VLC interact with Honda HRV infotainment system

[TuRK_182]

Before Google dropped the Google Music app my phone and infotainment system worked "seamless". The SUV would display all the songs in queue from my library. VLC works well with my Honda but cannot display the songs in queue - those songs are named " unknown".. Is there a fix or is the SUV and app just not compatible?

[rstone]

It's good to hear that VLC is (mostly) working for you. The demise of Google Play Music is what spurred my interest in improving VLC because there simply wasn't anything else out there which did what I wanted for my own music library. Based on what I can see externally, the Google Music team was strongly involved in Bluetooth integration for the Android platform, too. When Google shifted focus to Android Auto, they let the ~2014-2020 model year cars fall to the wayside; however, Android still had some internal hooks for GPM which did the right things (based on the com.google.android.music package name). When they killed off GPM in favor of YouTube Music they lost the "special sauce" which made everything work seamlessly. At the same time, Google also started pushing the default Bluetooth AVRCP version higher, which broke other pieces. Sadly, the one-two punch of killing GPM and AVRCP incompatibility left a lot of users in the lurch.

Based on my own testing, the queue does work correctly via Bluetooth on a 2016 Toyota Entune headunit, but the menu browser is completely broken. I have read online that once upon a time users were able to navigate through their libraries with GPM and Toyota Bluetooth, but I haven't been able to replicate that behavior with Android 11.

1. What year vehicle do you have?
2. Does the Bluetooth queue work with Spotify?
3. Have you tried changing the AVRCP version to 1.4 via the Developer Settings menu? Does that make a difference?

[TuRK_182]

2016 Honda HRV
I have not tried spotify
I will try item #3
FYI - something to note that when I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, Android 11 with Samsung Music app the tablet and HRV connect perfectly as well.
I will mention that my phone is a Blackberry KeyONE

Thanks for the reply rstone

[rstone]

Could you try VLC on your tablet?

[TuRK_182]

@rstone - I cannot locate developer settings menu

[TuRK_182]

@rstone - will try tablet and VLC when I leave for home

[rstone]

@rstone - I cannot locate developer settings menu

Instructions are available here: https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/dev-options

Also, the AVRCP option is safe to adjust (reboot your phone afterwards); however, that's not true of all the options, so don't randomly change settings.

[TuRK_182]

@rstone - the Samsung tablet using VLC option did not work. Yet I switch app (on tablet) to Samsung music and all works.

Will try the AVRCP option

Thanks

[TuRK_182]

@rstone - the AVRCP option failed badly. Adjusting the setting made the Honda head unit name the current song playing "unknown" . V1.4 at least displays the song when it is played.

[rstone]

Okay, so no metadata with 1.3, 1.4 you get the currently playing song info, but no queue. What about 1.5 or 1.6?

I tested it with my Toyota and I believe that simply turning the bluetooth subsystem on and off via the notification bar is sufficient on the phone side (reboot not required). However, I had to power-cycle the head-unit to get it to renegotiate at a higher AVRCP version--turn the car keys to off and then back to accessory. Honda might be different, of course.

[TuRK_182]

That is what metadata is ..... Lol. Yes the metadata is not displaying on v1.6 or v1.5. I think that the BlackBerry is old, lol. However the tablet is not listing metadata using VLC either only Samsung music pushes metadata through.

Hmm, seems like I need to spend like an hour playing with the settings. Perhaps phone and Honda need more re-syncing

[TuRK_182]

Looking at the HRV specs regarding the Bluetooth connection I found this :
Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® enables audio files to be played through the vehicle's audio system wirelessly with a feature called Bluetooth® Audio. ...... This allows the Bluetooth®device's media to be played wirelessly by the audio system. Cell phone devices that support the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.3 allow the display of metadata for artist, album and track name on the audio 5-inch color LCD screen or Display Audio screen. .........

So my phone needs to be set at 1.3, not 1.4 or higher

[rstone]

Good find! AVRCP 1.3 should handle both the currently playing metadata and the queue of upcoming tracks. Version 1.4 is required to select the media player and browse the menu. VLC does not have folders tagged for bluetooth browsing, so even if you had 1.4, I wouldn't expect it to work.

Please check your PMs.