frontheadlock

I have another newbie question.. I've been looking around on members interior pics and seen alot of great in-dash dvd players. I'm looking for what you guys think is the best all-in-one player? I'm looking ideally for satellite, GPS, dvd playback (dvd+/-r) and touch screen, but the touch is less of a necessity. Please list estimated prices because I'm still a college student as well Thanks!

mikeinnj

Well, the best all in ones.. My picks:

The cheapest being the Jensen VM-9021TS (about $600) is Nav ready ($500 kit req.) The Jensen comes with a TV tuner, as well as an iPod cable. This unit also features a touch screen, an SD card reader (that will play back most any video, picture, or song from your computer), and is XM ready.

Next in the road would be the Kenwood DDX-6019 ($750 or you can buy it with the navigation stuff for about $1300). This one has a slightly larger screen at 6.96" as compared to the Jensen's 6.5". Though it is a better brand, it does not come with an SD card reader, a TV tuner, or the iPod cable. This unit is also touch screen and satellite radio ready.

Finally, the Pioneer AVIC-Z1 ($1700) is at the top of the pile. Featuring a 7" video touch screen, built in navigation (No extra equipment required), a 30GB built-in hard drive for music storage and GPS map storage. This unit also features XM Navtraffic, which uses XM's traffic monitoring power in conjunction with the GPS to warn you ahead of time of any traffic jams or road hazards and help you avoid them altogether by rerouting your trip. Once again, iPod cables and TV tuners are extra.

If you have the money, I'd say go with the Pioneer or the Kenwood. The Jensen definitly looks to be a good bang for your buck with a very high feature:price ratio. Check them out for yourself and decide!

Jensen VM-9021TS
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6861.html

Kenwood DDX-6019
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6815.html#

Pioneer AVIC-Z1
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_6831.html

Hope this helps, good luck!

BloodySunday

i have the Kenwood DDX-6019

but i wanted the Eclipse AVN5500

i like the kenwood, but got a lot of recommendations for the eclipse unit.

INSIDEOUT

I have a indash pioneer dvd fold out touch screen for sale I am in tulsa I want 650.00 for it!!!

It is a pioneer 5700 I will be in the city again this week sometime!!

tarman

Does anyone have the Jensen or Kenwood units? Can you ground the e-brake wire like in older in dash DVD players?

MuNkY

Alpine IVA-W200. Allllll the way!

jayse

What about the Eclipse?

The pioneer sounds interesting - Pioneer AVIC-Z1 ($1700) - how's it control an ipod - and can you download mp3's to the Hard drive easily? I've heard the Eclipse forces you to rip in real time from normal audio cds (PAIN!)

BloodySunday

happy birthday!

but yeah, i'm pretty sure that you can ground it on older ones.

WeDriveScions

I love my IVA-W200... got it for 650 and added XM and Ipod for like 50 more... you can find it online for around 800 or so I believe... Nav is extra, but the blackbird with docking station is fricken sweet and allows you to dock the nav, and use your touchscreen, or disconnect the nav and use it in other vehicles with it's touch screen or walk with it... really nice.

thejugglingguy

The avic-z1 and the eclipse avn6600 are certainly the best units out there. The avic-z1 has more bells and whistles, but from experience, I can tell you that the pioneer pre-outs sound way worse than the eclipse.

I now have an avn6600 and I love it. The sound quality is very good and the controls are the most straight forward I have seen. Also, Toyota owns Eclipse in a round-about way....so the wiring harness was a direct plug in on my 05 XB and 06 XA. In fact, the steering controls on the 06 XA were even a direct link (no adapter needed here).

jayse

Thanks jugglinguy - excellent write up - just the experience I was looking for.

:-)

GetCaughtDead

that's my biggest concern when I finally get around to buying one for my tC, is whether or not the steering wheel controls will still work.

