Showing posts with label car gps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car gps. Show all posts

12/29/2011

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT 7-Inch Flagship In-Dash Navigation A/V Receiver with DVD Playback and Bluetooth Review

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT 7-Inch Flagship In-Dash Navigation A/V Receiver with DVD Playback and Bluetooth
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I'm glad I didn't read the review here before I bought this unit, or I'd have missed out on what is for me a great unit. Let me address the previous review line by line with the differences I see.
- no support for cd changers but many feel that because of usb drives and ipods, changers are legacy...whatever!
What's a CD? Does anybody use them anymore? :)
- touch screen has a sweet spot that is small and off-center so it's easy to make the wrong selection and have to waste time on a redo...
Haven't noticed it yet. There is a calibration for the screen that needs/can be done so maybe that would fix your issue.
- no IR functionality which means wireless remotes cannot be used and this unit really needs one...
I never liked remotes in a car. I've had three head units that had remotes, including the one I just took out. Never put a battery in them. The head unit is arms length away, the remote is under the seat, stuck to a french fry, whatever. What is the remote for? I know some people like them, I just never have.
- xm works great BUT xm traffic is not supported, only msn direct...
Yeah, XM traffic would be better. MSN is a no go. Per their website they are shutting down the service. However, all the online reviews of this unit say getting the MSN is a no brainer, that it's data in invaluable. Go figure.
- no exterior mute button....
Hold down the voice prompt button and it mutes. I luckily noticed this in the manual when I was perusing it during the install.
- installing the hd radio module disables regular am/fm functionality...
Hmm, that's odd. I asked about it and wasn't told this was an issue. I didn't get HD radio so I cannot comment.
- route guidance has no introductory statement to start your route, you just start driving and eventually it begins giving directions...
Good. The less it talks the better. I have people in the car, the telephone going, stuff to remember to do. Just tell me where to turn already, skip the rest.
- route guidance audio does not identify by exit number, street or exit name, just take next and you must look at screen for what next is...
Hmm, good point. I didn't think about this before. I guess refer to the point above for me. Just keep me from blasting by the turn. I'll handle the rest. The road, distance, and direction of turn are on screen.
- last unit i had gave me my vehicle speed as well as the current posted speed limit, this unit gives neither...
Agreed! Sorta. I love having the GPS speed on screen for some strange reason. The GPS speed is available on a setup/calibration screen, but not on the main screen to my knowledge. I guess I can get my GPS calculated speed fix there. As for the speed limit on the GPS, I think I'll trust the handy dandy signs that were happily stuck in the ground for my personal amusement along the side of the road.
- adding a route is real work. to start a route you must type each and every complete word exactly, it does not help you complete words with suggested common choices nor is it flexible when searching...
Type in part of the word and hit enter, it'll show the most likely matches. The route seemed perfectly easy to enter to me, and thank God, the keyboard layout is a QWERTY so you know where the letter is without singing the alphabet song.
- when recalculating a route, it says nothing and starts the process very slowly.
Again, thank God. Say less, do more. I hate it when you are going off route manually and you don't want to key in your change. "Recalculating route....Recalculating route...etc, etc until you give in and either cancel the route or get through your detour."
- there is a search by address voice function, but it's slow and awkward, using it is a real struggle...
All voice commands are slow and awkward to me. I've been amazed at how accurate this thing has been so far.
- no voice commands for basics such as "go home", "cancel route", etc. so you must touch screen through several menu layers for them...
I haven't tried this yet. Go home should be a voice command. I agree. Good points. I did take the time to setup my custome home screen. It has icons for cancel route and go home so they are right there on the home screen. Nice.
POI TRULY SUCKS...
I already tried some POIs. They were not in there as often as I'd like so I agree. But, via the SD card you can load POIs so I'll give it a pass. If it's something I need I'll load it. If not, oh well. I can always look up the address. I did take the time to load some POIs just to see how this worked. I now have every Hooters in the US on my GPS. Sorta overkill as I really don't like chicken wings that much but considering how easy it was to add thousands of esoteric POI waypoints, I think it would be hard to knock what they have built in.
So far, this unit has been pretty much everything I wanted. I pulled out and replaced a Clarion 675 VXD with this Pioneer. It's so much better than the Clarion it's hard to imagine. Everything works as it's supposed to on the Pioneer. Not so on the Clarion. And Pioneer is using Parrott's bluetooth technology. I love Parrott.
I do have a couple of squawks that aren't mentioned previously. The unit, like everything in this country today, has a legal warning. Of course, somebody lost a lawsuit somewhere along the way and not only do we have to agree not to be stupid once, we now have to agree every time the unit boots. I've sort of resigned myself to this fact of life, however, there is a quirk with the Pioneer. Until you ok the legal screen, some of the functionality doesn't work. The iPod voice recognition it does at every boot up doesn't start until you have clicked ok and if you have just updated your iPod this VR load can take several minutes. If you are on the audio screen, as I often am, the warning screen doesn't appear. It's a navigation warning screen, so audio is playing from your last song but the unit is effectively nerfed until you click ok, no VR load, no audio commands, etc. The backup camera does work and it does immediately, which is good. It can be frustrating to jump in the car, fire up and want to start a phone conversation right away but the voice commands won't work till the VR load finishes, the VR load won't start till you click ok, and none of that will start till you click ok on the nav screen which probably isn't up and running. It would be nice if after 30 seconds you haven't clicked ok, it just times out and starts it's normal process or if the warning screen would pop up over navigation and audio so you can click ok. (Update to this note.) Turns out the issue above is actually a quirk of my installation. We may have accidentally performed a work around to eliminate the speed sensing ability of the Pioneer, which would enable the use of the navigation system, and video playback, while the vehicle is in motion. The issue I noted above is a side effect of this work around. Out of the box, this issue apparently does not exist, but you cannot use the navigation system above 10mph, which is in itself annoying in my opinion.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT 7-Inch Flagship In-Dash Navigation A/V Receiver with DVD Playback and Bluetooth

