Looking for advice on in-dash headunits
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Looking for advice on in-dash headunits
Good morning, everybody.
I've been pondering this for awhile, and I can't seem to come up with a good solution. I'm trying to find a suitable headunit for my G that will support DVD, Radio, CD, Navigation, and preferrably TV. I first tried to find a double-din unit where the screen was the front of the unit (unlike a single-din motor-out screen) and the only one I could find (an Eclipse model) did not allow you to play DVD's AND use the navigation at the same time.
I finally gave up on getting a double-din unit and moved onto single-din units. I had a Kenwood unit in my old Grand Prix, but I am a fan of Alpine so I examined their units first, but nothing did EXACTLY what I want. I would really like to avoid getting a fold out screen simply because I don't really like that, but I suppose I can if necessary. They had no double-din units, so I looked at getting a single-din with no screen and using the DigitalWheelz revision 2.0 screen. However, Alpine doesn't seem to offer a unit that will do what I'm looking for.
Now that I've bored everyone with my search
, let me just throw out my "desires" and see if anyone has a suggestion.
Either
1) A double din unit where the screen does not fold into the unit
2) A single-din unit with a detached screen (ie DigitalWheelz)
Any solution must be able to play DVD's and navigate at the same time (not keen on the idea of "memory navigation" where a route is loaded into memory, but I'm open to it), and it would be nice if the unit was touch screen
Any ideas?
I've been pondering this for awhile, and I can't seem to come up with a good solution. I'm trying to find a suitable headunit for my G that will support DVD, Radio, CD, Navigation, and preferrably TV. I first tried to find a double-din unit where the screen was the front of the unit (unlike a single-din motor-out screen) and the only one I could find (an Eclipse model) did not allow you to play DVD's AND use the navigation at the same time.
I finally gave up on getting a double-din unit and moved onto single-din units. I had a Kenwood unit in my old Grand Prix, but I am a fan of Alpine so I examined their units first, but nothing did EXACTLY what I want. I would really like to avoid getting a fold out screen simply because I don't really like that, but I suppose I can if necessary. They had no double-din units, so I looked at getting a single-din with no screen and using the DigitalWheelz revision 2.0 screen. However, Alpine doesn't seem to offer a unit that will do what I'm looking for.
Now that I've bored everyone with my search
, let me just throw out my "desires" and see if anyone has a suggestion.Either
1) A double din unit where the screen does not fold into the unit
2) A single-din unit with a detached screen (ie DigitalWheelz)
Any solution must be able to play DVD's and navigate at the same time (not keen on the idea of "memory navigation" where a route is loaded into memory, but I'm open to it), and it would be nice if the unit was touch screen
Any ideas?
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From: Modesto, CA
I've been pondering this for awhile, and I can't seem to come up with a good solution. I'm trying to find a suitable headunit for my G that will support DVD, Radio, CD, Navigation, and preferrably TV. I first tried to find a double-din unit where the screen was the front of the unit (unlike a single-din motor-out screen) and the only one I could find (an Eclipse model) did not allow you to play DVD's AND use the navigation at the same time.
Any solution must be able to play DVD's and navigate at the same time (not keen on the idea of "memory navigation" where a route is loaded into memory, but I'm open to it), and it would be nice if the unit was touch screen
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Just for clarification, I said *play* them at the same time, not *watch* them at the same time. I realize that one of them is going to be using the screen at any given time, but if I have a route, I don't want to have to take the DVD out that's playing for the people in the back just to map my route. Nor do I want to have to cancel a route in order to play a DVD.
I had a kenwood unit that did this; it had a seperate reader box for the navigation which was mounted remotely.
I had a kenwood unit that did this; it had a seperate reader box for the navigation which was mounted remotely.
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I don't think there's a unit out on the market that will enable you to use your nav and play a movie simply because all the units only come with a single DVD-ROM drive and the Nav info are on a DVD. But you should check out the new Eclipse unit (can't remember the model number) but it has a built in hard drive that the nav info is stored on, so I'm sure you can watch movies while the nav is running. I'm not 100% sure about this but you should check it out. Just be aware that it won't be cheap.
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From: socalifornia
Originally Posted by Sooner97
I don't think there's a unit out on the market that will enable you to use your nav and play a movie simply because all the units only come with a single DVD-ROM drive and the Nav info are on a DVD. But you should check out the new Eclipse unit (can't remember the model number) but it has a built in hard drive that the nav info is stored on, so I'm sure you can watch movies while the nav is running. I'm not 100% sure about this but you should check it out. Just be aware that it won't be cheap.
also, eclipse navi does not have a built in navi, its a dvd-rom u need to insert...
so far ALL of your info has been 100% incorrect, if you dont know something dont post it! it confuses most people!
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From: socalifornia
adam, i say go with either the Eclipse AVN 5435(?), or the Kenwood excelon (forgot the model number)... the kenwood lets u watch dvd's while running navi!
if u got any questions ask me, ive done double din navi/ dvd on both my 04 and 05 G35 coupes...
if u got any questions ask me, ive done double din navi/ dvd on both my 04 and 05 G35 coupes...
