I have an 07 with factory navigation and have been using the DICE iPod adapter for about 1.5 years now and while I'm satisfied with it for just playing music I'd like to be able to add an external a/v source like a small PC or external DVD player as well, or even replace the iPod if it required that.

I see that there is a group buy for the NavTool which connects in the trunk and seems like it would be great for adding 2 video sources but it doesn't support audio. So if I had an external DVD player or PC mounted in the trunk and connected to it I assume I'd have to get something else to be able to add RCA audio. Something I found while searching was this Scosche AXHA2 auxiliary audio input which plugs into the back of the head unit. I assume that having that would mean my DICE unit would no longer be usable so I'd lose the iPod, correct?

What I'm confused about (forgive my ignorance here) is if you've got the NavTool displaying video how can you get your head unit to also play the audio from the external DVD player or PC at the same time? My guess is that you'd select the audio source on the head unit and then the NavTool when turned on via a toggle switch interrupts the video on the nav screen but doesn't actually change the source so you'd have your audio and video. Is that how it works?

If that's the case then to have my own basic "Car PC" all I would need is a small keyboard with a built in touchpad or eraser mouse or something like that and then I could leave the system setup like that and just have all of my music on that PC. That seems too easy so I'm probably making some bad assumptions but if anyone can help clarify this issue for me I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

 

The missing piece in your puzzle is the P.I.E. X3. It piggie backs off the XM Port in the back of your Head Unit and gives you 3 Audio Inputs. Coupled with the NAV tool that installs in the trunk and piggie backs off the DVD drive you got your total Video and Audio inputs.

Check out my thread on the iPhone you'll get a better understanding or even do a search on the PIE X3

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/my-iphone-3g-integrations-setup-lots-pics-even-videos-704403/

 

Man that's a sweet setup, thanks for the tip! Reading your comments in your thread I agree that it's crazy that iSimple or anyone else hasn't added a cable that a video out as well. I think you can get the iPod dock from DICE that will allow video out but I don't really want to dock my iPod like that and it doesn't do much for me wanting to put in a PC in the trunk to get my a/v from.

Thanks again for the tip on the PIE X3, I don't know why I didn't think about using that as the bridge between. Oh one question for you Elegant, does the iPhone/iPod output video of whatever you see on the actual iPhone/iPod all the time or only when you're playing a video? I have an 80gb 5th gen video and I've never used it to display external video so I have no clue whether it does it all the time or only when a video is being played. My thought is that if it displays a clone of whatever is on the device through it's video output then you would have text on the nav screen if you left the Dom unit on all the time, right?

A question for anyone, have you tried to plug the DICE unit into the PIE X3 Y Cable and then plug the factory harness into the Y cable on the DICE? I'd hate to just let the DICE unit go to waste and I'd also hate to lose my text display on the nav screen so if the 3 of them could work together by changing XM sources or something like that it would be awesome.

 

Thanx for the comments. The iphone does not output to the screen like you think it does. It only outputs when I play youtube, ipod videos, podcasts that I download and that's it. However you bring up a good point, I didn't check to see what if anything at all is displayed on the screen when I'm playing music, for example album covers. I will have to check tommorow but I think its safe to assume its a no.

I would also like to know if that DICE piggie back option you speak of will work, like I said I would like text on the screen but I rather have video if I have to give up one. And I saw that DICE dock before but I'm not a big fan of it because then 2 wires will be visible plugging into the back and I just think it will look tacky. It goes to show you that its marketing because if they can make a dock with a connector like that, that means they could just produce a cable but they don't want to. Less profitable probably.

 

Yep you're probably right that it won't output anything while you're playing music but I'm hopeful that you'll report back tomorrow that it does. I absolutely agree that I'd give up text display for video as well.

I'm probably going to order the PIE X3 tomorrow and once it gets here I'll see if they can indeed piggy back onto each other ... and hopefully avoid ruining one or worse yet both of them!!

Thanks again for your help!

 

Whoa. Hold on a minute there.

If my memory serves me correct, the Dice iPod adapter also has an aux input. Also, you have an '07, so you have an aux input that comes standard. Personally, all you need is a video interface (DOM's TVandNav2Go - I guess its called the NavTool now??).

You will hijack the navigation video with this video interface and control it with a manual toggle switch. With either your Dice or factory aux-in, you will manually switch to hear the audio from there. No need to buy the PIE X3.

I quickly scanned this thread, so I'm sorry if I've missed something.

