rockyfeller's in-dash Myron & Davis DVD, Dom's Unit, P.I.E. X3,Wendy's camera install
07-18-2007, 09:33 PM
#1
rockyfeller's in-dash Myron & Davis DVD, Dom's Unit, P.I.E. X3,Wendy's camera install
OK guys, my install is done and here's the official thread! 
I wanted to start a new thread as my previous ones were in the middle of my nightmarish desperation during the install. 
You'll read about my problems there, let's concetrate on the positive side here. I'm glad to say it all turned out just great and the hard work paid off for sure! It is my biggest project to date and took my 5 days. What a sense of achievement, I feel grrrreat! 
This was a very carefully planned project. I spent hours researching the threads for the best components for my needs and budget as well as searching all the DIYs I could find on this site. I'm sure there's more than enough to read on all those threads but in my opinion I did a combination of the best of all worlds. Here's how I went about it all. (I am sorry I don't have a DIY here because I did not have my digi camera at the site I did all this work) I will try to cover a few details/tips that you may not find in other threads
I bought an Myron & Davis DVD player for $80 on Ebay. It was brand new, somebody just didn't use it for their install. slimmyjimmy and jmbnova were my inspiration to go with this, their installs made my jaw drop! Just had to have it! Sure I could have gone the easy route of putting in a player in the rear armrest, trunk, under the seat, front console armrest or glovebox; or even just hooked up a video ipod. You ask why I would go with this cheapo player? I asked around and also read that they aren't the most dependable, a number of people said theirs conked out within a few months. I took my chances and bit the bullet. 1/2 DIN players are hard to come by and I wanted blue lights to match the car. I wanted something that would play real DVDs right in the dash....and this player lights up blue and is 3/4 DIN, how cool is that?
On disassembly it is instantly obvious that the console and the DVD player aren't just going to fit together.
It took pretty ingenius steps to get it to fit but I knew it was not impossible and could be done! AND the console door works! This is achieved only by pushing the DVD player back enough so it clears the hinges. I removed the top and dremelled the sides off keeping only the floor of the compartment. This made the length of the console about 2-3" longer than is allowed in the console. To make room, a metal bar needed to be cut behind the console as well as diverting a wire loom and I actually took out the air conditioning ducts (that goes to the rear of the center console) and hammered it. It wasn't enough. jmbnova advised me to use dryer-duct tubing to replace the duct in this area. I bought some to see if it was feasible. I didn't seem like it would be that much more thinner and it would have been prone to leaks and other problems. I came up with another idea; I dremelled the duct in a slot-shape in the portion the DVD player would stick into. I removed the front 1/2 of it's thickness. then used "Gorilla tape" and sealed it in an indented fashion. This worked out great because now this produced a "shelf" for the rear of the DVD player to sit on! Also the operation of the door is a delicate and complicated one. The axis of the movement has to be precise for it to click. I have it working 90% right now. Sometimes it dosen't want to click and I have to force it down and it has a bit of friction with a snapping noise. Something is off but I will fix this later, it was too time consuming, I will be gentle with it for now. Also I am worried in the future about heating in the duct affecting the player in the winter. I will use some shielding behind it later as well. I used the acessory power socket in the lower dash console for the accessory 12V +ve power. I used the cigarette lighter point in the armrest console for the constant +ve power. I used a screw that holds the Navigation in place for the ground. The remote sensor was placed above the steering column on the right side recessed in a little space at an angle facing the center of the car.
Dom's Unit ($220) was wired just as you read in the DIYs, nothing really complicated here. I ran the +ve power to fuse 32 with a mini add-on fuse. the fuse is 7.5A. I used a 5A fuse for the additions. This does exceed the recommended maximum of 10A, but I'm sure Dom's is low draw. I also used this point to power up the P.I.E. Instead of removing the rear seat, (I tried, it wasn't that easy for me) I removed the bolt on the passenger side and lifted the cushion just a bit. Just enough for me to get the wires through. I snaked the wires through the side and under towards the center hump. I will be redoing this sometime later removing the seats and properly using wire loom.
Wendy's camera was installed much the way as you see in the DIYs here. Instead of drilling a hole in the license plate light lens though I opted to run my wires through a small groove I made near the back-up lights. I used it's own rubber to seal it and it worked out. I needed to dremel the area of plastic between the license plate lights to get the camera bracket in but it worked out. Remarkably my camera never needed aiming/adjustments. I screwed it in straight and it was perfect.
I bought the P.I.E. X3. I wasn't going to use an iPod and the price was good at about $70. Install was pretty straightforward and the unit sits under the panel in the drivers-side footwell. The selector switch was wired to the lower dash console. It may be relocated to my upper armrest compartment in the future because I am planning to put my V1 module there someday. I will be modding the red LEDs in the selector switch to blue to match everything. (I opened it up and it looks easy enough. Why should I? Only Kennedy would understand!) One gripe is there is a little pop/crack sometimes when the radio turns on/off or the car is turned on/off. My only fix for now is to keep the volume low during these times, but I need to look into it later. Sound quality is through the XM harness and is good. (Could be a bit better)
I bought DCCs switch and it is absolutely perfect. It may have cost as much as my DVD player but you get what you pay for.
So I basically spent under $600 and have this entire setup looking stock. It can even be removed without too much trauma. I am pinching myself to think this is for real because during the 5 days it took me to do this, it really tested my noggin and my patience. It's only been 2 days and EVERYWHERE I go, it's turning heads and getting questions (I just hope it dosen't turn my dealer's or a cop's head). I killed my battery but it was covered under warranty. (Good thing they didn't see my install! Hee-hee!)
