LIVE Services, HD Traffic and other Services

[cputman]

I've been on hold almost 25 minutes now waiting for a supervisor. The first person that I talked to could only read off of the sheet of paper that he had in front of him and was not helpful at all.

[DCTomTom]

Please share what they say.

Would it help if we record the experience and post it to YouTube?

[PODMAN]

I think that we let Ditte work on this a little longer. Lets see if there is a fix.

[jonstrong Supreme Navigator]

@JFHE -

Interesting re: the TMC receiver. I'm aware of it -- but didn't know how the 2535M Live would "decide" which service to use. If it does, indeed, work as you describe -- only falling back to TMC when Live Traffic is unavailable, that would seem to be a good model.

Live Traffic -- when it's working -- has been superb in my experience. By design, it's picking up and reporting much more current info than the TMC service, and providing it to the connected TomTom's more frequently. Live Traffic in the US is limited to the availability of a usable GSM 2G signal from AT&T in addition to whatever issues may crop up back at TomTom. Coverage is good, and I've never suffered due to lack of AT&T signal -- but I imagine there must be spots with poor coverage.

Extra cost involved, but I think the combination you describe, in addition to providing a stop gap while TomTom sorts out any Live Traffic issues, is a clever way to broaden coverage. Almost seems like this approach would be a desirable standard, if it weren't for the added c ost...

[Kex]

Jon, the XL 340S LIVE worked in the same way. In fact, there is even a model that was available for a time (and may still be) that was the XL 340TM LIVE. As you know, that would mean that not only did it benefit from lifetime maps (the "M" in TM), but also from a lifetime traffic receiver (the "T" in TM). Since I have both a regular XL 340TM, and an XL 340S LIVE, I was able to test it by just swapping the power cords.

If the LIVE signal cannot be acquired, it falls back on the RDS-TMC receiver. Similarly, when abroad (where no LIVE signal is available for a U.S. device with an AT&T SIM card), the RDS-TMC receiver takes over. Finally, when I let my LIVE subscription expire, because I had a newer model to use, the XL just operates as a normal RDS-TMC device.

The only caveat is that switching back and forth like that could be quirky at times. I didn't use it long enough to pin it down, and maybe it's a much smoother process on the newer GO LIVE 2535 models when an RDS-TMC power cord is added.

Although RDS-TMC has NO information whatsoever for side streets, and even some major highways in the greater Los Angeles area, the information has improved in the last year or so, in my opinion. When it is correct, and when IQ Routes data is sufficient to choose the best alternate routes (meaning no unusually severe delays for the time of day on a particular day of the week), an RDS-TMC based TomTom can be every bit as impressive as a LIVE device with HD Traffic ... until that one time when you get directed into unexpected jams on routes not covered by RDS-TMC!

With all the supposed complexities of HD Traffic (after all, Garmin have given up on connected traffic completely, and never really got it working in the first place, so it must be quite something to behold), if there really is a widespread issue in the D.C. area, I wouldn't be expecting a quick fix.

[cdeluc]

I recently got the VIA 1400 with what I thought at the time was a great deal --> free traffic updates and maps for life.  The traffic updates worked GREAT.... for about 2 months and now nothing!  I get the "loading cog" for my entire commute and when I click it it says "searching for radio signal."  I live on Long Island in New York... so not what I would call "rural."  I don't get it.  I've been reading through the forums and everybody else complaining seems to be using a different model.

Is there any solution? Is there anyone that I can contact?  I mean, I think this is a bit of a scam - selling something with free feature... but the feature doesn't work.

[Kex]

If you have lifetime traffic included with your device, cdeluc, then you are using an RDS-TMC traffic receiver, not LIVE Services and HD Traffic. The RDS-TMC receiver is built in to your power cord, so you should check that the power cord is working properly and is connected to the vehicle power outlet, as well as the device, in the correct manner. RDS-TMC traffic is provided by ClearChannel and the TotalTrafficNetwork. It does not cover the whole country and it does not cover any side streets at this time.

http://totaltraffic.com/

Side street travel times will only be calculated in that case using historic data, as included in IQ Routes. The results can be quite spectacular nonetheless, although not as consistently as with HD Traffic, not to mention the absence of connected local search capability.

LIVE Services and HD Traffic are by annual subscription only, and cannot be added to a device that did not have them at the time of purchase (the services require an AT&T SIM card and cell module in the United States).

[Ditte]

Hi guys,

We're still investigating this issue. I can't say when we will have it fixed, but I will of course update you here if I receive any new information.

Have a great weekend, all!

-Ditte

[jonstrong Supreme Navigator]

@Kex - thx for the extra info. Interesting to see traffic data inching its way toward ubuiquity. I've watched this happen gradually with weather data: a few years ago, you might have paid $100 or more for an Oregon Scientific weather receiver -- but I've been seeing these types of devices on sale lately for about $30. Apparently, live weather data is "in the air" all around us, just waiting to be captured by a dedicated receiver authorized to decode it. I imagine traffic data will continue to evolve in this direction as well.

Interesting though: although the increasing availability of current, accurate traffic data will help customers, the speed at which this is evolving must present an incredibly challenging market environment for companies like TomTom. The combination of features and general experience using my 2535M Live has kept this as my preferred navigation aid -- but I watch services like Google Navigation nipping at the heels of the dedicated GPS PND products, and it's easy to see that the product and service models we've been used to are evolving at breakneck pace. Quite the challenge!

[Kex]

True, Jon. One other thing about LIVE Services, since you mention weather. On a recent 1,000 mile trip, with 4G smartphone, we were worried about a fast moving snow storm. Attempting to check weather along the route with the phone was very tedious, because 4G service is not available everywhere, and on remote freeway stretches in the mountains there was either only 2G service, or no service whatsoever. Getting the forecast for just one area along the route could take two or three minutes, so frequently the signal would become lost before completing the check for weather all along the route.

LIVE Services weather, while limited in detail, and not available for all areas, was much faster to use. You could check the entire route (four or five cities), in the time it took the smartphone to check just one area with 2G.