Secret menu in the 05's COMAND unit.
#251
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Maryland
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Eurocharged 2004 E500, Eurocharged ECU/TCU 2005 SL600, 2010 Caddy SwaggerWagon
Sorta wrong. Nav drive has a processor inside. This processor is nothing more than a micro controller that needs food in form of software. Software is written by humans and we all know we're not perfect (some think they are though) and so is the firmware that runs on the micro controller (has bugs). Smart as they are at Navteq, they're using the map DVD as a transport media to fix these bugs which they produced before. Perhaps they also add some new stuff that we might or might not see.
Each time you buy the latest map DVD the drive's processor has a routine to check if it needs to get updated. If yes, you will see the 2 progress bars in your COMAND showing you the update process of the nav drive's firmware. If you don't see them, it doesn't update anything.
The nav processor does more than just reading navigational data. It takes all the single voice samples and puts them together to generate a full sentence. Each number (digits) each word is one single sample on the DVD. When she whispers in your ear something like "Please use next exit and make an immediate right turn" then your processor in the trunk took 10 works put them together and voila you got the woman talking to you.
Sorry, my sarcasm came out a lil bit but makes sense what I'm trying to explain, right?
Each time you buy the latest map DVD the drive's processor has a routine to check if it needs to get updated. If yes, you will see the 2 progress bars in your COMAND showing you the update process of the nav drive's firmware. If you don't see them, it doesn't update anything.
The nav processor does more than just reading navigational data. It takes all the single voice samples and puts them together to generate a full sentence. Each number (digits) each word is one single sample on the DVD. When she whispers in your ear something like "Please use next exit and make an immediate right turn" then your processor in the trunk took 10 works put them together and voila you got the woman talking to you.
Sorry, my sarcasm came out a lil bit but makes sense what I'm trying to explain, right?
I learnt me sumpin'.
#252
#253
MBWorld Fanatic!
The SL should take the same map disc as the E, CLS, and S-Class vehicles.
You probably would need a developer SDS to change that setting in the COMAND. I am going to put together a tutorial soon so anyone can go into these "secret menus" if they want to change COMAND settings, Instrument Cluster settings, rain close feature, tank info feature, etc. It is a work in progress but I expect to have it done soon. It will have screenshots and videos of how to change these settings.
#255
Senior Member
began reading but not really willing to sift through 11 pages of arguing...can someone please just clarify if the MP3 on DVD will play in the single-disc slot actually on the comand unit itself or would it need to be put into the nav drive in the trunk? Or can DVDs be used in the CD changer for that matter?
#257
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2004 E500 4Matic
began reading but not really willing to sift through 11 pages of arguing...can someone please just clarify if the MP3 on DVD will play in the single-disc slot actually on the comand unit itself or would it need to be put into the nav drive in the trunk? Or can DVDs be used in the CD changer for that matter?
#258
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#259
MBWorld Fanatic!
began reading but not really willing to sift through 11 pages of arguing...can someone please just clarify if the MP3 on DVD will play in the single-disc slot actually on the comand unit itself or would it need to be put into the nav drive in the trunk? Or can DVDs be used in the CD changer for that matter?
DVDs cannot be used in changers in 2003-2008 W211s - only CDs.
#260
Senior Member
aha, you answered my next question also. Which dvd type to use. I guess I'll pick up a pack of +R's and give it a go this weekend, at least then we can add 2006 to the list of tested model years.
#261
Senior Member
I usually use -R at home, but +R is what we had in the office. I usually don't have any issues using -R everywhere. Give it a go!
#262
Senior Member
#264
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#265
Senior Member
I knew that...just verifying that it was a US Comand unit. If you read through the other pages, someone did verify that video could be played in some versions by accessing the secret menu and changing it to Euro specs. I bought the car in May and I'm like the 4th owner, so I wasn't sure what's in there. Figured it didn't hurt to check.
#266
I knew that...just verifying that it was a US Comand unit. If you read through the other pages, someone did verify that video could be played in some versions by accessing the secret menu and changing it to Euro specs. I bought the car in May and I'm like the 4th owner, so I wasn't sure what's in there. Figured it didn't hurt to check.
#267
Junior Member
Will only work with the very first revision of NTG1 COMAND. Buddy of mine works for Harman and he told me the first revision of NTG1 COMAND were 100% identical for US and ECE. That's why one can simply change a US COMAND to a ECE COMAND and watch DVD. MB changed the functional specifications and with revision 2 of NTG1 COMAND software and/or hardware components have changed. Not even if one would replace the firmware it would be possible to watch DVDs then (this information is also from him).
How can find out if my comand is NTG1 or not (I mean watching DVD?
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#275
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