News: TT: HD Traffic and ONE XL HD Traffic Options

[Rob Ot]

Posted News:

TT: HD Traffic and ONE XL HD Traffic

Today, TomTom launched two new products which support real-time on-road traffic information.

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The yourNAV team

[stingray]

so i guess one needs a subscription to one of these mobile phone operators to get HD traffic? Another expense? TMC is FREE over Classic FM.. might not be as accurate but still FREE.

[Bart]

The TMC antenna still isn't free. The cost of such an antenna will probably be very comparable the cost of a (few?) annual subscription(s) to this new service.

[NickG]

TMC is not free. You have to pay a one off subscription charge, which is usually built in to the receiving device such as the TMC antenna adapter.

[Wishlist]

TMC is not free. You have to pay a one off subscription charge, which is usually built in to the receiving device such as the TMC antenna adapter.

You know what he meant, you still pay the 50 Euros extra for this version and then in 12 months it will be 10 euros per month after that. So the costs of obtaining a traffic receiver are the same (ish) to start with but from then on TMC is free and this one is 10 Euros per month.

This post has been edited by Wishlist: Nov 15 2007, 14:12

[stingray]

Come on Bart get real man! the cost of the TMC antenna is gonna be FAR FAR less than even 6 months of a mobile phone company sim subscription! And you may even have to sign a contract too! - Especially Vodafones' ... i know, i got one! Then you got the data charges that are continually going up and up and up and up!!! TMC antenna... any day mate!

It will only work if the mobile phone companies drastically reduce their tariffs and ease off on their "gottacha for life" binding contracts.. Look at mobile Internet.. its still not cost effective for most consumer users.

This post has been edited by stingray: Nov 16 2007, 18:14

[flashyphotos]

It will only work if the mobile phone companies drastically reduce their tariffs and ease off on their "gottacha for life" binding contracts.. Look at mobile Internet.. its still not cost effective for most consumer users

ALL THE ANSWERS ARE IN THE REVIEW IF YOU READ IT!!

The Package "Includes SIM Service and Data for the First Year"

After the first year the monthly charge covers data transfer and service.

So NO Contract or Large Data bill to worry about,

I have seen a demo of this service and its going to stomp on Standard TMC from a very big height.

[stingray]

One is still 10 euros a month EVERY MONTH no matter what u say mate!

[flashyphotos]

10euros a month for a reliable system that works

or a one off chage for a useless out of date system

Hmm. Why is there thias attitude that I WANT SOMETHING GOOD - But I Dont want to pay for it

This is the real world. The service costs money to set up run and manage. Its going to cost and 10 euros a month is good value for anyone who has a real need for it.

[Bart]

Agreed. I'd also rather pay 10 euro/month for a system that works, then 50 euro for an antenna that sometimes works, and is less accurate. I'm funny that way.

[Andy_P]

Sorry to drift off topic, but I got really confused and thought "flashyphotos" was arguing with himself...
Until I realised that he isn't the one with a picture of a camera as his avatar!

[stingray]

flashy i thought the new antenna (version 2) was reliable from what others have said it was pretty good. However, since i dont use it i cannot verify it.

You have to put things into perspective.. many are already paying for a speed camera database. And Im sure the majority of users or at least a large percentage dont rely on traffic on a daily basis, or even weekly for that matter.

As with anything subscription based you are bound by charges that invariably go up not down.

TMC has its downfalls .. agreed. However in my experience its served me reasonably well (i use inbuilt Honda Navigation and maybe its more reliable than the TT system?) but for a free service i cannot complain. I often have to drive to place that Im not familiar with but find I have more problems with incomplete Map Data than with incorrect Traffic info.

Be interesting to see some real life hands-on reviews of this HD Traffic. Havent even got an HD TV yet!!!! ;)

This post has been edited by stingray: Nov 18 2007, 11:48

[flashyphotos]

Hi Stingray.

The new TT Antenna is still fairly miserable compared to any inbuilt system, (I use one in an Alfa and the signal is 10x better) than TT, I would assume you have the same situation in your Honda.

TMC can be OK but it still relies on a system with inherent delays and inacurracies

I do about 70k a year so live on traffic info (also the fact that I have a temper fuse that goes off in a flash!, means I would rather travel an extra 20 miles than sit in traffic!)

