bluetooth music issues after iOS6 update

I thought that it was clear that it is not a backwards compatibility issue any more. Some headunits work and some don't, and Apple has said it is a problem with the headunits and bluetooth standards.

William Kucharski wrote:

It is the head end manufacturers who did not code their Bluetooth stacks properly; we have no proof that Apple did anything other than correctly code to AVRCP 1.4.

That is true, I never realized that before, I am sure my old sony stereo works perfect, except for metadata (but that never worked or was not supported), My nice pioneer does not.

No. It's actually not like that at all. The Bluetooth issue has to do with a standard that both Apple and the third party stereo manufacturers have to abide by. Since Apple has already stated, for all intents and purposes, that it's not their fault; and stereo companies have already been pushing out fixes, the only thing you can really do is wait on your stereo company to release a firmware upgrade.

linkovich wrote:

And, since you don't seem to understand AVRCP, here it is in simple form: 1.4 only adds new commands. It DOES NOT change any previous commands or interfere with previous versions of AVRCP. Sorry, but you've lost your AVRCP credibility.

That's simply not true; the simplest one is that Parameter #0 for profile 0 in the Bluetooth Profile Descriptor List now returns 0x0104 in AVRCP 1.4 as opposed to 0x0103 in 1.3.

Also, the Supported Features AVRCP Flags field was defined as such in AVRCP 1.3:

but this way in AVRCP 1.4:

If a device's firmware has issues processing any of those fields, there's an incompatibility right there.

Finally I never definitively said this wasn't an Apple bug (and, if you look, explicitly said this could be Apple's issue), but I did say that device manufacturers are unlikely to hack around an Apple bug if for no other reason it would break AVRCP 1.4 compatibility with other devices.

I have an 4s and had updated to ios6.0.1 prior to purchase of my Pioneer AVH-P2400BT. I can stream pandoria, start and stop, and change tracks and volume thats about where it ends. Phone calls provide data back and fourth via bluetooth but any metadata for songs etc are not present. I guess I will have to bust out the usb cord, the pro there my phone will be charged.

If Bluetooth isn't working at all, then something else is wrong. I have the same type of stereo and the only thing that doesn't work are the on-stereo controls, viewing artist and title metadata, and automatically playing when Bluetooth connects.

I have a Pioneer AVH-P4400BH as well. Same problems as everyone else. I did find this page in the manual that explains how to do a Bluetooth Connection Software Update...now if Pioneer will just give us an update. I sent them an email this morning asking for an update but haven't gotten a reply yet.

http://www.manualowl.com/m/Pioneer/AVH-P4400BH/Manual/258258?page=66

For anyone who wants to spend more money - the latest Pioneer models that are out appear to work perfectly with iOS6. I just picked up (traded in) a new DEH-X9500BHS and it auto-syncs, streams, skips, pauses, shows metadata and track length progress... pure awesomeness. My bluetooth firmware ends with .27.20 - so perhaps it is the same firmware?

Either case - I wanted to relay that there is hope! If Pioneer has it in their new headunits - they most likely know how to get the software working properly for their older ones. I'm sure it's right around the corner.

I got it. I had to transfer the file 2x. The 1st time time it transferred really quickly then the radio sat at "updating" for like 10 minutes. I then went in to verify the version number and it was the same old number. I tried again and the file transfer took longer and "completed" showed up after 1 minute or so.

Now Pandora and TuneIn radio apps show metadata as they should.

Thanks for the help!

BTW, we just got a 2010 Lexus with Nav and the bluetooth metadata works perfectly on it. Also recently rented a 2013 Camaro and the metadata worked as well. How is it that the auto manufacturers can get it right and the aftermarket can't?

Actually all good. i cancelled it and tried it again and it only took about 1 minute. So to confirm, i have sucessfully updated my pioneer AVH3400bh from my macbook and running IOS 6.1 and the bluetooth is working perfectly 🙂

Thanks rustykerr123. My experience was a little different. My radios are AVH-P2400BTs, and I am using Mountain Lion.