So my interior is almost done; I have blue LEDs underdash etc. LED interior lights, racing pedals, lighted sills, all this matches beautifully and tastefully. My valet guys love my car and say it's the best car in the complex. My future interior mods? I have my 1000W Rockford Fosgate amp and 12" Infinity Kappa Perfects sittin here from my old car just dying to go in. I'm adding 2 tweeters in the B pillar and adding Infinity 63.7is in the front doors. I MAY add 7" monitors into the headrests too. (Sounds like a lot, but it's just another $300 to invest for me to get my car like a showcar
) Then I'm DONE!
I want to once again thank datrman and csmenace and all the rest of you who have posted pics and DIYs. I couldn't have done all this without you guys, thanks!
Enjoy the pics.
A pic of the console open. Testing it out with my beautiful Alicia on the screen. Note the PIE X3 swich in the lower console. I use my cellphone holder for the remote sometimes. Maybe I'll velcro it somewhere. Look how nice it looks with blue everywhere!
A shot of what it looks like with the console closed. Totally stealth!!
A closeup of the DVD player. It's just squeezed in there and the DVDs pop out with just enough clearance.
A shot to show DCC's amazing switch. Can't see it? That's because it's so stock looking (and it lights up with the rest of the dash!) It's to the right side of the power mirror switch.
Backup camera in action. Works seemlessly although it's kinda irritating when it flicks on as I pass the transmission to park (OK I know that's nitpicking!) This ain't no cheapo camera, it does a very good job, like the one in my Lexus.
Can hardly tell it's there but I circled it. I screwed up my Type-S trim there too. (yeek gotta change that license plate light and do the cathode mod) Yeah I know I could have taken a better picture there.
I'm sure there will be many questions on this as I know many of you are exploring your options. Shoot away! Good luck to you.
I wanted to start a new thread as my previous ones were in the middle of my nightmarish desperation during the install. You'll read about my problems there, let's concetrate on the positive side here. I'm glad to say it all turned out just great and the hard work paid off for sure! It is my biggest project to date and took my 5 days. What a sense of achievement, I feel grrrreat! This was a very carefully planned project. I spent hours researching the threads for the best components for my needs and budget as well as searching all the DIYs I could find on this site. I'm sure there's more than enough to read on all those threads but in my opinion I did a combination of the best of all worlds. Here's how I went about it all. (I am sorry I don't have a DIY here because I did not have my digi camera at the site I did all this work) I will try to cover a few details/tips that you may not find in other threads
I bought an Myron & Davis DVD player for $80 on Ebay. It was brand new, somebody just didn't use it for their install. slimmyjimmy and jmbnova were my inspiration to go with this, their installs made my jaw drop! Just had to have it! Sure I could have gone the easy route of putting in a player in the rear armrest, trunk, under the seat, front console armrest or glovebox; or even just hooked up a video ipod. You ask why I would go with this cheapo player? I asked around and also read that they aren't the most dependable, a number of people said theirs conked out within a few months. I took my chances and bit the bullet. 1/2 DIN players are hard to come by and I wanted blue lights to match the car. I wanted something that would play real DVDs right in the dash....and this player lights up blue and is 3/4 DIN, how cool is that?
On disassembly it is instantly obvious that the console and the DVD player aren't just going to fit together.
It took pretty ingenius steps to get it to fit but I knew it was not impossible and could be done! AND the console door works! This is achieved only by pushing the DVD player back enough so it clears the hinges. I removed the top and dremelled the sides off keeping only the floor of the compartment. This made the length of the console about 2-3" longer than is allowed in the console. To make room, a metal bar needed to be cut behind the console as well as diverting a wire loom and I actually took out the air conditioning ducts (that goes to the rear of the center console) and hammered it. It wasn't enough. jmbnova advised me to use dryer-duct tubing to replace the duct in this area. I bought some to see if it was feasible. I didn't seem like it would be that much more thinner and it would have been prone to leaks and other problems. I came up with another idea; I dremelled the duct in a slot-shape in the portion the DVD player would stick into. I removed the front 1/2 of it's thickness. then used "Gorilla tape" and sealed it in an indented fashion. This worked out great because now this produced a "shelf" for the rear of the DVD player to sit on! Also the operation of the door is a delicate and complicated one. The axis of the movement has to be precise for it to click. I have it working 90% right now. Sometimes it dosen't want to click and I have to force it down and it has a bit of friction with a snapping noise. Something is off but I will fix this later, it was too time consuming, I will be gentle with it for now. Also I am worried in the future about heating in the duct affecting the player in the winter. I will use some shielding behind it later as well. I used the acessory power socket in the lower dash console for the accessory 12V +ve power. I used the cigarette lighter point in the armrest console for the constant +ve power. I used a screw that holds the Navigation in place for the ground. The remote sensor was placed above the steering column on the right side recessed in a little space at an angle facing the center of the car.Dom's Unit ($220) was wired just as you read in the DIYs, nothing really complicated here. I ran the +ve power to fuse 32 with a mini add-on fuse. the fuse is 7.5A. I used a 5A fuse for the additions. This does exceed the recommended maximum of 10A, but I'm sure Dom's is low draw. I also used this point to power up the P.I.E. Instead of removing the rear seat, (I tried, it wasn't that easy for me) I removed the bolt on the passenger side and lifted the cushion just a bit. Just enough for me to get the wires through. I snaked the wires through the side and under towards the center hump. I will be redoing this sometime later removing the seats and properly using wire loom.