 

I thought about doing that because between the DICE and my factory AUX input I do have 2 inputs but I didn't think it would sound nearly as good as using RCA's would. What are your thoughts on the sound quality between using RCA's and using a 3.5mm plug?

So far all I have purchased is the NavTool from the group buy which should be here by next Tuesday.

 

The sound from RCAs vs 3.5mm plug should be identical. They both will provide stereo sound (left and right channels). Its easy to convert from one to the other. I use a 3.5mm to RCA adapter cable to connect an iPod to my PIE X3.

You can easily see for yourself. Instead of connecting your iPod to your DICE, connect it to one of the aux-in and compare the sound. You might have to adjust for volume, but I'm sure you will be fine.

If you're satisfied with the sound quality, then the NavTool is really all you need.

 

Hmm I've always thought that it sounded better out of the iPod connector through the DICE than it did with the 3.5mm through the AUX input but I suppose it could have been in my mind.

Thanks for the tip though, that will end up saving me some money if it does sound good.

 

Ok correct me if I'm wrong how will you output video out of the iPod? Through the Dock Connector correct? And if you do that, how will you get audio out, through the headphone jack on the top? I dont think the headphone jack works once the dock connector on the bottom is connected to a video outputting cable, though I'm not 100% positive. This is why I said you need the P.I.E. X3.

The Dice connectors will give you only audio feed unless you purchase their iPod Dock. They will have aux inputs as well. The only cable that will route audio and video through the bottom is the APPLE composite AV cable, people report hit/miss with the cheap ones from eBay.

 

Also one more thing, if you are looking to expand your setup in the future, like DVD player, PC and more ... you're just better off just installing the P.I.E. X3 because of the flexibility you will have later on. Do it right, do it once. That's my opinion.

 

That is a good point, I don't think that it will output from the 3.5mm and the APPLE cable plugged in at the same time. I don't know how much I'll use the iPod for video though since I only have 10 of the 80gb free and that's music only on it. Most likely I'll get a slim PS2 or DVD player to mount in the trunk and just use that for videos. I'm just not sure that I'm willing to risk buying the PIE X3 and trying to connect it and the DICE together as it could ruin one or both of them and possibly my audio system as well just to be able to play video's from the iPod.

 

Installing the PIE X3 means giving up on having text on the screen and basically putting the DICE in the closet since I doubt I can use it and the PIE X3 together. I sincerely doubt I'll ever need to play videos off the iPod that bad.

 

Is this true? Are they the same unit?

 

Oh I meant to mention that above but I don't think that they are although they're the same concept. I went with the NavTool because it seemed like a more up to date product and they were having a group buy on here.

Here is the website for the NavTool. http://www.tvandnav.com/index.asp?Pa...WPROD&ProdID=6

 

@Elegant TYPE S: I now understand where you are coming from. Let me clarify. I am not too familiar with video out on an iPod, but my assumption was that the Apple A/V cable (or similar) would be required. That means that both audio and video will come out of a cable with an iPod connector on one end and RCA cables on the other.

That said, jaymurff25 can easily create a general RCA setup. Navtool will provide the video in (yellow RCA) and either his Dice or factory aux-in coupled with a aux-jack to RCA cable will provide the audio (red and white RCA connectors). With this setup, you have the ability to connect whatever you want (DVD, iPod, PS2, XBOX, etc). At least thats my recommendation.

 

:thumbups: Yup, that could be done. However too many converting cable connections decrease quality. Both way will work, its just a matter of preference. One way will give you the option of more expandibility in the future that's all, but that could always be upgraded later anyways, and its not like you would be losing any money...so doesnt matter.

 

How much was/is the group buy for? 350 is pretty steep from what i've seen Dom's unit go for on here.

 

It was for $215 shipped but that group buy ended. I haven't used my NavTool yet and hopefully (because of CarPC project) won't end up using anything but the harness and if that's the case I'll try and get a replacement harness and then sell mine.

 

I didn't see it mentioned here, but if you use the iPod's audio output from the bottom (not the 3.5mm) you get the pre-amp output and you don't run the chance of blasting your volume on accident if you accidentally scroll the wheel.
Also, I don't think the EQ setting apply to the output from the base of the iPod, only to the top 3.5mm

 

Yep those are good points and I believe they are accurate. I won't be using my iPod much longer in my car once I get my CarPC finished and I went ahead and ordered the P.I.E. X3 just so I'd have a nicer setup (IMO) than running 3.5mm to the center console.