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Thanks, Rider.
I think the Kenwood is probably what I'll go with, if for no other reason than the navigation unit is an external reader. I was really hoping to go Alpine, but it looks like that isn't happening.
Do you (or does anyone else) have experience with that double-din Kenwood unit? If so, is it the same interface as Kenwood's other in-dash DVD models? How good is the tuner in it? What about sound quality compared to other brands' models?
I think the Kenwood is probably what I'll go with, if for no other reason than the navigation unit is an external reader. I was really hoping to go Alpine, but it looks like that isn't happening.
Do you (or does anyone else) have experience with that double-din Kenwood unit? If so, is it the same interface as Kenwood's other in-dash DVD models? How good is the tuner in it? What about sound quality compared to other brands' models?
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From: Modesto, CA
Originally Posted by AdamsInfiniti
Just for clarification, I said *play* them at the same time, not *watch* them at the same time. I realize that one of them is going to be using the screen at any given time, but if I have a route, I don't want to have to take the DVD out that's playing for the people in the back just to map my route. Nor do I want to have to cancel a route in order to play a DVD.
I had a kenwood unit that did this; it had a seperate reader box for the navigation which was mounted remotely.
I had a kenwood unit that did this; it had a seperate reader box for the navigation which was mounted remotely.
as far for quality goes? I think they are pretty much the same, it just depends on what feature on them you like more, like Alpine's iva-300? has sense touch screen that you can feel you are pushing a button, to change EQ setting on AVN's? you can just drag your finger across the screen and it will adjust acorrdingly, and it has better sound adjustment, AVIC it has...well lower price
and deteachable face, but the single din's motor might wear out couple years down the road.
Last edited by limeg35; Apr 20, 2005 at 08:45 PM.
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From: socalifornia
Originally Posted by limeg35
The double din size head unit have two drives(AVN, not sure on kenwood's) so you dont have to swap out the disc, the AVIC only have one drive, so you do need to swap disc out, but like i said earlier, just need an changer to avoid swaping the disc.
as far for quality goes? I think they are pretty much the same, it just depends on what feature on them you like more, like Alpine's iva-300? has sense touch screen that you can feel you are pushing a button, to change EQ setting on AVN's? you can just drag your finger across the screen and it will adjust acorrdingly, and it has better sound adjustment, AVIC it has...well lower price and deteachable face, but the single din's motor might wear out couple years down the road.
as far for quality goes? I think they are pretty much the same, it just depends on what feature on them you like more, like Alpine's iva-300? has sense touch screen that you can feel you are pushing a button, to change EQ setting on AVN's? you can just drag your finger across the screen and it will adjust acorrdingly, and it has better sound adjustment, AVIC it has...well lower price
and deteachable face, but the single din's motor might wear out couple years down the road.kenwood is a seperate unit!
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Originally Posted by GRider35c
yeah the AVN has 2 drives, but one is CD and the other is DVD, so yeah you need to swap them out!
kenwood is a seperate unit!
kenwood is a seperate unit!
The 5435 HU is the new one replacing the 2004 model(AVN 2454). Which the 2454 had a 2v preout and the 5435 has a 5v preout w/esn security. Can the 5435 utilize the navi in one zone and utilize a DVD movie in another zone? Or is some mod needed for this? I was just curious because Adaminfiniti was hitting the same subject i was thinking about doing myself.
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From: socalifornia
Originally Posted by G_riot
So Grider35,
The 5435 HU is the new one replacing the 2004 model(AVN 2454). Which the 2454 had a 2v preout and the 5435 has a 5v preout w/esn security. Can the 5435 utilize the navi in one zone and utilize a DVD movie in another zone? Or is some mod needed for this? I was just curious because Adaminfiniti was hitting the same subject i was thinking about doing myself.
The 5435 HU is the new one replacing the 2004 model(AVN 2454). Which the 2454 had a 2v preout and the 5435 has a 5v preout w/esn security. Can the 5435 utilize the navi in one zone and utilize a DVD movie in another zone? Or is some mod needed for this? I was just curious because Adaminfiniti was hitting the same subject i was thinking about doing myself.
there is ONE slot for dvd, either you put the navi OR a movie in there, cant put both!
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Originally Posted by GRider35c
what do you mean "zone"??
there is ONE slot for dvd, either you put the navi OR a movie in there, cant put both!
there is ONE slot for dvd, either you put the navi OR a movie in there, cant put both!
What i meant by zone(display screen). So it would be better to go with the Kenwood HU since the Nav comes in a seperate unit. So,you could utilize the Navigation on one screen and play a DVD on another screen.
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From: socalifornia
Originally Posted by G_riot
What i meant by zone(display screen). So it would be better to go with the Kenwood HU since the Nav comes in a seperate unit. So,you could utilize the Navigation on one screen and play a DVD on another screen.