Wendy's camera was installed much the way as you see in the DIYs here. Instead of drilling a hole in the license plate light lens though I opted to run my wires through a small groove I made near the back-up lights. I used it's own rubber to seal it and it worked out. I needed to dremel the area of plastic between the license plate lights to get the camera bracket in but it worked out. Remarkably my camera never needed aiming/adjustments. I screwed it in straight and it was perfect.
I bought the P.I.E. X3. I wasn't going to use an iPod and the price was good at about $70. Install was pretty straightforward and the unit sits under the panel in the drivers-side footwell. The selector switch was wired to the lower dash console. It may be relocated to my upper armrest compartment in the future because I am planning to put my V1 module there someday. I will be modding the red LEDs in the selector switch to blue to match everything. (I opened it up and it looks easy enough. Why should I? Only Kennedy would understand!) One gripe is there is a little pop/crack sometimes when the radio turns on/off or the car is turned on/off. My only fix for now is to keep the volume low during these times, but I need to look into it later. Sound quality is through the XM harness and is good. (Could be a bit better)
I bought DCCs switch and it is absolutely perfect. It may have cost as much as my DVD player but you get what you pay for.
So I basically spent under $600 and have this entire setup looking stock. It can even be removed without too much trauma. I am pinching myself to think this is for real because during the 5 days it took me to do this, it really tested my noggin and my patience. It's only been 2 days and EVERYWHERE I go, it's turning heads and getting questions (I just hope it dosen't turn my dealer's or a cop's head). I killed my battery but it was covered under warranty. (Good thing they didn't see my install! Hee-hee!)
So my interior is almost done; I have blue LEDs underdash etc. LED interior lights, racing pedals, lighted sills, all this matches beautifully and tastefully. My valet guys love my car and say it's the best car in the complex. My future interior mods? I have my 1000W Rockford Fosgate amp and 12" Infinity Kappa Perfects sittin here from my old car just dying to go in. I'm adding 2 tweeters in the B pillar and adding Infinity 63.7is in the front doors. I MAY add 7" monitors into the headrests too. (Sounds like a lot, but it's just another $300 to invest for me to get my car like a showcar
) Then I'm DONE!I want to once again thank datrman and csmenace and all the rest of you who have posted pics and DIYs. I couldn't have done all this without you guys, thanks!
Enjoy the pics. A pic of the console open. Testing it out with my beautiful Alicia on the screen. Note the PIE X3 swich in the lower console. I use my cellphone holder for the remote sometimes. Maybe I'll velcro it somewhere. Look how nice it looks with blue everywhere!
A shot of what it looks like with the console closed. Totally stealth!!
A closeup of the DVD player. It's just squeezed in there and the DVDs pop out with just enough clearance.
A shot to show DCC's amazing switch. Can't see it? That's because it's so stock looking (and it lights up with the rest of the dash!) It's to the right side of the power mirror switch.
Backup camera in action. Works seemlessly although it's kinda irritating when it flicks on as I pass the transmission to park (OK I know that's nitpicking!) This ain't no cheapo camera, it does a very good job, like the one in my Lexus.
Can hardly tell it's there but I circled it. I screwed up my Type-S trim there too. (yeek gotta change that license plate light and do the cathode mod) Yeah I know I could have taken a better picture there.
I'm sure there will be many questions on this as I know many of you are exploring your options. Shoot away! Good luck to you.
07-18-2007, 10:56 PM
#3
Originally Posted by pekkieboyz
Would Be Nice If You Did A "diy"
Originally Posted by rockyfeller
I'm sure there's more than enough to read on all those threads.....(I am sorry I don't have a DIY here because I did not have my digi camera at the site I did all this work) I will try to cover a few details/tips that you may not find in other threads
07-19-2007, 12:28 AM
#4
very nice setup!...super clean and stock looking! 
sounds like it was a pain, but the end result looks well worth it
i've had the equipment to do this mod for about 6 months, but i don't have the time/patience/skills to do it myself, or the dough to get it done professionally...i'll probably just end up selling it all
sounds like it was a pain, but the end result looks well worth it
i've had the equipment to do this mod for about 6 months, but i don't have the time/patience/skills to do it myself, or the dough to get it done professionally...i'll probably just end up selling it all
07-19-2007, 12:53 AM
#5
Safety Car
Well done man. The install looks very clean and professional. Doesn't it feel good to know that you did it yourself? Enjoy! It definitely looks great!
07-19-2007, 01:03 AM
#6
Senior Moderator
this is a very clean install and you did a great job on it. Hope it works out good, and if you don't like how the camera switches on when you move it to park, i think you can put an electrical delay thing between the power wire to delay it for a second or two so it won't come on.
07-19-2007, 03:02 PM
#7
Thank you for the compliments. Keeping it clean and factory looking was important to me. I'm pretty sure many will have a hard time believing it wasn't done by a shop. I know there must be a simple way to do a delay thing with the camera. It must be a capacitor or an electrical delay circuit or something I can buy from Radio Shack? Anybody have any ideas? I just hope all the flickering between the DCC switch and camera dosen't do any harm.
ps I keep misspelling your name datmrman, sorry!
ps I keep misspelling your name datmrman, sorry!
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07-25-2007, 01:48 PM
#12
359awhp / 370wtq @ 20psi
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Greenwich / Redding CT
Age: 41
Posts: 22
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This is one impressive custom install... I'm seriously diggin every aspect and step. We're gonna have to try this on my friends TL... me being a Scooby owner... I had to join just to say what a sick job this was. I love how the lights on the DVD player match the interior lights. DIY jobs are the best and always the most impressive. Good job, and great detail in your description of everything.
