NHZN-W57 HDD Media Centre - SD Card Formatting Software - Alphard Club (2002 - 2008)

October 24, 20232 yr

Hi,

I am having fun with Google Lens and this media centre on my AH10 Alphard 07 - and am trying to copy music from the CD/DVD drive (which works fine - even plays movies) and from the SD card (which doesn't) . I'm using 2GB ones. I gather that they should be formatted with Panasonic JukeBox software. As it's no longer supported, it doesn't seem to be available from the Panasonic support website.

So if anyone could point me at a working copy, that would be much appreciated. The ones that I have found haven't found the SD card when running - even on an old XP machine.

I did manage to get it playing pre-existing stored tracks from the hard disk (I think) - I'm not sure how now, or have accidently deleted them or the hard disk has failed. Anyhow, there were lots of Japanese pop music there, that I can't now find.

I've tried translating the manual (grey book) but not a lot of joy - so if anyone has a translated copy and could share it, again, that would be much appreciated. Or can just give me the idiot's guide to how to play music stored on the disc. I don't seem to be able to find the right screen to do that, now.

The car is very definitely in a different league to anything that we have ever had before... So much so, middle son has just gone and bought one, too as we enthused about it so much. My other half is disabled and its made longer trips so much more bearable.

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October 24, 20232 yr

1 hour ago, devonia said:

Hi,

I am having fun with Google Lens and this media centre on my AH10 Alphard 07 - and am trying to copy music from the CD/DVD drive (which works fine - even plays movies) and from the SD card (which doesn't) . I'm using 2GB ones. I gather that they should be formatted with Panasonic JukeBox software. As it's no longer supported, it doesn't seem to be available from the Panasonic support website.

So if anyone could point me at a working copy, that would be much appreciated. The ones that I have found haven't found the SD card when running - even on an old XP machine.

I did manage to get it playing pre-existing stored tracks from the hard disk (I think) - I'm not sure how now, or have accidently deleted them or the hard disk has failed. Anyhow, there were lots of Japanese pop music there, that I can't now find.

I've tried translating the manual (grey book) but not a lot of joy - so if anyone has a translated copy and could share it, again, that would be much appreciated. Or can just give me the idiot's guide to how to play music stored on the disc. I don't seem to be able to find the right screen to do that, now.

The car is very definitely in a different league to anything that we have ever had before... So much so, middle son has just gone and bought one, too as we enthused about it so much. My other half is disabled and its made longer trips so much more bearable.

Have you checked eightseater.blogspot.com.

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October 24, 20232 yr

Yes, I'd be really interested to know if anyone has managed to work out how to copy a CD to the hard disc on the sound system. I have an 06 Alphard Hybrid - great sound system, but the hard disc only seems to have Japanese pop music on it. Was this preloaded when the car was new, and can it be deleted and replaced with my own music selection?

Pete

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October 24, 20232 yr

Author

I think creating a new profile on mine deleted all the existing music content. Unintentionally, as I had only recently discovered the tracks and the novelty hadn't worn off. I haven't managed to produce either a music CD or SD card that the system recognises. It does play DVDs - on the dashboard unit. I haven't worked out how to get them playing on the overhead display. I've just discovered that there is a cable that I can get that provides video and mono composite input. I plan to use this with an HDMI converter and that should get a low resolution PC display up and running.

As I like to greet dawn breaking over the motorway with Ride of the Valkyries - getting there..

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October 24, 20232 yr

48 minutes ago, Pete Ansell said:

Yes, I'd be really interested to know if anyone has managed to work out how to copy a CD to the hard disc on the sound system. I have an 06 Alphard Hybrid - great sound system, but the hard disc only seems to have Japanese pop music on it. Was this preloaded when the car was new, and can it be deleted and replaced with my own music selection?

Pete

CD's are copied to the HDD automatically.

I suspect your HDD is full.

I know that eightseater.blogspot.com informs how to delete tracks, and create more space for 'new' tracks.

Hopefully you have the same HDD unit. If so, give it a go !

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October 25, 20232 yr

Hi

I have also spent hours with Google translate! I agree with Rojie, your 10gb disc is probably full though that is a lot of songs. My unit (panasonic) uses built in software called Gracenote. It's a high speed recording system. Play the CD and it fully records it, usually in around 7 minutes....very clever. A little red logo appears when it starts. Sometimes it will index the CD in English, somtimes it doesnt recognize the UK titles. I also need to delete some Japanese playlists but that's for a rainy day!

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February 13Feb 13

Hope this helps anyome out with the head unit.

I have the NHZN-W57 stereo user manual in PDF format and converted it all into English language. This headunit has a mechanical IDE hard drive in it. I suppose if you removed the headunit, dismantled it. Remove and replace for a larger SSD storage type. First cloning the software from old drive to new one via a clone docking unit. So the head unit would recognise it.

Gracenote software is installed. You play a normal CD and it automatically records the tunes to internal hard drive and stores them.

Max size memory card it recognises is 2GB only. Formatted as per jukebox instructions. Fat 16 or Fat 32.

The manual refers to Panasonic Jukebox PC software needed in order to convert CD/MP3s straight to 2GB card. Each song is at its playing BEST at VBR (variable bit rate between 64kb and 128kb) .

This device NHZN-W57 struggles to play MP3 , doesn't recognise songs at 192kb and above.

You can compile a DVD RW MP3 music disc. Again all songs must all be placed together on the root of the DVD (no individual folders). And each song ripped converted at VBR between 64kb and 128kb.

Some of you may not know why the Panasonic Jukebox PC windows software you have tried in the past to put songs onto the 2GB usb card didn't work i.e card not recognised. Because you NEED a very specific Panasonic card reader / writer in order to do it!

Panasonic CPRM compatible card readers (Content Protection for Recordable Media)

Example Panasonic BN-SDUSB2E

Or any Panasonic USB 1.1 or 2.0 SD reader that supports the "secure" (SDMI) specification.

Or If you do not have a Panasonic reader, you can sometimes use the Panasonic MP3 player (e.g., SV-AV30) itself connected via USB in "PC Access" mode.

https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/soft/faq/sdjuke_answer.html

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