Showing posts with label in-dash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in-dash. Show all posts

6/29/2012

Brand New Kenwood Excelon Dnx6960 All-in-one Double Din 6.1" Touch-screen Monitor/dvd/player/navigation Combo Receiver with Dual Zone, Ipod Interface, Advanced Garmin Gps, and Remote Review

Brand New Kenwood Excelon Dnx6960 All-in-one Double Din 6.1 Touch-screen Monitor/dvd/player/navigation Combo Receiver with Dual Zone, Ipod Interface, Advanced Garmin Gps, and Remote
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I've used this unit since Feb '10, purchased it from Crutchfield when it came out.
Pros:
1) The Garmin based GPS navigation is far and away better than most factory navigation programs that I've seen. Secondly, the unit is essentially a Garmin Nuvi. One look at the file structure on the unit (hooking your computer up to the mini-USB port in the back of the unit) shows a typical Garmin based directory which also means that the maps should be upgradeable using the Navteq updates Garmin sells - or using the version you have if you bought a Garmin GPS unit recently. I don't see why you would have to wait for the unit-specific upgrade, the normal GPS data should work just fine. We'll see when I upgrade it myself.
2) The unit comes with a rolling color scheme. It's a small thing, but the option to match your interior lights in your car is nice.
3) I have had zero problems with the unit since February. I have not fiddled with any firmware or other major software updates. My wife plugged her iPhone into the unit and it worked just fine as well. Bottom line, 10 months of use and no problems. If you want to bypass the video lock feature so your passenger can watch movies as you drive, just look on the kenwood USA forums. It's easier than on the Pioneer units, from what I understand.
Cons:
1) Boot up time is pretty slow. The unit is, naturally hooked up to your car power, so if you drive a manual tranny, and you happen to stall in slow traffic, driveway, etc., when you restart the engine, the GPS will go on/off. However, it will resume navigation from the last set destination immediately upon reboot.
2) I'm thinking of purchasing the KNA-NT100, which is the Navteq FM based traffic information source. Frankly, the unit should comes with this. Combined with the DVD player and the aux-in and iPod/iPhone connection, you have everything that you and your passenger could use during a long drive. However, you will have to pay for the wiring for the apple products and the FM traffic receiver. El cheapo mp3 players, like the one I have, can be plugged into the USB port, but I don't think players like Microsoft's zune or more advanced ones which hide the directories on the device will work with the USB function on the receiver. You can, however, plug an aux-in cable in and just play your audio through that (as I do).
3) Menus are slow and the UI looks pretty dated. However, you have a user upgradeable GPS unit, with a nice big touch screen (which is resistive, so you can use it with your gloves on - something you can't do with a capacitative screen such as your smartphone during the winter in the Northeast) which has quite a few nice features.
The unit only got 4 stars because my brother's HTC HD2 simply won't get detected by this unit. My blackberry bold 9650 and the wife's iphone 4 (and her old LG KF900) were detected just fine, but apparently there are some bluetooth incompatabilities, and the HD2 is one of them. If you want to use that phone in particular with your navigation unit...well, SOL. Since this unit is in my car and not his, however, it's a great unit for me.
No complaints here.

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6/27/2012

Power Acoustik PTID-8940NBT 7-Inch Widescreen Touch-Screen In-Dash Monitor with Bluetooth Review

Power Acoustik PTID-8940NBT 7-Inch Widescreen Touch-Screen In-Dash Monitor with Bluetooth
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Ordered this unit as a gift for my girlfriend. After spending a couple of hours installing the unit, I found out it was defective. Overall, the unit was very cheaply made. I had to squeeze the battery compartment on the remote for the remote to work.
After the frustrating experience of figuring out why the motorized screen wouldn't open up (I had to remove to screws from the top of the unit, which was not in the instructions), I was very disappointed with the visual quality of the menu screens.
From what I could tell, the sound was very clean. Radio recepetion worked well. I didn't get to try out any of the other features, because I could not get the touch screen to respond to any touch. The unit remained frozen on the calibration screen. After an hour or so of trying different methods to get the touchscreen to work, I removed the unit and packed it back up.
The instructions were very difficult to understand due to poor translation from whatever language they were originally written in. I am now in the process of returning the unit to Amazon, and I will update this review when the process is complete. I am getting a refund and will try to order a unit from a different company. This is my first experience with Power Acoustik, and I will not order anything made by them in the future.