The AVIC-Z110BT is Pioneer's flagship in-dash navigation system, and comes with the works. Simultaneously access mapping and route guidance information; enjoy various forms of audio and video entertainment; control an Apple iPod/iPhone and a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone with natural voice commands; and receive updated traffic, weather and local event information via an optional MSN Direct tuner. The AVIC-Z110BT navigation system features a large motorized 7-inch touch panel display, CD/DVD Video playback, built-in Bluetooth and a customizable touch screen interface for quick access to frequently used features.

Key reasons to upgrade from AVIC-X910BT:
Powerful processor with video accelerator
New Customizable Shortcut Menu
Larger 7" display (WVGA high-resolution)
Motorized Display with Automatic Display Positioning (5 settings)
High-Volt Preouts x3 (4 Volt) for clean, powerful signal to optional amplifiers
7-Band Graphic Equalizer provides more precise audio tuning control
Bluetooth Audio Streaming (A2DP and AVRCP)
Navigation destination entry by Voice Control (Address Search, POI selection by category or brand name)
Background processing of Voice Recognition (VR) Cataloging
City Map display
5 Simultaneous route calculation
Road Preference routing and Intelligent Re-Route
Brand Icon POI's
Optional Mexico Map (CNSD-OMM013)
Fuel Cost Routing & Report
Dual Zone Audio/Video
Advanced A/V Codec with additional formats (WMV and H.264) for USB/SD Card playback


The Last Word in Navigation The line of AVIC-Z products have long been considered the last word in navigation, and this year, the AVIC-Z110BT stays true to its Pioneer heritage with its high performance features. Out of the box, this system comes with 12 million points of interest and a massive map database to help you find the nearest destination. The built-in Text-to-Speech engine clearly pronounces turn-by-turn direction and street names to ensure smooth travels.
The AVIC-Z110BT also offers a wide variety of map views tailored to different driving experiences. For example, "Rear View" allows you to watch your cargo in tow with your optional back-up camera while simultaneously being able to view the map. High-resolution 2D and 3D maps provide renderings of nearby landmarks and terrain to help you navigate the world around you. The Z's high-powered graphics processor and precision-guided GPS sensor deliver stunningly detailed mapping with amazing accuracy.
Pioneer's AVIC-Z110BT takes convenience to the next level with voice-activated navigation. You can simply input an address by voice or find a place to re-fuel by saying, "Find the nearest gas station" or "Find the nearest McDonalds".

AVIC FEEDS for iPhone now available Unleash the power of your Pioneer navigation system with the AVIC FEEDS for iPhone application. Find a destination, then transfer it to your Pioneer navigation system for turn-by-turn routing.
Bridge the Gap Start Planning your route before you even step into your car with the free AVIC FEEDS app. Now you can seamlessly use your iPhone with your Pioneer navigation receiver. Simply find your destination with the built-in Google Maps interface and transfer it via Bluetooth for easy, turn-by-turn directions.
Picture Yourself There The AVIC FEEDS app also allows you to use the geo-tag data in your photos to be routed directly to places you've visited. The built-in GPS feature of iPhone 3G and 3GS has the ability to embed geo-tag information in the photos you take with its camera. AVIC FEEDS allows you to save destinations by reading these geo-tags. You can also use AVIC FEEDS to create destinations from geo-tagged photos that are sent to your iPhone.

