JVC KD-NX5000 Review (KDNX5000)

In-dash GPS navigation is now possible for single DIN receiver locations. All it takes is a quick and simple installation of a standard size stereo and you may have your in dash navigation. There are many advantages to having a navigation system in your vehicle. You could probably think about most of the implications yourself, things such as arriving on time, the inconvenience of getting lost, and getting in trouble by loved ones. There is one more advantage that most people hadn't thought of until now: it could save you gas money! Getting lost costs you fuel. With gasoline averaging near $5.00/gallon, the KD-NX5000 could be an "excessive-gasoline-consumption" preventive measure.Single DIN Navigation?
This single DIN navigation receiver features a 3.5" LCD monitor that will display map and navigation information, as well as your DVDs, DivX, and other popular media formats. Though most people would complain that the screen is too small, we were actually quite content with its size. Remember that most portable GPS units feature a 3.5" screen as well. It was only in recent times that companies began releasing larger screen GPS units.

Unlike other in-dash GPS navigation units, this one is single DIN, capable of being installed in a wider array of vehicles. Users won't have to worry much about incompatible dashboard configuration, obstructions, or other installation worries that generally come with double DIN or flip-out retractable single DIN receivers.Navigation Features
The JVC KD-NX5000 features a high sensitivity WAAS capable GPS receiver. WAAS is a similar technology that is implemented in aeronautics and marine GPS navigation systems. It ensures maximum coverage with incredible accuracy regardless of elevation, terrain, or angle. In addition, the GPS system is built-in to the hard drive of the receiver, ensuring quick-access navigation that is lacking in many of the other DVD-based GPS navigation devices. There are over 13 million points of interest (POI) stored in the KD-NX5000, featuring a NAVTEQ based map database that covers all of the United States, Canada, and the US Virgin Islands. There is also a radio-based traffic receiver that is capable of displaying upcoming traffic alerts in most major metropolitan areas.

Audio, Video, and more
The unit features a capability to playback many of today's popular media formats such as DivX/DivX Ultra, MPEG1 or MPEG2, MP3, and WMA. It also has some room in the hard drive for users to store media files in the hard drive. The JVC KD-NX5000 even showcases gold plated RCA outputs, which could be used to expand your existing audio system into a high-fidelity listening experience. There are also inputs for Satellite Radio (both SIRIUS and XM) as well as expandability for most dockable iPods and Bluetooth capable devices (additional accessories required).

Overall
The JVC KD-NX5000 is a great single DIN GPS navigation unit to have, especially for those lacking double DIN in-dash slots. It comes with a hefty price, but some could appreciate many of its unique features such as its internal hard drive for media storage. The KD-NX5000 has excellent navigation features, but its small screen size may be cumbersome to many people.

JVC KW-NX7000 Review, Part I: Navigation & Display

JVC is soon releasing its own double DIN in dash navigation unit to compete with the June debut of Pioneer's F-series GPS navigation systems. The JVC KW-NX7000 in dash navigation is one of many new-generation navigation units available to consumers to date.Display
The JVC KW-NX7000 features a large 7" LCD touchscreen that fills up almost the entire panel. The screen is centered but leaves about 1/4" trimming at the bottom side of the panel, allowing for 6 buttons and remote sensors to be placed there. The picture displayed on the 7" LCD monitor is rich in color and high in contrast, capable of displaying crystal clear movies and navigation functions even under the most glaring sunlight environment.Navigation
The KW-NX7000 finds itself in a fierce competition with the recent release of similar in-dash GPS navigation units. However, the JVC KW-NX7000 is one of the best when it comes to GPS usability. The on screen menu buttons are large and definitely easy to select, instead of smaller touchscreen buttons that are difficult to be precise in pressing them.The built-in navigation technology utilized by JVC is WAAS capable, which is the same GPS technology used on many aviation navigation systems-- a system that will ensure maximum coverage and accuracy when traveling at various speeds and elevations. In addition, the unit contains maps of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and even the U.S. Virgin Islands with text-to-speech technology that supports 10 different languages. Whereas most units do not have the text-to-speech technology, the JVC KW-NX7000 features an intelligent computer that is capable of pronouncing exact street names and numbers from the on-board map database containing over 12 million points of interest.The JVC KW-NX7000 could also receive traffic data through a radio-based traffic receiver that capable of displaying traffic information on upcoming roads on the screen. In addition, the KW-NX7000 displays company logo icons of well known points of interest such as Shell or Mobil gas stations on the screen as you pass by. There is also a speed limit notification with speeding alerts and other driver-friendly tools such as ETA counter, distance calculator, and multi-dimensional navigation perspectives.

