Aftermarket fitting TV

[Jadran]

Hi all!
Does anyone knows what it takes for me to have a TV in my GPS?
I have the CD based model.

[TrueBlue]

Welcome to the forum, Jadran.


There were several posts on this subject a while ago, where I think it was said to be "impossible". There weren't any details as to why not, but I suspect there was major cabling changes as well as a complete unit change.

Do a search for TV and see what you get.

[Jadran]

I had a look at the unit and saw that there are 1-2 free sockets for fitting cables, and a place for fitting one more unit.
I have been asking Volvo here in sweden and the guy told me it would be like 200euro, I find that hard to belive.
But he also told me to get back in October to ask a guy who knows more, so we'll see.

[TrueBlue]

Sorry, I sent you on a fool's errand; I did a search and the search engine said the search word was not good enough. Also I don't seem to be able to go back very far, and wonder if Coastal has dumped the archive...

Anyway 200 Euros doesn't seem much; over here the TV option is 500GBP - 735 Euros........

I have the option in my car, and quite frankly it's pretty useless, OK we're in a poor signal strength area and the few time that I have stopped I couldn't get a signal either.

I have now idea what sort of signals you get in Sweden, but it might be worth checking before you spend any money. It migt be better value to get an aftermarket device for your rear seat passengers.

[Jadran]

Yes you might be right in that, just thought it would be nice to have when travelling and stopping at rest stops.
But now I'm looking also to find a TV module for my laptop, that might perhaps be a better idea.

[TrueBlue]

Happuage do some nice modules - but you'll have the same problem:- TV transmission equipment is designed for fixed site use and unless you are very near the transmitter you will need a "multi element directional aerial" in order to maximise the signal. What you have in a car is not much more than a piece of string, so it's not surprising that reception is a bit "iffy". Your car is at ground level, so the signal will be less than in a building.

Not trying to put you off - because you could prove me wrong, but I'd be disappointed if you spent a lorra, lorra money on something that doesn't work.

Time to do some research, Over here you can ge signal strength maps - perhaps a similar facility is available for you.

Do come back with your results; I'm happy to be wrong!!!

Mike.

[AWD*V70XC]

Yes you might be right in that, just thought it would be nice to have when travelling and stopping at rest stops.
But now I'm looking also to find a TV module for my laptop, that might perhaps be a better idea.

You cannot use the TV option while the car is in motion, there is a cut off against the engine or revs or something that cuts the TV option off. It is also illegal for a driver of any vehicle to have the view of a TV screen for obvious reasons!!!

With regards to Trueblue's comments about string and all that, you will find that the TV tuner has an amp in it which will work quite well in an stationary position. I have found most TV's in cars that I drive (Bentley, MB, Audi) to be average compared to watching the 'box' at home (and these cars are top of the range). I don't think you will ever achieve the clarity of home TV on a car set regardless of where you are positioned.


I am also looking into an after market dropdown TV system for the car, but not this one as I hope to change it soon, but will look at all the options then.

[Art]

Bit OT here, but I remember seeing several of the Japanese XC members utilizing Volvo/Panasonic systems in their cars. In fact, the Volvo showroom in Nagoya had complete Panasonic 3D HDD Nav systems on display.

The new Volvo nav system available for the Japanese market (S60/V70) employs a 30 gig hard drive with 12GB entertainment bank allowing you to view videos/photos by simply plugging in a SD card. There is also a USB connection for downloading MP3 files directly from your laptop. The 3D display has touch controls and is fully integrated into the center speaker console.
I left thinking, ‘Wow, I wonder if we’ll ever see anything close to this come to market?!’

Panasonic HS400D

[NeuDaddi]

If our navigation systems are DVD-based, is the system really just a DVD player? If I was to take out the DVD in my system now and stick a DVD movie in there, what would happen?

Has anyone tried this? I might give it a shot just for fun when I get home tonight.