Your iPod (and iPhone) Will Thank You On top of being an exceptional navigator, the AVIC-Z series delivers an iPod experience that blows away FM transmitters or cassette adaptors. Even at the first glance, you will fall in love with the easy-to-use touch screen controls for your music and brilliant 7-inch display for your videos. Album art is also beautifully displayed.
With the optional cable (CD-IU50V) connected to your iPod, you will notice how easily you can find songs, videos, artists, or playlists with a few simple taps of your finger. Pioneer has also created powerful searching tools such as Link Play and Alphabet Search to help you find content faster.
The AVIC-Z110BT also features voice-activated control of your iPod. Simply say the name of an artist, album, playlist, or genre to bring up the next song.

Ditch the Headset with Built-in Bluetooth Take incoming calls through the AVIC-Z110BT, and be heard clearly without a headset courtesy of Bluetooth technology. Connecting your compatible phone is easy and gives you instant touch screen access to your contacts. You can also dial a contact with the sound of your voice by simply saying "Call Jack Smith."

Customize and Colorize This all-new AVIC-Z110BT features a revolutionary touch screen interface that let's you build your own home screen with the navigation, multi-media and Bluetooth functions that your use most. Simply drag and drop a function's icon in the menu to create up to 15 shortcuts within your home screen.
You can further customize the navigation receiver by adjusting button illumination color to match the interior of your car, or by uploading your own boot-up screen photo.

Get Connected with MSN Direct With the optional tuner (ND-MDT10), access up-to-date information from MSN Direct on your AVIC-Z110BT. MSN Direct is the ultimate in-car convenience, offering news, traffic, stock quotes, weather, movie times, and gas prices. Because MSN Direct can work seamlessly with system's navigation, you can be routed directly to a theater after finding the right show time, or have traffic flow overlayed on your route.
Enjoy MSN Direct free for the first three months when you add Pioneer's optional tuner (ND-MDT10) to the AVIC-Z110BT.

The Freedom of Speech Navigation functions, iPod audio control and hands-free Bluetooth calling can all be controlled with the sound of your voice. Voice-activated control over your navigation system not only performs in-car tasks with greater speed, but helps you keep your eyes (and attention) on the road ahead.

Media Mogul Built to navigate, but born to entertain, the AVIC-Z110BT offers audio and video playback from the most popular formats. Whether you're watching DivX files on DVD, H.264 video on SD card or iTunes AAC files on CD, there are dozens of playback options for your favorite media. You will also appreciate the Z's ability to simultaneously entertain your front and back seat passengers with two different audio and video sources using Dual Zone functionality.

Audiophile-grade Sound Architecture Just because the AVIC-Z110BT features one of the most robust navigation platforms in the industry, doesn't mean it holds back on high-end sound quality. With 3 sets of hi-volt (4V) pre-outs, custom designed power supply capacitors and a 7-band graphic equalizer, you can build a massive system worthy of hi-fi listening.

Expanded Listening The AVIC-Z110BT gives you plenty of room to expand your broadcast options. With optional tuners, experience the vast channel selection of XM Sirius Satellite Radio and HD Radio.
What's in the Box AVIC-Z110BT main unit, Power cord, Connector Extension lead (for reverse signal), Extension lead (for speed signal), GPS antenna, RCA connector, USB connector, Microphone

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12/05/2011

Garmin nüvi 1350/1350T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic Review

