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Reviews (2)
03 December 2010
Much better than expected.
I read all the reviews that I could find about this receiver before I bought it. Most of the reviews would probably steer you away from the unit. I'm not sure where they are coming from. I think you have to consider the price before the expectations you have. I paid far less than the original retail price, and feel I got a lot for my money. As for all the bugs that the unit is supposed to have, mine is free of them. I only had to reset it once, just after the install. The navigation works great, no complaints. The thing sounds great, looks great, lots of bells and whistles. All functions are working as they should. This unit can be modified and updated without too much trouble. I'd say the only function that this one is missing is the dual zone audio, so you can listen to the radio in the front of the car, and play a movie in the back. It would be nice when playing a dvd for the kids (hooked up to a rear monitor)...then you don't have to listen to the same thing in the front of the car.
Overall I'm very happy with the purchase! Again, for the money, I think its the best Navigation/DVD/Sat. Radio ready/Bluetooth unit out there.
05 September 2010
Works well for us, especially towing a 5th wheel.
1 of 1 found this helpful We have a 2002 GMC Sierra, which we wanted GPS, Ipod controls, bluetooth and a reverse camera (for towing) installed in. The truck does not have a double DIN size stereo, so our options were limited in the in-dash setups. We didn't like the motorized units, so we looked into the AVIC-F500BT. The unit is a little bunky (its got a huge screen), but we had a great spot below the HVAC controls, on the center console. It took some ingenuity, but we got it mounted nicely. It seemed to do everything we wanted. We also purchased the optional amp and ipod controls for it. Install wasn't terrible, but you can buy a wire harness made for the Parrott bluetooth systems that will work with the optional amp setup. (would make it MUCH easier!) So how does it all work?
-The GPS itself seems to work decent, so no complaints there. Very similar to our Garmin.
-The bluetooth is actually pretty clear and works well. As good as our Parrot unit in another truck.
-The reverse camera is awesome! This is the best feature for us, especially with the big screen it has. We have done the bypass mod, so we can drive with it on. This is great when you're towing a trailer! Its an easy mod, don't pay for it, google it.
-The ipod control is great, but the sound is weak through the optional amp. I will buy a Aux input for the factory stereo and see if wiring it through there might give me more volume.
-The optional amp as stated above is weak. It does iterrupt the factory radio/cd or even the ipod to give you gps instructions or incoming calls, which is great. I don't think its completely necessary, but nice to have.
-Voice commands...this feature is a joke. I have yet to get it to do anything I want it to. It never seems to do anything even close to what you say. Maybe mine is sestup for a different language? :) I jut flat out don't use this function, its horrible!
Overall, for our application, this was a great purchase.
I'd say if you can install a complete system in your dash, do it that way! (AVIC-f700bt, f900bt, etc) It will be much easier to install, and I think you would be much more happy with it. As I said, if you can't get an in-dash system, and you have the space for a bulky unit (with a nice big screen) this is a great option!