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lynn237

Need help understanding bluetooth and music

Lyban zone 4
9 years ago

I am not very up to date on this kind of stuff but I just changed my car from a honda crv 2010 to the 2014 model.
One thing I enjoyed was my CD player with 6 slots for discs.
I did not realize that the new model has only one slot again like years ago,apparently because I now have bluetooth and all kinds of ports like USB and 15 pin something.

They tell me I can listen to all my music on the iPhone or ipad.
But I do not own an iPhone nor do I need one but I do have the ipad air but do not want to have to bring it with me every time I go out in car so explain to me If you can is there something else with bluetooth that I can put music on to listen in car.

Thanks for any help

Comments (29)

  • kristine_ca
    9 years ago

    Hi Lyban,

    In my car (a Ford) if you pop a CD in, it actually 'copies" the music to a library you can play on what my system calls a "jukebox". Then you pop the CD out and put a new one in, etc. Perhaps your Honda allows you to do that too? I didn't know it would happen--I only noticed later when the 1st disk was removed that the music was still there. Also I can play music from an old-style iPod (yes, pod with an "o", not pad with an "a".) Until recently I did not have an iPhone either so the iPod was my only option other than loading the jukebox.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Kristine, thank you for answering

    I know that I cannot use an ipod because they tell me that all ipods are not bluetooth.

    As far as the disc copying, well I do not know , I am picking up car tomorrow so will have to check that out but I do not think that is an option.

    Maybe someone else will weigh in.

  • geokid
    9 years ago

    I plug my iPod into my car's USB port and use that. I have a very old iPod that I keep in the car all the time. My Ford also has the jukebox feature but I prefer the iPod. It also has Bluetooth but I don't like having that on because then my phone calls all come through the stereo.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    geokid,

    I do not have an Ipod but I can buy one because they are reasonably priced. (any suggestion as to which one)

    Are you saying that if i plug that into my usb port that i can get the sound from the car stereo, I do not have a phone so do not have to worry about getting calls.

  • geokid
    9 years ago

    Yes, when my iPod or iPhone are connected to the usb, I can play my music on those devices and it comes through the speakers.

    I don't have any suggestions on iPods as mine is a first generation oldie. :-)

  • MagdalenaLee
    9 years ago

    You will have to burn your CDs to the ipod first which is time consuming but in the end very convenient.

    At the time of delivery, you should receive instruction on all the tech stuff on your car. If they don't offer it, make sure you ask.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    My Toyota Camry has a bluetooth (BT) choice on the radio's touch screen. It connects with my Android phone & will play the music in my phone's file system/music player. Both the phone and the radio have to be turned on & have made the bluetooth connection with each other.

    Since I use a Sansa mp3 player, I store my music on computer or can easily rip from a CD, then can transfer the files to the mp3 player via cable using regular Windows drag & drop. But now I can transfer the music to my phone by either cable or bluetooth, and then play the music on my phone via the car sound system. Very nice. The Sansa mp3 doesn't play when hooked up by my car's usb; I need a stereo jack instead to use with the stereo jack outlet.

    What does your car manual say? Maybe we can help explain the instructions.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    thank you, I am getting more confused.
    I pick up my car later today and maybe I will understand more when I get it.
    Of course my salesman is young and could not understand that I did not own an iphone or any cell for that matter.

    I will come back later this evening and see if everything is a bit clearer by then.

    I did not realize that very few devices seem to have bluetooth so I am limited, like I said I do own an ipad but right now I have very little music on it and I do not like the idea of having it with me whenever I go in the car.

    Oh the joys of getting old.

  • maddielee
    9 years ago

    More then likely you do have a connection pork for an iPod. You may need to buy the wire from Radio Shack. My iPod is a nano, no Bluetooth. It plugs into a port (my port is in the center console). Once connected you'll see "aux" for auxiliary source.

    I, too, just got a new car. 1 CD space instead of the 6 I had.

    ML

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Yes, it is confusing! But all is not lost if you don't have a cellphone.

