Golf MK7 - Ipod artwork not showing on screen

[HamptonCaught]

I've managed to crack this and thought I'd share it in case it helps anyone else. Started off with the same problems as everyone else - when I connected my iPod, the music played fine but there were no album covers showing.

I decided that I would prefer to keep my music in the MK7 on memory card rather than iPod, so purchased a 32GB SDHC card. Note that the VW manual only recommends SD cards up to 2GB which won't hold a huge amount of music, but SDHC cards are recommended up to 32GB.

Before you put music onto the card and try in the car (though I did run a quick test to check that it worked), the starting point for this is to get your iTunes library in order. CDs that I'd burnt over the years had burnt as mp4 files (this can be changed in your iTunes preferences) and everything needs to be in mp3 format for the car. So convert any tracks/albums that aren't in the correct format and then check that all albums are showing the correct album artwork (this can be changed manually if not). When you get to that point, you're ready to go.

Put the card into your computer and load the album folders (artist is the top folder, then album and then the tracks from that album) - this will all be recognised by the car's system.

Put the card into the slot on the CD player in the car and you're good to go. All of my data is intact, including all of the album covers. Whether the iPod/iPhone issue is a software one or a fault with the cable supplied with the car I don't know, but a good quality memory card is the way around it. It's also more convenient - I can just leave the card in the car all the time and my music library is with me whenever I need it, hidden away in the body of the CD player.

One other point to make - if you're removing the card from the car, make sure you disable it first using the menu on screen. Failure to do this can result in loss of data.

 

[Chopper3]

Ultimately this is all Navigon's (I think that's who makes the audio systems) fault - the APIs for working with any iOS device haven't changed for half a decade, including display of album art from any supported file type. They're simply not working hard enough to support a wider range of use cases than the most basic mp3/external-image - they've ticked the box that lets them say it supports album art and have given up. The only way to resolve this is to let VW know it's a problem. There are lots of other car manufacturers and audio system makers whose kit works just fine, we need to motivate VW to throw it back at Navigon for an update that works. I'll try to find out some contact details and post them on here so we can do a bit of 'mob rule' on them

 

[Emceejay2]

Media Cable so I get album art!

Guys,

Can somebody confirm exactly what cable I need/ I have an iPhone5s so have to use the Lightning adapter, but is there any (easy) way to sort this so I can get art work to display? I also use a big iPod classic too.

Really don't want to (don't think I should have to if I'm honest) fiddle around with converting tracks and resizing manually added pictures.

Wifes new Honda Civic displays album art with no probs at all and my Golf is way better so I want this to work!!!

Cheers all.

 

[MayConvVW]

Hi All

If someone on e here with a Discover Pro, an iPod/touch and cable connection help me with the last post on this thread it would be most appreciated

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?p=20532#post20532

Thanks in advance

 

[Thatcher]

I've managed to crack this and thought I'd share it in case it helps anyone else. Started off with the same problems as everyone else - when I connected my iPod, the music played fine but there were no album covers showing.

I decided that I would prefer to keep my music in the MK7 on memory card rather than iPod, so purchased a 32GB SDHC card. Note that the VW manual only recommends SD cards up to 2GB which won't hold a huge amount of music, but SDHC cards are recommended up to 32GB.

Before you put music onto the card and try in the car (though I did run a quick test to check that it worked), the starting point for this is to get your iTunes library in order. CDs that I'd burnt over the years had burnt as mp4 files (this can be changed in your iTunes preferences) and everything needs to be in mp3 format for the car. So convert any tracks/albums that aren't in the correct format and then check that all albums are showing the correct album artwork (this can be changed manually if not). When you get to that point, you're ready to go.

Put the card into your computer and load the album folders (artist is the top folder, then album and then the tracks from that album) - this will all be recognised by the car's system.

Put the card into the slot on the CD player in the car and you're good to go. All of my data is intact, including all of the album covers. Whether the iPod/iPhone issue is a software one or a fault with the cable supplied with the car I don't know, but a good quality memory card is the way around it. It's also more convenient - I can just leave the card in the car all the time and my music library is with me whenever I need it, hidden away in the body of the CD player.

One other point to make - if you're removing the card from the car, make sure you disable it first using the menu on screen. Failure to do this can result in loss of data.

