Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT 7-Inch Flagship In-Dash Navigation A/V Receiver with DVD Playback and Bluetooth Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm glad I didn't read the review here before I bought this unit, or I'd have missed out on what is for me a great unit. Let me address the previous review line by line with the differences I see.
- no support for cd changers but many feel that because of usb drives and ipods, changers are legacy...whatever!
What's a CD? Does anybody use them anymore? :)
- touch screen has a sweet spot that is small and off-center so it's easy to make the wrong selection and have to waste time on a redo...
Haven't noticed it yet. There is a calibration for the screen that needs/can be done so maybe that would fix your issue.
- no IR functionality which means wireless remotes cannot be used and this unit really needs one...
I never liked remotes in a car. I've had three head units that had remotes, including the one I just took out. Never put a battery in them. The head unit is arms length away, the remote is under the seat, stuck to a french fry, whatever. What is the remote for? I know some people like them, I just never have.
- xm works great BUT xm traffic is not supported, only msn direct...
Yeah, XM traffic would be better. MSN is a no go. Per their website they are shutting down the service. However, all the online reviews of this unit say getting the MSN is a no brainer, that it's data in invaluable. Go figure.
- no exterior mute button....
Hold down the voice prompt button and it mutes. I luckily noticed this in the manual when I was perusing it during the install.
- installing the hd radio module disables regular am/fm functionality...
Hmm, that's odd. I asked about it and wasn't told this was an issue. I didn't get HD radio so I cannot comment.
- route guidance has no introductory statement to start your route, you just start driving and eventually it begins giving directions...
Good. The less it talks the better. I have people in the car, the telephone going, stuff to remember to do. Just tell me where to turn already, skip the rest.
- route guidance audio does not identify by exit number, street or exit name, just take next and you must look at screen for what next is...
Hmm, good point. I didn't think about this before. I guess refer to the point above for me. Just keep me from blasting by the turn. I'll handle the rest. The road, distance, and direction of turn are on screen.
- last unit i had gave me my vehicle speed as well as the current posted speed limit, this unit gives neither...
Agreed! Sorta. I love having the GPS speed on screen for some strange reason. The GPS speed is available on a setup/calibration screen, but not on the main screen to my knowledge. I guess I can get my GPS calculated speed fix there. As for the speed limit on the GPS, I think I'll trust the handy dandy signs that were happily stuck in the ground for my personal amusement along the side of the road.
- adding a route is real work. to start a route you must type each and every complete word exactly, it does not help you complete words with suggested common choices nor is it flexible when searching...
Type in part of the word and hit enter, it'll show the most likely matches. The route seemed perfectly easy to enter to me, and thank God, the keyboard layout is a QWERTY so you know where the letter is without singing the alphabet song.
- when recalculating a route, it says nothing and starts the process very slowly.
Again, thank God. Say less, do more. I hate it when you are going off route manually and you don't want to key in your change. "Recalculating route....Recalculating route...etc, etc until you give in and either cancel the route or get through your detour."
- there is a search by address voice function, but it's slow and awkward, using it is a real struggle...
All voice commands are slow and awkward to me. I've been amazed at how accurate this thing has been so far.
- no voice commands for basics such as "go home", "cancel route", etc. so you must touch screen through several menu layers for them...
I haven't tried this yet. Go home should be a voice command. I agree. Good points. I did take the time to setup my custome home screen. It has icons for cancel route and go home so they are right there on the home screen. Nice.
POI TRULY SUCKS...
I already tried some POIs. They were not in there as often as I'd like so I agree. But, via the SD card you can load POIs so I'll give it a pass. If it's something I need I'll load it. If not, oh well. I can always look up the address. I did take the time to load some POIs just to see how this worked. I now have every Hooters in the US on my GPS. Sorta overkill as I really don't like chicken wings that much but considering how easy it was to add thousands of esoteric POI waypoints, I think it would be hard to knock what they have built in.
So far, this unit has been pretty much everything I wanted. I pulled out and replaced a Clarion 675 VXD with this Pioneer. It's so much better than the Clarion it's hard to imagine. Everything works as it's supposed to on the Pioneer. Not so on the Clarion. And Pioneer is using Parrott's bluetooth technology. I love Parrott.
I do have a couple of squawks that aren't mentioned previously. The unit, like everything in this country today, has a legal warning. Of course, somebody lost a lawsuit somewhere along the way and not only do we have to agree not to be stupid once, we now have to agree every time the unit boots. I've sort of resigned myself to this fact of life, however, there is a quirk with the Pioneer. Until you ok the legal screen, some of the functionality doesn't work. The iPod voice recognition it does at every boot up doesn't start until you have clicked ok and if you have just updated your iPod this VR load can take several minutes. If you are on the audio screen, as I often am, the warning screen doesn't appear. It's a navigation warning screen, so audio is playing from your last song but the unit is effectively nerfed until you click ok, no VR load, no audio commands, etc. The backup camera does work and it does immediately, which is good. It can be frustrating to jump in the car, fire up and want to start a phone conversation right away but the voice commands won't work till the VR load finishes, the VR load won't start till you click ok, and none of that will start till you click ok on the nav screen which probably isn't up and running. It would be nice if after 30 seconds you haven't clicked ok, it just times out and starts it's normal process or if the warning screen would pop up over navigation and audio so you can click ok. (Update to this note.) Turns out the issue above is actually a quirk of my installation. We may have accidentally performed a work around to eliminate the speed sensing ability of the Pioneer, which would enable the use of the navigation system, and video playback, while the vehicle is in motion. The issue I noted above is a side effect of this work around. Out of the box, this issue apparently does not exist, but you cannot use the navigation system above 10mph, which is in itself annoying in my opinion.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT 7-Inch Flagship In-Dash Navigation A/V Receiver with DVD Playback and Bluetooth