The TLs interior is really one of the best on the market... period... for a car well under $50k.
Also a big pekkieboyz and insider for reading the thread before posting... 
The TLs interior is really one of the best on the market... period... for a car well under $50k.
Also a big
pekkieboyz and insider for reading the thread before posting...
07-25-2007, 01:54 PM
#13
Racer
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 460
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Originally Posted by rockyfeller
Definitely! Depends how much you pay of course! I don't think you will like my rates!
Very nice install.......congrats...... you definitely have skills
07-25-2007, 04:49 PM
#15
Originally Posted by RoadRunnerSTi
This is one impressive custom install... I'm seriously diggin every aspect and step. We're gonna have to try this on my friends TL... me being a Scooby owner... I had to join just to say what a sick job this was. I love how the lights on the DVD player match the interior lights. DIY jobs are the best and always the most impressive. Good job, and great detail in your description of everything.
The TLs interior is really one of the best on the market... period... for a car well under $50k.
Also a big pekkieboyz and insider for reading the thread before posting...
The TLs interior is really one of the best on the market... period... for a car well under $50k.
Also a big
pekkieboyz and insider for reading the thread before posting...
07-26-2007, 09:54 PM
#16
I just came to a HUGE revelation! I just burned a DVD with mp3s.......HOLY MACKEREL! It freakin works! I was so suprised because I have had cars that play MP3s on CDs. Other cars I owned like my E-class that play DVDs but not MP3s on DVDs. This thing plays 4.7GIGS of MP3s on 1 disc!!! I am estatic! This is my all-in-one audio/visual solution! No regrets of not doing an iPod plug-in here. You guys gotta go for it!
12-06-2007, 12:52 AM
#22
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by rockyfeller
Thanks guys. DCC's switch is not available anymore if I remember. You can try PMing him maybe
I am onto more crazy mods you will see about soon including adding headrest LCDs with Infinity speakers and subs!! Stay tuned!!
I am onto more crazy mods you will see about soon including adding headrest LCDs with Infinity speakers and subs!! Stay tuned!!
09-17-2009, 03:06 PM
#29
I am sorry don't really know anything about DICE. There is a number of people who have done it, you should maybe ask them. All I can say is the PIE X3 has space for 3 inputs that use a RCA jack. Should make it compatible with anything.
09-21-2009, 08:33 AM
#31
Hey rockyfeller.. I am doing my non navi to navi install in the next few weeks because I finally have everything... I plan on following your setup including the dvd player!! thanks for posting this..
one question.. how did you burn your mp3s on your dvd? What program did you use?
one question.. how did you burn your mp3s on your dvd? What program did you use?
09-25-2009, 08:30 PM
#32
I use nero for everything, pretty much can burn anything anyway I want. I also finally figured out how to burn DVD-As now too as adobeman explained to play in the OEM changer.....but all that takes work, lol
I still find myself burning normal CD-RWs most of the time. It puts out better sound than what comes out of the PIE X3 to be honest. Maybe if I didn't have such a monster sound system it would sound normal but playing it loud, it makes a compressed MP3 sound even more crappy by amplifying all it's weaknesses.
I still find myself burning normal CD-RWs most of the time. It puts out better sound than what comes out of the PIE X3 to be honest. Maybe if I didn't have such a monster sound system it would sound normal but playing it loud, it makes a compressed MP3 sound even more crappy by amplifying all it's weaknesses.
11-10-2013, 08:32 PM
#33
Here's an update on all that's changed with my AV system 4yrs down the road.
In 2010 my M&D DVD player conked out. Tried to fix it somehow but it was dead and I didn't really want to bother. At that point DVDs were on their way out and I was starting to finally join the iPhone bandwagon. I figured it was time to yank the DVD player out. I felt bad considering the work and ingenuity put into the install. But I also knew I would get more usability and options going the smartphone integration route.
I got an iPhone 4 and used an Apple composite AV cable to connect to Dom's unit. It was a great setup because it charged the phone and also used a video out feed to Dom's unit and 2 audio RCAs to the PIE X3. This also allowed me to play music through iTunes on the phone rather that every relying on the CD changer/MP3s. Use of the phone had some limitations at the time. LTE wasn't available yet so to stream videos was a buffering experience to say the least. To have full video capability for every app was only possible with a jailbreak.
In 2011 I decided to do Uncald's PnP Rockford Fosgate amp upgrade to the main speakers. I wrote much about it on that other thread. I did have my doubts and questions early on but I'm glad to report that it still works great to this day. I did finally figure out a perfect solution to the loss of the center channel and I'm glad to share that info with anyone who is interested, just ask. I would say the main concern I do still have is that the little amp runs VERY hot. If you run it loud for about an hour it will burn your hand to the touch. There is no airflow to that passenger side kick panel. I can see that being the amp killer down the road some time. I can't see any other solution besides putting in a little PC fan somewhere in there or something.
That year I also decided to upgrade to Bluetooth audio capability. iPhone audio worked for me as I mentioned through the cable but I envied all the recent cars out there that all had bluetooth audio standard. Just as convenient as bluetooth handsfree is in our cars; once it is paired, it's all seamless. There were many options so I researched and found this was the best one out there.
Only $50, very small in size, it auto-pairs, turns on automatically with the car and the audio quality is VERY good. As a matter of fact clearer than ANY source in my car including DVD-A! I can't say good enough things about it, genius, worth ever penny.