Do you know what file format ou album artwork is in? Did you change it from ITC2 to jpeg or did you leave it as its current format filed in way it is automatically done?

Also could someone please supply me with a part number for the red collared cable for iPhone 5s?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Thatcher]

Just got back from the VW dealership and i bought a media in cable for iPhone 5s. However, this product had a white collar. The dealer claims they have only been out for 2 weeks. After reassurance from the dealer that it would display album art, I bought it, parting with £48(a rip off I know). Plugged it in and it didn't even work for music let alone display album art. They have since ordered me a new one incase that was a dodgy lead. New lead comes Tuesday, I will update with more details then. Oh and for anyone who is having trouble with the DAB station logos I have just done mine and they are now working fine. Willing to supply help to anyone who requires it regarding this matter.

 

[testcard]

I stand to be corrected, but you need a Lightning connector with a green collar for the iPhone 5/5S, not white.

 

[Starshaped]

White one doesnt work on MK7 Thatcher,only on other models,you need the green one.

 

[Wolksvagen]

Why can they not just use the Universal standard USB like every other car manufacturer?

Multiple cables with different connectors, multiple versions of the same connector?!? A lousy system which doesn't even work any better than a bog standard USB port, cars supplied with an apple proprietary connector which Apple discontinued several years ago and it's the wrong version (coloured collar) for album art.

Such a grand cockup of decision process and the arrogance to continue using it at the complete PITA to VW customers.

 

[testcard]

For anyone using the MDI to Lightning connector (green collar), does your album artwork fill the white bordered square? With a 7th gen iPod nano, my artwork only fills around half the area of the square, and this is with both material purchased from iTunes and tracks I've ripped myself with good quality artwork.
Edit: just swapped the nano for my iPhone 5, same connector, and artwork displays full size in the square. So what's different?

 

[BlueBullet]

This red collar cable that enables you to play video and display album artwork does anyone know the part number and if so can u tell me if it's from an iPod with 30pin connectors thanks. My garage don't know about it

 

[RedTSI]

I have an ancient 80Gb Ipod classic. If I've understood this thread correctly, I have no hope of displaying album art, as the "red collar" cable won't work with it.

I've ordered an SD card, but I've just realised that the ipod interface will play my ipod auto playlists. (I have playlists set up for each genre that automatically go through all albums so that each one is put to the back of the queue once it has been played.)

Although the manual says playlists are possible on an SD card, I'm not sure if auto playlists will work from an SD card. Can anyone tell me if they do?

(I suppose that I'm assuming the intelligence to interpret the auto playlists exists in the ipod, however if the ipod is merely acting as a hard drive for the head unit, then an SD card should be able to do everything the ipod does.)

 

[testcard]

Correct. I started off with an iPod classic - songs and playlists worked fine, but no artwork.

 

[Talk-torque]

Nothing to stop you putting together your playlists as tracks into a folder. Unless the card size is a problem.

 

[RedTSI]

Before my Golf arrrived, I had all my music in .wma for playing on windows PCs and all duplicated into itunes .m4a for my ipod classic. All music ripped from CDs.

Despite the manuals claims to play these formats, neither played from a SD card. I guess that in both cases it's because I'm using the lossless version of the formats.

I spend a day and a evening creating a third copy of my music in MP3 format. I had to fix art work that wasn't embedded at track level in some albums. I found that auto (smart) playlists didn't work, so I also organised my albums within genres as I deduced from the manual that this would allow me to automatically play through all albums within a genre, which emulates one of the goals I was trying to achieve with auto playlists. The MP3 files were playable and the art all showed up.

Although I will leave both in the car, I've come to the conclusion that the ipod classic is a better option than the SD card, even though it means not having artwork.

First, although I don't claim to have a quality-sensitive ear, the Apple lossless .m4a just sounded better than 320kbs .mp3 files. It may simply be because they are louder at a given head unit volume setting, even with the ipod volume (in head unit settings) only on medium. (Setting ipod volume to loud would result in media being much louder than radio for a given head unit volume.)

Secondly, the ipod interface has top level lists that let you select your music by playlists, artist, albums, genre, composer etc. There are far more options/routes to get to your music.

Thirdly, the fact that smart playlists work is a big benefit for me. I liked the ipod to cycle through all my albums within a given genre automatically, and that's not possible without smart playlists.