Continue to Part II: Media & Expandability

Clarion EZD580 (EZD 580) Review

Clarion released a very attractive portable GPS navigation device in the EZD580. The design is very sleek with metallic and black trims. It's full of features and is capable of high-demand performance while navigating, such as audio/picture playback and traffic reception.
The Clarion EZD580 has a nice 4.3" widescreen LCD touch-panel. It's amazingly crisp and clear, providing drivers a much easier view of the maps as well as the menus. What we really liked about the EZD580 is the ultra-bright contrasting route-highlight that is highly distinguishable from the rest of the map. This makes navigation much easier in huge cities or metropolitan areas such as New York or Los Angeles. In addition, the graphic user interface of the EZD580 is very modern-looking, giving that "I got a new high-tech gadget" feel when purchased.

The menus and indicators are pretty self-explanatory and simple to use. But what we didn't like were the relatively small navigation tools such as estimated time of arrival, speedometer, and next-step distance. Though it is on a 4.3" screen, small indicators will nonetheless make it much harder for drivers to see and use.
This GPS navigation device features a high-sensitivity SiRF STAR III GPS chipset that is capable of tracking up to 20 GPS signals from orbital satellites, ensuring high-accuracy and maximum coverage wherever you are. With it comes coverage of all 50 US states as well as Canada with 12 million points of interest. In addition, there is text-to-speech technology built-in the Clarion EZD580, allowing the device to speak street names instead of just "Turn left in 500 yards". The Clarion EZD580 could also display lane and posted signs, notifying you of speed limits and various lane changes.
It is also capable of Bluetooth wireless connectivity with your phone, allowing for hands-free phone calls and even streaming audio from a capable mobile device. If you think it's hard to hear the caller, you could even hook up the 3.5mm headphone jack output to your auxiliary input of your existing car audio system for both phone audio and audio/picture playback from an SD card.
The Clarion EZD580 could read both SD and MMC cards and is also High-Capacity Card compatible, allowing users a maximum of 4GB of storage. You could even connect it to your PC and use the EZD580 as a portable card reader. From it, users could play their favorite MP3 or WMA files along with their playlists (.M3U files). Want to show your friends some pictures? Don't worry, the EZD580 also supports JPEG and BMP files, displaying them like an album thumbnails or slideshow.

Last, but not least, the Clarion EZD580 is capable of radio-based RDS-TMC traffic information allowing drivers to be notified of upcoming traffic congestions and incidents. In addition, the Clarion EZD580 could route alternate paths around heavy traffic or accidents, saving precious hours of your day!

When fully charged, the Clarion EZD580 could last up to 4 hours on its own internal power source. This stylish and high-performing GPS navigation device will sure to satisfy your navigation needs and impress you with its versatility as a driver's tool. Look for the Clarion EZD580 as it begins to appear in stores!

Amcor 3600B Review

Hands down, this may be one of the cheapest GPS navigation units out there. Given the price, it is pretty basic but it does have a series of crucial features that will set this above other lower-tier GPS navigation systems.

The Amcor 3600B is priced at under $190, a very affordable price for anyone to drool over. This GPS device features a compact 3.5" LCD screen that is above average in contrast and clarity, with a brightness rating of 300 cd/m2. What's nice about the compact screen is its incredibly thin chassis, measuring at only under 3/4". The Amcor 3600B could fit in anyone's pocket or purse, or even tucking it away in the glove compartment or the center console.

The Amcor 3600B has a built-in Centrality Atlas II processor, clocked at 300 MHz. The processor is a little bit slower than most of today's portable GPS navigation devices that feature 350 MHz or 400 MHz processors. To compensate for it, Amcor designed the 3600B with a built-in 64MB RAM that would be able to handle greater demands by the user. It also has a high-sensitivity SiRF STAR III GPS receiver chipset, an identical chipset found in most major brands GPS systems such as Garmin, TomTom, or Magellan. The SiRF Star III is also capable of locking on to 20 different GPS orbital satellites, allowing for maximum coverage and accuracy while navigating. The internal map database is TeleAtlas-based, so you know you're navigating with accurate readings and pre-loaded maps. However, Amcor never specified how many points of interest it has. We suspect that for the price, it probably features anywhere from 1.5 - 3 million points of interest (POI).

The Amcor 3600B features audio and video playback capabilities through its SD/MMC card input. The unit supports MP3, WAV, AVI, BITMAP (BMP), JPEG/JPG, GIF, and even PNG. What's amazing about the Amcor 3600B is of course its price, but with such a low price, it's amazing to find that the Amcor 3600B features a built-in Bluetooth interface for hands-free calling capable of displaying call status and caller ID on the screen. It also features a mini-USB port for updates or SD/MMC card access through PC, as well as a 3.5mm audio output to connect the unit to your existing car audio system.

For the price that it's set at, it's almost too good to be true. It is a compact and smaller than most GPS units, but the Amcor 3600B packs so many features and even a Bluetooth feature that is definitely hard to resist. If you're looking for a basic and cheap navigation device with Bluetooth capabilities, you'll likely to find it in the Amcor 3600B.