In 2012 I upgraded to the iPhone 5. I knew the tradeoff to my upgrade would mean that would nix the use of the 30pin AV cable. The new lightning cable introduced a shift towards digital video out so a "lightning to 30pin adapter" would not work for video. It would still transmit audio, but I didn't bother with that as I now had bluetooth audio. I wanted video back!
Yes I had been an Apple fan for it's design, innovation and quality of materials but this move was many to start my distance from this company. Kudos to their engineers, I love their products, but I HATE their marketing and business strategy with a passion. Apple said the would release a new lightning AV cable soon. They waited FOREVER on that, obviously it wasn't a priority. They released a cable to DVI at first. That was no good to me without resorting to converters. Later they finally released an HDMI cable. I know HDMI is the future but how is that going to help me? I held out for months hoping they would release one using RCAs. Duh, I realized it's NOT going to happen. It would require them to incorporate a digital to analog converter into the adapter. That's like going backwards in technology and they wouldn't invest engineering something like that because they know it wouldn't sell well.
So I know many of you out there have an iPhone 5 and wonder if/how it will work with this kind of setup. Maybe this has been resolved before, I'm not sure, but I couldn't find any sources of information. I knew in my mind I could rig up a bunch of converters but would it actually work....Was I right? Well I'm happy to say my experiment worked. Consider this a DIY for Apple Lightning integration into the AV system. Here's what I did:
I bought the Apple HDMI to lighting converter. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...tal-av-adapter
I bought an HDMI to composite converter.
Now this is the thing that was confusing. It is called a "mini-box" but don't let that imply that is uses a mini-HDMI cable. It is the box that is mini, lol. It just uses a standard HDMI, which is what you need in this case. The other thing is that each end that is labelled input and output makes no sense for this application. For my purposes I wanted this converter to work backwards from what it is labelled. That's why I wasn't sure if this would work for me. There were more expensive converters out there that advertise the ability to switch converting modes either way but they were 4-5x more expensive. Not worth it to me. I took a chance with this one. I already knew this going in, but it goes without saying that the build qualities of this unit sucks. Pretty much on par with most of the cheap Asian market stuff so don't expect much. $35 is much more than it's worth, more like $10. The unit does require a very small power supply and it says in most places you won't need it because it draws enough power from the HDMI cable itself. NOT TRUE in this case. You will have to put 12V into it. Thankfully it uses a micro-USB cable for power input, I ran that to the console cig. lighter. I connected a 3 ft. HDMI cable between the unit and the lightning AV converter. I also used a standard Apple lighting USB cable to deliver power to the iPhone via the AV converter. Connected the yellow/red/white cables to the mini-box and voila!! IT WORKED!
With the LTE, of course, everything is easily streamed like Netflix, YouTube (My data plan be damned) And may I say the video is CLEARER than anything I used previously. The converter takes that HD signal from the iPhone and pipes it through that pathetic RCA cable so you can't ask for more than that. Pretty sure it maxes out the resolution on those LCDs, no distortion, no noise.
Other changes: I also bought a used center console awhile back to swap the upper center console pocket I chopped to make my DVD install. Getting that smooth soft opening effect was a bit tricky but it's back to it's OEM glory. By 2012 my Wendy's cam conked out. I have a feeling water got to it as I never really weather-sealed it. It's now nearly 2yrs down the road and cameras are crazy cheap nowadays. I have one coming in the mail any time now. My PIE X3 now has 2 dead inputs, waiting on a replacement on that too. As I've said before, I do like the convenience and functionality of this unit but it is the sound quality that isn't too great. It is a bit muffled, it has some noise and driveline hum. I wanted to put a ground loop isolator on the audio but the harness has a ton of wires and it would be a project to trace the right wires. The remote it uses is pretty cheap and plasticky. If I knew I would be going the iPhone route back then I would have gone with the iSimple or something like that.
Also I will say that anyone who is searching for a Dom's unit nowadays; I'd say stick to NavTool. Seems to be a better unit, more modern. Dom's is down in Brooklyn, I've been there before, basically operates out of a laundrymat if you'd believe that! Hahaha. I had to get a new one in 2009. NavTool is rumored to be going to the next generation units. I think everything should be going the HDMI route or even WIFI. I did consider doing the Apple TV route as some have, but that's enough for me, lol.
In 2010 my M&D DVD player conked out. Tried to fix it somehow but it was dead and I didn't really want to bother. At that point DVDs were on their way out and I was starting to finally join the iPhone bandwagon. I figured it was time to yank the DVD player out. I felt bad considering the work and ingenuity put into the install. But I also knew I would get more usability and options going the smartphone integration route.
I got an iPhone 4 and used an Apple composite AV cable to connect to Dom's unit. It was a great setup because it charged the phone and also used a video out feed to Dom's unit and 2 audio RCAs to the PIE X3. This also allowed me to play music through iTunes on the phone rather that every relying on the CD changer/MP3s. Use of the phone had some limitations at the time. LTE wasn't available yet so to stream videos was a buffering experience to say the least. To have full video capability for every app was only possible with a jailbreak.
In 2011 I decided to do Uncald's PnP Rockford Fosgate amp upgrade to the main speakers. I wrote much about it on that other thread. I did have my doubts and questions early on but I'm glad to report that it still works great to this day. I did finally figure out a perfect solution to the loss of the center channel and I'm glad to share that info with anyone who is interested, just ask. I would say the main concern I do still have is that the little amp runs VERY hot. If you run it loud for about an hour it will burn your hand to the touch. There is no airflow to that passenger side kick panel. I can see that being the amp killer down the road some time. I can't see any other solution besides putting in a little PC fan somewhere in there or something.
