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Entune: Is it totally useless or am I doing something wrong?

Discussion in 'Prius c Audio and Electronics' started by ultralame, Apr 17, 2012.

  1. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    (I looked for other forums, but I no one seems to be answering these questions. Please let me know if I can find these answers elsewhere)

    I have a Prius C III and an Android phone. The BT connection for both phone calls and audio works great

    However, I am trying to use Entune, and I don't see why this is useful at all. (My dealer is completely clueless about any of this. They didn't even mention that I am getting a satellite trial- I have no documentation and I have no idea how long it will last).

    1) Not only do I have to have the App installed on my phone, I have to run it? FYI, it appears to be in memory and "listening" at all times, but I still need to open it when I want to use Entune? Is this right?

    2) My system allows me to "Connect BT for Internet" anyway. Does this not work without the Entune App running?

    3) I got pandora to work at some point. It was slow, and the sound quality was HORRID. I switched to the higher quality and noticed a little difference. I then switched to BT Audio and played pandora through the phone and it sounded amazingly better.

    4) Can I display traffic on the map? Do I have to run Entune for this? Can I get traffic from XM that will show up on the map?

    Is there a manual for this anywhere? The entune site is not helpful.

    Thanks!
     
  2. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Have you tried Toyota Online Owners Manuals and Service Manuals and selecting your car in the upper right?

    BTW, you might want to update your user info if you no longer have an 07 Prius...
     
  3. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    1. Traffic interface with nav, showing traffic, warning and rerouting.

    2. Bing interface with nav, allows you to search on web and then navigate to it, or call or save address for later.

    3. Pandora if you want it. Can be a nice change of pace.

    On Entunes having to be running on the phone. I don't think so. The Prius has a spot to enter your Entunes ID and PWD. If your phone/car make the internet connection it seems to provide Traffic, Bing, Pandora without the application running on the phone. Slightly more convenient if you don't have to manually start Entunes on the phone.

    Overall a useful car nav/internet application.
     
  4. longterm

    longterm Member

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    I got my Prius PHV 4 days ago, and have been loving it. I downloaded Entune to my iPhone 4S, but wasn't able to make a connection between phone and car, even though the app was running.

    Finally I saw where someone said that in order to use the iPhone in the car, it has to be tethered; I did that and it immediately worked. Pandora sounds just fine, the other apps work as well; I wish I could go untethered, since I keep an iPod in my car with my audio collection on it, but this will work fine for me.
     
  5. managerman

    managerman Prius v Nerd

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    Longterm,

    You can get the Bluetooth tethering to work on the iPhone 4s if you have a tethering plan through [email protected] if your iPhone is jailbroken.

    -M
     
  6. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    (I will change my info! Thank you!)

    I have the manual- but it's not horribly helpful.

    For example, where is the traffic information on my Nav coming from? Entune or XM? If it's XM, where is the info about my free trial? Do I get the traffic for 3 years too?

    Etc.
     
  7. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    Ah! Good to know that (my wife still has an iPhone).
     
  8. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    Is that the spot where it asks for provider info? I don't have a provider login.

    Anyway, I have an Android with a tethering option. Entune runs perfectly in the background and I don't have to do anything when I get in the car. To make it work.

    (One complaint is that if I am listening to Pandora and then shut off the car, when I get back in the Audio is OFF, and so I have to hit APPS and then PANDORA to start it up, and it takes 20-30 seconds.)
     
  9. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    I really do hear a difference between the Entune Pandora and Pandora on my phone over BT Audio. In fact, I can run them both concurrently and switch back and forth (no way to get the same song up and running though).

    It's not even all that subtle. The quality on Entune is significantly worse. I have been trying it all day, but it's definitely much more tinny than directly on the phone.

    I will install an app that can monitor the network use, maybe I can see if there is a significant difference in traffic between the two.

    (FYI, I found another discussion about this on another site. Others agree that it's worse.)
     
    Dylan Murphy likes this.
  10. thefyn

    thefyn Junior Member

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    I noticed my bluetooth tethering to my 4g network is...strange.

