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How is Garmin's "Real Directions"

truckinguy 115 Points
edited April 2014 in Garmin Auto Forum (Garmin Nuvi, Garmin Drive Forum)
I wonder how you like this new guidance from Garmin. The claim they work with Navteq to keep from giving wrong directions at places gone out of business,etc. But in a urban changing area business come and go,etc. this may happen anyway. Would it still be worth that cost? I assume we couldn't shut it off and go back to tried and true directions.

Comments

  • t923347 432 Points
    edited April 2014
    I think you'd be able to go back to the old direction method if you wanted to. I believe the devices that support "real directions" use a different voice file than units that don't support this feature. My 3597 with Real Directions uses TTS3 voices while my older 3790 uses the standard TTS voice files. I believe if you were to use a TTS voice instead of a TTS3 voice on a 3597 that this would effectively disable the real direction feature.

    I don't think you need worry about the guidance places going out of business, etc. In my experience the guidance you hear are mostly things like "turn right at the traffic light" or "turn left after the bank building". I have heard very few, if any, directions that say things like "turn right at the Denny's restaurant" which could go out of business at any time. About the only place I've ever heard a "real direction" mention a specific business is in Garmin advertising on YouTube and places like that, never in the real world.
  • Zemartelo 207 Points
    I have the 2597 and I like the real directions. It really improves my awareness while driving.
    I have not heard it say any business names yet. The only different phrases that i can think of that are different so far are "turn right at the end of the road", "At the stop sign turn left","At the lights turn right"...
    Hopefully as the maps improve it will improve that as well.

  • truckinguy 115 Points
    sound good enough it seems.
  • Ramaprem 112 Points
    "I have not heard it say any business names yet."
    I recently had - for the first time - the "real directions" feature refer to a business while giving a direction:
    "At the church, turn right."

    I guess Garmin knows a stable business when they see one.
  • alanb 541 Points
    When Garmin first announced the Real Directions feature, I thought it was just a gimmick and had no interest in it. Now that I have a 3597, I have changed my mind. I have found it quite useful. There are times when hearing "Turn left at the stop light" is easier to follow than "turn left on 12th St", especially when the streets are close together and you can't see the street signs. A few times, I have received a prompt using a business name, like "Turn right at Bank of the West".
  • truckinguy 115 Points
    I have used it for about 1500 miles now around New England. I haven't had a lot of spoken turns at Pepe's etc. I read only about 52 cities have any support for this. At first it was a nightmare for Garmin and Navteq. They worked out something it seems.
    I do see a difference I think on some directions over my Dezl. But the Dezl has "speaks street names" so this is up one from other Nuvi's. So if you have an older Nuvi you will really see the difference. One difference might be were it says "get into the two left lanes". I think there have been more that are spoken better as well over my Dezl and other Nuvis' I've owned. But lot's of times it's the same as my Dezl.
    But if your not in these cities you may not have a lot of the "turn right at McDonalds."
    All and all Garmin has come far with directions over earlier Nuvis. The lane guidance is much smoother map splice wise over the Dezl. Unless it was just the area I was in.
  • Aviator327 91 Points
    @truckingguy, Could you provide the link to the 52 cities you talked about? thanks.
  • sussamb 813 Points

    I do see a difference I think on some directions over my Dezl. But the Dezl has "speaks street names" so this is up one from other Nuvi's.
    Not sure what you mean here. Most recent nuvis 'speak street names'
  • truckinguy 115 Points
    I assumed the older units don't have the choices. But in the language menu choices on the Dezl only a few noted in there will speak street names. Under those voice choices it says "speaks street names" Maybe all of the units have this. Not all of the choices has it but probably all ready know this.
  • truckinguy 115 Points
    No I can't as it didn't mention which cities. It was in a news article for some business web site. I found it googleing for info on the unit and don't remember were it was. But maybe there are more cities now as we speak.
    @truckingguy, Could you provide the link to the 52 cities you talked about? thanks.


  • t923347 432 Points
    edited April 2014
    I assumed the older units don't have the choices. But in the language menu choices on the Dezl only a few noted in there will speak street names. Under those voice choices it says "speaks street names" Maybe all of the units have this. Not all of the choices has it but probably all ready know this.
    Actually many/most older Nuvi's have these choices and more. In the older units to get voices that "speak street name" you simply picked one that had the (TTS) designation after the voice name. The "speak street names" is just Garmin attempting to make picking between TTS and non TTS (speak street names and don't speak street names) voices easier for the user to understand.

  • Boyd 1985 Points
    edited April 2014
    The first Nuvi (350) could speak street names back in 2005. :)

    https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-road/discontinued/nuvi-350/prod31655.html
    It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road.
    Over the years, they have introduced some models without TTS but it was just a classic Garmin marketing thing to differentiate the budget models from the full featured ones.
  • truckinguy 115 Points
    I must admit these new 2798 / 2797 do speak better directions then my Dezl it seems. I've ran both for 500 miles or so. Real directions must be a step up even though I may not be in or near one of the cities it supports for the full feature to work. The active lane guidence is better too it seems then the Dezl.
    I returned them both as I can't see spending the extra money for the few improvements. Also I like the buttons on the side of the Dezl Map I have set up for "Where To" and "Stop" . In the 27XX you have to toggle back to the main menu for "Where To" and "Stop" . You can access "Stop" in the Map tools but that is about the same work. I don't like taking my eyes off the road for a second if I can help it. Boston and Cape Cod traffic you know. Most folks probably don't need the buttons. I like the 27xx series very much. Now if it had map buttons. :)
    I don't like the clutter in the Dezl as I use only Auto mode. I don't have that kind of truck and my RV isn't much of a RV so Auto mode is fine.
  • KinderTeacher 0 Points
    Are there any additional Real Directions voices beyond the one that comes on the 2597? I like using the Real Directions, but the Samantha voice is fairly monotone and I would rather have something different.
  • t923347 432 Points
    There are 5 or 6 additional ones. English male and female British, Australian, and American Jack plus one east Indian one. The only place I've ever found them is my logging into your myGarmin.com account.
  • alanb 541 Points
    There should be additional voices available, but they might not be offered by Webupdater. Log into my.garmin.com and use myDashboard. Or, if you want to get all available English voices, run GarminExpress, and select the English voice support update.
  • KinderTeacher 0 Points
    Thanks!!
  • Aviator327 91 Points
    @KinderTeacher, I downloaded the 5 TTS3 voices from My Dashboard about 12 days ago. I especially like the Australian Lee and Karen voices. I just wish they had one that spoke with a "Texas accent".
  • KinderTeacher 0 Points
    @Aviator327, Thanks! I had mistakenly believed that Garmin Express had replaced the mygarmin.com dashboard. When I logged in, I found the other voices, as well as some other updates (they were in express, but listed under "optional" updates I think.)
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