ANS-810 / ANS-510 (PROPER RNS-510 alternative)

[DkN]

Hi DkN,

There is a 12v out to power the antenna.
But I see no 12v trigger out to turn on/off an external sub amp.
Can the antenna power feed perform both functions?
Is it switched with the unit's power?

By that do you mean all you need is that the amp turn off when you leave the car, and turn on when you turn on the ignition? If so then yes, you can simply use that one.

[DkN]

Hi DKN,
I've just been alerted to your products on the Golfnet.au site. After scrolling through all the pages on the product via the posts I have some questions. I have just purchased a 6/2007 MKV GTI which has the 1/2 screen MID display.

- The 510/810 can be substituted for my RCD500 which no updated canbus or any other Vag COM error upgrade etc requirements to the Golf. It is full plug and play
- Does the 510 come with an SD slot? Cant see in the picks slot for this and the NAV slot as per the 810 pic.
- In regards to ipod functuality can you operate via the screen or do you need to use the ipod iteself to scroll to music
- With an SD card can you have playlists?
- Do you have an actual full instruction/product spec list so that I can compare features between the 510 & 810?
- In regards to payment etc how do we facilitate this?
- What are the current prices
- Are the units included with 6 CD function that replaces the current head unit?

I am ultra keen on one of the units as cannot currently play music library and have gone 1/2 mad in deciding whether to upgrade to a RCD510 or buy a Dension ipod upgrade -then with the canbus upgrade and vagcom flashing, its all too much.
Cheers
Mike

Most of your questions are answered in the first post of the thread, which I update regularly with new information. I will clarify here:

The unit is full plug and play and is compatible with ALL CANBUS versions including half screen MFD and those mated with the RCD-300 / 500.

There are two SD slots on both the ANS-810 and 510, but the 810 has microSD while the 510 uses standard SD. I always buy microSD cards with a standard SD adapter, so that's not really an issue. For the ANS-510 the slots are on the bottom of the unit, towards the centre just below the screen.

You do operate iPod via the screen on the ANS, but as stated previously currently the iPod menu is missing a shuffle button and doesn't support playlists, this is being worked on. There is no playlist support for SD card at the moment either, but there is a shuffle button.

There is NO difference between the 810 and 510 except the screen size and slight difference in the hard buttons as you can see in the pictures in the first post. The two units use identical firmware.

Payment is preferred to be bank transfer but I also accept PayPal. PM me if you would like to order.

Current prices are again in the first post, $640 for the ANS-810 and $630 for the ANS-510. This includes GPS software, maps, POI etc and shipping.

There is no 6 CD function.

As a temporary (or permanent if you'd like, I personally never bother with iPod) solution to music playing, I would copy your music to an SD card / USB and play it that way, just put it all in one folder and put it on shuffle, works well.

[whiskywallah]

By that do you mean all you need is that the amp turn off when you leave the car, and turn on when you turn on the ignition? If so then yes, you can simply use that one.

I was hoping that feed would be switched on off with the ANS power so that the sub amp was only on when ANS was on?

[DkN]

I was hoping that feed would be switched on off with the ANS power so that the sub amp was only on when ANS was on?

Actually yes it does turn on / off with the unit, forgot about that, sorry about the confusion. If you leave the unit on as most people probably would then it is effectively on / off with the car.

[whiskywallah]

I've been experimenting with video playback this weekend.
Every 16:9 DVD I have that plays full screen on my DVD/tv plays back letterbox on the ANS, ie it's squashed vertically.
Ive tried to change the ORIG to FULLSCREEN but it always comes backn to ORIG.
And there does not appear to be a MENU function to get back to DVD menu.

Ive also been experimenting with ripping music DVDs to file but can't find a file format that actually plays back on ANS.
I use Handbrake to encode my rips. Anyone got any settings that they know work?
Or any confirmed file formats and containers that work?

