Bullshit!

 

I called MNAO and thats what they told me, hopefully they will follow through this time

 

The UPDATE is now available for our car!

I checked today on the NAVTEQ site and it says it IS available. I'm calling ASAP and ordering. Good luck (and GOOD WORK) to those that made it happen - lol

 

Flop, if you looked slightly farther back in this thread, you'd see they are currently only taking pre-orders for the new map disc. The Navteq site says it's available for ordering, but they do not actually have any to ship.

 

you are gonig to spend $199 on this thing?

 

I am considering paying for this update (although I shouldn't have to seeing as my car was sold to me in June of 05 with 2-3 year old data).

If I DO get a copy, (when they are actually shipping), I'll have my friends at Corel try and make a copy for me on their commercial equipment.

Cheers, and sorry for the not-so-new information. I was excited and thought to share my find with other bewildered owners before reading the updates to the thread.

 

your a good man

 

I thought all you needed to do was make an image of the DVD and then burn the image... that should make a perfect backup copy of the original. Who knows, maybe the image file will appear on peer-2-peer networks and we can all try to make a copy for "educational purposes only" ;-)

 

that applys to the original disc but not the new one

 

what do you mean? since the hardware reading the disk is the same, there is no way for them to stop it from reading a perfect backup copy of the original. Some game console vendor implemented a hardware protection for their games by burning them on black CDs but then a "solution" to that too was found... in our case they could simply change the firmware to cope with a new data structure but how could they stop a user from using a backup copy made by using an image of the original? If my understanding is correct, the software creating the image doesn't care about what data structure is on the disk cause it does it bit by bit. That is how, I've heard, people make their fair use legal backup copies of their XBOX DVDs. Please share any info you may have that may dispell my belief. Why wouldn't it work? tnx

 

the new disc is written in SDAL while the old was not...the new firmware which is capable of reading the new discs can read the SDAL format the old firmware could not...SDAL is simply an open protocol for how data is arranged on a disc...but to get this data properly read by the nav you have to have the disc pressed, not burned the traditional consumer way.

in otherwords...you can make a copy of the new Map disc...but the Nav unit will no t be able to read it

there is more to this but essentially a proffesionally pressed copy is the way to go I believe

 

more info...just FYI...SDAL is format designed for faster access rates of Map data since map data

probably why Navteq created/bought (history unknown) the SDAL format...which they share openly supposedly :p...I have a SDAL spec sheet but it is huge...check out their website:

http//www.sdalformat.com
which now leads to:
http://www.navteq.com/sdalformat/

 

Cool! Thanks for the info.

By definition, if it is a mirror copy then it should work, unless the hardware is looking for something special such as a black DVD as in my previous example. Anyhow I'll take your word... at least until I can buy my update and I'll try to make my legal backup copy ;-) just for the sake and fun to see if it works.... and avoid my precious update warping in the hot Texas sun (I would use the copy and keep the original at home).

 

I called the other day and was told that Mazda is currently compiling a list of all RX-8 owners that need the navigation upgrade disc and will be mailing them out in the next 30 days. Take that for whatever it's worth

 

I want to be on that list!!! I wonder what their selection criteria is.... I got my car in Jun 2004 and the disc was already outdated!

 

Just buy the disc and have your Mazda dealer reimburse you for it... You will get it alot quicker that way.

 

Aren't they only talking about the firmware upgrade, and not the maps?

Early owners cannot use the maps without the firmware upgrade. I thought the upgrade was automatically included with the map disc...

 

I have the feeling you are right... anyhow I had mine updated already so I have the firmware version that displays the Mazda logo on boot-up... I want the updated maps!!!

 

jerky,

by upgrade, aren't they referring to the firmware?

 

Yeah it's the firmware. Updated maps you have to purchase yourself..or raise hell at a dealership.

 

This thread has served its purpose, update discs are now in owners hands.

Thanks MNAO, let's move on....

Unsticky.

S

 

My parents come to visit me for Thanksgiving and my birfday and they brought the new Nav updates to me. Mazda sent it to my previous address. New Map Upgrades Available for your Mazda DVD Navigations System reads the package and software. Going to install it next time I get a chance...

I'm happy...

 

so are you still going to buy the new map discs too?