Those Chinese double din GPS/DVD/TV/Ipod head units

CDTi · 29th May 2009, 15:53

Following on from the recent spate of members successfully fitting these HUs, I decided to take the plunge myself. TBH, I am quite happy with my existing Eclipse unit but a larger screen would be nicer. I had purchased the newer version of my Eclipse with a bigger screen, but I had to return it as there is a generic fault with these newer systems

. I wasn't a happy bunny having to pay postage costs and customs

.

So anyway all the recent 7" installations made my 4.3" feeling a little inadequate. I had a quick look on eBay and discovered a myriad of these 7" systems that seem to offer very good value for money i.e. about one third to a quarter of the price of a similar branded unit like Pioneer/Kenwood.

I subsequently spent several hours researching these units - both by asking eBay Sellers some questions and finding Chinese websites that actually sell them. Thanks to the experiences of others on here, I knew of some of the pitfalls and eventually narrowed down my choice to these two:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=200336350683

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-CAR-DVD-PLAY...item41463d7312

Both systems cost about the same and have GPS/DVD/analog TV/DIVX/CD/full Ipod control/steering control etc etc.I really wanted to go for the first unit as I liked the GUI and the fact that its buttonless (for a sleeker look

). Also the Seller has been around for a years.

In the end, I went for the second item, mainly because the first didn't have RDS and it seems to be a relatively new product so any problems wouldn't have been sorted out yet. Its OK to buy a new model Pioneer/Kenwood where there is a proper support service but with these cheaper systems, forget it!

So, the total cost was $340 - about £215. The Seller even went to the trouble of wrapping it like a present for customs reasons on his own initiative

. In the end, the package got through customs without being examined or opened but I don't think this was due to the lovely red dragon gift wrapping.

My initial reaction upon opening the box was very good. The unit is very well made and the overall quality of the materials is excellent - no crappy plastics, metals etc. The motorised display is very good also.

Here are a few pics: (the actual display quality is much better than shown in the pics - no vertical lines etc. I had to resize the pics and some distortion was generated in the images)

Like a lot of these Chinese units, I think the GUI is crappy. If only they spent a little more on R&D on the firmware, I think these systems would be very hard to beat. I can't change the skin on mine like Rob (Trebor) can, but apparently the whole GUI can be changed by manipulating the firmware - see here: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/f...sp?FORUM_ID=71

One part of the GUI that I'm very happy with is the Ipod interface. You get full Ipod control from the screen or remote. In some ways it is better than my current Eclipse in this way, but my Eclipse is better for searching.

Unfortunately despite all my research, the motorised display is too large for my double din bezel

. Rob had the same problem and I really should have checked this out more. I did ensure that the overall size of the unit was comparable with my Eclipse but I forgot about the moving display. D'oh!

Rob removed the top bar of his bezel to fit his HU so I am currently debating doing the same. Alternatively, I could sell this unit on and buy a system with a non-moving display as my bezel opeing would be fine for a fixed display.

Robson Rover Repair · 29th May 2009, 17:27

Looks fantastic, really impressed with it. Wounder will they start making double din head unit fascias now they are going to be a chinese market car etc.

Happy with the unit then?

trebor · 29th May 2009, 19:56

looks good Eamonn, and dont forget i paid £280 for mine plus £50 for the steering PACSW1x from USA so you have made a considerable saving and your i pod screen displays track details which mine doesnt.
Pity the install is such a pig but worth it in the end imo, i still have to sort out changing my initial splash screen which is work in progress at the minute

CDTi · 5th June 2009, 14:08

A further update on my exploits with this HU.

I managed to get Miopocket running on it

What is Miopocket you might ask? To quote the writer/developer of said program:

Quote:

MioPocket is an unlock kit--an installable package of programs, scripts, registry files and skins--to unlock PNAs (personal navigation devices, i.e. GPS devices) and allow them to be used as PDAs (i.e. personal, handheld computers). MioPocket is the most-packed and most-fully-featured unlock for PNAs available and is free and legal to use, as it consists 100% of freely-distributable content. What MioPocket is not is a replacement for MioMap or any other OEM navigation software. It is just a different environment from which one may launch such software.

Here are some pics: (I still have the plastic sheet over the display so the pics don't really show the colours/definition properly)

It really is a fantastic package and is very stable. About 90% of the programs work fine with only a few causing a problem. I'll probably delete these.

WinCE is still in Chinese most of the windows/instructions/error reports etc are in English - e.g. the Control Panel:

I also got an English desktop:

I'm running Igo8 Sat Nav as the unit came with Route66 and I couldn't get Tomtom functioning properly. I quite like Igo now but the latest Irish maps are dreadful:

Further information and download here: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/t...OPIC_ID=109690

I also dismantled the unit last night (and voided the warranty

) to see what the quality of the internals was like. I was pleasantly surprised - its actually very well made. Of course the longevity of these devices is a big question. If only they spent a little more time/money on the main system GUI

.

