generaltso Posted September 26, 2011 Report Share Posted September 26, 2011 As for ordering the 8.4 at this time it may be unavailable because of a raw material shortage. I will check on that and post when I have the answer. Thanks Chris. Any info you can find would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted October 2, 2011 Report Share Posted October 2, 2011 I noticed that the Dodge site lists the 8.4N as an option for the 2012 Charger even though it's not available as an option for the 2012 Journey right now because of a parts shortage. Maybe they're saving the few parts they have for the Charger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Not to beat a dead horse, but I just saw this on the 2011 Uconnect description page (http://www.dodge.com/en/2011/journey/innovations/uconnect/). Integrated Gracenotes® database provides Music ID and Album Art as well as generates voice tags, allowing songs and artists to be selected using voice recognition commands It doesn't get much clearer than that. How is it possible that there's so much documentation (including the owner's manual) that states that you can select songs and artists with voice command when it doesn't actually work with 2011 systems? Unrelated, I also noticed that it says you can pause and playback live Sirius radio. Does that feature really exist? Can you pause FM also or just Sirius? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted October 20, 2011 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Not to beat a dead horse, but I just saw this on the 2011 Uconnect description page (http://www.dodge.com...tions/uconnect/). Integrated Gracenotes® database provides Music ID and Album Art as well as generates voice tags, allowing songs and artists to be selected using voice recognition commands It doesn't get much clearer than that. How is it possible that there's so much documentation (including the owner's manual) that states that you can select songs and artists with voice command when it doesn't actually work with 2011 systems? Unrelated, I also noticed that it says you can pause and playback live Sirius radio. Does that feature really exist? Can you pause FM also or just Sirius? General, The RB5 radio did not include the VR system. It does not mean that all radio's with Uconnect do not have the voice recognition system. This was communicated to the dealers via their sales codes guides long ago. But I am not going to go over that again because I have already posted that on here numerous times. As far as the owners manual goes, it will list every possible option that is available on your type of vehicle in case it is equipped with those options, it does not mean you will have them. I have requested that they take the entire 2011 lineup of Journey information from the website since their seems to be so much confusion on this issue. As far as pausing Sirius Radio, yes it does exist and no you cannot pause FM. But to be sure there is no confusion, what exact radio are you talking about and what year? I'll check to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drb227 Posted October 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 DodgeCares, Did ANY of the 4 radios available for the 2011 Journey include the VR system for controlling music playback? If any of them should have had it, it is the top RB5 (8.4N) system, which I have. If none of the radios had the ability to control music playback by voice, then why the heck was this info in the manual at all?? The VR for controlling the phone and changing input sources, radio/sirius stations, etc, works well. I don't get why the music playback functionality aspect of the VR system was left out. I'm still pissed about this missing functionality and the fact that 2012 owners have actual VR control of the nav system. Chrysler really screwed this up big time and it appears we 2011 owners are simply SOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 General, The RB5 radio did not include the VR system. It does not mean that all radio's with Uconnect do not have the voice recognition system. This was communicated to the dealers via their sales codes guides long ago. But I am not going to go over that again because I have already posted that on here numerous times. As far as the owners manual goes, it will list every possible option that is available on your type of vehicle in case it is equipped with those options, it does not mean you will have them. I have requested that they take the entire 2011 lineup of Journey information from the website since their seems to be so much confusion on this issue. As far as pausing Sirius Radio, yes it does exist and no you cannot pause FM. But to be sure there is no confusion, what exact radio are you talking about and what year? I'll check to be sure. For this point, I'm talking about the 2011 RB5 (8.4N) radio with Bluetooth and Voice Recognition. I understand that not all radios have the voice recognition system. But reports from people here indicate that even the radios that do have the voice recognition system are not capable of selecting songs by name or artist by voice. That's what I'm confused about since it's specifically listed as a feature in so many places. That being said, you already confirmed for me that the 2012 model will definitely have this functionality, which is what I was most concerned about, so I greatly appreciate that confirmation. The functionality of the 2011 VR system is more curiosity for me at this point, but I know there are a lot of 2011 owners that want this functionality. Thanks for the confirmation on the ability to pause Sirius. That was a feature I didn't realize it had, but am looking forward to using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 OK. My 2 cents. . . I am not a real tech needy guy. I just started playing with the VR features of my 2011 R/T. I have the 8.4 Nav. First , the VR for the phone works great. Second, It would be nice to have a "Navigate to. . . " command. I personally don't need any other VR features. Given the above disclaimer, I am still really confused about the level of disappointment regarding VR control of music. To me, its sort of like needing to control your TV with VR rather than reaching for the remote. I do understand that there are times when searching for an artist on the touchscreen is dangerous, but one should ask themselves the question, "Should I really be trying to change my music right at this time when my driving situation requires so much of my attention that I cannot even navigate the browse function on the screen safely?" The other thing I can't understand is 2012 envy. Every single year, vehicles come with some upgrades. 