All was according to the instructions until reaching the part for "Installing the bluetooth firmware update." I pressed the "Start" button expecting to get the word "Updating" Instead the radio screen read "Data Waiting"

I highlighted the update folder and tried to drag the firmware update (on my desktop) onto it, but got a message that I didn't have permission to upload files or folders.

I finally double clicked the update folder, and the window went empty showing nothing was in the folder (I guess) but it did show the path at the bottom of the window (Home --- update). I then dragged the firmware update file into the empty window, and when I had a little green + showing, I let go of the dragged file.

I saw the transfer being made on the laptop, and shortly thereafter, the radio screen changed to updating. About a minute later "complete" came up on the radio display, and it was done. Right after the transfer started (or more likely stopped), the bluetooth connection was terminated either by the radio or the laptop. This is logical since the old bluetooth parameters had changed.

Guess I made up my own detailed instructions to save for the next time.

Yep Smolz, they are open in the background. Great point. Thanks Much! I find that if I just stop the Tunein program on the phone before I shut down the radio, the next time I start the car it will auto connect and restart the Tunein program that was on the last time. That is just what I want. Now I will stop the music app from running in background an that should solve my problem completely.

Man it is great to have the Pioneer running as it did before ios 6.

Alpine just posted the following on their Facebook page;

We would like to announce that the highly anticipated Bluetooth firmware update for Alpine decks CDE-133BT, CDE-135BT, CDE-136BT, CDE-HD137BT, CDE-HD138BT, CDE-W235BT and IVE-W530 being used with an Apple iOS 6 (and later) device has arrived. This update enables Bluetooth audio streaming control and song information display with Apple iOS 6 and later. If you need this update, please click the link below to download and carefully read the instructions. If you have any questions, please call our tech support team at (800) ALPINE-1.

To download this update: http://alpine-usa.com/feeds/promo/13hubtupdate

I'm using the CDE-133BT myself but I haven't tried this since I live in Europe and it seems this update is only for USA at this point. If anyone from outside the USA has tried to apply (or succesfully applied) this update already, please post about it here!

The Macs work for the Pioneer radios, Should work for the Alpines. Take a look back a few pages on this conversation. Someone posted Mac directions for the Pioneer update. I used an iMac myself to update my Pioneer.

Please go back to the beginning of this thread and reread why "Apple changed it, now it's broken" it both not a valid test methodology and is, in this case, wildly inaccurate.

The new standards are backwards compatible, it's just some implementations in head ends are, themselves broken - that's why literally millions of devices out there had absolutely zero issues dealing with the new Bluetooth protocols used in iOS 6.

I'm happy to report that I was able to update my Alpine HD138BT with my Macbook Air.

The first time I tried, weeks ago, I was able to set up the bluetooth connection, but the Alpine would not connect to the Air even after repeated attempts.

Yesterday, I set up the connection and the two connected on the first try. I then went through the instructions (the OS X folders, windows, etc., that correspond to the Windows 8 versions that are described in the instructions are pretty easy to figure out) to update the firmware.

On the first attempt, the file transfer completed, but the HU was stuck on the "don't touch any button" message. I eventually turned the car off, and when I turned it back on the firmware version was still 1.14.00. I attempted to connect the devices again, but this time the connection failed; yet when I tried to transfer the file again, the transfer proceeded, so as someone else posted above, sometimes the devices are connected even if the message from the HU indicates otherwise. Once again, I got stuck on the "don't touch any button" message, but when I turned the car off and on again, the firmware version showed 1.27.00. I checked, and all BT audio functionality was restored.

Initially, I blamed Apple for this cluster****. But I'm now 100% in the camp blaming the individual manufacturers. On top of that, I think Alpine handled this horribly. It is absolutely absurd to set up a FW update like this, and only provide instructions for one type of operating system, and to not even test it with another operating system (as they claimed to someone above). With a USB port on the front of the unit, the process should have been designed as, 1) copy the file to a memory stick, 2) insert the memory stick into the HU, 3) select the firmware update option. Done. Instead, this is one of the worst-designed software update processes I've ever seen. Ever.

I hope Alpine is embarrassed.

Rich