Audi Connect traffic vs. TMC traffic
09-07-2017, 04:25 PM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Audi Connect traffic vs. TMC traffic
According to the owners manual our cars will receive TMC traffic information or Audi Connect Online traffic information. The Audi Connect traffic takes priority if you have an active account, otherwise TMC (Traffic Message Channel) is used. For those of you who have let Audi Connect expire, did you notice a difference in your traffic reports when Audi Connect ended? Is the TMC traffic information as good as the Audi Connect traffic?
09-07-2017, 06:42 PM
#2
AudiWorld Super User
For questions like this you should really include your location. I assume you are somewhere in Europe as TMC is mainly a European thing. It's not available in North America. But no, TMC is not as good. TMC only broadcasts incidents and major issues. You don't get traffic flow information via TMC at least as far as I know from past experience renting Audis in Europe. Once I put in a SIM card, the traffic information got much more detailed than what's available through TMC. However, that's been a few years. Maybe nowadays they broadcast additional information via TMC.
09-08-2017, 04:13 AM
#3
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
I am in the US. I ask the question because TMC is referenced in the manual for my US Spec Audi. I remember the TMC information from my trips to Germany but the manual states that this is turned on by default at the factory so I assumed that the information now exists in the US as well. That was my reason for asking the question. I am curious if some level of traffic information will still be available in the nav system without Audi Connect.
09-08-2017, 09:09 AM
#4
AudiWorld Super User
In the USA, TMC is actually provided by SiriusXM, but requires a subscription. The older MMI used that for traffic and it does include flow information. There do seem to be other TMC sources in the USA. So not entirely sure what that means for the B9. Does it fall back to SiriusXM if you have the necessary subscription or does it fall back to TMC on terrestrial FM radio where available. INRIX which is the provider of the Audi connect traffic data does combine TMC data with their own data, so even if TMC does work in certain places in the USA it won't be the same as what you get with Audi connect.
Here is what I found on Wikipedia regarding TMC in the United States.
Here is what I found on Wikipedia regarding TMC in the United States.
In the United States of America, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio provide TMC service all over the US. Navteq provides traffic data to both providers. Navteq Traffic delivers traffic information and related advertising via RDS and HD signals to navigation devices nationwide. Navteq also provided traffic data sourced from sensors, probes and other technologies in 10+ countries as of December 2009. INRIX, Inc. fuses TMC data with real-time flow information from its crowd-sourced network of floating cars and mobile devices with information from other public and private sources to deliver real-time and predictive traffic information.
iHeartMedia and Tele Atlas have a TMC service called Total Traffic Network (TTN), using FM RDS in 77 US cities and three Canadian metropolitan areas.[66] These services are both offered by subscription and were initially available to many in-car navigation units via an expansion module purchased separately.
The TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver acquires information through an FM signal broadcast by Clear Channel's regional providers. By connecting a compatible TomTom navigation device to the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver, users receive traffic information via the TMC connection. Traffic alerts appear in the traffic bar on the right side of the screen. Tapping the traffic bar reveals further information, such as accident or traffic delays. The RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver is compatible with the TomTom VIA series, GO 920, TomTom GO 720, TomTom ONE XL and TomTom ONE 3rd edition. It integrates RDS-TMC Traffic information with TomTom GO and ONE products.
In addition to these after-market services, six major motor manufacturers offer RDS-TMC as standard in their U.S. vehicles, including Volvo and BMW.
Ibiquity HD Radio provides a TMC service based on RDS-TMC.
iHeartMedia and Tele Atlas have a TMC service called Total Traffic Network (TTN), using FM RDS in 77 US cities and three Canadian metropolitan areas.[66] These services are both offered by subscription and were initially available to many in-car navigation units via an expansion module purchased separately.
The TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver acquires information through an FM signal broadcast by Clear Channel's regional providers. By connecting a compatible TomTom navigation device to the RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver, users receive traffic information via the TMC connection. Traffic alerts appear in the traffic bar on the right side of the screen. Tapping the traffic bar reveals further information, such as accident or traffic delays. The RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver is compatible with the TomTom VIA series, GO 920, TomTom GO 720, TomTom ONE XL and TomTom ONE 3rd edition. It integrates RDS-TMC Traffic information with TomTom GO and ONE products.
In addition to these after-market services, six major motor manufacturers offer RDS-TMC as standard in their U.S. vehicles, including Volvo and BMW.
Ibiquity HD Radio provides a TMC service based on RDS-TMC.
09-08-2017, 01:04 PM
#5
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
In the USA, TMC is actually provided by SiriusXM, but requires a subscription. The older MMI used that for traffic and it does include flow information. There do seem to be other TMC sources in the USA. So not entirely sure what that means for the B9. Does it fall back to SiriusXM if you have the necessary subscription or does it fall back to TMC on terrestrial FM radio where available. INRIX which is the provider of the Audi connect traffic data does combine TMC data with their own data, so even if TMC does work in certain places in the USA it won't be the same as what you get with Audi connect.
Here is what I found on Wikipedia regarding TMC in the United States.
Here is what I found on Wikipedia regarding TMC in the United States.
I know that my wife's VW get's its traffic through Sirius but we have not tried letting the Sirius subscription expire so it is not clear whether the traffic data requires the subscription or just the Sirius receiver.
09-08-2017, 01:09 PM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
Interesting. Hopefully someone who has let their Audi Connect expire will see this and give us the answer.
I know that my wife's VW get's its traffic through Sirius but we have not tried letting the Sirius subscription expire so it is not clear whether the traffic data requires the subscription or just the Sirius receiver.
I know that my wife's VW get's its traffic through Sirius but we have not tried letting the Sirius subscription expire so it is not clear whether the traffic data requires the subscription or just the Sirius receiver.
Given that my Audi Connect was never activated in the first place, I guess I can try it out
Trending Topics
09-09-2017, 03:23 AM
#9
AudiWorld Super User
The 2010 RNS-E was the only system with FM based TMC but it would be interesting to know if one could subscribe to Sirius Traffic with the ID used for SirusXM. Since FM based TMC is a pre-paid service I doubt that Audi would include that in the MMI.
09-13-2017, 01:41 PM
#10
I paid extra for the Garmins with traffic, so maybe Garmin buys the subscriptions in bulk and sells with the GPS.
Nobody in their right mind should drive without GPS traffic in my area. There are tie ups 24/7.