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6/22/2012

6.5" DVD NAVIGATN SYSTEM Review

6.5 DVD NAVIGATN SYSTEM
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I got one of these (an AVN 50D to be exact) with my new Toyota 4Runner. It half works -- it will show a map of where I am driving -- but all the navigation and route stuff is disabled, all the buttons gray.
This was when I discovered that there is absolutely no customer support for the Eclipse products. No trouble shooting guides, and their website just sends you to various email addresses in Japan, none of which will ever respond to your questions.
I would not buy an Eclipse product again after this experience.

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6/21/2012

Clarion MAX675VD Double DIN DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Touch Screen LCD Receiver Review

Clarion MAX675VD Double DIN DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Touch Screen LCD Receiver
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I bought this unit in October 2007 and it is still rocking. I have it inside my sport 4X4 truck and it's accompanied by 4 pioneer 6"X9" speakers (1 each door), 2 tweeters and a Kicker CVR 12" Subwoofer. I use only one amplifier which is a 4 channel Boss Acoustic Riot Amp that pushes 1600W!!!!! OH YEAH. I can keep a party with this set up. ALL features including video out works with my 5.5 Generation 80GB Video Ipod.
The stereo is amazing and it gives more value than I expected. The touch screen mimicks the ipod unit which makes "ease of use easier". I bought the IPOD Video cable separately and its just plug and play. The one draw back is that the IPOD 160GB (Sixth generation) does not provide video out on this Clarion stereo so if you have the 5.5 Gen IPOD it's better for you.


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6/18/2012

Boyo AVN700A 7-Inch Double DIN Multimedia with Navigation Review

Boyo AVN700A 7-Inch Double DIN Multimedia with Navigation
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I recently purchased the BOYO AVN-700A stereo system for my truck.
I absolutely love this system...the stereo sounds awesome..the navagation is great i can actually use my ipod touch in my truck now..and my favorite thing is the DVD player , now i can keep my wife and son entertained watching movies when we travil on vacation...installation was pretty simple because i purchased the wiring harness that matched my truck make and model.
If you are searching for a complete audio/video/navagation system then look no further the BOYO AVN-700A is the way to go!!!! its already completely loaded with all the maps of US and CANADA nothing else to buy...GREAT PRODUCT!!! thanks BOYO and thank you AMAZON for the great service and timly matter in which my product arrived to my door...I will be purchasing from you guys in the future!!!!
Tim H.

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6/01/2012

Lanzar SD31MU 3-Inch T-Feet AM/FM Receiver with DVD/VCD/MP3/MP4/CDR/USB Player Review

Lanzar SD31MU 3-Inch T-Feet AM/FM Receiver with DVD/VCD/MP3/MP4/CDR/USB Player
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El producto es bueno, buen sonido e imagen, el servicio al cliente es pésimo efectué una consulta por e-mail y nunca me contestaron...
Recibes lo que pagas, el producto lo catalogo como aceptable...

