MSN Direct

 

I have been thinking about getting a receiver and subscribing to MSN direct. However the receiver is expensive and I don't know how much I will use it. Does anyone have experience.

Nuvi 760

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poppywhite

i'm interested too

I've hijacked another thread with the same question.

I would like to know too please.

One user said she couldn't really tell at this time, but so far it wasn't useful...

MSN

fopr me it is very useful gas, weather , traffic when i travel has been good not great but good!

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Everyday is a GREAT day :)

gas

do you mean that it's providing gas price information? if so, that's really neat and useful

hm...

I have not activated my 1 year free membership to MSN direct yet but am planning to try it out soon. How much does it cost once the free trial is over?

it depends on your locale

MSN Direct & how well it works depends on your locale. First thing you need to do is check the MSN Direct coverage page to see if your area is covered.

http://www.msndirect.com/coverage.aspx

Also check the available services in your area:

http://www.msndirect.com/data-availability.aspx

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nuvi 760, nuvi 765T, nuvi 855, nuvi 3790LMT, nuvi 3490LMT - SoCal area

Useful but ...

It's useful for gas prices in the area although they are not always current. The traffic feature sometimes is accurate and at other times really out of sync with the real world. I've found the movie times and weather very useful too.

All said, it's useful but it does have its limitations.

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"Life is a journey - enjoy the ride!" Garmin nuvi 255

MSN Direct

I thought it was like having the internet. Is that not correct.

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poppywhite

It's push-only data

It's not like having the internet... it's a broadcast-only data service. I find it handy, and took advantage of the $9.95 (now $19.95!) special 6-month extension that was offered for a week or so after activating the 1-year trial, but I doubt I'll pay the $50/year after that. I get a lot of the same info on my phone as part of my data plan.

I also took advantage of the

I also took advantage of the $9.95 six month special-- I recently traveled to Florida and could not get it to work at all- so I called them-- got a very unfriendly person. He said I had to upgrade the software and then call back and give him the information again and he would reactivate the contract-- still had 10 months left on the original. He also said I would have to update the software every few months and call again to keep it current. I did what was asked and finally got it working again-- then they sent a questionare on the service person-- Bad mistake on their part-- I unloaded on the entire program! I was HOT!

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NUVI 680, NUVI 5000, MS S&T,

MSN Direct

I live in Atlanta. I use MSN Direct daily in my commute. Traffic details are timely ~70% of the time. Removal of the traffic details are sometimes delayed .. This is what I use MSN Direct 75% of the time for. I don't have the system automatically reroute me around traffic... until I make the decision. I have found that sometimes the traffic delay is not to the level that I need to avoid, so I like to make the decision.

The remaining I use in order Gas Prices, Stock prices & news.....

For me.. in Atlanta.. it's well worth the price... but make sure you have coverage in your area before you buy.

Hope this helps!

jb

It seems like this is such

It seems like this is such an early service, it won't work as well as we might think. Seems like a waste of money. How is the performance?

Just moved from a 660 to a 680 with MSN

I've just moved from a 660 (with the other traffic service) to a 680, and just started my free year of MSN.

As far as traffic goes on my usual routes, it reports about the same thing as the 660 did (telling me I'm "approaching slow traffic" when I've already slowed to a crawl).

So far the gas prices seem quite accurate; I've been bringing up that screen aperiodically just to get an idea how close MSN is to what the station is displaying.

I doubt if I'll ever use the movie stuff.

And the local weather seems to match what I see out the windshield...

So far, so good!

(I didn't choose to get a 680 -- I bought a reconditioned 660 on eBay, and they shipped me a 680 instead; no problem.)