That year I also decided to upgrade to Bluetooth audio capability. iPhone audio worked for me as I mentioned through the cable but I envied all the recent cars out there that all had bluetooth audio standard. Just as convenient as bluetooth handsfree is in our cars; once it is paired, it's all seamless. There were many options so I researched and found this was the best one out there.
Only $50, very small in size, it auto-pairs, turns on automatically with the car and the audio quality is VERY good. As a matter of fact clearer than ANY source in my car including DVD-A! I can't say good enough things about it, genius, worth ever penny.
In 2012 I upgraded to the iPhone 5. I knew the tradeoff to my upgrade would mean that would nix the use of the 30pin AV cable. The new lightning cable introduced a shift towards digital video out so a "lightning to 30pin adapter" would not work for video. It would still transmit audio, but I didn't bother with that as I now had bluetooth audio. I wanted video back!
Yes I had been an Apple fan for it's design, innovation and quality of materials but this move was many to start my distance from this company. Kudos to their engineers, I love their products, but I HATE their marketing and business strategy with a passion. Apple said the would release a new lightning AV cable soon. They waited FOREVER on that, obviously it wasn't a priority. They released a cable to DVI at first. That was no good to me without resorting to converters. Later they finally released an HDMI cable. I know HDMI is the future but how is that going to help me? I held out for months hoping they would release one using RCAs. Duh, I realized it's NOT going to happen. It would require them to incorporate a digital to analog converter into the adapter. That's like going backwards in technology and they wouldn't invest engineering something like that because they know it wouldn't sell well.
So I know many of you out there have an iPhone 5 and wonder if/how it will work with this kind of setup. Maybe this has been resolved before, I'm not sure, but I couldn't find any sources of information. I knew in my mind I could rig up a bunch of converters but would it actually work....Was I right? Well I'm happy to say my experiment worked. Consider this a DIY for Apple Lightning integration into the AV system. Here's what I did:
I bought the Apple HDMI to lighting converter. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...tal-av-adapter
I bought an HDMI to composite converter.
Now this is the thing that was confusing. It is called a "mini-box" but don't let that imply that is uses a mini-HDMI cable. It is the box that is mini, lol. It just uses a standard HDMI, which is what you need in this case. The other thing is that each end that is labelled input and output makes no sense for this application. For my purposes I wanted this converter to work backwards from what it is labelled. That's why I wasn't sure if this would work for me. There were more expensive converters out there that advertise the ability to switch converting modes either way but they were 4-5x more expensive. Not worth it to me. I took a chance with this one. I already knew this going in, but it goes without saying that the build qualities of this unit sucks. Pretty much on par with most of the cheap Asian market stuff so don't expect much. $35 is much more than it's worth, more like $10. The unit does require a very small power supply and it says in most places you won't need it because it draws enough power from the HDMI cable itself. NOT TRUE in this case. You will have to put 12V into it. Thankfully it uses a micro-USB cable for power input, I ran that to the console cig. lighter. I connected a 3 ft. HDMI cable between the unit and the lightning AV converter. I also used a standard Apple lighting USB cable to deliver power to the iPhone via the AV converter. Connected the yellow/red/white cables to the mini-box and voila!! IT WORKED!
With the LTE, of course, everything is easily streamed like Netflix, YouTube (My data plan be damned) And may I say the video is CLEARER than anything I used previously. The converter takes that HD signal from the iPhone and pipes it through that pathetic RCA cable so you can't ask for more than that. Pretty sure it maxes out the resolution on those LCDs, no distortion, no noise.
Other changes: I also bought a used center console awhile back to swap the upper center console pocket I chopped to make my DVD install. Getting that smooth soft opening effect was a bit tricky but it's back to it's OEM glory. By 2012 my Wendy's cam conked out. I have a feeling water got to it as I never really weather-sealed it. It's now nearly 2yrs down the road and cameras are crazy cheap nowadays. I have one coming in the mail any time now. My PIE X3 now has 2 dead inputs, waiting on a replacement on that too. As I've said before, I do like the convenience and functionality of this unit but it is the sound quality that isn't too great. It is a bit muffled, it has some noise and driveline hum. I wanted to put a ground loop isolator on the audio but the harness has a ton of wires and it would be a project to trace the right wires. The remote it uses is pretty cheap and plasticky. If I knew I would be going the iPhone route back then I would have gone with the iSimple or something like that.
Also I will say that anyone who is searching for a Dom's unit nowadays; I'd say stick to NavTool. Seems to be a better unit, more modern. Dom's is down in Brooklyn, I've been there before, basically operates out of a laundrymat if you'd believe that! Hahaha. I had to get a new one in 2009. NavTool is rumored to be going to the next generation units. I think everything should be going the HDMI route or even WIFI. I did consider doing the Apple TV route as some have, but that's enough for me, lol.
11-11-2013, 11:17 AM
#35
Yep, I'm confirming it will work, but it depends on your application. It will take the digital HDMI output from your tablet and convert it to an analog signal out to RCA. The yellow video signal will feed to your NavTool. You would get 2 red/white RCA outs for audio.
Now in terms of iSimple, I am not sure of the connections? I always thought it takes a direct connection in from your iPhone/Android device? That's how I assume it gets all that functionality apart from the A/V connections. I wonder how you could use an Apple HDMI converter at all in that application anyways? (My application takes audio connections through the PIE X3 that uses RCA inputs. I am effectively splitting the audio and video connections sending it two different directions. As opposed to the lighting port/HDMI which has everything unified in one cable.) If your tablet has an HDMI I am assuming it's not an iPad (which uses a lightning port as well and would connect just like an iPhone.) So make sure the iSimple works with your tablet or that it takes RCA inputs, and if so, it will work.
