grasshopper

Finally got my DVD player installed and everything working "as it should." It's the Pioneer P6800, with 7" screen and 6 disc changer as it's selling features.

I'll first get the DVD playback out of the way 'cos I know that is the hottest topic with these toys. I don't know if this was how others have circumvented the DVD blockout with other units, 'cos I got lost in all the mess. Anyway, in order to enable playback at all times, I had to hook up a on-off switch on the park wire, which just completes the ground connection when depressed. You cannot just ground it, 'cos the player requires you activate the circuit after the DVD is loaded. So, you leave it off, play disc, see warning message, turn ground on, press OK on additional warning message. If you leave the switch on, just click it off and on again after playback. I mounted the switch on the parking brake adjuster access panel in the center console and grounded it under one of the nuts holding the parking brake down. Also, I initially had the park wire hooked up "legally" and it would not play DVDs at all... until I hooked up the illumination wire (?!?). It seems odd, but that's the way it went down.

The video image is smooth and sharp when sitting in the seat normally. It has all the same picture options as a regular TV for stretching the image to fit. Nothing much else to say, just a good picture.

The menu system is what I really like. The interface is very intuitive, to the point I needed to use the manual only to determine how to adjust the angle of the screen, 'cos I never thought to hold the OPEN button down. There are lots of backgrounds to choose from which definitely puts this unit ahead of the Kenwoods, but frankly I like the clock screen the best with the MP3 files listed on the left and the Artist displayed on the top.

Pioneer's 3 band parametric EQ is one of my favorite tone controls to use. I hate graphic EQs 'cos they never give me the sound I want, especially the average 2 band graphic such as the stock unit has.

The only gripe I have at this point is that it DOES NOT play MP3 DVDs. All my files are 320kbps so the DVDs would be nice, but I'll survive since it's got 6 slots to fill. I cannot comment on satellite radio, ipod or navi functionallity as I don't have those additions at the moment. But, all together a great piece of hardware, good performance, great interface and pretty pictures to look at when not driving.


Crutchfield has the unit for $1400 new, $1200 as an open-box... but I got it from greatdeals4uonline on eBay for $900 shipped and it was delivered in a timely manner and new-in-box as described.


A couple pics...

V6MustangKnight

i wanna get something like that but im not sure if it would drain my battery for playing dvds too long....and how much do u think it would cost to get one professionally installed since i dont know how to do that? lol

bl1nk

Definately the hottest and best HU replacement I have seen yet, excellent job. I have noticed though that most HU replacements that have a plastic surrounding piece, always look a different color black from the stock plastic. I know its a picky thing, but having different texture and look just seems tacky to me. I cant really tell from your picture because of the glare I guess but how close are the shades of black on the plastic? Definately looks good though, how hard was install?

chrisc

bl1ink, if you want it to match exactly, you need to take it to a place that will make a custom one for you. i had the same issue when i wanted to install mine, but when i went to car toys, they found a place that would make it



btw, that looks like a sweet system

grasshopper

I would guess that the it would cost around $80 for install, but that's a guess from someone who hasn't paid to have a stereo installed in nearly a decade. One "trick" is adding the 5V voltage regulator to the amp turn on for the Shaker500/1000 subs. I soldered leads on mine and then shrink wrapped each lead, then shrink wrapped the leads together to prevent them from wiggling loose, then put a shrink over the whole regulator and leads to make it nice and snug. The other trick is the illumination wire. There is no illumination wire on the radio harness so I had to patch it to the Grey/White wire on the climate control harness. Everything else is easy and no more difficult than any other headunit install in the average car.

The black seems to be identical, though the texture is a bit different. The contour is also very slightly different between the bezel and the instrument panel. I'm usually pretty **** about this stuff too, but it completely dissolved to the back of my mind real easy. The sound and imagery is far beyond the stock system so I can make exceptions.

The install was a breeze. The hardest part was the voltage regulator for the sub amp turn-on wire, 'cos I hadn't soldered in years and was trying to do the job of three hands with only two. Turned out real nice in the end though. I used the bolt holding the SRS module underneath the radio as a ground point so I didn't need to search far for one. And aside from having to remove the whole center console just to get the radio out it wasn't too bad.

grasshopper

Even if you don't get one of these beasts, I definitely recommend getting an aftermarket deck and new 6x8s for the doors at least. The front speakers are crossed over terribly so the 8" "subs" are more like midbass. The component plates don't play anything under 200Hz, I'm guessing, so the subs end up doing a lot of vocal work that they shouldn't be. This is a big contributor to the door rattle and buzz. I have the subs crossed at 80Hz and the 6x8s crossed at 50Hz, even though I don't think they can play that low. The subs can now belt out a kick drum that blows air on my legs and the door hardly makes any noise at all. The clarity is far superior as well and the highs are a lot less harsh. Just a $150 deck and $40 6x8s would provide all the same satisfaction, and provide all the same functions, minus the in-dash changer.

blaven

What did you do about hooking up your radio antenna to your new headunit? I just got a Alpine iva-w200 and my factory antenna cable will not fit into the alpine unit so i can listen to radio stations. I've been looking everywhere for an adapter but can't find anything at all. Thanks in advance.

grasshopper

You shouldn't need an adaptor. There are only two antenna connectors used in all cars... Motorola and GM (smaller than the Motorola). Naturally, the GM is used in all GMs, and the Motorola is used in everything else. I had to "aim" the antenna connector just right to get it in the Pioneer, but it fits.

blaven

hmm thats strange when i took out my shaker 500 the antenna had a small pin sized hole in it and that had a piece of plastic wraped around it. That part was connected to the actual antenna wire. Then in the back of the shaker 500 HU was where this plastic part fit in and over what looks like a needle. I never saw anything hooked up like that before. I dunno maybe they did something new for 07 with um.

dmhines

That looks great ... I just installed a Pioneer 7800MP ... and just took a ride. There is no illumation when it is powered off .. Guess Crutchfield forgot about that part in there directions. They did have you attach the illumanation wire to the harness but obviously it does nothing ..