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Nuvi 2460, 680, DATUM Tymserve 2100, Trimble Thunderbolt, Ham radio, Macintosh, Linux, Windows

I have enjoyed my MSN. While

I have enjoyed my MSN. While I don't travel in traffic, thank goodness, I do have fun with it checking the news in the mornings on my way to work and it is fun checking the gas prices. However, I also realize that a savings of .10 a gallon only saves me $1.50, but it is still fun. I also like checking the weather for a 3 day forecast. My wife and 12 yr old daughter love to check the movie times as they are about town, to see what movies are playing at whatever theater they are close to.

It's more of a gadget for me, but I really enjoy it. The few times I have had to use it for traffic, it has worked will. I always check it against the radio reports, but it has been very good.

MSN Direct

mrgreen

i just got a garmin nuvi 5000 upgraded from the nuvi 200w (now in my lady's car) the nuvi 5000 has the MSN Direct with it and it works good gas,weather,traffic,movies all work good we all know it can't be 100% correct but it is good so i love it

garmin nuvi 5000 & nuvi 200w

NUVI 680 + MSN DIRECT

I live in Houston and use the MSN on daily basis, I notice that 70-80% of the times it is accurate, I commute about 60 mile round trip daily from Home-work / work-home and as I said I rely on the traffic report and I estimate it is been saving me about 15+ mins daily.

The gas prices are very accurate so are the movie times ( I tought that I never have to use this feature but it happens that used 2 times already) as for the weather I really don't care about it.

As soon as I tested the MSN, I got the full suscription and now after the new update... to me works even better

MSN Direct

While I can get more detailed traffic information with better coverage on my PDA, I find I don't even question my Nuvi anymore when it routes me a different way, I know it is avoiding a traffic snarl. And I don't have to use my PDA while driving to figure it out!

The news, stocks, and weather? Eh. It doesn't provide enough information to be useful to me in the car.

Movies? I wish it DID work, but it seems to get what movies are playing where at what time all jumbled up. I just grabbed an update that I hope fixes this!

Gas prices? When I'm in a new area I use the Nuvi.

I use Local Events infrequently, but it has been useful.

when I don't have my Nuvi handy to plug into the laptop, I use the 'Send to GPS' funciton om maps.live.com.

Is it worth it? I bought the Nuvi for work related efficiency but, of course, use it for pleasure, also. I use the MSN Direct feature almost entirely for leisure. I use it enough, though, that I bought a subscription.

MSN

Yes, Very handy. I just bought the full service after my trial ran out. I use this every day. Today I was able to find gas at 1.55 a gallon. everyone else had it for 1.73, do the math it pays for it's self in a short time. if you get it, get the good till 2012 plan. it's cheaper in the long run.

about a year

I have about a year of experience with it. So far it has been worth the cost. I have used it to find gas stations on my many travels and for movie times & places. Generally very reliable -- although when I have not used the GPS for a few days and just start it up, it does not have the information immediately. The NUVI quickly updates and then it does what I need.

Location, Location, Location

Poppy, the location it's used in is key. Coverage and recepton is major cities only and some areas have better coverage than others. It only reports on major roads, not secondary highways. You can check coverage in your area here; http://www.msndirect.com/Coverage/Coverage.aspx
It's not actually very useful for rush hour traffic. In reality, traffic will be bad everywhere, including the secondary roads. There really isn't much point to avoiding expressway traffic during rush hour. So when it notifies me of a 15 minute delay along my route home after work, I ignore it. There's ALWAYS at least a 15 minute delay, no matter what roads I take home. When it pops up and says there is a 20/30/40 minute delay, that means there must have been an accident or something, and I will select 'Avoid' when that happens. It really works.

I Did Not Renew

my subscription when my free year was up last month. I live in the Chicago suburbs, the traffic information was not timely and I could not get reception west of I-355. Oddly, it still tells me when MSN Direct has identified a new time zone.

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Nuvi 680, Magellan 300

MSN direct

Thanks to everyone for their input. I think I'll wait on trying it.

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poppywhite

you may find this useful

look at this review ... here is the link to msn vs. FM traffic, but previous pages talk about each specifically :

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/2008/10/garmin_nuvi_785t_review.p...

gas

this might be worth it. I'll check the msn site for coverage.