Someone who has a NavTool and iSimple will know better, I just never looked into it.
Now in terms of iSimple, I am not sure of the connections? I always thought it takes a direct connection in from your iPhone/Android device? That's how I assume it gets all that functionality apart from the A/V connections. I wonder how you could use an Apple HDMI converter at all in that application anyways? (My application takes audio connections through the PIE X3 that uses RCA inputs. I am effectively splitting the audio and video connections sending it two different directions. As opposed to the lighting port/HDMI which has everything unified in one cable.) If your tablet has an HDMI I am assuming it's not an iPad (which uses a lightning port as well and would connect just like an iPhone.) So make sure the iSimple works with your tablet or that it takes RCA inputs, and if so, it will work.
Someone who has a NavTool and iSimple will know better, I just never looked into it.
Last edited by rockyfeller; 11-11-2013 at 11:29 AM.
11-11-2013, 12:00 PM
#36
Thanks Rockyfeller, I'm looking into this setup
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...4#post14747154
Combining your setup and jrocka312 setup, I hope to get USB, SD, HDMI inputs.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...4#post14747154
Combining your setup and jrocka312 setup, I hope to get USB, SD, HDMI inputs.
03-17-2015, 09:40 PM
#38
Aaaaah all my pics are gone off of AZine, imageshack sucks. Worst thing is I think a lost a good number of the original copies of those photos from my hard drive from those days. Well it's years down the road now on my AV install so it's time for another update.
Wendy's cam has conked out so I've replaced it with a cheaper cam in there now. Image quality sucks but you get what you pay for. I may replace it, it hasn't totally gotten on my nerves yet, but it might. At least this time I was smart enough to waterproof it. I did multiple coats of clearcoat spray paint. I siliconed the areas where the wires enter. I think that'll do the trick. That was my mistake on Wendy's cam. I didn't waterproof it. But it did last much longer than it should have though.
Here is my newest upgrade so I wanted to share it as an idea for anyone running an audio/video system in the car; As mentioned I now have the iPhone hooked up as my video source instead of the Myron and Davis DVD player. I can get Netflix or YouTube up on the screen.....And that was fine for awhile....but then what else? It gets old quick and there are 2 HUGE limitations: 1) LTE is great when it's up and running. If you are in an area of spotty coverage, there goes the buffering wheel. 2) Verizon used to give unlimited data, now there is no such thing. Streaming videos longer than 15 minutes now makes no sense. So how do I get movies up in here? I have a 16GB iPhone, haha, yea. That's not happening. Even if my phone had an SD card, yeah haha not much you can do with those 720p/1080p movie files.
Solution? DIY RavPower onboard WIFI hub with NAS. Before you think I spent a fortune doing this; read on.....
How did I achieve this? Here it is; this is the wave of the future. This little gizmo is the swiss army knife of devices and I can't tell u how awesome it is:
It is small, about the size of an iPhone. What can it do? A whole bunch of things. 1) It can be used while plugged in at home or in the car or can be powered by it's own onboard rechargeable battery. So it can actually act as a battery backup (can recharge your cell phone in a pinch) if you plug it into it's USB port. 2) It can receive a WIFI signal and bridge it creating it's own WIFI signal. In effect it can act as a WIFI extender if you'd like. 3) It has an SD card slot and USB input so you can use it like a NAS (Network Attached Storage) on it's OWN WIFI signal! This can be picked up by your laptop at home or with your cell phone on the go. You can transfer files (copy/paste) or open and STREAM them. Up to 5 devices can connect to this simultaneously and this acts as a filehub and it can stream movies/music independently to all of them from your source. (SD/external HD) Laptops, tablets, phones, whatever. If you think you are losing your internet capability by occupying your WIFI signal you aren't....It bridges that in too!
Best part, $40!?! Worth every penny. There will be more devices like this in the future, but this is the one for those that can't wait.
So what I did was I bought a 2TB external hard drive. Yea I could have bought a cheaper one but I opted for this practically bulletproof and waterproof model:
.
Overkill, yes, I just wanted it. So now I don't worry about music/movies taking up space, I can stream wirelessly and securing without plugging/unplugging USBs and this whole system is portable. And some of my files are near Blu-Ray quality and it buffers amazingly fast without glitches. The hard drive does not need a separate power supply, it draws off the RavPower via USB. Please note it is formatted in old school FAT32 for compatibility reasons. If you are going to put larger than 4GB files on it, make sure to reformat it to ExFAT or NTFS etc.
At home my MacBook is now able to stream directly from the RavPower. The only caveat is Airplay to my home theater is not working working via the RavPower's bridged WIFI. (It's my only complaint about the device.) So my work around is to copy the file to the desktop via the RavPower's WIFI connection and then I switch the WIFI back to the home router in order to regain access to the Apple TV for Airplay. Why bother with this setup? Because I don't have to take up hard drive space on my laptop and I don't have to fiddle with any USB plugs. This all happens with the hard drive far from my laptop. Next thing you know 1080p movie on my TV. Amazing.
So what does this mean in the the application of using it in my TL? The RavPower is attached to the 2TB drive with the media in it. I connect the iPhone to the RavPower's WIFI signal. I open the RavPower app on the iPhone (the app needs work, it's not the greatest UI) and it let's me explore the 2TB hard drive. The app doesn't natively support very many file types but thankfully it can export to other apps, like the VLC player app, to get it to play most codecs. So I plug my phone into the Apple AV HDMI setup (I mentioned in my older posts) and bam........I have an HD movies on my screens! No worrying about file sizes any more. This whole thing is so easy to carry around, it is the size of 2 DVD cases. I can even stick it in a backpack and just turn it on. Easy. AMC theater on wheels. And even if I didn't want to run this through my car and people wanted to quietly watch on their own devices with headphones, go ahead.
