Short update on my side:
I went to the garage with my VW Touran and asked for the update of my car media system.
I got the very latest update, so Bluetooth software should be up to date in my car.
This did not change a thing: I still have the same main bug which is “no picture displayed while listening to music through bluetooth from my FairPhone 3+”.
(Artist and ALbum info seems OK. about correctness of track length, I think it’s also OK, but should double check)
Hence, I still believe the problem is on Fairphone side.
And I still think it’s not a big deal, just a cosmetic thing.
Thank you! I just found this threat. I have this issue for quite a while now (fp 3 & VW Golf VII). Changing the Bluetooth AVRCP Version in the phone did the trick! Now song, album & artist info is dislayed again! And the most annoying thing was that I couldn’t press for- or backward button on the steering wheel. That is gone as well.
3 Likes
Which AVRCP version did you choose?
Same question about Bluetooth MAP
AVRCP 1.4
MAP 1.2 (Standard)
Hiya all,
I´m struggling with this topic again like some of you also do.
I´ve even dug a bit deeper into the topic and by reviewing all that information I found there are so damn many reasons for that the album cover art being not displayed via bluetooth - it´s a true pain in the a**
It´s definitely not (only?) a problem of the FP.
If you just do a simple search for “bluetooth + avrcp + album art” you´ll end up with a list of nearly every mobile device from any manufacturer around the world that was ever build that can have issues.
Moreover:
You also end up with incompatibilities with entertainment systems (sometimes - but not always depending on the update version of the car´s entertainment system) from almost any car manufacturer.
But even if you got “the perfect mobile device & the perfect car” for album-image-streaming via bluetooth then you still got dozens of hurdles in front of you. Be sure of that 
For example the official Bluetooth standard documents state clearly that below version 1.6 there is NO SUPPORT for transmitting media items (=cover art) via BT.
Take a look here at the specifications at bluetooth.com. If they don´t know it right noone knows it :
(the PDF called "A/V Remote Control Profile 1.6.2 " (page 13) in section documents)
Money quote:
1.4.2 Changes from 1.5 to 1.6
[…]
− Cover Art: Support for transmitting images to media items through the BIP over OBEX protocol
[…]
Both devices (!) need to support at least AVRCP version 1.6 so no matter if you got the setting in your FP about 1.6: If your car´s entertainment version got a lower version implemented … yuck!
But the list still goes on:
You also have to check if the cover art for the tracks are like this:
- not more than 1 picture embedded in a file
- the picture file must be JPEG (no png, etc)
- the image size must not exceed 500x500 pixels
- the image size must not exceed 128 kb
- the JPEG format of the image must be a “progressive” one not just a normal (see JPEG - Wikipedia for more info on that)
The above seem to be hard facts but you all know there are so many self-claimed experts out there on the internet, the list may go on … even contradictionary
- Some specifications say the picture must be separate from the mp3-file other say it must be embedded. Some also say the separate picture file must have a specified name convention. Some say its name must be cover.jpg; others say it must include the exactly same file name as the related mp3; located in the same subfolder)
- Some even swear that it only works with specialized audio apps or that for example (especially) iTunes and Spotify do not support it when “streamed over the internet”. etc etc etc
Ugh … it´s truely a plague!
I´ve prepared several test-mp3-files along with all the conditions mentioned above and tried to make the album covers work but I failed no matter what sort of combination I tried.
BTW: The exactly same files display cover art when I place them on a SD-card so technically the entertainment system can work with them.
I also tried it with 2 other devives (an older samsung a5 phone and an up-to-date nokia 5) via bluetooth and what shall I say: With none of them I made it work.
All that brought me back to my initial words: Do not blame only one of all those “players”. It could be the FP itself, but also the bluetooth stack is very well known for a lousy implementation and bugs. LAst but not least I almost don´t dare to say anything positive about car manufacturers and especially their software management. 99% rotten crap, too.
My final solution is now: I keep my music locally on a SDcard. This works out of the box.
Benefit of it: no battery drain on the mobile while listening to music and always a stable and none-crackling sound
Best
DonFnord
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