iPad loses volume controls when connecting to Bluetooth audio devices?

[TheHoff]

Why does the iPad disable all volume controls when you connect to a Bluetooth audio device? Am I missing something?

I have a Belkin BT music receiver that takes an audio signal over bluetooth and outputs it via headphone jack / RCAs to a stereo. This makes the iPad an awesome music playing device for remote control of your music collection... EXCEPT that when it connects to the Belkin, both the hardware volume controls and the iTunes volume slider are disabled.

This does not happen on my Macbook but the iPhone 3 also disables the volume control.

I've been on the phone with Apple and they told me to put in a "feedback" request with a description of what I think it should do. Basically it shouldn't disable the volume controls!

Does anyone else use the iPad with a BT audio device?

 

[appleguy123]

THe current Bluetooth standards don't allow for volume control through the input device, so even if the features were there you would be able to use them.

 

[TheHoff]

THe current Bluetooth standards don't allow for volume control through the input device, so even if the features were there you would be able to use them.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Why is my Macbook able to retain volume control in iTunes then? If not hardware volume control over bluetooth, shouldn't the iPad retain software control in the iPod app?

 

[appleguy123]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Why is my Macbook able to retain volume control in iTunes then? If not hardware volume control over bluetooth, shouldn't the iPad retain software control in the iPod app?

I dot think you understand what I am saying. When Bluetooth control was originally introduced into iPhone os 2.0 the controls were there but they didn't do anything. In a subsequent release they were removed because Bluetooth does not transmit volume information to the headset. You have tocontrol the volume from the speakers themselves.

 

[TheHoff]

I dot think you understand what I am saying. When Bluetooth control was originally introduced into iPhone os 2.0 the controls were there but they didn't do anything. In a subsequent release they were removed because Bluetooth does not transmit volume information to the headset. You have tocontrol the volume from the speakers themselves.

Thanks again. Regardless of what Bluetooth can or cannot do, why do I have different functionality on my Macbook in iTunes vs. the iPad's music player?

When I connect with my Macbook, over the same bluetooth connection, I can lower or raise the volume on my Macbook using the normal volume controls. Why can't I do that on the iPad?

You're saying it is because of iPhone OS vs. OS X? There is a reason they can't put this functionality in the iPhone even though my Macbook does it?

 

[Night Spring]

You're saying it is because of iPhone OS vs. OS X? There is a reason they can't put this functionality in the iPhone even though my Macbook does it?

My guess is it's for the same reason we had to wait two years for copy&paste, and we are just now getting multitasking and folders with iOS4. Namely, Apple hasn't gotten around to it yet.

 

[appleguy123]

Thanks again. Regardless of what Bluetooth can or cannot do, why do I have different functionality on my Macbook in iTunes vs. the iPad's music player?

When I connect with my Macbook, over the same bluetooth connection, I can lower or raise the volume on my Macbook using the normal volume controls. Why can't I do that on the iPad?

You're saying it is because of iPhone OS vs. OS X? There is a reason they can't put this functionality in the iPhone even though my Macbook does it?

The volume controls on the mac actually affect the volume on the bluetooth device? Or are you just contented that they are there?

 

[TheHoff]

The volume controls on the mac actually affect the volume on the bluetooth device? Or are you just contented that they are there?

They actually affect it. I have full volume control in iTunes with the slider or I can use the hardware keys to change the system volume -- both of those affect the music I'm playing through the BT device. So my Macbook makes a great source player as I can change the volume remotely... not so with the iPad.

When an iOS device connects to the BT receiver, it purposefully shuts off the volume control. It seems like they disabled it on purpose so it shouldn't be hard to NOT disable it and just leave it active, right?

 

[TheHoff]

Thanks to the bumped thread a few spots below, I see that it is a known issue. (I really did Google and search here for at least 15 minutes... oh well) The thread says it should be fixed in iOS 4 (I can't verify on my iPhone 3G as I downgraded it back).

I'm probably going to switch over to Airport anyway since I'm not happy with my router and currently as I'm playing music, the bluetooth receiver keeps dropping out. Sound quality isn't that great, either... so all good reasons to go to Airport, I guess.