5G with Video integrated into Car Video Solution

[MrWizard]

Hey Everyone,

First post the the forum - so be nice :confused:

I have been thinking of adding a DVD player to my 2005 Toyota 4Runner since I got it. When the iPod G5 with video capabilities was announced, I changed my mind. Now, I would like to use an iPod in place of the DVD player. My ideal would be to mount the iPod on the dash, where the Dock Connector provides power, and gets the video and audio out. Run that into the stereo, power line, and a video splitter. The video splitter would then go to the headrest mounted screens. I have seen all of the components with the exception of the dock connector.

Has anyone seen a dock connector for the G5 with video, audio, and power capabilities?

Thanks in adavnce,

Jeff

[MrWizard]

Oh well - thought I would ask... thanks for the views...

[mezz64]

As far as I know right now one doesnt exist. The only premade option is to buy the apple dock and get your vid out from there. Or there is always the route of making your own cable. Pick up some dock connectors and make what you need yourself.

[iPoDmy300]

I am in the same position. I have the Alpine iPod interface going to my alpine in-dash DVD player/monitor, and the only thing i use it for/can use it for is music. I also have headrest monitors installed, so video through the iPod would be awesome. I am researching the DLO HomeDock station for your house which lets you play video/music/photos to a TV or home stereo using RCA's or S-Video while charging it..... I am going to my car audio install shop tomorrow to check out if i can install the HomeDock in my car so that i may watch music videos (of course not while i am driving!)..... : ). and listen to the music at the same time. The HomeDock is 100$ through their website, but if you do some searching you can find it for like 85 on some sites. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
Matt

[MrWizard]

mezz64:

Thanks for the reply. I thought I may be a bit premature on this, but thought I would ask. I am a little nervous about making my own cable, so I will stick with the stanard AV cable not integrated solution I put together over the weekend until an aftermarket cable is released.

iPoDmy300:

Excellent - someone blazing the trail. Please let me know what your guys come up with. I may be able to steal with pride... :)

Thanks,

Jeff

[iPoDmy300]

I decided to change my plan up a little bit. I am going to save the HomeDock for home and i am going to have the shop custom mount my iPod somewhere in the front console. I haven't decided if i will use the "Universal Dock" yet, becuase the only reason i can think to use it is for cosmetics. It will probably look better if i have my iPod sitting in a dock custom installed in my dash, over having my iPod mounted with wires coming out the top (AV) and bottom (power).
I'll get some ideas stirring tomorrow, and i will post pics whenever the install takes place. By the way, i am installing a 60g Black iPod Video into my 2006 Chrysler 300C.

[ghostnotes]

This is my solution AND IT WORKS GREAT!!!!!


Did something similar here.

Got my 5g video the other day (black) and decided to go one step further. The first thing i did was get a cheap10'' wide screen filp down (monitor only) for my vehicle. Professionaly ran the video out to it and the audio back to the head unit. Works great and shuts the kids up for hours. My next step next week will be to add a small amp and switching ability so the kids can watch and listen to their fav's with headphones on while we can still listen to the radio.
Not too hard to do just making it look pretty takes a little time.
After that i think i'm going to clear coat it so the scratches don't show up



Got the amp and switching worked out. What it means is i can either play the ipod through the stereo outputting through the van's speakers for audio and video or switch the audio and video back through a small amplifier to the monitor , have the kids hook up the headphones to it and we can still play music if you need details i will post them ......it's just late and im going to bed now

[djkac]

ghostnotes,

You stated "Professionaly ran the video out to it". Could you elaborate on that? What did you use to get the video signal out from the ipod? How did you do that?

[ghostnotes]

Originally posted by djkac
ghostnotes,

You stated "Professionaly ran the video out to it". Could you elaborate on that? What did you use to get the video signal out from the ipod? How did you do that?

I did nothing to iopd I just meant that i ran the cables and wires through te A pillars and mouldings so you see no wires. I just used a headphone jack with 3 rca's on the other end like everyone else. On another note I think that the reason some people are having trouble with some of these cables they are using comes down to impedence. If you have a higher impedence due to manufactureing processes it might be a differance of only 2 to 3 ohm's, the signal will not push through. I went through 2 set's to find one that worked.And remember they transposed the outputs so video is not the yellow one as well.

I hope this helps

[MrWizard]

Hey Ghostnotes:

Your current install is pretty close to what I do now. The only problem is that I have cables all over the place to get power and av from the iPod. Thats why I am looking for a clean dock solution. The rest is not that uncommon to a DVD install...

Thanks for the ideas, and let me know if you run accross the dock solution anywhere...

[djkac]

Yeah, the 3.5mm plug to 3 rca cable will work but I'd prefer something that comes from the bottom of the iPod so it looks cleaner..

