Help Navigator Performance

[Cessquill]

Hi, I've got an open issue with HTC Support, and I've mentioned this in a lag thread, but I'd like to see if anybody else is suffering from the same performance issues I've had with Navigator.

If anybody can replicate or has experienced the following, please shout out and it might save me a factory reset...

- Open Car Mode
- Start some music (internal, or via tune-in)
- Set a destination on the One X and navigate there using the Navigator app

Does any of the following happen to you at any point?
1. Music cuts out, pause for about 3-4 seconds, voice navigation starts
2. Voice navigation starts, pauses mid-way for up to 6-8 seconds, voice navigation completes (eg "After quarter of a mile <6-8 second pause> turn right onto Main Street")
3. Voice navigation returning instructions after a junction

I frequently, but not all the time, get the above. Sometimes it performs as expected, but most of the time some or all of the above occur.

HTC have said they can't reproduce it at their end, although I haven't questioned them to what extent. Mine appears to work fine straight away, but as soon as I'm moving it breaks up, so I'm guessing they may have quickly tried.

There was an update to the Maps app yesterday which cited a critical bug fix which I was hopeful would fix it, but that didn't seem to change much for me.

This is not necessarily just for car mode, I get the same issues when running Navigator normally, but in Car Mode it's more apparent due to the background music.

I didn't get this problem at all on my old Desire, and whilst I think the Maps app is newer for ICS, it's a bit annoying that the flagship model seems glitchy.

Another gripe is that I would like the option to fade the music rather than cut it, since the Voice Commands seem to be playing more than the music for most journeys (although I do think the voice commands is getting a bit excessive).

Finally, a difference I've found between my One X and others I've seen in Hand's On videos is the Navigator in the Car Mode. On my handset, pressing "Navigator" in the Car App seems to take you to the standard Navigator App, and not one optimised for running within Car Mode (clock, notification bar across the top as usual). In videos I've seen, Navigator is full screen, with "now playing" and "notifications" across the bottom, allowing you to perform basic next/back on the music with big buttons. Whilst mine works, it's a little bit clunky compared to what I've seen.

Querying HTC about this suggested that what I saw was perhaps the US version of the Car software (I'm in the UK). I hadn't considered that there might be regional variations of stock software (other than language), but can anyone else confirm what they see in Navigator during Car Mode and where you're from?

Sorry for a long post, but I've been trying to get to the root of a feature I was looking forward to and feel a bit disappointed by so far.

 

[Cessquill]

Well, after a couple of weeks of playing, two updates to the Map software and a firmware update... No improvement.

- The Navigator App is largely useless when the text-to-speak is lagging so far behind (remember that it's worked fine on 2-year-old handsets). During my journey in to work today, it was telling me to leave each roundabout after I'd done so

- I'm inclined to think that it's a fault in the text-to-speech software. The background music cuts out and back in at the right times, but each chunk of speech has a 4-8 second delay in front of it

- I still think that the Navigator "talks" a bit too much, but that's just my opinion

Wondering whether to switch to a different Sat Nav until this is sorted.


And after using Car Mode for a while, by and large it's a good start, but nowhere near there yet...

- Swishing from side to side gives one interface for each piece of software, whilst clicking the home buttons gives a different view

- Different pieces of software seem generally inconsistent between each other, and not as intuitive as I'd like. For example, Tune In Radio makes it hard for you to get back to the "Now Playing" page

- On the UK version, the Navigator App isn't built into the Car Mode, it's just a shortcut. Other variants appear to have this sorted (although I don't know which countries). It may even be using the HTC Sat Nav, whereas I'm still on the default Google option

- Seeing as the Sat Nav chips in a great deal, I would much prefer the music to lower the volume rather than cut out completely when directions are given (or at least be given that option). The amount of radio I've missed is getting silly

- Tune In Radio, for me, isn't quite there yet. More specifically, network coverage where I am (UK, Cambridgeshire) is not consistent enough to give me a reliable signal yet. And when it cuts out for a while, it appears to give up and stop


So, whilst the Car Mode is a great addition and a brilliant concept, I don't think it's quite cohesive and polished yet for prime-time. Sure, it works on paper, but doing the job and doing it well are what separates good from great. And why I stopped buying Nokia several years ago.

Can anybody else testify to having Navigator issues, since I've still got an open support case with HTC who think it's just me.

 

[Cessquill]

Well, if this helps anybody, I'll continue awhile...!

Took a 2 hour journey on Saturday and the voice in the Sat Nav was flawless.

I have no idea what's changed, but it seems to be working just fine now. There were a few times where it was hard to work out what she was saying, but otherwise fine.


That just leaves the following gripes currently with Car Mode on the One X, which I don't think render it quite ready for prime time...

- Music stops and starts quite abruptly with voice over. Could be a gentler fade (without slowing it down too much). Would like the option to not cut music altogether. If playing internal music, I would like the option to pause rather than mute for voice-guidance

- Interface is inconsistent and not intuitive. Swiping takes you to one screen, icons take you to another and it's not immediately clear how to do what you want

- Navigator isn't integrated into Car Mode (UK version). That is, it's not full screen, just a shortcut to the full app. Might be different in other countries

- Closing car mode does not close apps, so music keeps playing, maps keeps telling you where to go

- I'm sure it all works slicker if you've got the car mount and bluetooth kit, but if you're using a universal mount and a jack out into a cassette player then it doesn't seem so happy. I'm pretty sure it's quit on me before without warning

- Tune In radio just isn't ready yet, I don't think. That's not because of the software, but just the signal quality where I am. Trying a journey was fine until I left my town. On the motorways I was down to getting a couple of seconds of radio and a lot of nothing. The phone was mounted quite low in the car at the time (still waiting for a Brodit mount), so mounting it higher might improve it - but I doubt it. There's three or four dead spots between work and home that'll knock it out. I know I can increase the buffer time, but that just moves all the dead air to the start of the journey