I still haven't actually fitted the unit to my car so I don't really know what the audio quality. And I still haven't decided if I want to chop my DD fascia.

trebor · 5th June 2009, 16:16

Eamonn,

You got there before me, well done, i want it NOW !

Robson Rover Repair · 5th June 2009, 22:49

Eamonn the unit looks great and when we get round to an all ireland meet, dont be surprised if im drooling all over it!

StevenWilliams · 5th June 2009, 23:06

How do you find the speed it runs the apps?

One thing I have noticed with the ones I've played with is they seem much slower than the WINCE based PDA I used to use and the PDA was 6 years old so it was slow compared to current models. (HP IPAQ 5450)

stef_uk · 6th June 2009, 12:15

At the end of the day all said and done this is a stereo and used for the playing of music...yet no mention of sound quality...this being the most important feature for me...yes it looks pretty and does all you could ever ask of it but does it sound good?

I would like one of these but it needs to sound as good as it looks

stef

CDTi · 6th June 2009, 17:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacGyver

Eamonn the unit looks great and when we get round to an all ireland meet, dont be surprised if im drooling all over it!

I'll have to fit it first

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenWilliams

How do you find the speed it runs the apps?

Its actually quite OK on most of the applications. Some of the stuff does run a bit slow or crashes but the vast bulk of the progarms are fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stef_uk

At the end of the day all said and done this is a stereo and used for the playing of music...yet no mention of sound quality...this being the most important feature for me...yes it looks pretty and does all you could ever ask of it but does it sound good?

I would like one of these but it needs to sound as good as it looks

stef

Erm, I did mention that I have not fitted the unit yet so I cannot comment on the audio quality i.e.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdti

I still haven't actually fitted the unit to my car so I don't really know what the audio quality.

trebor · 6th June 2009, 17:07

i have one of these units fitted and the sound is fine for me through my existing speakers, there are also some audio out leads on the back of the
unit so guess you could improve with extra speakers, but never been a "massive sub woofer in the boot" person lol

29th May 2009, 15:53	#1
CDTi This is my second home No longer in the MGR club Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tipperary Posts: 3,933 Thanks: 35 Thanked 51 Times in 35 Posts	Those Chinese double din GPS/DVD/TV/Ipod head units Following on from the recent spate of members successfully fitting these HUs, I decided to take the plunge myself. TBH, I am quite happy with my existing Eclipse unit but a larger screen would be nicer. I had purchased the newer version of my Eclipse with a bigger screen, but I had to return it as there is a generic fault with these newer systems . I wasn't a happy bunny having to pay postage costs and customs . So anyway all the recent 7" installations made my 4.3" feeling a little inadequate. I had a quick look on eBay and discovered a myriad of these 7" systems that seem to offer very good value for money i.e. about one third to a quarter of the price of a similar branded unit like Pioneer/Kenwood. I subsequently spent several hours researching these units - both by asking eBay Sellers some questions and finding Chinese websites that actually sell them. Thanks to the experiences of others on here, I knew of some of the pitfalls and eventually narrowed down my choice to these two: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=200336350683 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-CAR-DVD-PLAY...item41463d7312 Both systems cost about the same and have GPS/DVD/analog TV/DIVX/CD/full Ipod control/steering control etc etc.I really wanted to go for the first unit as I liked the GUI and the fact that its buttonless (for a sleeker look ). Also the Seller has been around for a years. In the end, I went for the second item, mainly because the first didn't have RDS and it seems to be a relatively new product so any problems wouldn't have been sorted out yet. Its OK to buy a new model Pioneer/Kenwood where there is a proper support service but with these cheaper systems, forget it! So, the total cost was $340 - about £215. The Seller even went to the trouble of wrapping it like a present for customs reasons on his own initiative . In the end, the package got through customs without being examined or opened but I don't think this was due to the lovely red dragon gift wrapping. My initial reaction upon opening the box was very good. The unit is very well made and the overall quality of the materials is excellent - no crappy plastics, metals etc. The motorised display is very good also. Here are a few pics: (the actual display quality is much better than shown in the pics - no vertical lines etc. I had to resize the pics and some distortion was generated in the images) Like a lot of these Chinese units, I think the GUI is crappy. If only they spent a little more on R&D on the firmware, I think these systems would be very hard to beat. I can't change the skin on mine like Rob (Trebor) can, but apparently the whole GUI can be changed by manipulating the firmware - see here: http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/f...sp?FORUM_ID=71 One part of the GUI that I'm very happy with is the Ipod interface. You get full Ipod control from the screen or remote. In some ways it is better than my current Eclipse in this way, but my Eclipse is better for searching. Unfortunately despite all my research, the motorised display is too large for my double din bezel . Rob had the same problem and I really should have checked this out more. I did ensure that the overall size of the unit was comparable with my Eclipse but I forgot about the moving display. D'oh! Rob removed the top bar of his bezel to fit his HU so I am currently debating doing the same. Alternatively, I could sell this unit on and buy a system with a non-moving display as my bezel opeing would be fine for a fixed display. __________________ 'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. Last edited by CDTi; 29th May 2009 at 15:58..

