Thread: Centrafuse no support for iPhone media :'(

The problem you have found, isn't actually Centrafuse's issue...its Apple.

All the older ipods work because you can view the files on the ipod via the usb cable.

The iphone changed that, because Apple are asses.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter who you go with currently, you can't just access the iphone like you can the old ipods.

You should be cracking the s**ts at Apple unfortunately, but stay tuned, there are a few people who are trying some options to get around it!

a current product that is in the planning stages, but cf compatibility might become a issue then:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/hard...ml#post1424030

Originally Posted by Chester

The problem you have found, isn't actually Centrafuse's issue...its Apple.

All the older ipods work because you can view the files on the ipod via the usb cable.

The iphone changed that, because Apple are asses.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter who you go with currently, you can't just access the iphone like you can the old ipods.

You should be cracking the s**ts at Apple unfortunately, but stay tuned, there are a few people who are trying some options to get around it!

Hmm well my 5-6 year old Pioneer DEH P6850 headunit and 6-7 year old Pioneer CD-IB100 iPod adaptor both work fine with my iPhone... it reads the playlists, displays the song titles, etc... and it was released before the iPhone even existed... I also have a Phillips speaker dock with a remote which displays the playlists, song titles, etc and it even displays the album art on the remote... Every

So maybe Centrafuse should change the way they are doing it... because iPhones and iPod touch's and other iOS devices are only going to get more popular... Its not as if they've only been out a for a short time... these devices have now been out for 4+ years now...

The iPod Accessory Protocol has been around for years, and this is what the iPhones still use... so its hardly Apple's fault for cutting out the direct access to the files when this wasn't the correct method to do it... the direct hard drive method is far from perfect anyway, as it didn't take any notice of what the ipod was actually doing, eg if you were playing a song on your ipod and then jumped into your car and plugged it in, Centrafuse (and any other software using this method) would have no idea what you were just listening to, as it just reads the files directly from the hard disk...

So no its not Apple's fault... they have a standard protocol method for controlling and reading from the iPod's and iPhones, but for some reason Centrafuse decided not to use it...

Also as far as the bluetooth goes, Centrafuse doesn't even support the ability to control playback, which is a fairly basic thing that alot of devices support...

Originally Posted by birdie

Hmm well my 5-6 year old Pioneer DEH P6850 headunit and 6-7 year old Pioneer CD-IB100 iPod adaptor both work fine with my iPhone... it reads the playlists, displays the song titles, etc... and it was released before the iPhone even existed... I also have a Phillips speaker dock with a remote which displays the playlists, song titles, etc and it even displays the album art on the remote... Every

So maybe Centrafuse should change the way they are doing it... because iPhones and iPod touch's and other iOS devices are only going to get more popular... Its not as if they've only been out a for a short time... these devices have now been out for 4+ years now...

The iPod Accessory Protocol has been around for years, and this is what the iPhones still use... so its hardly Apple's fault for cutting out the direct access to the files when this wasn't the correct method to do it... the direct hard drive method is far from perfect anyway, as it didn't take any notice of what the ipod was actually doing, eg if you were playing a song on your ipod and then jumped into your car and plugged it in, Centrafuse (and any other software using this method) would have no idea what you were just listening to, as it just reads the files directly from the hard disk...

So no its not Apple's fault... they have a standard protocol method for controlling and reading from the iPod's and iPhones, but for some reason Centrafuse decided not to use it...

Also as far as the bluetooth goes, Centrafuse doesn't even support the ability to control playback, which is a fairly basic thing that alot of devices support...

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing......

This is apples fault (although cf has no ipod support whatsoever-it treats older iPods like removable storage devices). The iPod accessory protocol is not freely available it required reverse engineering due to very expensive licensing fees from Apple. It also requires a specialized cable to take advantage of-so no its not a software issue its a hardware issue. If theres enough interest I can produce the cable soundman linked to but as of now there doesn't seem to be enough interest.

As a developer I can also promise you that the ability to access the iPhones files over USB is 100% vendor lock-in and not due to any of the reasons you mentioned. Accessing the file system has nothing to do with what the iPod is doing internally, there are well tested protocols for both accessing the file system and streaming audio which apple intentionally avoided.

Note:
If you have a jailbroken iPhone this might interest you:
NEW PLUGIN: iPod Support

Hmm well thats interesting... thanks for clarifying that justchat_1...

Just wondering is there a reason why the cable you are suggesting you can make is not already available with everything else the China makes...

So as far as the cable goes are you just using the a bare 30 pin dock connector and connecting the relevant plugs to the relevant pins? I.e is it something someone with reasonable soldering skills can do themselves? or is the IC chips involved as well?


But I still don't understand why Centrafuse hasn't implemented the ability to control the music playback via Bluetooth... even that would be better than doing nothing...

Originally Posted by birdie

Just wondering is there a reason why the cable you are suggesting you can make is not already available with everything else the China makes...

If you can find it...it sure would save me a lot of time and effort

Originally Posted by birdie

So as far as the cable goes are you just using the a bare 30 pin dock connector and connecting the relevant plugs to the relevant pins? I.e is it something someone with reasonable soldering skills can do themselves? or is the IC chips involved as well?

Nope just soldering and 3 resistors...but the 30pin connector has almost no room between pins so doing it by hand would be difficult at best. The product i'm creating will feature a custom board in the plug to handle the connections but it could probably be done with direct connects.

Originally Posted by birdie

But I still don't understand why Centrafuse hasn't implemented the ability to control the music playback via Bluetooth... even that would be better than doing nothing...

Centrafuse buys most of their functionality they don't create it.... their bluetooth support is produced by a company called bluesoleil which doesn't yet support AVRCP.

i have taken apart some of the ipod connectors, though i haven't soldered to any yet-- it requires a very thin soldering tip, but i feel it is feasible to do by anyone with decent soldering experience-- if you have enough experience to quickly tin, and solder stranded cat5 to something without melting most, or all of the insulation, i think you have a decent chance-- last i checked, the connectors and all were less then $5 ea. so i would order extras for if they get messed up.


something justchat didn't touch on in his second post is control-- lets say that i build the cable, exactly as speced in the other thread--CF would still not be able to control, or map the audio signal from the ipod to the speakers, because it is still not seen as a external storage device like what CF is looking for.. right?

Originally Posted by soundman98

something justchat didn't touch on in his second post is control-- lets say that i build the cable, exactly as speced in the other thread--CF would still not be able to control, or map the audio signal from the ipod to the speakers, because it is still not seen as a external storage device like what CF is looking for.. right?

Not quite....in the other thread I mentioned it but i'll throw it here too. I will provide a free library to access and control the iPod along with plugins for the major front ends. Pretty much the same deal as mitchs cables here.

Originally Posted by justchat_1

Not quite....in the other thread I mentioned it but i'll throw it here too. I will provide a free library to access and control the iPod along with plugins for the major front ends. Pretty much the same deal as mitchs cables here.

Hmm I'm keen for it... would you do a small run of it?