Uploading pictures and audio to SYNC system

I finally got around to uploading some pictures to my Nav home screen today and I also ripped some CDs to the JUKEBOX. I thought I would share...

First of all, even if you don't want to upload pics you can "fix" the sideways Ford picture that shows up and make it horizontal by just touching the picture and going to EDIT. You can zoom and rotate the picture.

To upload pictures it must be done from a Data CD and the pictures must be JPEG format. You're allowed up to 1.5MB/pic and 32 pics total. You can select a picture or choose to have all your pics rotate.

To upload the pics all you do it press the Ford picture on your home screen, select Add and insert your data CD. It will prompt you that your pics must be JPEG and can't exceed 1.5MB, click OK and your pics will show up in the file where you can select them and edit them to your liking.

The Jukebox is pretty cool although I thought for some reason that MP3 files could be uploaded directly to the HD as data but you have to record(Rip) them one song at a time and it's time consuming. To perform this, just put in a music CD and hit RECORD from the CD media screen. You can't change the track or do anything while they're recording so just toss the CD in, hit record and walk away. The Jukebox interface is nice...sorts the songs by artist and it's basically just like an IPOD.

Thanks for the details. I'm really hoping there's a way to sync an ipod and download all my music from there. I don't have much in the way of CD's any more.

Iceman, I know your truck isn't in yet, but are you aware yet that you can copy all of your music to a hard drive, store it in your center console or glovebox, and run hidden wiring from either of the usb ports?? (in addition to the usb port located in front of the off-road buttons and aux switches, another one is hidden in the top of the dash)

If you didn't know that, it is definitely possible. Many have done it and it would definitely solve that issue for you. While I don't believe you can SYNC directly from an iPod, just FYI there is an iPod specific port that will allow you to plug one in directly. Between using the hard drive method above, syncing cd's, and having a quick access iPod port, these trucks can handle some massive music libraries. Thankfully the SYNC system has a lot to offer for people who are techies.... particularly if you also get the NAV system.

Bojangles said:

Iceman, I know your truck isn't in yet, but are you aware yet that you can copy all of your music to a hard drive, store it in your center console or glovebox, and run hidden wiring from either of the usb ports?? (in addition to the usb port located in front of the off-road buttons and aux switches, another one is hidden in the top of the dash)

If you didn't know that, it is definitely possible. Many have done it and it would definitely solve that issue for you. While I don't believe you can SYNC directly from an iPod, just FYI there is an iPod specific port that will allow you to plug one in directly. Between using the hard drive method above, syncing cd's, and having a quick access iPod port, these trucks can handle some massive music libraries. Thankfully the SYNC system has a lot to offer for people who are techies.... particularly if you also get the NAV system.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I did step up and order the NAV system. I had read about the hard drive "mod" and I will probably go that route. I'm assuming that setting it up that way still allows for voice activated song selection. I also have a lot of music on a portable USB drive. I'm not a big fan of the MP3/iPod plug ins. It always seems like the music quality gets degraded.

iceman302 said:

I'm not a big fan of the MP3/iPod plug ins. It always seems like the music quality gets degraded.

Click to expand...

MP3's by nature degrade sound quality. You can't compress sound without losing some of its luster.

I would say I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I wish I could find a way to get the sound quality of vinyl in the truck, but the compromise in sound richness is a fair tradeoff for the amount of music you can tote around with you via MP3. Whether you play an MP3 through an iPod and plug-in versus the hard-drive via USB, I would imagine you'd be experiencing virtually the same amount of sound "loss" in both scenarios ...more due to the MP3 file type than the actual device hosting it.

The factory-equipped MP3 direct input does however provide significantly better audio clarity than the types of MP3 plug-ins that require one to use a radio station, IMO.

Bojangles said:

MP3's by nature degrade sound quality. You can't compress sound without losing some of its luster.

I would say I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I wish I could find a way to get the sound quality of vinyl in the truck, but the compromise in sound richness is a fair tradeoff for the amount of music you can tote around with you via MP3. Whether you play an MP3 through an iPod and plug-in versus the hard-drive via USB, I would imagine you'd be experiencing virtually the same amount of sound "loss" in both scenarios ...more due to the MP3 file type than the actual device hosting it.

The factory-equipped MP3 direct input does however provide significantly better audio clarity than the types of MP3 plug-ins that require one to use a radio station, IMO.

Click to expand...

My Raptor is on order, but have been checking out Sync info online. Looks like MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV are supported. Wish they allowed FLAC, but alas, it's open-source and that's "evil". I tend to find 320kbps MP3s to be adequate, but will have to try converting some FLAC to WAV (or AAC/WMA lossless, if that's supported). Forget if there's any way to keep music tagging in a WAV though, so perhaps that won't be practical either.

Bojangles said:

MP3's by nature degrade sound quality. You can't compress sound without losing some of its luster.

I would say I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I wish I could find a way to get the sound quality of vinyl in the truck, but the compromise in sound richness is a fair tradeoff for the amount of music you can tote around with you via MP3. Whether you play an MP3 through an iPod and plug-in versus the hard-drive via USB, I would imagine you'd be experiencing virtually the same amount of sound "loss" in both scenarios ...more due to the MP3 file type than the actual device hosting it.

The factory-equipped MP3 direct input does however provide significantly better audio clarity than the types of MP3 plug-ins that require one to use a radio station, IMO.

Click to expand...

I'm hoping to have all the tricks and details figured out before my truck arrives. Hopefully it won't take too long...

Droid said:

My Raptor is on order, but have been checking out Sync info online. Looks like MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV are supported. Wish they allowed FLAC, but alas, it's open-source and that's "evil". I tend to find 320kbps MP3s to be adequate, but will have to try converting some FLAC to WAV (or AAC/WMA lossless, if that's supported). Forget if there's any way to keep music tagging in a WAV though, so perhaps that won't be practical either.

Click to expand...

FLAC would be awesome, that's for sure.

So which one of you is gonna retrofit the dash to house two turntables and a microphone?

Bojangles said:

FLAC would be awesome, that's for sure.

So which one of you is gonna retrofit the dash to house two turntables and a microphone?

Click to expand...

LOL. It won't be me. I love a good quality system to play my music but a lot of this tech stuff will be new. I've never even had a NAV system before, let alone all the goodies that come with this one.

iceman302 said:

LOL. It won't be me. I love a good quality system to play my music but a lot of this tech stuff will be new. I've never even had a NAV system before, let alone all the goodies that come with this one.

Click to expand...

you're gonna love it.