Having seen a demo of the proposed Voda system, if it can produce the results they suggest it will collecting anonymous data from not just a limited amout of Sat Navs, but all phones on the network that are switched on and in motion it looks like its going to be a stunning system that should make basic TMC look like a throwback from the dark ages!. Of course it could all go really T1Ts up once it hits the real world, so like anything judgement is reserved till its seen in a daily situation..

And also in the real works there is nothing that going to be a 100% solution, given todays traffic levels, no systems ever going to get you out of all the mire unless the unit can magically supply wings to fly you over the traffic!

But personally I am in the camp that would rather pay a monthly subscription for a reliable service. And thats a strong comment coming from someone who dumped Sky for Freeview and unlocked an Iphone to use on PAYG rather than stump up for a contract.

But anything that would save me from going "Postal" on the M1 on a friday afternoon has to be worth a punt!

Cheers

This post has been edited by flashyphotos: Nov 18 2007, 23:16

[stingray]

hi flashy,

I think u have made a fair comment, especially as somebody who drives 70k mile p/year you could easily justify a subscription based system. As for your short fused temper in traffic.. u sound just like me!

Going on from one of your previous posts: I really wish we could get something for free, i think most of us deserve it with the high price of living. That’s why TMC appealed to me. Im curious about the TMC sensitivity though, I am surprised (given what i've read from a handful of TT users) that the new Antenna was so bad.. to be honest, i thought TMC was jus TMC no matter what device u used?! Moreover, I very, very rarely lost the TMC signal im my Honda.

Lets hope HD Traffic does what it says then perhaps the 'contract-less' subscription wont be so bad after all?!

Drive safe!



This post has been edited by stingray: Nov 19 2007, 12:28

[nemosinbad]

Hi all
Just a quick point, I have a TT 720 and i use the traffic info through a connection on my t-mobile which doesn't cost anything on data downloads with there 'Web n Walk' package,
I was coming back to Rochester, Kent. from Southampton on Sunday 25th nov when my TT720 picked up a traffic problem of 114 minutes delay on my route on the M3, So i hit 'Minimize traffic delays' button and it gave me an alternative route, Only problem with 'Alternative route' was that there was even more traffic on that as everyone was trying to get off motorway, and the tt didn't know this alternative was jammed because it's not monitored,
So I ended up doubling back on the M3 to the previous junction and following my nose across country, all the time TT was trying to turn me around to go back onto it's 'alternative route',
Eventuly I managed to get on the A3 and was making good progress when slam!!!! huge traffic and not a peep out of my TT, again the old problem of the delay between a problem occuring to when it gets reported and then procesed and then sent down the line,
This new system should solve this if there is enough people with a Vodaphone on the same route, As data will be instantly relayed to your unit,
Only problem is how many stationary vodaphones do they count as a traffic problem and not just a few units pulled into the services all at the same time!

Doug

[audaibnjad]

Hey Doug/Cap'n Nemo,

My experience with TMC is about the same. It seems to do an okay job of knowing about major accidents -- but it seems to re-route into other traffic anyway.

I live in the US, so the vodaphone solution isn't an option.

Does anyone know how the TMC service compares to using the internet traffic reports from TomTom? (Using a mobile phone bluetooth connection to get to the 'net).

[NickG]

Is the image at the top of the article real or photoshopped? It seems unlikely the sim would be integrated on the One XL when they haven't even bothered to do that on the top-of-the-range 930. That would also seem to be a very unlikely place to put a sim card holder.

[Jolly Roger]

Other pictures on the page suggest it goes in the plugin receiver.

[Andy_P]

But the article DOES say:

"The second product is a new device: the ONE XL HD Traffic: the first TomTom device to actually support the aforementioned new service......
And:
Combined with the new HD Traffic service, TomTom also launches the first PND which is compatible with this real-time traffic information. A new variant of the existing TomTom XL will be shipped this week, the TomTom XL HD Traffic. This new ONE XL will accept a Vodafone SIM card.....


The new device is also seen on the TT website on this page: http://www.tomtom.com/page/HD_Get but the link for more details doesn't seem to work for me.
However if you log in to the DUTCH TomTom site, it appears on their product list SEE HERE

[Andy_P]

Curiouser and curiouser....

There's an English .pdf manual for it on the Dutch site (HERE), and that makes no mention of EITHER a SIM card slot on the machine itself OR the new cigarette lighter receiver with SIM card. The "what's in the box" picture has nothing like that at all!

"Vapourware"? (like several other TT "products")