My only problem is now on my video end (The Acura nav screen and headrest LCDs) they are stuck in the old school SD and not HD. Yeah I'm not gonna upgrade to 4k screens yet. Let's wait till 8k. Haha, yeah right, lol. I'm done........
I think.
Wendy's cam has conked out so I've replaced it with a cheaper cam in there now. Image quality sucks but you get what you pay for. I may replace it, it hasn't totally gotten on my nerves yet, but it might. At least this time I was smart enough to waterproof it. I did multiple coats of clearcoat spray paint. I siliconed the areas where the wires enter. I think that'll do the trick. That was my mistake on Wendy's cam. I didn't waterproof it. But it did last much longer than it should have though.
Here is my newest upgrade so I wanted to share it as an idea for anyone running an audio/video system in the car; As mentioned I now have the iPhone hooked up as my video source instead of the Myron and Davis DVD player. I can get Netflix or YouTube up on the screen.....And that was fine for awhile....but then what else? It gets old quick and there are 2 HUGE limitations: 1) LTE is great when it's up and running. If you are in an area of spotty coverage, there goes the buffering wheel. 2) Verizon used to give unlimited data, now there is no such thing. Streaming videos longer than 15 minutes now makes no sense. So how do I get movies up in here? I have a 16GB iPhone, haha, yea. That's not happening. Even if my phone had an SD card, yeah haha not much you can do with those 720p/1080p movie files.
Solution? DIY RavPower onboard WIFI hub with NAS. Before you think I spent a fortune doing this; read on.....
How did I achieve this? Here it is; this is the wave of the future. This little gizmo is the swiss army knife of devices and I can't tell u how awesome it is:
It is small, about the size of an iPhone. What can it do? A whole bunch of things. 1) It can be used while plugged in at home or in the car or can be powered by it's own onboard rechargeable battery. So it can actually act as a battery backup (can recharge your cell phone in a pinch) if you plug it into it's USB port. 2) It can receive a WIFI signal and bridge it creating it's own WIFI signal. In effect it can act as a WIFI extender if you'd like. 3) It has an SD card slot and USB input so you can use it like a NAS (Network Attached Storage) on it's OWN WIFI signal! This can be picked up by your laptop at home or with your cell phone on the go. You can transfer files (copy/paste) or open and STREAM them. Up to 5 devices can connect to this simultaneously and this acts as a filehub and it can stream movies/music independently to all of them from your source. (SD/external HD) Laptops, tablets, phones, whatever. If you think you are losing your internet capability by occupying your WIFI signal you aren't....It bridges that in too!
Best part, $40!?! Worth every penny. There will be more devices like this in the future, but this is the one for those that can't wait.
So what I did was I bought a 2TB external hard drive. Yea I could have bought a cheaper one but I opted for this practically bulletproof and waterproof model:
.
Overkill, yes, I just wanted it. So now I don't worry about music/movies taking up space, I can stream wirelessly and securing without plugging/unplugging USBs and this whole system is portable. And some of my files are near Blu-Ray quality and it buffers amazingly fast without glitches. The hard drive does not need a separate power supply, it draws off the RavPower via USB. Please note it is formatted in old school FAT32 for compatibility reasons. If you are going to put larger than 4GB files on it, make sure to reformat it to ExFAT or NTFS etc.
At home my MacBook is now able to stream directly from the RavPower. The only caveat is Airplay to my home theater is not working working via the RavPower's bridged WIFI. (It's my only complaint about the device.) So my work around is to copy the file to the desktop via the RavPower's WIFI connection and then I switch the WIFI back to the home router in order to regain access to the Apple TV for Airplay. Why bother with this setup? Because I don't have to take up hard drive space on my laptop and I don't have to fiddle with any USB plugs. This all happens with the hard drive far from my laptop. Next thing you know 1080p movie on my TV. Amazing.
So what does this mean in the the application of using it in my TL? The RavPower is attached to the 2TB drive with the media in it. I connect the iPhone to the RavPower's WIFI signal. I open the RavPower app on the iPhone (the app needs work, it's not the greatest UI) and it let's me explore the 2TB hard drive. The app doesn't natively support very many file types but thankfully it can export to other apps, like the VLC player app, to get it to play most codecs. So I plug my phone into the Apple AV HDMI setup (I mentioned in my older posts) and bam........I have an HD movies on my screens! No worrying about file sizes any more. This whole thing is so easy to carry around, it is the size of 2 DVD cases. I can even stick it in a backpack and just turn it on. Easy. AMC theater on wheels. And even if I didn't want to run this through my car and people wanted to quietly watch on their own devices with headphones, go ahead.
My only problem is now on my video end (The Acura nav screen and headrest LCDs) they are stuck in the old school SD and not HD. Yeah I'm not gonna upgrade to 4k screens yet. Let's wait till 8k. Haha, yeah right, lol. I'm done........
I think.
Last edited by rockyfeller; 03-17-2015 at 09:53 PM.
03-17-2015, 09:55 PM
#39
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Buddy, send me the pictures. I will repost them for you.
03-18-2015, 10:11 AM
#40
Yea I have to do some digging. A few years ago I discovered a whole block of pics from 2003-2007 are totally missing in my archives. That's a hell lot of pics. Let's see if I can find any from that time period of the TL lingering around.