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5/31/2012

Jensen VM9512 7-Inch Motorized Touch-Screen Multimedia Receiver Review

Jensen VM9512 7-Inch Motorized Touch-Screen Multimedia Receiver
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First, let me say this - if you actually pay the $899.99 MSRP you'll be wasting a LOT of money. If you've gone through the effort to look for reviews of this product, then do some dedicated searching and you'll find online stores selling this product for around $420 (as of March of 2008.)
At $420, this unit is a decent value. I bought this stereo because I took a new position that forces me to live away from home and travel 10-hours round trip on the weekends. I wanted something that would allow me to play MP3's from a memory drive instead of messing with CD's. This stereo has an SD card input and a remote unit which can be mounted under your dash or elsewhere (within about 3 feet of the headunit) which provides a USB slot among other inputs. The SC card drive seems to have its issues. Jensen claims it can read up to a 4GB card, but it won't read mine. I read in an online forum that you have to have a particular brand of SD card, but I cannot confirm that. In my opinion, a 4GB card should be a 4GB card and it shouldn't matter who made it. However, if I plug the 4GB card into a USB adapter and plug it into the USB slot, it works just fine.
My issues come with the user interface. MP3 titles (of which I use almost exclusively) only present the first 15-or-so characters of each title on the screen. This means you can either see the track title, or the artists name, but not both. I have had to create clever file-titling tricks so that I can find the song I want. (For those interested, I rename each MP3 with the artists's first initial, a dash, the song title, a space-dash-space, and the full artist name. Ex: M-Push - Matchbox 20") This of course forced me to rename 200 mp3's... As Kevin James once put it, "A lot of work for nooooot that much fun..." In addition, you cannot use the up/down buttons on the unit or remote to scroll through songs WHILE a song is playing. Instead you have to press tiny buttons on the touch-screen to scroll, which often results in scrolling too far, accidentally selecting a song instead of pressing the button, or hitting the stop button, which is very close to the down-arrow. This is not to say that the Touch screen is innacurate - it is in fact just the opposite. Some of the buttons however are just a little too small.
A few other annoying attributes - there is no "randomize" button on the unit. The unit will randomly scan through your MP3's, but you have to select "Random" from your remote control. I cannot fathom why they didn't give that option on the unit's face or screen. Sometimes the unit cannot decide whether to open its screen when you turn the car on - sometimes it will, sometimes it won't. The "autodim" feature seems completely inoperable. This forces you to change the brightness of the screen every day and night. The DVD player often seems to get confused, and sometimes will show disc errors or take at least a solid minute before beginning playback. This will cause you to insert a disc and forget that you did so by the time it starts playing. This especially seems to be an issue when the unit has gotten hot after extended use. The bluetooth interface with phones is easy to set up and use, but very limited in it's usage. I would like it to notify me when I receive text messages, and I have read (though not experienced) that if you have the volume low or muted, you will not hear when a phone call comes in.
Many users have complained about the screen being washed out by sunlight, but I say "What do you expect?" It's a screen. Take your TV or monitor outside in bright sunlight and tell me how well you can see it. Turn the brightness all the way up and tilt the screen down and you can usually see it well enough.
So why four stars? Well, this unit pretty much does everything it says it will do, and it does it pretty easily, without much fussing, and does it all at a reasonable price (again, read the first paragraph.) It has already provided plenty of entertainment during 20+ hours of driving and quite frankly, I still think it's "pretty cool." Find a product that does everything "just right" and you'll pay this unit's MSRP plus a lot more.
Do note that any desire to drive recklessly on the highway because you're watching "KITT" engage the Super Pursuit Mode on an episode of Knight Rider is not the fault of Jensen, myself, or David Hasselhoff.

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5/22/2012

Kenwood Excelon KVT-696 DVD Receiver Review

Kenwood Excelon KVT-696 DVD Receiver
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It's everything that's advertised. Connectivity is great (when the XM Radio isn't stuck "checking" forever). The main problem is the user interface looks like something from the '90's. You can't even see the entire names of songs because only 16 characters are displayed. It's jagged and ugly. For such a high-tech product (and market) I'm kinda shocked that the interface is so pathetic. Take a cue from the iPod (or maybe more realistically Android) and make it pretty and easy to use. The interface essentially hasn't changed at all in the last several years through several product revisions. I also used the KVT-512 and it was nearly identical. This is not good.

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5/17/2012

Xovision XOD1762NAV 7"Double Din Touch Screen Car DVD Receiver With Built-In Navigation System Review

Xovision XOD1762NAV 7Double Din Touch Screen Car DVD Receiver With Built-In Navigation System
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I had a lot of problems with my first unit. The store that sold this to me replaced the one with problems. It would jump between the AM and FM modes making it unusable. The second unit is free from defects and works just fine.

That said:
The unit is very limited in functions and has bare bones features.
The GPS is quite a pain and limited in functions. It told me I was at my location while I was still 3 blocks away. After working with technical support I downloaded and then installed an updated version of Points of Interest(POI).
The Bluetooth feature does not store any telephone numbers or anything else though it does function as a unit.
The DVD works fine.
The touchscreen works very well.
One problem or lack of display is the clock. You have to hold down a button on the remote for a couple of seconds and then it will show you the time. Another problem is that many of the features are only available on the remote. If you lose the remote you can not update or use many of the features.