Forklift

I just got back from training a few weeks ago so I know some about this. The Z1 actually burns at 4x straight from cds, not mp3s, and then stores it to a 10 gig partion on the 30 gig drive. The Z1 also has awesome bluetooth compatibility with an optional plug in piece. It will actually show the person thats calling, displaying the name and all from your phone book off the phone. Also if you wanna find a place to eat or gas or other businesses along the way it can find it and then call the place for you through the phone while your driving and you can talk to them on the microphone and speakers! The iPod adaptor is extra also, but now its faster and has an Apple approved interface. You can also get a tv tuner, but its rare and probably not worth it. If I had the cash Id do the Z1, but the IWA-200 Alpine is really nice if you dont wanna burn cds to a hard drive and dont need the navi

TuningIsLife

Pioneer AVIC-Z1
Eclipse AVN-5495

And from a retailer point of view. Stay away from Jensen. I have had a lot of them come back when I was at Circuit City.

jayse

Forklift - excellent to know about the mp3 ripping. Also - the other features sound pretty cool too - making my decision HARDER. :-P but thanks!

RH - you say the 5495 - but isn't that the previous model to the 5500 and 6600? Why do you recommend it instead? Thanks!

oneslowxa

you get what you pay for.. the jensen has a lot of features for the price... but it's not the best unit out there...

I like Pioneer, Pioneer premier outputs way better then eclipse outputs on the double din series...

I am not too happy with eclipse products from the past few years... they don't seem capable of making a really good sounding tv unit... Above average at best, but not what I am used to from the brand.

jayse

dang - now this Pioneer Avic D2 looks nice too
http://www.jjielectronics.com/index....OD&ProdID=1201

mikeinnj

Only Problem with the Avic-D2 is that is doesn't play DVDs. Notice the description says "CD/GPS Receiver". The only DVDs that it takes are the DVD-ROMs for the Navigation and the other disc slot is for CDs. I don't know how important DVD video playback is to you but it is to most people.

jayse

OH! I see... i kept seeing 'two dvd' etc. and figured it was two dvd drives. Who would think a top of the line thing like that wouldn't play DVD's - damn... Thanks for pointing that out!

Forget the D2

jayse

Okay - so I decided to put these side by side - and post it here. Hopefully it'll be of some use to some other people because the companies intentionally create confusion with their naming schemes. (a very old tactic that makes them richer and gives us headaches)

I'm only listing the 'built-in' look ones since the fold outs a not really my taste. I also don't include the Pioneer Avic D2 because it doesn't play DVDs.

I'm also only listing the two top brands I've heard about - Eclipse and Pioneer. Seems that everyone agrees these are the best.

Pricing is from crutchfield.com - as of May 20, 2006. Alternate new in box buy it now prices as found on ebay (buyer beware)


Eclipse AVN5435
Older version of 5500 and 6600
two drives (one CD one DVD)
$1399 Crutchfield
$1175 +45sh BIN Ebay -





Eclipse AVN 5500
Said to be successor to the AVN 5435 (the non-Hard Drive one - 5495 has an HD)
6.5"
Dual drives (one dvd - one CD)
Works badly for ipod
$1699 Crutchfield
$1265 +36sh BIN Ebay





Eclipse 6600
6.5"
Dual Drives (both DVD)
UPdated to work extremely well with Ipod (with adaptor)
$1,999 Crutchfield
$1625 +45sh BIN Ebay





Eclipse AVN5495
30GB Hard Drive
Ipod integration considered 'out of date'
No satelite radio compatability?
Must load rip 'real' (not burned) CDs in realtime (slow) to get mp3s on HD - ouch!
$2399.99 Crutchfield
$1790 +31sh BIN Ebay





Pioneer Avic-Z1
Built-in
30GB HD (20GB for nav - 10GB for songs)
Songs downloaded off normal CD's at 4x speed (as opposed to 1x for Eclipse) - thanks forklift
Bluetooth ready - Forklift says very good with phones
Ipod ready - excellent - said to be best and fastest and 'apple approved' (needs adaptor)
$2,249.99 Crutchfield
$1588.35 +24sh BIN Ebay


Hope that helps - let me know if there's errors or something. Based on all this... i'm liking the Eclipse 6600 and the Pioneer Avic Z1. (as Jugglingguy stated - they are the top).

One main difference is that the 6600's nav is DVD based - and the Avic Z1 is HD based. I haven't heard from any users whether this is a huge difference or not.

The Eclipse 5405 would be a contenter - but the CD rip and ipod out of dateness just seem to make it kind of... dumb.

Unless I hear some other reviews... I think the Avic Z1 is a pretty clear winner.

Still interested in hearing your thoughts!

Cheers
// jayse