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Best way to listen to audio books and/or podcasts in MS?
- Thread starter kirkbauer
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- Model S User Interface
robert774
Member
If you are an Apple person, I recommend Stitcher. It's a free podcast agreggator that's easy to use in car mode and play through your Bluetooth connection. Don't try the podcasts on TuneIn... the car will constantly lose your place in the podcast.
Actually, I only use my iPad at home, I have an Android phone. This means I currently only listen to podcasts at home, but would love the option to listen in my MS but definitely don't want it to lose track of my place in each podcast nor which ones I have already listened to.
Stitcher also runs just fine on Android. It's what I use over Bluetooth.
The only "downside" is that Stitcher is the only Android app I have that doesn't push title/artist names to the car, but that just means I use that section of Tesla's UI for other things.
The only "downside" is that Stitcher is the only Android app I have that doesn't push title/artist names to the car, but that just means I use that section of Tesla's UI for other things.
robert774
Member
That's interesting, with Stitcher in the iPhone the titles come through but the artwork is wrong. I wish that play position would show with Tesla's Bluetooth integration. I had that on my Volt and I do miss that.
Eseell
Member
I use Bluetooth to my iPod or Nexus 6 to play podcasts. I use the PocketCasts app because it syncs podcast history and state between those two devices and my PC besides.
Been using BT with audible app on my android smartphone since getting my early VIN P85 - and that works reasonably well.
However, the lack of smartphone integration in the Model S software means that some operations have to be done on the phone's touchscreen - not with the steering wheel controls or the car's touchscreen - operations like starting the audible app, navigation through the program (skip forward/back, fast forward/reverse), selecting the book/program, and adjusting the volume (the phone's volume affects the volume of the audio sent from the phone to the car). Plus, the car's display of the "now playing" book/program doesn't show current position (at least from android).
While you can avoid these problems by converting/copying the audiobook to a USB drive - the car's software will not maintain position - and doesn't understand chapters/bookmarks, and trying to reposition back to the last heard point can be very time consuming.
However, the lack of smartphone integration in the Model S software means that some operations have to be done on the phone's touchscreen - not with the steering wheel controls or the car's touchscreen - operations like starting the audible app, navigation through the program (skip forward/back, fast forward/reverse), selecting the book/program, and adjusting the volume (the phone's volume affects the volume of the audio sent from the phone to the car). Plus, the car's display of the "now playing" book/program doesn't show current position (at least from android).
While you can avoid these problems by converting/copying the audiobook to a USB drive - the car's software will not maintain position - and doesn't understand chapters/bookmarks, and trying to reposition back to the last heard point can be very time consuming.
So you are saying that if I have say ten MP3s (chapters 1-10), and I'm half-way through chapter 5, when I turn off my car and get back in it starts at the beginning of chapter 5? Or does it not even remember which track I was on?
For podcasts, I suggest Overcast app for iOS. It also has a web player where you can see all your podcasts with progress saved across devices. Also the iOS apps have something called smart speed you can activate that normalizes extended silences to save time without perceivably speeding up the audio. Anyways Overcast.fm can probably be used from the S's console. Also the developer is kind of an iOS rockstar founded Tumblr, and is a tech and car podcaster himself. He had an BMW M5, but is planning on getting a Tesla after having test driven it. In which case there's probably a bright future for his app in terms of Model S integration.
Sometimes it may resume at the point where it has stopped in chapter 5 - sometimes it will start from the beginning of that chapter - and sometimes it will forget what file is being played, and you have to re-select the file.
When I used to burn audiobook CDs for my previous car - when transferring the books to CD, I would split them into 10 minute sections - so I could easily move through the book, 10 minutes at a time, in case something happened and I lost my place.
While you can do the same with the Model S and files on a USB - it's much easier to use a BT device with an audiobook app.
This sounds like a ridiculous amount of work to be able to listen to your content in your car. I know what I want to try to build. I wonder why a developer ecosystem hasn't started flourishing around the giant friggin screens in our center consoles...
Bob_p is correct... However, in my experience, on a stick it normally (98%) plays properly, sometimes (<2%) starts up when you open the door (so if you don't notice you could be well down the path when you finally get in the car), rarely starts over at begin chapter, and only once has it completely forgotten itself. My iPhone might be a bit better, but the stick has worked well enough I haven't bothered to switch the process. That's over maybe 10 audiobooks on various trips.
Partition one of your USB storage devices with space for your books. Then use the favorite button if you decide to go back to music. It won't get you to exactly where you left off but it will put you in the general vicinity. Better than having to go through 150 files of half blood Prince.
In fact, I use partitions as a sudo playlist hack since you can't generate playlists in the media payer composed of different artists/genres.
I listen to audio books using the Audible app on my iPhone (Android should work too). It uses the BT audio connection. The only thing I can control from the screen is the starting and stopping of the book -- assuming I have selected the audio book on my phone. It works well, but obviously it would be great to have direct application support.
Andyw2100
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Overdrive for audio books. My wife usually spends two hours per day in the car. She goes through a lot of audio books. Before we had the Model S, she was borrowing audio books from the library on CD. With Audible, if they even have a plan that could supply enough books per month, we'd be paying quite a bit. It turns out that she can still take audio books out of the library, and play them from her phone via Bluetooth, using the Overdrive app, which somehow limits the amount of time each book is available to her.
If you want to listen to audio books without paying to do so, getting them from a library and using Overdrive is probably a good option for you.
If you want to listen to audio books without paying to do so, getting them from a library and using Overdrive is probably a good option for you.
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