[SARIS]

I think there is some confusion as to the function of the iPod cable - as far as I am aware the cable is not capable of transferring the video to another screen unless you use the AV cable. If you used the AV cable, all that is transferred is the image, it will not be controllable on the external screen. The "app" function of the Pioneer unit probably means you can control the iPod music apps with buttons on the unit's screen, which is nothing new. On older units, when you connect the iPod, the iPod screen is not locked, but at the same time the unit does not display iPod controls, so you still had to control the music with your iPod and the unit is essentially just a set of external speakers.

The video you have posted is an iPod with tv out connected to the head unit - you will notice controls are through the iPod, at no point does he touch the screen. The head unit is functioning just like an external monitor. Also the app is a generic one, much like Torque on Android - it works well for basic functions, but it is slow to update and difficult to provide support, often one thing here and there will not be working because VW has something different, but the developer won't have time or the vehicle required to investigate.

What ANS is working on is an OBD II function built in to the unit and therefore controllable and customisable on the screen of the unit itself. If the only reason you want to connect iPod video to the unit is for OBD II, you'll have a much better option through the ANS coming soon.

To clarify, there IS a composite video and audio L + R in at the back of the unit so you can do exactly what the guy in the above video did on the ANS if you wanted to - not worth it though IMO, you need to buy a separate module that can read the OBD II data and send it to the iPhone, probably a BT module that plugs into the OBD II port, and then of course worry about hiding the Apple composite AV cable.. all for something that the ANS will soon have built-in.

I would def be interested in this obd feature

[DkN]

I've been experimenting with video playback this weekend.
Every 16:9 DVD I have that plays full screen on my DVD/tv plays back letterbox on the ANS, ie it's squashed vertically.
Ive tried to change the ORIG to FULLSCREEN but it always comes backn to ORIG.
And there does not appear to be a MENU function to get back to DVD menu.

Ive also been experimenting with ripping music DVDs to file but can't find a file format that actually plays back on ANS.
I use Handbrake to encode my rips. Anyone got any settings that they know work?
Or any confirmed file formats and containers that work?

The video size setting is a known bug, should be getting fixed with the next firmware.

There is a root button to return to menu, I don't remember if its on the first page of the pop up DVD menu, but if it's not, you can scroll to the next page by touch dragging to the side.

I'm not familiar with handbrake but a normal xvid file in an avi container should work fine.

[whiskywallah]

Thanks DkN. Great support and feedback as ever.

Looking forward to this next version of fw.

BTW, is there any known scroll use for the right hand knob?
Ive found it can play/pause with a push, but never found a use for the wheel.

[DkN]

It's used to tune the radio, beyond that I'm not sure (my own unit doesn't have the scroll wheels) but I can probably suggest for it to work for things like scrolling pages while browsing files.

[gviddy]

Has anone tried custom boot screens for the ANS?
My unit throws up 3 different screens at various points; 2 during boot up and 1 for the sat Nav.
There is a logo.bmp on the fw upgrade sd so I tried changing that and reflashing, but no difference.
Would be fun to have some boot options and to be able to change these on the fly.

Yes I am hoping to hack and play with the operating system at some point.. Its running WinCE 6.0.. It would be real nice if the ANS software had a way to run an executable.. currently I load up Primo and can run files through it....

I am actually happy with the current software that I havnt been that inclined to write anything up yet... i think replacing the current software would be a waste...

But at some point i will see what software i might be able to code up and add to the unit....

oh and i did get into the operating system... but its all in chinese... lol

[whiskywallah]

Yes I am hoping to hack and play with the operating system at some point.. Its running WinCE 6.0.. It would be real nice if the ANS software had a way to run an executable.. currently I load up Primo and can run files through it....

I am actually happy with the current software that I havnt been that inclined to write anything up yet... i think replacing the current software would be a waste...

But at some point i will see what software i might be able to code up and add to the unit....

oh and i did get into the operating system... but its all in chinese... lol

Sounds interesting. I wasn't so much looking for hacking per se, more just swapping logo.bmp etc.
Or better still giving DkN a nudge for some new feature

[DkN]

I'll experiment with the firmware logo.bmp myself and ask if this is customisable.

