Hello.... Please vote which company you think or know(please state why) is better...

I am planning on buying a Multimedia unit

Either the Alpine IVA-C800:.. new unit is called the IVA-C801..(dont know the difference)
in-dash screen/CD/AM/FM .. and the screen is fully motorized...
Pic:


Or

Clarion VRX925VD, this unit is new and has in-dash screen/DVD/MP3/AM/FM .. and the screen is fully motorized...(something that turned me off about the Kenwood was that it wasnt)

The key factor is quality...

The Alpine does not have DVD or MP3... but Alpine is making a DVD changer unit that does... so if I want to.. I can upgrade in the future...


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 6:34 PM 1/9/2002]
I have decided on the Clarion because of the Quality and Expandability issues that I have heard of on other forums I posted this on... I appreciate your help... but I took the opinions on the Audio forums..(that they are equals) .. so the Clarion is the better unit overall......


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 12:18 PM 1/10/2002]


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 9:34 PM 1/13/2002]

 

Alpine, go with the company that started it all, better tech and ease of use.

I had a cva-1000, great unit, very sturdy.

 

Actually that statement is only 1/2 correct....

Yes Alpine has been around longer... but according to my info Clarion was also there in the early stages of Multimedia development.. unlike others who just started now they had the stuff in 1995... and Alpine started in 1995 too... but Clarion was actually first...


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 6:35 PM 1/9/2002]


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 9:33 PM 1/13/2002]

 

Alpine is a higher quality unit for component, sound, and video than the clarion. Better construction, sturdier, and should be less prone to skipping and breaking. Go with the alp.

 

I thought the same thing.... the DVD on the Clarion is not a big deal...how can I really drive and watch without killing myself... I want to screen because I want to use a PC in the car to play MP3's when I get enough money...

 

I am looking to do the same kind of things as you. I am going to put in a multimedia unit and then add a pc later. I really know nothing about all these things but have been trying to educate myself. Why are you not considering the Kenwood 910 which comes with a DVD and inputs for a pc? This is the unit I have been looking at.

Thanks

 

The Kenwood does have DVD... but to me that is not a big feature...
All of the units can hook up to a PC via RCA inputs...
THe problem I have with the Kenwood is that the screen is only partially motorized.. it motors out then you have to tilt it yourself. My brother used to have a unit like this and his son broke it... I let my little brother drive my Vette so I dont want to have this occur.

I really recommed the Alpine unit because like 92TripleBlack said... its rock solid.. it seems better quality than both the Clarion and Kenwood.

Alpine also has this AiNet feature with allows the HU to control any AiNet unit ... so if I get a Navigation unit or a DVD player I wont need a second remote.

I think you have to answer these questions to yourself:
1. Are you really going to watch a movie in the car... especially when its a Vette and you are driving?

2. Are you going to use a Navigation system in the future?

I dont plan to watch movies in the Car, in a Vette the only person who could watch is the Passenger.. which I dont have too often.

Personally my dad owns a Nissan Pathfinder w/ a TV/DVD and we have yet
to use it... so that is not a big feature...to me

Overall I think these things about each comany:
Alpine:
Pros: Solid, Quality Units , Many accessories
Cons: Little higher pricing

Clarion:
Pros: DVD/MP3 .. bigger screen
Cons: Not as many features

Kenwood:
Pros: All in one unit w/ DVD/TV
Cons: Partially motorized Screen

Pioneer:
Pros: Great built in EQ
Cons: Requires 2 remotes , no volume control on HU

Panasonic
Pros: :confused:
Cons: Its Panasonic...

Cost:
Alpine: unit costs 1400, but on ebay as low as 1000...
Clarion: Not yet available
Kenwood: unit costs 2000, ebay 1600..
Pioneer: 2200, ebay 1900
Panasonic: Who cares.. :lol:

Granted the price difference is made up due to the DVD... but I dont want DVD...

If I were you I would decide between Alpine,Clarion,Kenwood soon because in a few months there '02 lines will come out and prices on these new units may be higher...

EDIT:

I forgot to add: if you plan to add a PC now... why not just get an in-dash screen that is just a screen and then hook up another HU to get the audio setup and let the PC handle DVD/MP3 and all of the other Multimedia inputs... I have seen this in a car at a local shop...


[Modified by NewVetteLover, 12:08 PM 1/10/2002]

 

Wow, thanks for all the great info, it really helps!

 

No Problem...

I want to add one more comment...

Alpine vs. Clarion is over to me because I have decided on the Clarion...

I have decided on the Clarion because of the Quality and Expandability issues that I have heard of on other forums I posted this on... I appreciate your help... but I took the opinions on the Audio forums..(that they are equals) .. so the Clarion is the better unit overall......



[Modified by NewVetteLover, 9:35 PM 1/13/2002]

 

I think we might have had this conersation before so I dont remember who I was talking too. I dont want to say that I am an expert when it comes to car audio, but I know a lot IMO.

If you are really looking for a good screen, wait until next month for the new items released at CES come out to the public. Eclipse is making a new 7" DVD/LCD for the car. The KVT-910DVD is a very nice unit and would be the one I would buy out of the IVA-C800 or Clarion VRX-815. It has the most features and is just as upgradeable. Ask yourself this question. How much more stuff are you really going to put into your car?? Ai-Net is the same thing as Kenwood's Z-Bus. It makes it real easy to hook up other items to the control unit. But the majority of the feautres you would use in your car, already come on the units themselves. I had a Kenwood 907 in my car up until about 1 1/2 months ago. I sold it to buy the KVT-910 but I am holding off until next month when the new products arive. Another cool feature that Kenwood has come out with is a portable 10gig "hard-drive" that fits in your car and attaches to your Kenwood CD changer compatible headunit. You can store 1000's of songs on it. Kenwood is the first to come out with something that you can actually incorporate into your system. Sure there are other "jukeboxes" outthere, but they are sub-par compared to this one. I have yet to see the Eclipse unit, but Eclipse have the best screens bar none. And if you really want to wait for a superb picture, wait for it.

On another note: Most people always ask about putting a PC in their car. This is easy as pie. You can do it one of a couple of ways. You can get an old flat desktop and upgrade the internals so you have more room in your car. You get a video card that has an S-Video out or composite out and run the signal from your PC to your RCA inputs on the receiver. Then you get a wireless keyboard and mouse. You can get a wireless trackball for about $40 bucks. You can keep it in the center console, or in the glove compartment. Now.. most people always wish they could surf the net with it too... you can. You have to get a PCMCIA card reader and put it in one of the PCI slots of the desktop. Then you get a GSM cell modem and insert it in the reader. Then you run a cable from the PC to your handsfree kit. Here is where you have to get someone that knows what they are doing to help. Someone has to splice the wire into your handsfree kit to the wire that runs to the GSM modem. This is very doable. Then you'll have a NET ready car that you can actually surf in. Sure you will only be transmitting at about 9600 baud, "unless you live in a big city then you can get a mobile DSL line". Its relatively simple, and has a cool factor of 10. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me!!