    You might be able to put your music on a thumb drive and play it through the car's usb port. (Maybe. Works in some systems, not others. You'd select an Auxiliary or a USB button on the radio controls to alert the system to look for something in the usb port, then see if it recognizes the files).

    Or look to see if your car has a stereo jack port. It's just a tiny round hole, either by the radio or often in the storage container between the seats. Go to Radio Shack and get a two way stereo jack for cheap (has a stereo jack on each end). Then buy an inexpensive mp3 player, plug one end of the jack into the earphone hole and the other into the car's stereo jack. Turn on both the mp3 player & the audio system, and look for the Auxiliary button to alert the system to look in one of the ports for music files.

    But now that I think of it, if you just have an iPad, there's no cd drive to use to transfer your music to either a thumb drive or a cheap mp3 player :( Do you have another computer with a CD drive?

  • camlan
    9 years ago

    Break the whole thing down into small parts.

    With the sound system in your new car, you can play 1 CD.

    You can connect various devices that hold music on them to the sound system. This will let you play more songs than are on 1 CD.

    Bluetooth is one way to connect a device to the sound system. The USD port is another way to connect a device to the sound system. Not knowing your car or the sound system, there may be more.

    I know a bit about iPods, so I'll tackle those. You can connect an iPod to the car's sound system through the USB port. Depending on which iPod you buy, you may need to purchase a cable that will plug into the iPod at one end, and the sound system at the other.

    Then you need to put music on the iPod. This is done using software called iTunes. It is free from Apple. Go to the Apple website and there's a menu bar across the top of the screen with an iTunes button to click. You can download the software from the page that opens up.

    The next important thing is that your computer must be able to play your CDs. Using iTunes, you can put a CD into the computer and copy the music into iTunes.

    Once you have your music copied into iTunes, you connect the iPod to the computer, and iTunes will ask you if you want to copy the music to the iPod.

    Then you can take the iPod to your car, connect it to the sound system, and play your favorite songs.

    And if all that is just too confusing, see if there isn't a high school student amongst your acquaintances who wouldn't be willing to show you how to do this.

    My suggestion for an iPod would be the Nano, as it has a screen with menus and buttons and I think it would be easier to learn how to use it.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Great post, camlan. I don't use Apple products, but the non-Apple stuff is very simple to use too.

    I thought maybe a picture would help Lyban:

  • MagdalenaLee
    9 years ago

    "Of course my salesman is young and could not understand that I did not own an iphone or any cell for that matter."

    I'm surprised. When I purchased my Ford a few months ago, I was assigned a "SYNC" specialist. "SYNC" is Ford's bluetooth technology. Before I left the dealership, he sat down in the car with me and reviewed all the tech features. Then he had me go through everything myself so I could ask questions as I went along. He was with me for about 30 minutes and was very patient.

    This was my first new car in 11 years and the first time I need instruction on how to operate a car since driver's ed!

  • maire_cate
    9 years ago

    You don't have to use iTunes to download music. I have an Amazon Prime membership and that's where I buy my music for my iPod. I detest the way Apple keeps popping up on my screen and telling me that I have to update it.

    New cars have so many features that you might feel overwhelmed if the salesman explains everything all at once. If you start to feel like you're sinking just ask him if you can take it home, try things out, read the owner's manual (if you have one - half of mine is online or on my Navigation screen) and then come back if you refreshing.

  • DLM2000-GW
    9 years ago

    lyban you are not the only one who gets confused with all the tech options - it's a never ending stream of reinventing the wheel! I'm sure the dealership will help you with the technology but if the young whippersnapper sales person doesn't speak in a language you understand, ask for someone else - you're paying big bucks for your new car and should get the help you need.

    awm03 - **I don't use Apple products** You mean there's 2 of us??!!

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    lol, dlm2k! What do we call ourselves, iNots?

  • maire_cate
    9 years ago

    Make it 3 - the only reason I have the iPod is that my kids ran out of ideas for presents and they decided I needed one.