The AVIC-Z110BT is Pioneer's flagship in-dash navigation system, and comes with the works. Simultaneously access mapping and route guidance information; enjoy various forms of audio and video entertainment; control an Apple iPod/iPhone and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone with natural voice commands; and receive updated traffic, weather and local event information via an optional MSN Direct tuner. The AVIC-Z110BT navigation system features a large motorized 7-inch touch panel display, CD/DVD Video playback, built-in Bluetooth and a customizable touch screen interface for quick access to frequently used features.

Key reasons to upgrade from AVIC-X910BT:
Powerful processor with video accelerator
New Customizable Shortcut Menu
Larger 7" display (WVGA high-resolution)
Motorized Display with Automatic Display Positioning (5 settings)
High-Volt Preouts x3 (4 Volt) for clean, powerful signal to optional amplifiers
7-Band Graphic Equalizer provides more precise audio tuning control
Bluetooth Audio Streaming (A2DP and AVRCP)
Navigation destination entry by Voice Control (Address Search, POI selection by category or brand name)
Background processing of Voice Recognition (VR) Cataloging
City Map display
5 Simultaneous route calculation
Road Preference routing and Intelligent Re-Route
Brand Icon POI's
Optional Mexico Map (CNSD-OMM013)
Fuel Cost Routing & Report
Dual Zone Audio/Video
Advanced A/V Codec with additional formats (WMV and H.264) for USB/SD Card playback


The Last Word in Navigation The line of AVIC-Z products have long been considered the last word in navigation, and this year, the AVIC-Z110BT stays true to its Pioneer heritage with its high performance features. Out of the box, this system comes with 12 million points of interest and a massive map database to help you find the nearest destination. The built-in Text-to-Speech engine clearly pronounces turn-by-turn direction and street names to ensure smooth travels.
The AVIC-Z110BT also offers a wide variety of map views tailored to different driving experiences. For example, "Rear View" allows you to watch your cargo in tow with your optional back-up camera while simultaneously being able to view the map. High-resolution 2D and 3D maps provide renderings of nearby landmarks and terrain to help you navigate the world around you. The Z's high-powered graphics processor and precision-guided GPS sensor deliver stunningly detailed mapping with amazing accuracy.
Pioneer's AVIC-Z110BT takes convenience to the next level with voice-activated navigation. You can simply input an address by voice or find a place to re-fuel by saying, "Find the nearest gas station" or "Find the nearest McDonalds".

AVIC FEEDS for iPhone now available Unleash the power of your Pioneer navigation system with the AVIC FEEDS for iPhone application. Find a destination, then transfer it to your Pioneer navigation system for turn-by-turn routing.
Bridge the Gap Start Planning your route before you even step into your car with the free AVIC FEEDS app. Now you can seamlessly use your iPhone with your Pioneer navigation receiver. Simply find your destination with the built-in Google Maps interface and transfer it via Bluetooth for easy, turn-by-turn directions.
Picture Yourself There The AVIC FEEDS app also allows you to use the geo-tag data in your photos to be routed directly to places you've visited. The built-in GPS feature of iPhone 3G and 3GS has the ability to embed geo-tag information in the photos you take with its camera. AVIC FEEDS allows you to save destinations by reading these geo-tags. You can also use AVIC FEEDS to create destinations from geo-tagged photos that are sent to your iPhone.