2012 is no different. The functionality of the 2012 does not seem that much better. For us 2011 drivers, this is the way I see it: Change your music on the screen when its safe. If you really need Nav, pull over, spend 1 minute entering your Nav data, and arrive safely without damaging your Journey or, God Forbid, harming your family as you rear-end a garbage truck. I am not condoning false advertising nor mis-information in owner's manuals, but things are how they are. Overall, I commend Chrysler for the 2011 Uconnect system as well as improving functionality for the 2012. IMHO, the 2011 Journey glass is not only 1/2 full, its 95/100 full. Peace. ChrisPollard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted October 30, 2011 Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 I am not condoning false advertising nor mis-information in owner's manuals, but things are how they are. But I think this is really the heart of the issue. There are various reasons why people may want this feature while others couldn't care less about it. Everyone's entitled to their opinions. In my case, I want to easily be able to select a song because my kids ask for specific songs all the time at random, and I don't want to have to enter text on the screen to search while I'm driving. Not having the ability to select songs by title with voice command is a dealbreaker for me, and I wouldn't buy the car without it. If I had ordered a 2011 after seeing this feature detailed in the Dodge Journey literature only to find out that it didn't exist, I'd be upset. I understand that sometimes literature can be wrong, but the 2011 has been for sale for over a year now and this functionality is STILL listed as a feature on the Dodge website. Knowing about this disparity with the 2011 system, I made sure to get confirmation from Chris (DodgeCares) that the 2012 definitely does have this ability before placing my order. I can only imagine how upset I would be if I ordered a 2011 and waited 3 months for my order to come in only to find out that this advertised feature was missing. I think anyone in that boat does have a legitimate complaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 16, 2011 Report Share Posted December 16, 2011 I received my 2012 Journey Crew today with 8.4N. I can confirm that the 2012 does support Voice Command for Navigation and music playback by song, artist, album, playlist, genre, etc. I haven't put it through it's paces yet, but so far it seems to work quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drb227 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Lucky you! I wish Chrysler could release an update for us 2011 owners to give us the same functionality!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 I wish Chrysler could release an update for us 2011 owners to give us the same functionality!! I don't see why they couldn't. I know it was questionable whether or not the 2011 version had the needed hardware. But since the 2011 already does support some voice recognition, I would think they could expand on that functionality with a software update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drb227 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Exactly my thoughts. I can't understand why a firmware update to the same firmware you have couldn't give us 2011 owners the same functionality. DodgeCares, would you have any further info on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savante21 Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Technically speaking, it doesn't make much sense that my system can understand "call mom" and "play Sirius station 45" but not "play artist xxxx". What piece of hardware is necessary to understand "artist" or "album"? Then again maybe its the same piece of hardware missing that stops playing songs on an iPod three seconds before they're actually over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 17, 2011 Report Share Posted December 17, 2011 Technically speaking, it doesn't make much sense that my system can understand "call mom" and "play Sirius station 45" but not "play artist xxxx". What piece of hardware is necessary to understand "artist" or "album"? Then again maybe its the same piece of hardware missing that stops playing songs on an iPod three seconds before they're actually over. I would guess the 2011 version doesn't currently have the capability to figure out the voice tags that would go with each song. But that seems like it would be more of a software update than hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted December 19, 2011 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Exactly my thoughts. I can't understand why a firmware update to the same firmware you have couldn't give us 2011 owners the same functionality. DodgeCares, would you have any further info on this? DRB, I have posted on this thread and a couple others here on the Journey Forum that it is not a software update but a hardware issue. While I understand the frustration on this subject, the dealers sales code guides stated which radios did not have the VR feature which in the Journey's case mostly were the RB5's. Some have said that contact with Chrysler Customer Service indicated that we were working on a fix for this issue. While I am not doubting they may have been told that, I have stated without wavering on the issue that I do not believe there will be a fix because I do not believe Chrysler will start installing new hardware on existing radios, especially when the code guides indicated this correctly. I know it's