29th May 2009, 19:56	#3
trebor This is my second home Rover 75 CDTi Connoisseur SE & MG ZT Saloon 190 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coven Posts: 12,523 Thanks: 526 Thanked 1,877 Times in 885 Posts	looks good Eamonn, and dont forget i paid £280 for mine plus £50 for the steering PACSW1x from USA so you have made a considerable saving and your i pod screen displays track details which mine doesnt. Pity the install is such a pig but worth it in the end imo, i still have to sort out changing my initial splash screen which is work in progress at the minute __________________ www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk Robs Car Gallery Coven near Wolverhampton WV9 2000 Cowley Built Rover 75 2.0 V6 Club SE/ Atlantic Blue/ Sandstone/Walnut (daily driver) 2003 Land Rover Freelander 1 TD4 HSE Helsinki Blue/Black Leather (swmbo daily driver)

5th June 2009, 16:16	#5
trebor This is my second home Rover 75 CDTi Connoisseur SE & MG ZT Saloon 190 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coven Posts: 12,523 Thanks: 526 Thanked 1,877 Times in 885 Posts	Eamonn, You got there before me, well done, i want it NOW ! __________________ www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk Robs Car Gallery Coven near Wolverhampton WV9 2000 Cowley Built Rover 75 2.0 V6 Club SE/ Atlantic Blue/ Sandstone/Walnut (daily driver) 2003 Land Rover Freelander 1 TD4 HSE Helsinki Blue/Black Leather (swmbo daily driver)

5th June 2009, 23:06	#7
StevenWilliams This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon 2.5 V6 British Racing Green. 81,000 miles and counting Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Crawley, West Sussex Posts: 6,183 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	How do you find the speed it runs the apps? One thing I have noticed with the ones I've played with is they seem much slower than the WINCE based PDA I used to use and the PDA was 6 years old so it was slow compared to current models. (HP IPAQ 5450) __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Rover 75 2.5 2000 Club SE. British Racing Green. MEMBER NUMBER: MMMDCCXXVI Looking for: 7 seater

6th June 2009, 12:15	#8
stef_uk Gets stuck in ZT75 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: leicestershire Posts: 904 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	At the end of the day all said and done this is a stereo and used for the playing of music...yet no mention of sound quality...this being the most important feature for me...yes it looks pretty and does all you could ever ask of it but does it sound good? I would like one of these but it needs to sound as good as it looks stef __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

29th May 2009, 17:27	#2
Robson Rover Repair NI/ROI RS ZT-T 190 / 75 Diesel x3 / 6 door limo / 216 Cabby / Rover 25 van Join Date: May 2009 Location: Antrim Posts: 8,103 Thanks: 299 Thanked 1,046 Times in 568 Posts	Looks fantastic, really impressed with it. Wounder will they start making double din head unit fascias now they are going to be a chinese market car etc. Happy with the unit then?

5th June 2009, 22:49	#6
Robson Rover Repair NI/ROI RS ZT-T 190 / 75 Diesel x3 / 6 door limo / 216 Cabby / Rover 25 van Join Date: May 2009 Location: Antrim Posts: 8,103 Thanks: 299 Thanked 1,046 Times in 568 Posts	Eamonn the unit looks great and when we get round to an all ireland meet, dont be surprised if im drooling all over it!

6th June 2009, 17:07	#10
trebor This is my second home Rover 75 CDTi Connoisseur SE & MG ZT Saloon 190 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Coven Posts: 12,523 Thanks: 526 Thanked 1,877 Times in 885 Posts	i have one of these units fitted and the sound is fine for me through my existing speakers, there are also some audio out leads on the back of the unit so guess you could improve with extra speakers, but never been a "massive sub woofer in the boot" person lol __________________ www.midlandsnanomeets.co.uk Robs Car Gallery Coven near Wolverhampton WV9 2000 Cowley Built Rover 75 2.0 V6 Club SE/ Atlantic Blue/ Sandstone/Walnut (daily driver) 2003 Land Rover Freelander 1 TD4 HSE Helsinki Blue/Black Leather (swmbo daily driver)