The Primo loading screen can be customised by replacing loading.bmp and exiting.bmp in the branding.zip file in the Primo2 folder. Open branding.zip and navigate to UI_IGO9\800_480\. Replacement files need to be true 24bit bmp files, easiest way is to save them from MS Paint, don't need any special software like Photoshop. Needless to say they should be 800 x 480 px.

I do prefer a more uniform VW look rather than customised images myself though.

The default satnav boot screen in branding.zip is identical to the normal unit's loading screen but with a progress bar instead of the loading circle in the middle of the screen. This progress bar and the loading status text can be separately disabled / enabled by editing the file sys.txt in the Primo2 folder. Open that file and find the lines below:

[loading]
show_statustext=1

Modify to:
[loading]
show_statustext = 0
show_progressbar = 0

If you want you could also move the loading progress bar.. dunno why you would really, but the option is there:
progressbar_x = ??
progressbar_y = ???

If you disable the loading bar and status text, you still don't have the loading circle so there's no way to tell that it is loading. It appears Primo2 only supports loading bars, not circles - but I really doubt anyone's too worried about that.

[whiskywallah]

I'm not familiar with handbrake but a normal xvid file in an avi container should work fine.

I've had some success now.
Rip DVD to VOBs, 1 per track on music DVDs.
VOBs will play on ANS direct; they're are just MPEG2 within a VOB container, but they are quite large.
Rename them from .vob to .mpg and they still play on PC and ANS
Use DIVX convertor to convert to .divx at 720x576 (max) res and they are now 1/5th the size and still work on ANS and look OK.

There is a gap between video tracks but this is similar to all media playback on the ANS.

Good result.

Not sure about watching video on the move.....isn't there a law about that
You end up using the backlight button and just listening to music on the move.
A setup option for any form of video playback might help.
1. Stop/pause playback on move
2. Dim backlight.
3. Turn off backlight
4. Leave video (and therefore music) playing but return to control UI.

[whiskywallah]

I'll experiment with the firmware logo.bmp myself and ask if this is customisable.

The Primo loading screen can be customised by replacing loading.bmp and exiting.bmp in the branding.zip file in the Primo2 folder. Open branding.zip and navigate to UI_IGO9\800_480\. Replacement files need to be true 24bit bmp files, easiest way is to save them from MS Paint, don't need any special software like Photoshop. Needless to say they should be 800 x 480 px.

I do prefer a more uniform VW look rather than customised images myself though.

The default satnav boot screen in branding.zip is identical to the normal unit's loading screen but with a progress bar instead of the loading circle in the middle of the screen. This progress bar and the loading status text can be separately disabled / enabled by editing the file sys.txt in the Primo2 folder. Open that file and find the lines below:

[loading]
show_statustext=1

Modify to:
[loading]
show_statustext = 0
show_progressbar = 0

If you want you could also move the loading progress bar.. dunno why you would really, but the option is there:
progressbar_x = ??
progressbar_y = ???

If you disable the loading bar and status text, you still don't have the loading circle so there's no way to tell that it is loading. It appears Primo2 only supports loading bars, not circles - but I really doubt anyone's too worried about that.

Thanks for the heads up and pointers about what to try.

I'm getting new front speakers and boot fitted box sub and amp fitted tomorrow as well as pre-wiring for RVC so may be a bit busy

[DkN]

The unit also plays .mp4 which can be higher quality, although the one mp4 test file I had didn't play and I didn't bother investigating because I don't really use it.

I would imagine the DVD feature is more designed to entertain passengers for longer road trips. Not sure about any law, but everyone I know who have fitted a Pioneer or similar unit that disables video playing when the handbrake is released / speed above zero etc, had their first task set to working around the restriction.

In all honesty if you don't want to have video playing on the move you probably shouldn't have any video files in your car - don't you have your phone for that these days?