Your iPod (and iPhone) Will Thank You On top of being an exceptional navigator, the AVIC-Z series delivers an iPod experience that blows away FM transmitters or cassette adaptors. Even at the first glance, you will fall in love with the easy-to-use touch screen controls for your music and brilliant 7-inch display for your videos. Album art is also beautifully displayed.
With the optional cable (CD-IU50V) connected to your iPod, you will notice how easily you can find songs, videos, artists, or playlists with a few simple taps of your finger. Pioneer has also created powerful searching tools such as Link Play and Alphabet Search to help you find content faster.
The AVIC-Z110BT also features voice-activated control of your iPod. Simply say the name of an artist, album, playlist, or genre to bring up the next song.

Ditch the Headset with Built-in Bluetooth Take incoming calls through the AVIC-Z110BT, and be heard clearly without a headset courtesy of Bluetooth technology. Connecting your compatible phone is easy and gives you instant touch screen access to your contacts. You can also dial a contact with the sound of your voice by simply saying "Call Jack Smith."

Customize and Colorize This all-new AVIC-Z110BT features a revolutionary touch screen interface that let's you build your own home screen with the navigation, multi-media and Bluetooth functions that your use most. Simply drag and drop a function's icon in the menu to create up to 15 shortcuts within your home screen.
You can further customize the navigation receiver by adjusting button illumination color to match the interior of your car, or by uploading your own boot-up screen photo.

Get Connected with MSN Direct With the optional tuner (ND-MDT10), access up-to-date information from MSN Direct on your AVIC-Z110BT. MSN Direct is the ultimate in-car convenience, offering news, traffic, stock quotes, weather, movie times, and gas prices. Because MSN Direct can work seamlessly with system's navigation, you can be routed directly to a theater after finding the right show time, or have traffic flow overlayed on your route.
Enjoy MSN Direct free for the first three months when you add Pioneer's optional tuner (ND-MDT10) to the AVIC-Z110BT.

The Freedom of Speech Navigation functions, iPod audio control and hands-free Bluetooth calling can all be controlled with the sound of your voice. Voice-activated control over your navigation system not only performs in-car tasks with greater speed, but helps you keep your eyes (and attention) on the road ahead.

Media Mogul Built to navigate, but born to entertain, the AVIC-Z110BT offers audio and video playback from the most popular formats. Whether you're watching DivX files on DVD, H.264 video on SD card or iTunes AAC files on CD, there are dozens of playback options for your favorite media. You will also appreciate the Z's ability to simultaneously entertain your front and back seat passengers with two different audio and video sources using Dual Zone functionality.

Audiophile-grade Sound Architecture Just because the AVIC-Z110BT features one of the most robust navigation platforms in the industry, doesn't mean it holds back on high-end sound quality. With 3 sets of hi-volt (4V) pre-outs, custom designed power supply capacitors and a 7-band graphic equalizer, you can build a massive system worthy of hi-fi listening.

Expanded Listening The AVIC-Z110BT gives you plenty of room to expand your broadcast options. With optional tuners, experience the vast channel selection of XM Sirius Satellite Radio and HD Radio.
What's in the Box AVIC-Z110BT main unit, Power cord, Connector Extension lead (for reverse signal), Extension lead (for speed signal), GPS antenna, RCA connector, USB connector, Microphone