  • DLM2000-GW
    9 years ago

    iNot - I love it!!! At this point, I refuse to buy them just to be obstinate - that gives a glimpse into the cranky old lady I hope to be one day!

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I am back from picking up my new car, a 2014 honda crv ex.
    The salesman was very patient and showed me how to play songs from my ipad using bluetooth.

    Now I only have two songs on my ipad and like I mentioned I do not want to bring my ipad every time I go in the car , so ideally what I would like to do because it is cheap to buy is get a iPod shuffle and loads it with songs and be able to plug that in the USB plug and then be able to leave that shuffle in car.

    I guess the only way would be to try this, so I will borrow a friends shuffle to see if this works.
    Ideally I would like to find something with bluetooth to buy but I do not want to spend a lot and I do not want to worry about leaving whichever device in car.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    I love electronics and gadgets, it's just that I can get along very well without Apple electronics and gadgets. I will be a geeky cranky old lady some day!

    I'm still wondering how Lyban is going to get her music off her CDs & on to another device. Her iPad doesn't have a CD drive, right? Hope she has another computer with a CD drive.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Awm

    Forgot to answer that before, I do have another computer with a cd and DVD capabilities.

  • camlan
    9 years ago

    Jeepers, why all the Apple dislike?

    I have to admit that I used PCs at work and was pretty good with them, back in the old DOS days. Then I quit my job and went to grad school, which had the old original Apple computers.

    Oh, the joy of using a mouse! The user interface with icons, instead of having to remember each and every little DOS command.

    I became an Apple convert then and there and have never looked back. I work on a PC (literally, I only use one at work), and play on my iMac.

    And I went out the very first day the very first iPod went on sale and bought one. They were tucked away in the back of the Apple store, around a corner. The sales person I asked didn't even know where they were and had to ask someone else for help. How things have changed in that regard.

    lyban, if you get an iPod and have any questions about iTunes or anything, I'll be glad to try and help.

  • redcurls
    9 years ago

    I don't know that I'd get the Shuffle. Unless it has changed drastically...and that's possible....it does not have a screen so you won't have the song titles. You probably want to be able to see which playlists you want to play. The Nano will do that for you.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Oh good, Lyban, you're half way there, then. What you need to experiment with now is finding Windows Media Player or iTunes on your computer and using them to rip (copy) songs from your CDs to your computer. It's easy & fast; learning the ins & outs will take just a little internet reading. Here's a video. iTunes works pretty much the same way.
    how to rip a CD. I'd save the songs as mp3 files.

    Then try copying the song files from your computer to a thumb drive/ flash drive and see if your audio system will play them when the drive is plugged into the usb port. That's the least expensive & easiest thing to do for now.

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    p.s. And if you ever decide to get a smart phone, an iPhone, or an mp3 player, now you'll know something about music files and how to transfer them from CDs to computer to phone or some other device.

    Bluetooth is a wireless system of data transfer: no cables necessary, no need to plug into anything. The music files will transfer "through the airwaves" between devices. It's nice in some ways, like playing songs from a phone over your car radio or using the phone via the car audio. But for transferring lots of music files from a computer to a bluetooth device, it's slower than plugging into a usb port.

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wow, you guys are all terrific. Thanks awm for that detailed information.

    I have been reading and am off to try to transfer some songs.
    I will come back later today and let you know if I am successful .

    Thanks

  • Lyban zone 4
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yipee! I did it and now I am feeling like a young techie.

    Like awm said I carefully read all instructions for transferring music.
    In this case I transferred about 7 songs from the a CD that I put in my computer to my computer library and then I transferred them to a flash drive .

    I then tried them in my car by plugging the flash drive into my usb port in car and pressing my AUX on my audio system and
    IT WORKED ... I was so happy.

    So again thank you to Kristine,geokid,,Magdalena,,camlon,,mariecate,,dim2000,redcurls, and especially awm3

  • awm03
    9 years ago

    Hooray! Have fun listening to tunes in your cool new car (woo hoo!).

  • geokid
    9 years ago

    Congrats! Glad it worked out for you!