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5/07/2012

Alpine IVA-W203/P1 Double Din Navigation Entertainment Syste Review

Alpine IVA-W203/P1 Double Din Navigation Entertainment Syste
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I have used the Alpine IVA-W203/P1 for over a month now. I really bought the system because it fits well in my Jetta TDI and provides a large display for the GPS. I don't really plan to watch DVDs on it.
About 80% of the time that I want to use the GPS functionality, the GPS system restarts after I agree to the conditions of using it. When I then pick a destination it hangs up during the calculation of the route. If I keep it in that state, a bit later the music from my iPod stops playing as well. To get going again I have to flip down the screen and reset the GPS. All in all annoying for what Alpine calls 'the best in-vehicle navigation and entertainment system'.
I also noticed that if I try to only turn the voice prompt for the navigation system off, the alert sound stops as well.
When I talked to the Alpine service people, the first things they seem to worry about is not that their product is faulty, but whether I bought it from an authorized Alpine dealer. After getting over this hurdle, they do acknowledge that there is a problem that probably will be fixed by a free software update they hope to have available in about a month (so I assume by the end of September).
I really want to like this system, so I keep hoping that the update fixes my problems.
UPDATE: Yesterday on a trip to Hanover PA going by Gettysburg, PA, the GPS system suggested at one point in time that (with the settings for the shortest route) that I still had 21 miles left to go and it would take about 30 minutes. After ignoring a turn I knew would not get me where I wanted, it suddenly realized that the distance was really 11 miles and it would take me only 15 minutes....
I am glad I knew the best way to get there, because the GPS would have completely steered me wrong. That makes that I can't really trust this system at all.
I am hoping that the update will fix this kind of problems as well.

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4/24/2012

Clarion NX409 6.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Clarion NX409 6.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
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I debated buying this NX409 but couldn't resist the price/feature list. While it's loaded with about every feature you could want not all of them work or don't work the way they should.
Navigation:
The GPS doesn't update fast enough so that the vehicle position indicator is not correctly displayed on the map relative to the cross streets especially at speed. The turn by turn voice guidance sometimes says to turn right when you actually are turning left. Many of the POI's are not accurate both for location on the map and also that some don't exist. If you can get beyond the robotic tone and poor text to speech pronunciation...the voice guidance also truncates some road names. Two of the features listed in the GPS menu don't work at all (like the alert tone option when you are approaching your turn). This may be a software bug as they won't even stay selected.
Sirius Radio:
Mostly works well except way too often you'll power the unit up and all the presets you spent time getting just the way you want are gone. That gets old after about the 5th time.
Ipod:
I plugged in my Shuffle to the USB port and it says "unrecognized file format". So I thought I'd check that it's on the list of supported Ipods on the Clarion site. Click on Ipod compatability list and gee..."page not found". At least there's some synergy between their products and the web site.
Other:
The Bluetooth BLT 370 option is a waste of money. Way too often when you start the car it will lock up the radio with a "phone in use" displayed( even when there is no cell phone within a mile of the vehicle)...you then have to shut off the ignition and open the door to get it to power down then restart the car. It sync's up with the phone great but everyone says I sound like I'm calling from the Mariana trench.
The clock setting can only be set manually. When you select your correct time zone and DST to sync the time using the GPS it's off by two hours.
Last but not least Clarion's support both on the web site and by phone is a waste of time.
On a positive note the quality of the audio is very good as is the DVD display.

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Get there fast, and get there entertained with Clarion's NX409. Featuring built-in GPS navigation, a 6.5-inch touchscreen control, iPod direct control, and plenty more, it's the perfect hub for your mobile entertainment needs.

