settings appropriately. Mark

SVR in Estoril Blue

I guess the question now is "is the ipod doing the playing and sending an audio signal to the car or is the car reading the track from the ipod and playing from there?" I've never owned an ipod so I cannot comment. I use a 32gb Sandisk cruzer Fit that I just leave in the car its nice and small so it cannot get bashed about putting other stuff in the armrest.

I left the incontrol wifi off my car. I have an EE 4G wifi dongle that I use when the ship I work on is in port so I just chuck that in the car and we have 4g wifi if needed and Its only £20 for 15Gb.

Or you could use your existing tablet/phone with unlimited data at £15 pm and use that as a wi fi hotspot anyway, which passengers could jump off if required?

very true or you could pay to have a hot spot put in your car. there are many ways to skin a cat

Indeed there are and I added the option as much out of interest as real need.

It's good the LR option works and there is always the slight possibility the external aerials will provide better coverage than from a device inside. In any event, it's interesting to see the Internet connected logo on the touch screen next to the clock plus of course it means the iPod I use to deliver music can be Internet connected with the possibility of using Spotify and YouTube on the fly, at least for audio. Mark

SVR in Estoril Blue

Mark_N wrote:

Not sure about FLAC files but I've verified it does work with Apple Lossless (.m4a) though still a bit garbled on my iPod Classic. Next step is to use an older iPod Touch to see if it is similarly afflicted. An iPhone 6+ is not.

FWIW, I'm typing this in the car connected to the in-car wi-fi network and out to the Internet using a GiiGaff 3G SIM. £5/month for 500Mb is reasonable value. Easy to setup but you have to log in to the wireless router using address 192.168.1.1 to set the APN settings appropriately.

OK, here's a question. When playing music stored on an iPod/iPhone, what is doing the decoding - the phone or the car?

EDIT: Sorry - eddkawasaki asked the same.

It must be the car, surely, as USB is, by definition, a digital bus. So does the 'Sport decode Apple Lossless, or just AAC (both different, both MPEG-4 .m4a files). I've tried and can't get lossless to work on my MY12 car. FLAC certainly won't, nor will ALAC, nor anything at 98 kbps. 

I think it's the car; all the clever Meridian processing needs to work on the digital data so the iPod is simply an external Mass Storage Device.

Interesting though that the manual lists the supported formats as MP3, WMA, AAC which are all lossy compressed formats (aside from one obscure variant of WMA) and then goes on to say use lossless compression. As I say, it works with Apple Lossless (apparently a change then from the older car) and I'm going to try it with WAV which is uncompressed and very space hungry. Mark

SVR in Estoril Blue

Correction: Lossless does work, but needs to be 48 kbps and 16 bit. 

48 Kbps? Seems rather low quality

Yes, you're right. Should have said 48 KHz! 

It was slightly naïve to think that retro-fitting the drinks cooler was going to be plain sailing and so it's turned out.

The wiring loom under the centre console is different for the SVR, presumably because of the exhaust button and fitting the cooler requires an extension which is an integral part of the loom in the non-SVR. Or so I am told. That part is arriving tomorrow, hopefully, so I'll be picking the car up on Wednesday morning. As least they're not just wiring it in using a few Scotchlok connectors...

The message is clear, if you want the cooler on an SVR - and it's a no-cost option - be sure to specify it and make sure it goes in the order because the cost of retrofitting doesn't bear thinking about. You might just have to put up with warm Champagne... Mark

SVR in Estoril Blue

philmw wrote:

Correction: Lossless does work, but needs to be 48 kbps and 16 bit.

That was via a stick as it was easier to load every format and see what plays. The iPod will only take the files it can play. 

That's great news I might be able to get rid of my MP3 library that I just keep for use in the car.
Thanks

Car back, new number plate on straight without screws and drinks cooler neatly installed, all looks fine. They thoughtfully left a bottle of water in there. TPMS still working.

They even cleaned the car, it looks at its most splendid when clean...

Because I had to go to Chester overnight, they leant me a Discovery which was interesting to drive, more economical than any car I have ever driven - 35 mpg - and not bad if a little agricultural inside. Coming back to the SVR was however a complete revelation after 180 miles this morning in the Disco.

So, I'm all set, next is to get an iPod which fits in the now quite small space between the seats and stock up the fridge with some cheeky little vintages... (not that I condone drinking and driving, of course).

Then, fit the illuminated rear threshold, torch and bumper protector and I will be all set for trips to Lincolnshire and North Wales next week, the special Defender exhibition at Solihull and Sussex the week after. Just love this car!! Mark

SVR in Estoril Blue