Garmin nüvi 1350/1350T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have this unit for 10 days now and overall I am very happy with it. For its mainstream feature, navigation, it is excellent. I had a Garmin 350 before this which I loved but it was stolen from my car. I had a Magellan after that which was crap. The price on this unit was great ($247 - Amazon).
I chose it over the 1390T because I opted to not get bluetooth. It is the only difference between the units. I felt the bluetooth quality would be poor based on other reviews of bluetooth in general on GPS units. The main reason was in the way most people use bluetooth. In a typical day I am in and out of my car often. I always need my bluetooth immediately in case I get a call. I don't always need my GPS. And since my previous unit was stolen, and theft of these units is a big problem everywhere, I keep the unit hidden or sometimes remove it from the car. So if you are like me but you get this unit for bluetooth, you will need to stop and mount your gps everytime you get in the car whether you need it or not, just to have blue tooth capability. If you forget and the cell phone rings, you have no bluetooth. So I purchased a separate bluetooth speaker phone from Jabra (very good unit# which is always attached to my visor, pretty good quality, and always there when I need it. I saved about $75 by opting for the 1350T over the 1390T.
A few minor disappointments. The Lane Assist feature works great but is not available everywhere. I used it around NYC and it was helpful. I drove through Pennsylvania and upstate NY and it was not available. Marketing material hypes this feature but they neglect to tell you this one point. But when it is available, it is a great feature. That brings me to traffic. Same story here. I was driving through PA and hit a 1 hour traffic jam. No warnings from the traffic feature because it was not available in that area. When I got to the Scranton, PA area the traffic alerts started working. It alerted me of a major traffic jam ahead and it even rerouted my trip automatically. The reroute would have been a significant addition in miles but would be worth it to avoid the traffic, right? I decided to ignore the re-route just to test the unit to see if the alert was accurate and I was willing to endure the traffic. As I drove my original route, no traffic anywhere. So had I listened to the traffic alert, I would have driven 50 miles out of my way for nothing. Bottom line is, don't let the traffic feature be a deal breaker for the unit you choose. But then again, I got the 1350T for about the same price as the 1350 #same unit without traffic). Updating the map was more difficult than it should have been. I consider myself a very technical person with computers and gadgets but the map update did not go smoothly and took me several tries. I could see where many people will have difficulty with this if they attempt to update the map.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin nüvi 1350/1350T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

The widescreen nuvi 1350T adds free traffic alerts to the nuvi 1350. In addition, this ultra-thin GPS has preloaded maps for North America or Europe, announces streets by name, guides you to the proper lane for navigation, offers pedestrian navigation options and calculates a more fuel-efficient route with ecoRoute.


Navigate City Transit With its enhanced pedestrian navigation capabilities, nuvi 1350T is the perfect travel companion for getting around town. Download optional cityXplorer content to help you navigate city public transit. Know where to walk, where to catch the bus, subway, tram or other transportation and how long it will take to get there. cityXplorer maps are available for select cities throughout North America and Europe. And with prices as low as $9.99, you'll have money left over to spend in the big city.

Take It With You Twenty-five percent slimmer than other nuvis, you can take the ultra-thin 1350T anywhere. It easily fits in your pocket or purse, and its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.

Know the Lane Before It's Too Late No more guessing which lane you need to be in to make an upcoming turn. Lane assist guides you to the correct lane for an approaching turn or exit, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate.

See More With nuvi 1350T's widescreen display, you'll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read--from any direction.

Get Turn-by-Turn Directions nuvi 1350T's intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where To?" and "View Map." Touch the color screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions that speak street names to your destination. It comes preloaded with detailed City Navigator NT street maps, nearly 6 million points of interest (POIs), 2-D or 3-D maps and the speed limit for most major roads. Its digital elevation maps show you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. With the 1350T's enhanced user interface, you can slide your finger to conveniently scroll between screens. You can also upload custom points of interest (POIs). And with HotFix satellite prediction, nuvi calculates your position faster to get you there quicker.

Receive Free Traffic Alerts Steer clear of traffic with nuvi 1350T's integrated FM traffic receiver and free lifetime* traffic updates. Receive alerts about traffic delays and road construction that lie ahead on your route. Next, simply touch nuvi's screen to view traffic details or detour around the problem area.

Go Beyond Navigation Navigation is just the beginning. nuvi 1350T saves you gas and money with ecoRoute--a green feature that calculates the most fuel-efficient route, tracks fuel usage and more. The 1350T includes many travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. With photo navigation, you can download pictures from Garmin Connect Photos and navigate to them. It's also compatible with MSN Direct (receiver purchase and subscription required). With its "Where Am I?" emergency locator, you always know your location. Simply tap the screen to get your exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations. The 1350T features Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and is compatible with our free Garmin Garage where you can download custom custom voices and vehicles. Enhance your travel experience with optional plug-in microSD cards.
What's in the Box nuvi 1350, pre-loaded City Navigator NT for North America, lifetime traffic, FM traffic receiver with vehicle power cable, vehicle suction cup mount, and quick start manual.

Compare all Garmin nuvisClick the button below to compare by series, user type, and features.
Visit Garmin.com at https://www8.garmin.com/support/download.jsp to get the latest firmware updates for your nuvi to keep it current and performing at its best. *Lifetime traffic extends for the useful life of your Garmin traffic receiver (as long as you own a compatible Garmin GPS) or as long as Garmin receives traffic data from its traffic supplier, whichever is shorter. Traffic content not available for all areas. See www.navteq.com/rdstraffic for traffic coverage areas and www.garmin.com/traffic/fm/navteq.html for program License Agreement containing complete terms and conditions.

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Buy cheap Garmin nüvi 1350/1350T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic now.