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Pioneer AVIC-F900BT In-Dash Navigation Audio/Video Receiver with DVD Playback and Advance Voice Controls Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I originally had the F700BT for 2 weeks and though I liked it I sent it back due to the following issues.
1.I had all the same issues as described on avic411 forum but I was not sure I wanted to wait for a firmware update. These problems are mentioned in other reviews.
2.There was no quick way to reroute/detour if you seen traffic ahead
3.MSN Direct could not be added later
So I returned it and ordered this F900BT. It was backordered for a long time because Pioneer was working on fixing the multiple issues. Now I have had it installed with the firmware update for about a week and went on a 17hr road trip to test it out fully. Now I am glad to say this stereo is meeting my expectations from the previews months ago.
Sound:
Better than my factory of course with the usual Pioneer EQs such as Powerful, Super Bass etc..
Screen:
Preupdate, the screen only looked good in the shade and washed out a lot in sunlight but after the update I can see it a lot better along with greyed out icons. The splash/startup screen can be customized with a jpg by SD card or usb drive. The button lighting can also be adjusted to match your car interior. The responsiveness is ok after startup. But sometimes it can be picky.
Nav:
The Nav is nice. I'm coming from a Garmin Nuvi 200 and a Kenwood 5120. Since the 900 comes with Bluetooth you can call the POIs in the device with a touch of a button. You can create a trip/route with stops/waypoints in it and manage them. You can preplan restroom and food breaks or site-see. There is a screen for progress and itinerary info. This screen can show you your progress along the trip whether its miles left or hours left or you can view the trip as turn by turn. Your map screen can show you a lot of info such as speed limit, your speed, next turn and second turn, time to destination/turn and estimated arrival. The only annoying them after the update is the green turn boxes stay on screen even if you have no route in. Another minor thing is the voice prompts happen to frequently, you'll notice this when entering/exiting a hwy or approaching a turn. There is also a button on the corner that shows what your currently listening to, that you can press and be sent to that screen. For instance, if its ipod, the current song will show on bottom along with album art. If you press the button it will take you to the main ipod screen with all the info. There are also tons of POIs in the unit, you can find them by: along route, near cursur, near destination, by current position. There is also a shortcut to POIs if you're just cruising around. Press the info button on right side of map, this will show you a zoomed out image of where you are. From here you can save your location or press "info" and it'll tell you all the POIs near you. You can also turn on speed warnings where it'll warn you when you're speeding. In the future Pioneer will introduce a POI creator. I'm not sure if this will enable proximity alerts such as Garmin's red light/speed cam warnings.
HD radio (add-on):
First, Pioneer does not tell you this but you need an antenna splitter or additional antenna for HD Radio Tuner to work. I got one off Ebay for $6 shipped. The antenna goes to HD and stereo, stereo needs it for MSN to work but if you're not using MSN then its fine. Pioneer told me this was aimed at the F700 since it doesn't have MSN, but anyway. Ok, I'm in Raleigh and we have about 12 HD channels and they sound GOOD. It was like night and day when I put my antenna back into stereo while waiting for the splitter. Plus with the $50 HD rebate this was a cheap upgrade. HD integrates into interface and takes control of FM/AM if no splitter is present. When you select the HD source you'll get 3 sets of FM presets and 1 set of AM presets. If you have a splitter this number is doubled because the FM source has its own 3 sets. Things work as expected but I have had two issues. One, when you press the next preset button (P. Ch > ) it tends to skip. For instance I'll be on P6 and it'll skip to P4 instead of P1. Two, preset info doesn't show up on the Preset list. You just have to remember whats there. In FM mode the presets are listed as 88.9, 97.5, 99.1 and so on but in HD mode its just blank. While in HD you can do HD Seek where it will find the next HD channel instead of static from standard FM. Yes you can still listen to standard FM while in HD source. At car startup music will begin in about 5 secs.
iPod:
iPod interface is great. I wouldn't say the manual searching is quick though but it has a huge shortcut, voice control. Just like Ford Sync, you can press a button and say "play artist..." and it will play that artist/album. You can tell it to show you artists, playlists and albums. It is really cool and is spot on. I was surprised by it getting Gnarls Barkley. Before the update the stereo had to catalogue the ipod at startup each time which was a pain but now you only need to do it once. Album art also shows up on the map as well. Videos look well also but I don't think videos work when you have a nav route on (dvds do though)(assuming you have the bypass connected, be safe and watch the road). Full startup time on mine is about 1:45 when ipod is left as default (left on when car turned off), but music begins after about 30 secs.
DVD:
DVDs look good to me not much to say here. You have a set of controls come up when the movie is playing such as pause and next, but you can also skip chapters by pressing the knob. On the main menu screen you get arrow controls and a enter button. When I put in my first dvd the unit became unresponsive to the controls and wouldn't eject but a reboot fixed that and it worked fine afterwards. If you're in route the voice prompts will mute the audio. You can either pause the movie or press `map' to see whats coming up and then return to movie. I only did this for my passengers so they wont annoy me.
MSN:
Depending on your area the info can be great. In Raleigh you get a lot of info but in Durham the signal is weak. Info comes through the FM antenna hence the need for a splitter for HD. If in a strong area, info comes in about 2 min. Traffic info will overlay on your map and if in route you will be guided around it. You can route to movie theatres or gas stations as well. Movie showtimes show up for the entire day and Gas prices may or may not be current but it tells you like this, $3.79 (+2 days) or $1.48 (today) wishful thinking I know.
Bluetooth:
Ok lets get the obvious out of the way, Blackberries are hit and miss with this. But I have a Samsung A900 and its works ok. Sounds good on my end and haven't had complaints on callers end. My friends Treo 755 works really well. You can transfer your phonebook, store 5 phones, call contacts by name (Call Mike) or number (call 919-771-7771). It says you can receive/view incoming txts as well but I have not got any while in car to test this. Others report it works though.
Overall I have to same I am very very satisfied with the unit. Glad I waited for it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer AVIC-F900BT In-Dash Navigation Audio/Video Receiver with DVD Playback and Advance Voice Controls