    The first time I set it up it was perfect. yesterday afternoon it told me I could not connect. This morning I could not connect. Same phone, area settings etc etc.

    I have a feeling the ap on the phone is not listening properly when I'm in range of the car.

    Perhaps the first time I set it up I was connected via USB cable...Cant remember. Does Entune tether/get internet via bluetooth?
     
  11. rjdriver

    rjdriver Active Member

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    Traffic info comes from the Entune data service. XM Sat. radio's free trial is three months, not years. Entune's apps and data service are free for three years. After that, you have to pay Toyota a monthly fee. It's a small fee, but of questionable value, IMHO.
     
  12. BGGirl

    BGGirl Member

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    Ok, I have tried to find help in the manual but no such luck so I thought I would ask you all.. I hooked my iPhone up originally with the cord to use Entune. That worked fine for a couple of days, then stopped working and says it has no Internet connection at all now?
     
  13. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    I have mentioned this before in various posts ... make sure you have an OEM (Apple) usb cord. For some reason a lot of the aftermarket ones don't transfer data at a high enough rate. I did buy a Belkin one and that seems to work also.

    If that doesn't work, make sure your entune version is 1.84. If not, go to the dealer and get it upgraded for free.

    Since I did both of these things I haven't had any problems. Sometimes when I get in the car, my iPhone won't play right away like it usually does, so I just make sure that entune is running.

    Good Luck!!!
     
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  14. BGGirl

    BGGirl Member

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    I am using the USB cord that came with the phone so that isn't it. How do I check what version entune I have?
     
  15. jsfabb

    jsfabb Active Member

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    Setup (button)> General > double down arrow (twice) > System Information > Software Version: 1.8.4

    I did this from memory (car to computer) so it may not be exactly correct, but you get the general idea.
     
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  16. Jollyman

    Jollyman New Member

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    I bought a C2 instead of a C3 simply because Entune and the GPS seemed so poor during my extended test drive.
    A GPS with lifetime map updates and live traffic info from Garmin is under $200 and can move to my other vehicle. I have always loved Garmin and even the dealer agreed the built in GPS has a horrible user interface.
    I can stream Pandora and do anything else I need to without Entune and the C2 radio sounds great. The bigger "system" screen would have been pretty, but not worth the extra $ to me.
     
  17. ultralame

    ultralame Junior Member

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    Yeah. Knowing what I know now, I would have bought a C2 and upgraded the stock head unit. There's a couple Prius screens that I don't use (they are repeated with brevity in the HUD). On the other hand, I bought the car almost immediately after it came out and I was unable to verify that I would not lose any significant functionality without the entune unit. So I am not losing sleep over it. Maybe I can sell the Entne unit?

    The map is pretty mediocre, and pretty slow. With my phones, you need to plug in the phone to USB and then CONNECT it to get the traffic to work (it auto-connects *sometimes*).

    The Pandora sound quality is sub-standard. I don't use any of the other Apps.

    The BT works fine, so there's no reason that you need to use Pandora through the car when you have it on the phone. Seeing the info on screen would be nice, but the unit is slow.
     
  18. Priusxrs

    Priusxrs Junior Member

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    Entune seems pretty slow and horrible to use compared to most phones. Just connecting them though bluetooth to the radio seems much better. Ive used over 8 different phones in my c so far. Entune worked ok on the oldest of them other then that just bluetooth worked miles better. Maybe im just used to how the phones work and not the car yet. I know I prob dont use it for enough either to make it worth paying for it either compared to just nav on my phone and pandora connected though bluetooth.
     
  19. Dylan Murphy

    Dylan Murphy Junior Member

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    On other vehicles with satellite radio, the traffic information comes from the satellite, not via an app through your cellphone. I guess the Prius entertainment system just wasn't designed to use that so that people would be forced to use Entune if they wanted traffic info? I have heard nothing but bad things about Entune.
     
  20. Larry Greenwald

    Larry Greenwald Junior Member

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    Here's possibly an even dumber question. How useful is the Entune system if you don't have a phone? (actually I do have one but it was issued by my company for business use and it's neither Android nor iPhone). Will anything work or is a connectable phone a mandatory requirement?