not the answer people on here were looking for with regard to this issue, but it's the truth as I see it and no matter how much everyone wants to believe a simple software update could solve the issue it will not. I am sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news on this subject and if any type of upgrade does become available I will post it on this and other forums, but I do not see that happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Chris, do you know if there's a software update in the works that will stop the system from doing a 10 minute re-catalog of the music on a connected iPod every time the ignition is cycled? I know that it needs to re-catalog the music when changes are made to the iPod's content, but mine is doing it every time I start the car even though the iPod hasn't changed at all. As always, thanks for any info you can provide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted December 19, 2011 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Chris, do you know if there's a software update in the works that will stop the system from doing a 10 minute re-catalog of the music on a connected iPod every time the ignition is cycled? I know that it needs to re-catalog the music when changes are made to the iPod's content, but mine is doing it every time I start the car even though the iPod hasn't changed at all. As always, thanks for any info you can provide! General, I could not find any updates addressing the concern you have stated. I also have never heard of anyone else having that problem. Since I am on multiple forums I will keep my eye open for anyone else having this problem and if they have a fix as well as if Chrysler comes out with an update that addresses this issue. If I do find out anything I will post it here an also PM you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 General, I could not find any updates addressing the concern you have stated. I also have never heard of anyone else having that problem. Since I am on multiple forums I will keep my eye open for anyone else having this problem and if they have a fix as well as if Chrysler comes out with an update that addresses this issue. If I do find out anything I will post it here an also PM you. Excellent, thanks! I know the 2012 8.4N is just starting to filter out to dealers, so hopefully other reports will start coming in if it's a software bug. Should I bother mentioning the problem to my dealer? I can't imagine they'd be able to do much without a software update, but I'll ask them about it if it will help get a trouble report submitted to Chrysler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted December 19, 2011 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Excellent, thanks! I know the 2012 8.4N is just starting to filter out to dealers, so hopefully other reports will start coming in if it's a software bug. Should I bother mentioning the problem to my dealer? I can't imagine they'd be able to do much without a software update, but I'll ask them about it if it will help get a trouble report submitted to Chrysler. General, Couldn't hurt to mention it to the dealer. Maybe one of the techs has a simple solution. Never hurts to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 General, Couldn't hurt to mention it to the dealer. Maybe one of the techs has a simple solution. Never hurts to ask. Will do, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savante21 Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 I would guess the 2011 version doesn't currently have the capability to figure out the voice tags that would go with each song. But that seems like it would be more of a software update than hardware. Well... what "hardware" gives it the ability to generate voice tags for our phone's contact list? It should be the same "hardware" used to generate the voice tags on music etc... I agree, it seems more like a software thing since we already have "functional" voice recognition with phone and sat radio. I can say "call vampire weekend" and if they are in my phone contact list, it will dial them... but if I say "play music by vampire weekend" i need a different piece of hardware? I do not buy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 General, Couldn't hurt to mention it to the dealer. Maybe one of the techs has a simple solution. Never hurts to ask. I asked my dealer about the issue. They've never heard of it, and said there really isn't anything they can do unless Chrysler releases a software update. Should I call Customer Care and officially request a bug fix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Official Dodge Support DodgeCares Posted December 19, 2011 Official Dodge Support Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 I asked my dealer about the issue. They've never heard of it, and said there really isn't anything they can do unless Chrysler releases a software update. Should I call Customer Care and officially request a bug fix? General, Yes. The number is 800-992-1997. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaltso Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 General, Yes. The number is 800-992-1997. Thanks, I just called and gave them a report of the issue. They haven't heard of any similar reports yet, but will document it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drb227 Posted December 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Unfortunate but not surprising to hear. I feel that we 2011 owners got screwed in a couple of areas. The 2009/2010 models came with cross bars for the roof rails(not sure if they all did but I think most did), the 2011's didn't and now the 2012's have them as standard again! The VR system on the 2011 cannot control music playback and the Nav system voice commands are non-existant. All of this is now on the 2012. The 2011 feels like an incomplete job to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very happy with my 2011 Crew but I feel that we got seriously short changed in a few areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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