You've been holding out for something that links all of your devices together into one seamless experience. You love the idea of a system that can be operated by the sound of your voice. It's time to stop wishing for the next great thing because it's here. This is your life made easier. Introducing the Pioneer AVIC-F900BT In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver with DVD Playback and Built-In Bluetooth.


A New Class of Navigation No more hassling with map discs. Now you don't have to worry about discs being misplaced, damaged, lost, or stolen because we've done away with them for the F-Series navigation line. We've taken the entire TeleAtlas Database that was previously on the two-DVD set, compressed it down, and stored it internally on flash memory.

Freedom of Speech The AVIC-F900BT offers a new generation of voice recognition capability for controlling iPod playback and making calls hands-free via connected Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. The technology accepts and recognizes conversational phrases and language, filters out superfluous sounds and phrases, and if the user doesn't give enough information in the command, the unit will ask additional questions to clarify the request.

Subscribe to a Better Solution The AVIC-F900BT comes equipped with a built-in MSN Direct tuner. At a glance, see updated road conditions, search for movie times, find the best gas deals in your area, and get directions - all without leaving the car! See current conditions and the three-day forecast to better plan your day. The service is available through MSN Direct data subscription service.

Bluetooth Technology: In Touch, Hands-Free The AVIC-F900BT comes with built-in Bluetooth. Now you never need to miss a call, even if your tunes are cranked up or your phone is buried in your bag.

Simplified Menus and 3D Landmarks Simplified menus and intuitive icons shorten the learning curve, allowing you to quickly and efficiently start using the system. Quickly enter destinations, browse music libraries, or adjust settings. Enhances your map with 3D Landmarks. Our advanced iPod integration allows exclusive features like iPod album art overlaid on the navigation display.

Mobile Media Pioneer has created a line of Navigation systems that make it easy to play various digital and audio formats like: DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW discs, Portable Media Players like iPod, USB memory devices, and SD Cards. We can play a wide range of files types as well, such as MP3, WMA, iTunes AAC, and MPEG-4 video files.

Make It Personal Personalize your drive. AVIC FEEDS freeware contains POI Creator, Driving Report, and Picture Editor Applications. You never know where the road will take you, but our POI Creator can help you get started on the right path.

Blending In Like its predecessor, the AVIC-D3, the new AVIC-F900BT allows you to change the illumination color to match your car. Select from among 32,768 different colors to match car interior and dashboard lighting.

Seeing Is Believing The old WQVGA displays that most Navigation units use are 480x234 pixels. However, our WVGA display is much higher quality at 800 x 480 pixels. Images become sharper and more defined, just like our maps and menus on these units. The display's enhanced GUI (Graphic User Interface) has also advanced, making system control and management effortless.

iPod Control Made Simple With the new CD-IU230V cable, you can directly control your music and videos from your iPod. Fast and easy control through USB, the AVIC-F900BT also features iPod Album Art display, Alphabetical Speed Search, and much more. Click Here to see iPod compatibility chart.

Adding Another Set of Eyes For safer parking, try using the ND-BC2 or ND-BC20PA backup cameras. The system automatically displays images shot from a connected camera as the vehicle shifts into reverse.

What's in the Box Pioneer AVIC-F900BT, wiring harness, installation hardware, operation manual, installation guide, warranty sheet.

Click here for more information about Pioneer AVIC-F900BT In-Dash Navigation Audio/Video Receiver with DVD Playback and Advance Voice Controls

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