Why won't google update AVRCP?

[Anthimus]

Hi All,

For all of you who are wondering what AVRCP is, it stands for Audio/Video Remote Control Profile. It's a profile used to remotely control Bluetooth enabled devices just as the name suggests. Android seems to be stuck on version 1.0, and it has been stuck on it for years now.

From Wikipedia:

AVRCP has several versions with significantly increasing functionality:

1.0?Basic remote control commands (play/pause/stop, etc.)
1.3?all of 1.0 plus metadata and media-player state support
The status of the music source (playing, stopped, etc.)
Metadata information on the track itself (artist, track name, etc.).
1.4?all of 1.0, 1.3, plus media browsing capabilities for multiple media players
Browsing and manipulation of multiple players
Browsing of media metadata per media player, including a "Now Playing" list
Basic search capabilities​

The main issue for me is the metadata added in version 1.3. My car has a small screen that displays metadata about the currently playing song. This works great on my wife's Galaxy S3 (Or pretty much any other skinned version of Android for that matter), but since I prefer to stick with stock Android, I have to forgo this feature. See pic here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3GApIuovrrwOVMyZURKMUdlaEk

I know some of you will say "just drop a ROM on it", but given that this is a industry standard, I think it should be baked right into the stock OS. Come to think of it, even google must agree to some extent since AVRCP v1.0 is baked in...they just haven't updated it since they first implemented it.

I hope this post serves to make the community and google aware of the issue so it can be addressed in the next major version. Key Lime Pie feature anyone?

Thanks for reading!

 

[bluefalcon13]

I have a similar issue. Only work around I have found is running a CM variant. My Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 on Factory Touchwiz 4.0.4 has the same issue. Hell, my work iPhone (ewww) has the same problem, but I know metadata works, as even with my LG Optimus S being a terrible phone (old), running CM7.2 or CM9 provides metadata on the Mazda 3 (guessing yours is a Mazda 3, as the layout on the dash looks familiar). I don't mind running CM, but I would prefer running stock ASOP personally.

 

[Anthimus]

Good eye. Yes, I have a Mazda 3.

I am on the same page as you. I could run CM, but it seems trivial to have to run a ROM just to get an updated version of a Bluetooth profile that Android already employs. Three Android versions and counting, still no update. :'(

 

[photoartk]

I just got an update to Android 4.1.2 on my Droid Razr and it appears the OS supports AVRCP 1.3: I see meta data with Play Music. However, it's annoying that once I start Play Must I can't shut it down without rebooting. My preferred music player is BubbleUPnP and it appears to not yet support the profile.

 

[Anthimus]

Hi Photoartk,

I believe the reason your Razr support it is because Motorola added the profile. Many manufacturers choose to add the profiles with their phones, but the phones that are running completely unmodified Android (such as the Nexus lineup) are still missing this feature.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[trailblazen]

Going from my Motorola Bionic I was able to display song data on my indash Pioneer AVH-P3200BT In-dash DVD/Bluetooth player for my F150 and my Pioneer AVH-P2400BT In-Dash DVD/Bluetooth player in my Expedition. I had to get the phone replaced with a Verizon Galaxy Nexus and with both ICS and JB I am no longer able to display the data on either player. If all this is would be a patch/profile then by all means cmon Google lets get it together.