QVGA Color LCD Monitor The 6.5-inch touchscreen QVGA monitor is fully motorized, and offers a great picture whether you're using the GPS navigation or stopping to enjoy some video.
Enjoy Your Favorite Media Take in your favorite music and movies from DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-DA, HDCD, or CD-R/RW. You can also enjoy MP3 and WMA digital audio files from a data disc or USB thumb drive, for hours of music and ID3-TAG display of track information.
iPod Direct Control via USB Just connect the USB cable that's included with your iPod to the source unit's USB input to control your iPod. Using an optional CCA723 cable will even let you watch iPod Video on the screen. The same USB terminal can also be used to connect a USB memory device with digital music files stored on it.
AM/FM Radio Sometimes you just want to listen to the radio. Store your favorite radio stations on the 18 FM and six AM presets.
Front and Rear AV Input NX409 is equipped with AV inputs on the front as well as the rear, making it twice as easy to plug-in a portable audio device or portable satellite radio for instantaneous enjoyment.
24-bit D/A Converter for Superb Sound Reproduction Fully enjoy the sonic impact of DVD movie soundtracks or music videos. 24-bit technology actually oversamples the digital signal, providing excellent results that just weren't possible with older 16-bit systems.
Built-in Navigation System Nothing to add--it's all there from the get go. Count on GPS accuracy, an efficient navigation engine, and intuitive 2D/3D map screens to guide you to your destination. Navigation data is pre-stored on the internal flash memory for quick access and response.
2 GB flash memory map storage
Map Coverage: US 50 States and Canada
12 Million built-in POIs
TTS (Text to Speach) for Street Announcements

Sirius SSP Direct Connection Ready Connect to a Sirius Satellite Radio receiver without any need for a interface box--and enjoy over 130 channels of music, news, talk shows, sports and traffic information with digital quality sound throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Rear Vision Camera RCA Input This RCA input enables you to smoothly connect a rear camera to display the area behind your vehicle. The increased view encourages and facilitates safer driving.
Room to Grow The NX409 starts you out with a 40W x 4 built-in amplifier, but with 3 sets of RCA outputs, you are free to add external power amplifiers to create a more powerful, sophisticated audio system.
You can also connect an OEM steering wheel remote, or add Sirius satellite radio.
Bluetooth Ready Used with the optional BLT370 Bluetooth transceiver, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of hands-free calling as well as audio streaming of music you have stored on your mobile phone.
Remote Control Included Control the action with the included wireless remote.
What's in the Box Clarion NX409, trim ring, wiring harness, remote control, installation hardware, owner's manual, installation guide.

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4/07/2012

KENWOOD DNX9960 eXcelon In-Dash 2-DIN AV Navigation System w/ Built-in Bluetooth 6.95" Review

KENWOOD DNX9960 eXcelon In-Dash 2-DIN AV Navigation System w/ Built-in Bluetooth 6.95
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I had high hopes for the successor to the most excellent DNX9140 (which I own in my pick-up truck). The DNX9960's new UI is quite slick, and it works really well. Kenwood is shooting for an iPhone-like UI on the main screen. They did a decent job with it. Other than that, the basic features and functions of the stereo, iPod integration, Bluetooth, and navigation system are all identical to the aforementioned 9140...
Except: The "free" NAVTEQ traffic add-on isn't free. It comes with a catch: advertisements. On the main navigation screen, you will get pop-up ads for local businesses. They are, in my opinion, very tedious, distracting, and bothersome. And there's no way to disable them other than to disable NAVTEQ.
Consider this point very carefully before purchasing this unit. I really think Kenwood screwed the pooch with this move, and had I known this before hand, I'd have just purchased another 9140 for my car. Caveat Emptor, as the saying goes...