Houston TX
529 and Eldridge has regular unleaded for $1.51 (shell) if you're in the area

service

maybe i'm expecting too much. it seems like the service area is pretty spread out.

does anyone have a different opinion on this or other type of service while traveling?

Same thing for me

kapnketel wrote:

my subscription when my free year was up last month. I live in the Chicago suburbs, the traffic information was not timely and I could not get reception west of I-355. Oddly, it still tells me when MSN Direct has identified a new time zone.

Yup - same thing here. No reception west of I-355. Bothers me that the coverage map extends WAY beyond I-355 but it really does not. I almost feel that that is false advertising. Drawing a radius that only extends to I-355 has to be only 25% of the advertised coverage area. I thought my receiver was defective until someone else confirmed the same results.

I had the TMC receiver before MSN and the coverage area was not much further, though. Going east towards the city, I'd pick it up somewhere between Rte 53 and I-355 on most days.

So - buyer beware - the actual coverage can be VERY different from what is shown on the traffic web sites.

vehicle effects reception as well

johnc wrote:

So - buyer beware - the actual coverage can be VERY different from what is shown on the traffic web sites.

your vehicle (type of windows etc.) effects how well the receiver works too. that's why they sell external antennas.

I have found the FM Traffic coverage to match the advertised map rather well here in the northeast.

External antennas? Where?

djs wrote:

that's why they sell external antennas.

They sell external antennas for the traffic cables? Where? And how would they attach? When I am close enough for reception, I like both services. I just wish it would work farther away.

ext. antenna

dont know, but the manual for the nuvi 2x5 series shows the power cable and points out the internal antenna and location for an external antenna

I can't even find the regular power/traffic cables on the garmin site! they have the msn cables in the accessories section, but not the new FM cables.

Antenna

That would be the external connection for the GPS receiver itself, not the Traffic service.

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Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

gps antenna

phranc wrote:

That would be the external connection for the GPS receiver itself, not the Traffic service.

thought the ext. antenna for the GPS plugged directly into the GPS ...no?

well, it used to on the older models.

Uhh

If it's on the Traffic plug, then perhaps I misspoke. I didn't understand you meant on the traffic plug.

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Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

reception

from the nuvi 7x5 manual :

"NOTE: Heated (metallized) windshields could degrade the performance of the traffic receiver."

no mention of how to overcome this though!

don't know either

phranc wrote:

If it's on the Traffic plug, then perhaps I misspoke. I didn't understand you meant on the traffic plug.

I don't know either, but pg. 25 of :

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/nuvi205_OwnersManual.pdf

shows a plug on the traffic receiver/power cable ... could they have moved it off of the GPS body on the 2x5 series??

By Golly

djs wrote:
phranc wrote:

If it's on the Traffic plug, then perhaps I misspoke. I didn't understand you meant on the traffic plug.

I don't know either, but pg. 25 of :

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/nuvi205_OwnersManual.pdf

shows a plug on the traffic receiver/power cable ... could they have moved it off of the GPS body on the 2x5 series??

Yep, it would appear to be a connection for an external FM antenna. Anyone have one that can tell what type of connector it requires?

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Frank DriveSmart55 37.322760, -79.511267

got your hopes up ...

phranc wrote:

Yep, it would appear to be a connection for an external FM antenna. Anyone have one that can tell what type of connector it requires?

looks like I may have been wrong ... look in the beginning of the manual - no external antenna plug on the GPS unit itself!

is that possible? am i missing something

MSN

It has saved me time and distance in strange cities, esp Dallas on one trip. Showed a closed road. Did not know if it was actually closed but took no chances. I use it for stocks and news. The stocks are a bit behind but good to know in this crazy time. I live in Indy and the coverage is very good and have had it in other areas as well. Hopefully they will keep upgrading the service. Kind of scary to buy the lifetime in this internet fall out company age. Jkraft