KevinR

Then that, I see the movie.


CLK430_ew:

I don't have any VCD.

KevinR

More picture about the DVD Menu (in french)

Silver_Lana

Looks like we in the USA got screwed again.

rgbyhkr

My guess is that without the AMG Advanced Mobile Media option being offered here in addition to the restrictive laws in the US regarding not being able to view video while driving, they figured what good would a DVD playback option be up front. I, of course, still wanted it. I really hope MBUSA wakes up and realizes that there is a market here for rear seat entertainment in sedans. Sure, you can go aftermarket, but I think many buyers would rather see a factory option whose price gets wrapped up in their lease.

Jeff

drb

Perhaps those with the MY04 Command II will have that video button and functionality. Yet, if DVD can be viewed on Command II in Europe, why not here? It seems odd. On the other hand, the deal was for Navi in the MY03 Command IIs, not DVD movies.

Further, in Command II I did not ask for SAT radio. Nevertheless, I have it. Of course, the SAT button does not work today because MB has not come up with the Sirius components. Life if short, so I'm having XM radio installed in my ashtray tomorrow. It sounds as though the left and right hand of MB electronic components division are not talking.

KevinR

I precise, with the DVD you have a black screen when you drive over 5 or 10 kmh.

abhansali

I've read that the old COMAND unit also had a "Video In" type capability to which a TV Tuner or other video in source could be hooked up. On the old COMAND I think there was a "TV" button in Europe to enable this, but this whole function is disabled for the US (the button is still actually there, but it has no label on it and it doesn't do anything when pushed). I have also read that, the function can be enabled in the US via service reprogramming of the COMAND unit, but service depts won't enable it for you since it is illegal in the US, but if you can convince a tech to do it for you, I think it is possible.

I would assume the same is true for the new COMAND, but have no idea.

alewifebp

As soon as anybody finds out about re-programming the US Nav's to allow DVD's to be played, please tell us first thing. This would be an awesome thing if it was possible. Knowing how things like this are programmed, as someone mentioned, it probably is just a little "switch" that has to be switched to allow it to work. When I think about all of the times I'm killing time waiting in a parking lot for someone, it could be very useful.

In terms of the Nav, I'm glad I ordered it. It looks like a good system, although I do wish it was touch-screen , but I digress.

abhansali

Actually, I think with the old COMAND, I read that the program is done through a diagnostic tool that only MB service depts have. So if COMAND II is the same, it is probably not something that can be done by the normal owner.

rhahn

I can't believe that they did not correct the software to allow scrolling through the presets on the steering wheel. Some might say that I'm knit picking but I really enjoyed that feature!!

bmms8

actually, i believe they changed it back....all of the builds after april i believe have that new feature

Tezta

Nuts this thead is way too long to read from the start..could someone explain to me in a nutshell what is going on here? so the 2003 owners got their navi installed now? what happened to that whole MB buy back and replaced with a new car and navi?

bmms8

hehe, im a bad spammer:p basically, drb(slipnby) got his replacement car, and he posted some pics on page two. its basically about the NAV, and what options what we get, and dont get, like the dvd player, or tv tuner...i think thats basically it

mbprince

bbms8, my build is April 24, 2003 and I can't scroll presets. Nothing has been changed!!!

bmms8

hmmmm.....thats wierd, someone said that they're car had the new preset change, maybe drb can tell us how it is on his car since he has a newer build

abhansali

There was a lot of confusion on this, and the person that thought he was able to scroll through presets was actually seeking to the next station. He did some experiments and realized that this was the case, and it was confirmed, NO SCROLLING through PRESETS.

Apurva

NitroShredder

Hey man, there's been some stuff that been OVERLOOKED in all our excitement over your NAV system.

Do you guys remember the E55 article with the Command II DVD "features" list. Granted I think it was a Euro spec.. but did ANY of those mentioned features make it to the US?

Like the "mobile" office stuff like the "memo recorder", the "Smart Nav" to redirect based on traffic reports, etc?

Did those make it here? Just wondering if you've come across it yet. BTW: How large is the Command Supplement? =)

Thanks dude

Peter

slipnby

I do not see any of this in Command II...no related options or pick list. The supplement is about 50 pages or so.

Drb/Slipnby

NitroShredder

Boohoo

We live in the richest nation on the planet.. and yet... get nothing but the Vaseline treatment in every way from automakers. I mean it's silly!

PerfectionSe7en

SO basically, let me get this straight. you guys bought the early W211 build, but ordered navi, and it wasn't available. so after that MB says that if you ordered it, you can trade in your car, get a whole new build and w/ navi, once it's offered?

Did you guys have to pay extra or was this just a straight trade? sounds pretty wasteful for benz just to give completely new cars to people who order a navi unit. Guess they'll be plenty of used early builds of the W211 once more and more people are getting their Navi's.

Also, in the glove box, what kind of jack is inside? I'm interested in getting an Ipod, and hooking it up, but i don't think the glovebox would be the ideal place (unless i could control it through the headunit, which would be totally trick).

DRB, read the whole thread (took a long time, but worth it all). Saw the different screen shots and i realized you're in the Arlington area. recognized all the streets b/c i used to go to school nearby there (O'Connell). It'd be awesome to see your car, love the new E-class, hope my dad get's one at some point.

If you're saying it's really accurate in your area, then that is a damn good Navi system, b/c i hate driving through that area, nothing makes sense!

bmms8

i cant really answer all your questions, but the way it worked was.....MB gave us a $500 discount for ordering the NAV with our original cars...they gave us 500 off because they told us that in the first quarter of 2003, the dealer would retrofit the NAV system in our car....but it couldnt happen, so they offered us a new car, for free, a swap...or a $3250 voucher on a new MB purchase

rgbyhkr

Just to clarify a bit further, these people pre-paid for the nav option. Mercedes worked with Harman/Becker (who they've outsourced the Nav production to) for months on a retrofit solution but couldn't get it straightened out. Supposedly, one big problem they could not solve was getting the Nav and Tele-Aid systems to properly share the one GPS antenna. So rather then face litigation for not producing and/or having people trying to return cars under these circumstances, they offered the 2 options. It was good PR on their part after months of the retrofit fiasco.

It's a simple 1/8" mini-jack. You'd use a patch cable like this one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=42%2D2387

There is no way to control the iPod from the head unit but I'm pretty confident you can have the cable running out of the glovebox to the iPod while still being able to close the glovebox.

Jeff

rgbyhkr

The "mobile office" features you mentioned from the press info last year are enhancements of the nav and Linguatronic (what Euro calls voice activation) systems. The "memo recorder" would be an extension of linguatronic. So far, no word on that here in the US yet. Other funtions like access to the MB Portal from your vehcile are Euro only right now (and probably won't be made available here in the forseeable future). Here's a link to the German site where customers across the pond configure MB Portal options:

http://www.mercedes-benz.t-online.de...ntro/index.jsp

The "dynamic route guidance based on RDS-TMC" does in-the-fly nav guidance redirection using data received via radio waves about traffic info. Unfortunately, that system is not used very much here in the US so it's unlikely we'd see such an option here. DRB has said that he doesn't see a Dynamic Route Guidance option in his system.

Jeff

rgbyhkr

I don't disagree here about car manufacturers sometimes missing the boat on the importance of tech features to the newer generations of buyers but there are alternatives. The after-market offerings for Audio, Nav and Video by folks like Pioneer and Alpine kick the crap out of any manufacturer's stock systems.

Jeff

PerfectionSe7en

thanks for all the clarification. that is good PR. benz does know how to cater to it's customers even if they were in a pickle.