[Snowsk5054]

Use the...what is the Sikamp I think. Plugs into a cigarette lighter, and It plugs into the bottom of your ipod, charges, and has a line out. If you hook the RCA cable to that line out....you think it would display the video? Or just play the audio?

An idea....

[iPoDmy300]

Originally posted by Snowsk5054
Use the...what is the Sikamp I think. Plugs into a cigarette lighter, and It plugs into the bottom of your ipod, charges, and has a line out. If you hook the RCA cable to that line out....you think it would display the video? Or just play the audio?

An idea....

You might as well buy the universal dock and custom mount it somewhere so the wires coming out the back of it are hidden. As much as a i want to do something really cool with a custom install for the dock...i know in about a month...there will be a cable that charges the iPod and outputs your video/audio. Just have patients...go the cheap way now, and wait for the cool cable to come out!
Matt

[ghostnotes]

Beleive me it's slick.

I'm lucky enough to have 2 cubby's in my front dash so all you see is a single wire dissappearing into it.From there it goes to the pillars and up to where i have 2 free spaces where the automaitc door switches would be. I mounted 2 double throw switches there which controlls how i output depending how they are set. Then it runs back to a spare compartment where the amps and some rca splitters are then back out to each component. Then i used a notepad holder to secure the ipod in a good place. The trickest piece of equipment i used was a small key ring holder with the nylon rope, attached it to the headphone cable so it will retract the cable when i return it to the now padded pad.

[djkac]

Originally posted by Snowsk5054

Use the...what is the Sikamp I think. Plugs into a cigarette lighter, and It plugs into the bottom of your ipod, charges, and has a line out. If you hook the RCA cable to that line out....you think it would display the video? Or just play the audio?


No, the lineout is only audio.

[roodman]

I just bought two headrest monitors on Ebay for my 1996 suburban. I have a 30gig black ipod video. The truck has a stock stereo. I was thinking about trying a video out using a standard Ipod video cable and adding a charger/sound out to the bottom. I know it won't be the prettiest set up but I just want to see if it will work and then I'll make it pretty. Suburbans are a piece of cake to do this type of thing to since they are so dang big. I'll post pictures when I start playing around.

[MrWizard]

Hey Roodman,

Very similar to my current setup. You will find other than the wife acceptance factor, this works VERY well. I currenlty have over 20 hours of kids television shows on my iPod and only using a fraction of the space (i think 3GB of my 60GB black model - Gotta love Media Center Edition). Sure beats messing with DVDs. Hopefully a pretty solution will be available soon!

Jeff

[taffman]

Would be nice if the HK Drive + Play was updated to add video section to on screen display and video out on the 3.5 mini jack so it can be fed into peoples display units.

[MrWizard]

Hey Everyone,

Been a few months since I posted this question...

Has anyone seen a car dock solution with Video support yet?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

[taffman]

XtremeMac Roadshow Audio Video Cable

[djkac]

Interesting, taffman.

Is that a line level audio out or the same as coming off the headphone jack?

Does it charge the ipod at the same time?

It doesn't specifically say.

[taffman]

Its a charger, audio line level and Video out put all in one. Best way to do it and very tidy.

[Monkeyhater]

well I had to send back my roadshow a few weeks ago, the first time I used it I got a lot of static when using it. And when I emailed them they said they have been having problems whith them and made me send it back. BUT! I just got a cable from ebay for $30 shipped that charges, has video and audio like the roadshow and auto pauses when the power is turned off. its made by Baudio.

Oh if anyone can figure out why I only get static when I play audio and not vidio let me know

[taffman]

Interesting Monkeyhater. Answer the question why I cannot get one yet here in the UK. They must be on hold.

Screening problem could cause the static, too much some times and sometimes too little. Difficult to gauge at times to get it right.

[Pete_L_P]

IMO, a really good car solution would show all ipod menus on the car's video display, allowing use of a remote to navigate through all artists, albums, playlists and songs, (and access to settings like repeat and shuffle) while viewing those menus on your car's video.

This solution would require two things:

1) A screen in your car which would show that video info. (I have this with my Infiniti M45's Nav display, but it required a hack to display its AUX video input while driving, which I've done.) Generally speaking, any third party screen can also be installed.

2) An iPod dock which would generate all ipod menus and stream them to a video output cable. This has been promised by only two products: The DLO HomeDock Deluxe, and the Griffin TuneCenter. The iPod does not other wise send its menus over the video out for navigating through your music, but these two products do. They're not released yet, but will come with remotes for controlling that navigation, which can theoretically be hidden/mounted somewhere for easy, ready access. (Such as in your driver's door map compartment.)

This seems to me to be the ideal solution, although it looks like these products use an IR remote rather than RF, so they'll require an IR repeater. Their remotes are also a little bigger than I'd like, and I'm hoping (while waiting for these products to ship) that someone will come out with a similar product, with a very small RF remote.

Pete