At current in my car I have a mid-line JVC head unit. It has two pre-outs for speakers, plus one for subs (with a separate volume channel).

It reads CD's, as well as Mp3-DVD's. It can also play video DVD's but I don't really use it for that, and generally don't keep a screen attached to it.

I'm looking for something simila in terms that it should be able to read DVD discs but NOT have a built in LCD, and certainly not run winCE or some crap like that. What I would like to add feature-wise is some bluetooth features so I don't have to have to look like a space-cadet with an earpiece hanging on my head and rubbing on my ears (hands-free is mandatory in my province now), and the ability to read either SD cards or a USB stick.

For the bluetooth, it should do A2DP (bluetooth) audio as well as the ability to handle BTSCO (bluetooth speaker-phone) functions. Basically then I can just pop in my cellphone and it can stream audio and/or interrupt a playing disc if I have a call coming in.

All the heads I've seen these days seem to have a fricking huge 6-8" pop-out LCD, touchscreen, etc etc etc. I just want something with a nice rotary volume **** and a screen that will tell me what's playing.

Even better, it can *have* that pop-out screen if it will retract/hide but still work like a normal head unit, and if the pop-out LCD can tilt to the side so when it is out my passenger(s) can watch a show without my seeing Walt Disney or whatever flashing in the corner of my eye and distracting me. No windows CE though... my computer crashes enough without me needing that crud in my car.

Not costing a grand would be nice too.

Suggestions/comments?

 

My guess is that you are going to have to do a combination of units. Soundstream may have something if anyone does. Most if not all of the mainstream headunit lines will be cd chassis only or dvd with screen chassis only. Soundstream + a Parrot bluetooth is probably going to be the best way to go for you. I use the Parrot CK3200 in my vehicle and it is incredible.

 

Interesting, just do a plain deck with RCA input then do a fold down dvd player with RCA out so you have the style deck you want and for your dvd passengers you can just select the RCA input on your deck, that's what I would do only prob is you have no control of dvd from the main deck.:s

 

Ouu and JVC makes a deck called the kamelean not the most reliable but dous what your looking for

 

Seems there are a bunch of models. The newer ones seem to be LCD-only.

JVC KD-AVX44

JVC KD-AVX77

JVC KD-ADV49


With the AVX44 it seems that the main complain is that the volume and controls etc are a pain to adjust with the capacitive-touch buttons. Supposedly it has fairly slow read-times too, which seems quite odd when my older JVC unit was faster.

On the AVX77, the complaint I see is that the screen resolution somewhat sucks for watching DVD's (the adjustable menus are supposed to be good though), but that's not something I'd likely be doing much of anyhow.

I can't see any big difference between the ADV49 and the AVX44, warranty and lighting perhaps?

 

keep a regular deck with u BT and 3 preouts and make sure it has rca input for AUX and u can run one of these little pups dvdplayer last one or witch ever then u could run ur dvd audio usb sd card. up to u lol soundstream has some too i beleive.

just take a look at they're websites

 

How about the Innovatek stuff? IN-724BTS?

(don't flame me if it sucks, never tried it)

 

umm my best freind tried a innovatek not familiar with the product codes but umm his had a motorized face plate that stoped working after a week and the overall deck was pretty weak slow and it came with a ipod atatchment, when i pluged the attatchment in the ipod menue was like crazy doss or somthing haha not a recomend when buying off ebay stick to brand names

 

Kinda figured that might be the case.

It's too bad because their units have a nice enough look to them, and seem good feature-wise, but I'm not about to trade "does cool stuff" for "likely to be broken in a few months"