Just got the beast back with another new toy. (Christmas comes early here in NY)

NAV TV just came out with an interface that allows your I pod to be controlled and viewed on the COMMAND screen. Even the steering wheel buttons work. The only down side is that you can't use the CD player anymore but with 10000 songs, the CD player is somewhat redundant.

Here's the web site: http://www.nav-tv.co.uk/show_product...product_id=208

So far so good but was interested if anyone else has had this installed and what their thoughs are?

 

Isn't that the same technology used by the Denison Ice-Link?

 

I heard that MBENZNL is coming out with one too.

 

.............the old ice-link was not very user friendly. You were unable to use your play list. The new ice-link 500 solves this problem plus you DO NOT need abandon your CD changer. You can switch from IPOD to CD changer and vice versa.

............nav-tv have been at the fore front of audio/video integration in mercedes benz vehicles for a long time. They are pretty good and have branches in Japan, USA, and the UK. I am sure many other companies will like to have an IPOD integration kit like nav-tv already has.

Ted

 

So then what do you suggest? Ice-Link 500 and the ability to use the CD player or the top of the line Nav-tv?

Also, when you say that you cant use the CD player, do you mean the COMMAND CD player or the 6-dish in dash CD changer?

This sounds cool, where is it installed?

 

Were did you get it installed? Can you post the Tel number. I will love to get that installed too.

 

what kind of pricing did you get on that. very sweet!

 

.............I purchased it for $500. I am yet to install it as my car is in the shop getting twin turbo process started. Here is a link to purchase the item. http://www.dension4u.de/shop/product...6ad0806a51e658

Ted

 

Just curious, what's wrong with the dealer installed MB iPod integration kit? It seems to work just fine, and I still have access to both my CD 0 and the CD changer.

 

I think the difference is that the aftermarket product shows up in the COMAND screen where as the MB one shows up on the MFD only

 

.........with the gateway 500, you get the ipod info including song, title, playlist etc on your comand screen and can use the comand bittons to control your IPOD. You also get
1. USB input to your comand
2. MP3, WMA memory card input to your comand
3. Aux audio input to your comand
4. Video outlet from the get way 500 to either your comand screen if you have video enabled or to a rear video screen

Ted

 

How is the sound quality when using the nav-tv system? i rarely even use the my ipod now with the MB integration kit because the sound quality is so bad. I have to turn the volume up atleast 50% more to get same volume that i get with cd and radio. any remedy for this?

 

I don't have this problem at all. I think the interface automatically plays the iPod output at maximum volume, no matter how you have the iPod volume wheel set.

The problem could be the volume the MP3's themselves are coded at. I rip all my own MP3's from the original CD's. I find many CD's, especially older ones, are recorded at lower volumes than new ones. In effect, the older CD's were mastered to not use all 16 bits of dynamic range... they stupidly tried to make CD's sounds as loud as your vinyl records would on the same hi-fi or something, sacrificing dynamic range and resolution in the process.

Assuming that's the problem, one possible solution is to re-normalize your MP3's to the same, higher db level. There is a cheap program that does this very well, with no loss of sound quality. The program is called MP3BR and can be bought from www.download.com. Here is the full link:

http://www.download.com/MP3BR-Normal...ml?tag=lst-0-1

What I liked most about this program is all my songs play at the same level, so I don't have to crank the colume up and down all the time. This program works far better than the volume normalizer built into the iPod, IMHO.

 

Got it installed at Ultrasmith in NYC. Talk to Mike or Tenny. 212-695-3342 or
www.ultrasmith.com. Not sure of the price as I haven't been billed for it yet.

 

As has been posted already you have total access to your IPOD library on screen. This way Ken, you can rock your Bee Gee and Helen Reddy albums to your hearts delight!

I am woman, hear me roar.............

 

I just call them. They some good people. Trying to get install also. Thanks for the info.

 

anyone try the dension product or neo car audio?
i work for apple and it looks pretty good.
dension is not set up for MB yest but Neo is.

 

Here is my solution for the low volume with the ipod kit.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...light=ipod+fix

 

Im waiting for the MBENZNL kit.

 

I just had MB install the nav,tv and there are a few issues.

1. It is not plug and play. It took a hook-up to Star Diag. and a tech about 5 hrs to get it working properly. Because of this it is not really a cheap option.

2. Takes place of CD changer (as nav.tv states) but what this does is only give you 5 options at a time (utilizes the CD setup) The 6th option (6th CD is always options/aux) This means that with playlist/genre/album/artist/all songs you can only browse 5 at a time - you have to hit button 5 and then mag to see the next 5. with all songs you can only browse 30 at a time - hit 5 then mag again. It would take forever to find ie ZZ Top by artist if you had 10,000+ tunes loaded in.

3, The ipod does not seem to shut off when locking car as when I unlock the car the nav.tv screen is on the ipod. Maybe when the car is unlocked it wakes the ipod (I don't know)

4. It displays song info, artist etc depending what mode you are in on the Comand screen and just track # on the MFD. It only displays 99 tracks and if you have 500 tracks in a playlist I'm not sure how it picks them or it just picks the 1st 99 everytime?? If so this is not good and the only thing I could think of is to make a bunch of playlists with only 99 songs on each.

5. There is no search function.

6. Volume is low and this has been discussed a lot. I did a couple of things and now it is as loud as the DVD. I cleared all music off my ipod (5G 80gb video) and then in itunes selected all tracks(Ctrl A) - right click - get info - sound adjust to 100%. I have 42000 tracks and this took about 1.5 hrs. I then downloaded this free program EUpod (for Win)
http://www.espen.se/
set it to the max volume boost and it worked great. Stereo sound good and equal to the DVD.

7. Does not resume from last track played when restarting the car...very annoying!

All in all the Phatbox I had on my RS6 is way ahead of this.