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4/03/2012

Blaupunkt Chicago IVDM-7002 - DVD player with LCD monitor / AV receiver Review

Blaupunkt Chicago IVDM-7002 - DVD player with LCD monitor / AV receiver
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I purchased the Chicago to be the center piece for my car's multimedia system. In addition I installed a Kenwood four channel amp, an Alpine center channel amp/speaker and two headrest video monitors for the back seats. I also hooked up my XM satellite Skyfi2 unit through a FM modulator linked up through the radio antenna. I used the existing speakers and subwoofer that came with the car stereo unit.
The first problem I encountered was with the installation directions. They are very vague with no detail--just a chart showing the wires. As a fairly experienced amateur installer I figured out most of the wires but was unsure how to connect the parking brake wire. Turns out if you ground it, it allows full time video regardless of parking brake position (not safe but I was not sure of the alternative and Blaupunkt customer service was useless). Frankly too little information is a theme with Blaupunkt. They don't explain anything in the instructions including what the features are supposed to do.
Good Features:
**Great Video Screen
**Clean Sound
**Lots of inputs (3 extra video/audio inputs)
**Two video/audio outputs - great for 2 rear video monitors
**Can handle DV-X navigation system (I did not install this feature)
**Can handle rear view camera (not needed for my car but nice in a bigger vehicle)
**Good 7 band EQ feature - a great improvement over my old bass and treble control
Weak Features
**Bad Instructions - both install and user manual
**Cannot play movie (DVD) sound to rear speakers only - cannot seem to stop Dolby sound separation during DVD play so the whole car has to listen to the video - I guess I'll look into installing a wireless headphone system off of one of the extra sound outputs (my rear video monitors cannot handle sound which may have helped solve this problem).
**Terrible customer support from Blaupunkt USA
**Too much dependence upon the remote control - lose it and you cannot do much with your system
In terms of installation - this radio is much more difficult to install than a simple head unit. You have two parts (the head unit and the brain) and a whole lot of wires to figure out. If you use amps (i.e. the pre amp outputs like I did) you immediately cut out the need for ten wires coming out of the brain. In the end I only used three wires from the brain harness (power x 2 and the remote on wire for my amps).
Overall I am disappointed with the system in terms of movie playback. I am experiencing a lot of problems trying to get the system to do what I want in terms of controlling the sound. Blaupunkt did a terrible job with their instructions and their customer service is just as bad. The radio and CD playback are very good and my XM SkiFi2 has never sounded better. I got this unit for about half the cost of a similar unit from Kenwood or Alpine. For the price I guess I got a good deal. In terms of construction quality this unit is on par with those units (versus a lower quality Jenson unit that I would not expect to hold up over the long term - I also have my personal reservations about the Pioneer unit but it may be excellent).


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3/15/2012

Boss Audio BV9975B Bluetooth Enabled In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver With 7" Motorized Flip Out Widescreen Touchscreen Monitor Review

Boss Audio BV9975B Bluetooth Enabled In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver With 7 Motorized Flip Out Widescreen Touchscreen Monitor
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este producto superó todas mis expectativas, lo instalé en mi carro y no puedo decir más que es excelente, probé el bloetooth y es lo mejor para cuando uno viaja, ya que se conecta con el equipo y es totalmente manos libre. ademas lo puedes operar con la pantalla guardada. la versatilidad de las memorias SD hace que no te preocupes por música, (ojo solo reproduce la música del SD nada más). Además la pantalla Touch es muy buena... Excelente!!!

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Panasonic Strada 7-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

