BlackBerry® Curve™

[missouri_bb63]

Hello all, I tried various searches in this forum but I couldn't come up with an answer for this problem. If there is another thread concerning this issue I apologize. Just leave me a link and I will be on my way. 

I have got a curve 8900 with an 8GB SD card which stores my music. I am trying to get the music on this card, to play through the speakers of my Dell Precision m4400 (running Vista x64), while the 2 devices are connected through Bluetooth.In the standard Windows Bluetooth properties window for the curve 8900, I have this option to connect to the Blackberry ("Listen to audio from your phone through this computer's speakers"). When I press on connect it seems to be trying to connect but nothing happens. The option to use the connect the laptop as a "headset" works just fine, but that won't allow the music to come through. 

I have all the Bluetooth services enabled on the BlackBerry as well as in the Windows Bluetooth settings. One thing I did notice however, is that only the BlackBerry Bypass service, Desktop Service and Dial-Up networking have ports given to them in Windows (com 20,21, and 18 respectively). The advanced audio and headset don't have any coms dedicated to them (but I don't know if then need them). In the device manager com ports 10, 11, 20 and 21 for the RIM are "working properly".

I have unintalled, and re-installed, paired and un-paired several times but it hasn't helped. I have got the latest Bluetooth drivers for my laptop and the Blackberry desktop software updates automatically (version DM 5.0 and OS 4.6).  Please let me know if you need any more information. Thanks!!

Message Edited by missouri_bb63 on 08-21-2009 04:31 PM

[missouri_bb63]

Wow, almost 80 views and not a single reply? I hadn't imagined this one would be so tough. Could someone at least tell me whether it is possible to  listing to music (which is stored on the BB) on the laptop speakers by using a Bluetooth connection? I would be grateful if someone could verify that they have actually done it, or seen it work. Thanks!

[knottyrope]

Does the laptop have a BT stereo gateway or something similar?

What does the HH list as a BT device when you pair it up?

[missouri_bb63]

Thanks for your reply. Vista recognizes it as a Blackberry Smartphone. Upon connection, the curve 8900 says that it has made a Headset and Stereo Audio connection. I remember reading somewhere that the m4400 has A2DP which should be the reason why I have the "listen to audio from your phone..." option.

I found a post here yesterday from someone who said it was not possible on any computer... but I don't understand why that option is given in that case. Has anyone out there managed to listen to music from the Blackberry through their laptop speakers using Bluetooth? The lack of replies sort of indicates that no one has, or at least has not yet tried?

[wleonard106]

To answer your question, yes, I have played my music from my Blackberry 8900 through my laptop speakers.  The sound quality was great.  The only problem was that when I shut down my computer and later restarted it, I tried to play my music again and it didn't work.  I don't know if it was a one time fluke or I just don't remember what I did, but it did work at least once.  Blackberry Tech Support said that the Blackberry only recognizes Microsoft bluetooth drivers, so I have been searching for those.  So take heart it can be done.  If you find out something, please let us know, I will do the same once I figure out how I did it.

[missouri_bb63]

That is great to know. I new it had to work somehow. From what I can figure I have the windows BT drivers installed. You can tell form the type of BT Logo that is displayed. I had also read that several functions only work with the windows drivers. Which drivers are you currently using? I will keep you up to date!

[wleonard106]

What kind of bluetooth do you have on your laptop, I have a Broadcom 2046 Bluetooth 2.1 USB UHE Dongle,It is running Broadcom driver

5.5.0.4300 Date 8/18/08 and broadcom 6.2.0.3500. I currently have music streaming from my 8900 on the kitchen counter to my laptop on the kitchen table.  I connected my laptop to my 8900 through the quick connect audio gateway.  I went to the media player on the 8900 and started playing a mp3 then I hit the bb button and saw activate handset which played the music through the handset and under that was activate TOAD, which is the name of my laptop, and when I hit that voila music through my laptop speakers.

[missouri_bb63]

I have an inbuilt Bluetooth card. It's a "wireless 370 Bluetooth minicard" which is made by Broadcom. The drivers are from the Dell website, and up to date. The software that is managing it is the standard windows BT controller, which from what I understand is what is critical for this to work.  

I can go into the media player and, once the music is playing, choose "activate user-pc" instead of the handset or speakerphone, but there is no sound coming out of the laptop speakers (even thought the music is still running). When I switch back to speakerphone the sound is back. 

I checked the volume mixer settings on the laptop, and couldn't find anything that seemed to be muted. Any ideas if there could be something muted somewhere?

[wleonard106]

Do you have a quick connect option for audio gateway? if your phone gets activated, someone calls you or you accidently hit the call button, like I did, I found out that you have to disconnect the the laptop in the bluetooth settings on your phone and reconnect it, or it does like you said, it appears to be playing but you get no sound out of the laptop speakers or the phone's. Also if you have blackberry desktop manager running and connected to your phone it also seems to keep it from working correctly.  Hope this helps.

[wleonard106]

It seems that your bluetooth has to support "Audio Gateway", I have an old Kensington bluetooth dongle and if you go to bluetooth setup it does not have audio gateway listed as a service, and I have tried to get it to work repeatedly and can't.  Now with the Broadcom Dongle, it works.  I'll try to list exactly the steps I used.

1. Start the bluetooth device on the laptop

2.Go into the main menu on the 8900 and click on the manage connections tab

3.Go to setup bluetooth tab and click on it

4.When the add device screen comes up hit cancel, you should see a list of the devices that you have paired with in the past

5.Click on the name of your laptop and at the next pop up menu click connect

6.After that mine comes up with "TOAD" connected and under that it list headset and stereo audio with grenn checkmarks beside it

7.Go to the media player and start a song, then hit the blackberry button and click on activate "Name of your Laptop"

That's the way I got it to work on my 8900 and my laptop, I've done it about twenty times now so that I could make sure I had the exact steps written down correctly and it has worked everytime.  I surely don't want to cause more problems than you are already having by getting the steps wrong.  I understand the frustration I actually joined the forums today to try to find a solution to this and read through a lot of other post for clues then happened on yours.  I got my problem solved, I hope I can help you get yours solved.