Kenwood DNX-5120 / DNX-7120 Product Review

Introducing the Kenwood DNX-5120, this in-dash navigation and multimedia receiver is both attractive and versatile in performance. It features a large double DIN 6.1" LCD touchscreen with a disc slot insert right above the monitor.
Display
Let's go over some of its features and I will ensure you that you will not think twice about getting one of these. The first advantage of the unit is the large 6.1" touchscreen. A typical portable navigation device features a screen that is 3.5" to as large as 4.3" touchscreen. The decisive advantage here is the 2" bigger screen than an ordinary portable GPS device. This will allow for greater visibility as well as a more enjoyable media playback, such as DVD playback or image viewing.

Compatibility
This receiver is compatible with most media files that you are probably accustomed to. It will play your favorite DVDs and of course CDs. However, it will also play MP3s and WMAs that you had recently downloaded, but not only that, it is also capable of playing Apple iTune's AAC file formats. The DNX-5120 could even play the much rarer DivX and VCD file formats as well as image viewing of JPEG files.

Audio Features
How would you like to experience home theater in your car? Well now you can! This multimedia receiver is capable of Dolby Digital playback, allowing you to enjoy a surround sound experience with support for a center channel and subwoofer channel outputs.

Expandability Options
Kenwood's DNX-5120 has virtually limitless expandability options as it is Satellite and HD Radio ready, iPod ready, and even Bluetooth ready. It also features a 3.5mm front auxiliary input, allowing users to plug in any device with a headphone jack output. In addition, it has a rear USB and additional RCA audio/video inputs, giving the unit plenty of options for media playback and source expansions.

Navigation Features
The built-in GPS navigation features 6 million points of interest. The internal software is actually Garmin designed, so you can be sure that your navigation will always be accurate and quick to respond.

With the amount of features that the unit has to offer, it would not be surprising to see this double DIN in-dash receiver to be one of the top competitors in its category this year. The bigger Kenwood DNX-7120, features similar functions and compatibility but has a 6.95" (virtually 7") screen rather than the 6.1" touchscreen. The DNX-7120 also fills up the entire face with its touchscreen and has its DVD insert slot hidden behind the screen. ready, iPod ready, and even Bluetooth ready. It also features a 3.5mm front auxiliary input, allowing users to plug in any device with a headphone jack output. In addition, it has a rear USB and additional RCA audio/video inputs, giving the unit plenty of options for media playback and source expansions.

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Harman Kardon GPS-810 Review

This is arguably the crown jewel of portable navigation. Of course, you can't really expect anything less from a top tier company like Harman Kardon. The Harman Kardon GPS-810 features an incredibly thin casing, with a width measuring no more than ¾" thick. With this kind of style, you'll definitely impress your friends with how good your dashboard will look after you mount one of these.

Display Features
It features a very bright and daylight-readable 4.3" LCD display, capable of down-scaling pictures as large as 4096 x 3072 pixels. The built-in GPS system is capable of displaying US, Puerto Rico, and Canada maps without additional mediums such as a disc or a flash card. In addition, it features a blazing fast 532 MHz i.MX31L processor. The combination of the two will give users quick response and calculations from starting point to destination. You can be sure that the unit will also have a fast refresh rate so that you won't see much lag at all when navigating through high speed freeways.

Navigation Features
Whereas typical GPS Navigation have 1 to 6 million points of interest, the GPS-810 features an internal memory that holds over 12 million points of interest. With the vast amount of locations stored internally, you are most likely to find the most current directional and address guides to your favorite landmarks, restaurants, and of course, gas stations. What is amazing is the unit's 16-channel GPS receiver (which is by the way capable of receiving traffic messages). The 16-channel receiver could lock on to 16 different orbital GPS satellites and makes sure that you won't lose reception where ever you are.

Compatibility
This portable unit is also capable of playing music files in AAC, MP3, WMA, WMV, and WMA with WM-DRM10 (Digital Rights Management) format. In addition, it will display album art and you could play music while you're navigating. I know what you may be thinking. You're thinking "why would I want to play music through the small built-in tin-can speakers?" But instead you could use its included FM modulator or its 3.5mm auxiliary output, and you would be able to hear digital quality music through your existing audio system. Moreover, if you insert an SD Card, the unit is capable of file transfers from your computer through the USB connection.

Bluetooth Features
The GPS-810 also features a built-in Bluetooth connection that displays caller ID and call status on the 4.3" LCD display. This will allow you to communicate through either its built-in audio or through your car's audio system with either the FM or auxiliary connection. It could even synchronize your cell phone's phonebook and will display any contact information on the screen for easy-to-navigation access.

Wireless Remote
To top it all off, the Harman Kardon GPS-810 includes a wireless remote. This is my favorite feature because it does not force me to lean over or reach forward to access the unit. Instead it's sensitive and easy-to-use remote is very familiar to use and could even be mounted anywhere it is convenient for you such as the center console or your door-side arm rest console.

With such great features, this Harman Kardon unit stands as one of the best GPS portable navigation unit as of first quarter 2008. It's going to be tough finding similarly featured as well as similarly performing competitors, especially with a price tag of less than $400, this premium quality navigation unit. It's worth every penny and you won't ever regret your purchase!

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