Panasonic Strada 7-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator
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I got this Unit WAY before any of the previous review does, so I already know how this unit works inside out.
yes it has the problem that previous reviewers say but, should we even call those *problems* ? I mean, some of the things could be easily fixed with a simple firmware update. This is Panasonic's first attempt to enter the US's In dash Navigation market. They have great Units in Japan, but I guess Panasonic Japan does not share information with their USA side. So they have to create this from scratch.
Let me list what this unit can do/cant do.
-It can Play MP3 on CD-R/RW, but it cannot read MP3 on DVD+R/RW/-R/-RW.
-It seems that it does not like bad quality CD-R, my friend's cheap CD-R having mad issue with this unit. but mine plays just fine. Well, we should all get quality stuff isnt it ?
-It takes a lot longer, sometimes failed to read DVD-R/RW disc.
-It's DVD playback is Region locked to Region 1, but is not hard to overcome that problem (I think its illegal to say it here)
-Map is based on Navteq's 2005 data, yes you got that right, unit that's out in 2007 still using 2005's map data(maybe because its cheaper, who knows), because I ran into couple of roads that has been changed, one even changed from 2 way into 1 way, almost got me killed. So you better MAKE SURE that you're in the right side of the road.
-Remember to select your route preference before you start your guide. because by default, it does not allow Highway, does not allow tolls, does not allow anything. that means, all local if possible. That might be cool for some people, but I didnt know about it the first time I use it, because my other Unit has the Allow toll and Allow highway option enabled by default. So I ended up spending like 3 hours on something that I suppose to be there in 1 and 1/2 hour.
-The route guidance is kind of funny, sometimes the shortest route that it shows does NOT mean its really the shortest. So if you know that you're already going the shortest route, do NOT listen to the unit.
-It plays back MP3 fine, quality is ok.
-CD Play back is fine, plays original disc no problem, if you want to use a backup, you better make sure the cd-R quality is good.
-You CANNOT record your inserted CD into the HDD. I have no idea what Panasonic is thinking on this one, because as far as I know, the map data used about 10GB of space, that means, in the other words, about 20GB of disc space is there to collecting dust. Maybe a future update will resolve this. who knows.
-HDD unit runs really fast, it takes less than 1 second to get the route out, by default, it shows you 3 routes.
-This unit runs really hot, yes it has a fan behind but ... I would suggest you to turn the screen off if its not in use. it reduce the heat by maybe 30% (rough estimate)
-Screen is big enough, a bit bigger than Pioneer's 7" unit. and the screen is really clear, tried a lot of DVDs on it very good picture quality.
-Fast startup time, about 10 seconds or so.
-Oh yes, did I say the map is not very up to date? Maybe Panasoinc wants to get more money out from us. Anyway, the map data is FAR FROM complete. I cannot find some of the address at all, when I can just do a google search and it pops up right away.
-The way to enter address is kind of funky, you have to enter the way THEY want you to enter, for example, if you want to go 123 Avenue, there're couple of "possbilities", it could be 123th AVE, it could be 123 th AVENUE, 123th AVENUE, 123 AVE, or 123 AVENUE. Keep that in mind.
I still have more to say, but I'll leave those alone.
Is this a good unit ? I think so, if you're looking for fastest and cheapest price HDD unit that *works*, this is a unit for you. but you BETTER MAKE SURE, you try them out first at a store or something.
Im happy with this unit, hey I mean for couple hundred bucks, you get a HDD NAV with dvd playback ? My father's brand NEW CX-7 with all options loaded, all he got was a DVD navigation that cant even play DVD-videos!
Im also 100% sure that Panasonic will update this unit to bring more features out. So dont worry too much about it. Couple hundred bucks only, get it !

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3/13/2012

XO Vision XOD1840BTNAVI 7-Inch In-Dash Wide Touch Screen Fully Motorized Double Din DVD/CD/MP3 Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth and GPS Review

XO Vision XOD1840BTNAVI 7-Inch In-Dash Wide Touch Screen Fully Motorized Double Din DVD/CD/MP3 Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth and GPS
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
December, 2008 There are a lot of features in this box and they all work well.
I have had this radio for about a day, and played with most of its features while wiring it up into the dashboard of a motorhome. This is simply the most bang for the buck available with all of the features that were desired... Navigation, Rear View Monitor, CD/DVD/VCD, AM/FM, Bluetooth and external Video input from another device.
The Radio interface is very basic. The radio is simply an AM/FM radio with no display of the INFO or data that is broadcast - and it is not an HD radio. But it has excellent quality audio played through the speakers on both the AM and FM bands. The display simply displays the 6 frequencies that have been programmed for that particular band.
The Bluetooth interface works well. If you play music on a streaming device, it will play through the radio's speakers. And you can make and receive calls through your Bluetooth phone.
GPS system works very well, as I had just plugged in the antenna, and as soon as I brought up the GPS, it showed exactly where I was on the map. I have not used it for navigation yet, but there are other reviews online that indicate the navigation software is adequate.
There are external jacks for displaying the DVD video and other screens on an external monitor and separate 4 channel audio outputs as well. The video and front R/L audio drive a larger monitor elsewhere in the RV.
The reverse video input works well. All you need to do it hook one of the wires in the supplied wiring harness up to the reverse light wire on your vehicle, and whenever you put your vehicle into reverse, the screen automatically switches to the rear video input, while continuing to play whatever audio source you were playing. If you have purchased and wired a reverse video camera on the back of your vehicle, you can always see what is behind you.
When playing DVDs, it is easy to step though the various sound tracks and other DVD features.
The secondary SD slot works with only older style SD cards with capacities up to 4GB. MP3s and videos can be on the SD cards or burned onto CDs or DVDs and played on this system.
It would be nice if there were some technical user type interface into the operating system of this box, but no information can be easily found on the internet. I would anticipate very little product support if you get into trouble with this box. It is better for the do-it-yourself types who want a lot of features and can support themselves. If you are that type, then you can save over $400 with this versus a comparable product with a name brand. There are some very similar products listed on EBay, directly from China. The screen shots are very similar to the XOVision with minute differences in each screen, but the button placement, SD card slots and the way the video screen folds down are all similar.


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This multimedia receiver features built-in GPS Navigation with touch screen controls, voice prompts, millions of POI and Navteq maps of the US. The XOD1840BTNAVI boasts a widescreen 7-Inch motorized display with DVD, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, CD, MP3, WMA, AVI, and MP4 playback. Built-in Bluetooth means you can make/receive calls directly from the device or stream music from your portable Bluetooth devices. A front-panel USB port and SD Card slot let you listen to your songs right off of swappable media, and the ZpodLink cable lets you connect your iPod or other MP3 player. The versatile unit also boasts an AM/FM radio, JPEG image browser/viewer, full-featured remote and plenty more, all through a powerful 75W x 4 amplifier with room to grow.

7" Motorized Wide Screen The XOD1840BTNAVI features a 16:9 widescreen display to bring out the finest details. The Screen is Fully Motorized so you can move it up or down according to your taste.
Built-in GPS Navigation The XOD1840BTNAVI includes a built-in navigation system, complete with touchscreen controls, voice prompts, and 2D/3D map viewing. A Navteq US map database is included on SD Card, with millions of points of interest (POIs) and more.
The system will display speed, distance, and many more helpful navigation info, and route preference options such as "fast driver" or "slow driver" tailor your route to your driving style.
Naturally, the GPS can be operated while listening to the radio or CD.
Bluetooth capabilities he "BT" in XOD1840BTNAVI stands for Bluetooth. The unit boasts the latest in Bluetooth technology, allowing you to connect multiple handsets at the same time, dial a number directly from the screen or listen to music wirelessly right off your phone (A2DP).
Touch Operation Allows user to operate almost all functions with the touch of a finger. Easy and convenient, it takes away the hassle of ever needing a remote. You can even navigate during DVD Play via Touch whether pausing a DVD or visiting the Main Menu.
Powerful Sound and Room to Grow The Built-In High Powered amplifier delivers up to 300 Watts (4 x 75W) of power while not compromising on the integrity of the sound. Superb sound whether you're watching a movie or just listening to the radio.
4 Channel RCA preamp outputs (including a dedicated subwoofer output) leave room for sending to external amps, so there's plenty of room to grow your system.
Multiple Video Formats This unit supports DVD, MP4 (AVI/DIVX/3.X/5.X), MP3, VCD, JPG, SVCD, WMA, MWV, and CD formats, making it ideal for the tech-savvy among us. The backup camera input makes hooking up a camera both easy and convenient. The USB and SD Card inputs allow you to play MP3s right off your phone or flash drive, and add a Zpodlink cable for iPod and iPod Video playback directly through your vehicle sound system. You can even view your favorite JPEG images with slide show and zoom functionality, or insert karaoke DVDs to enjoy through your in-dash system.
New On Screen Display The Interface of this unit has been completely revamped so now you can enjoy crisp new graphics with an easy to navigate menu. At any time during operation just press the Menu button or the top left corner of the Touch Screen to return to the original menu.
AM/FM Radio There are those of us who still listen to the radio. The XOD1840BTNAVI features an AM/FM radio with 30 presets, auto scan, and other modern radio functions.
Remote ControlControl the XOD1840BTNAVI with the included wireless remote, giving you access to all unit features, or directly from the unit itself.
One-Year Warranty The XOD1840BTNAVI is covered for a year after purchase.
What's in the Box XO Vision XOD1840BTNAVI receiver, Remote control, Mounting sleeve, Wiring harness, Trim ring, Mounting hardware, User's manual

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