Digital TV Installation into an 8P S3 (some pics)

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cooni

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Sooo, I think I'm getting carried away but who cares.
<sarcasm>Decided that TV is something that I'd reallllly need in the car </sarcasm> so i went and got it done.

My expectation after reading various forums was to frankly not expect too much whilst in motion.
The end result has far exceeded my expectations and is pretty much perfect for most 2+ lane road driving.

Firstly, I got a Kufatec IMA Basic for video input into the stock RNS-E headunit from http://www.advancedice.com.au
07052008168.jpg


Next I got the VIM (software) hack applied by lt8x7 over at ozaudi. He uses a seperate hardware gizmo to flash the RNS-E rather than the processes of applying VIM outlined on the navplus.us forums. This *did* require the headunit PIN code which Audi were very reluctant to give me.

And then the TV tuner... Platinum Car Audio at Rydalmere did it up for me again, they are a great mob and I very highly recommend them (if you are in Sydney that is).

The tuner is a HiTV Pure II (http://www.hitv.com.au/product...l.php) SDTV tuner.
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This was the brand recommended by Platinum and also the only brand that I could find on the internets that talks about having specific electronics to cope with DVB-T reception whilst moving (some crap about doppler shift).

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Wired up for testing

One major drawback of getting TV put in was antenna placement.
I definitely did not want those ugly antenna strips running up the windscreen.
The solution was bumper mounted antennas. After a few test runs going around the block, this also happened to coincide with best reception for antenna placement so it was a no-brainer.

Front bumper needed removing; Peter couldn't figure out how to safely get it off so he called his panel-beater mate who came around and took it off in seconds.
07052008170.jpg

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The rear antenna could be fitted without removing it.

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The remote eye is probably the messiest part of the whole install because it has to be visible.
It looks messier in the pic than it is; there's electrical tape covering a rather bright red and blue LED :unsure: .

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An aux input has been put in the glovebox which I now use for my iPod (with no video) and there's a second aux-in on the tuner for a planned dvd/divx drive (though I prefer TV so we'll see).

07052008172.jpg

And here it is, all working.
 
Why on earth do you need television in a car? I do hope you do not have it switched on whilst you're driving.
 
His comment that it's "perfect for 2+ lane road driving" suggests he certainly does watch it on what he considers to be 'safe' roads.

Anyone know how I could fit a fender amp into the dash?
I fancy playing my bass, but only on quiet roads, honest.
 
Nice install!!
H5djr- it's just nice to have it in the car- another toy to play with! Fantastic too on long trips if your wife/partner drives and you can watch TV!!
Would like it too but imagine it's quite pricey.
 
h5djr said:
Why on earth do you need television in a car? I do hope you do not have it switched on whilst you're driving.
Click to expand...
Easy Gramps..... (just kidding!)

I have also fitted a DVB-T tuner last week. Reception is poor where I live, but I was in Belfast yesterday and was able to pick up the various BBC & Freeview channels. The antennae are just tied up under the passenger seat until I find somewhere permanent to fit them. On the move the signal wasn't too great.

However, on my way home, just south of the border they are trialling digital broadcasting for the Irish channels. I had a perfect signal on the move at 130/140kmh on the motorway. Even in the built up areas the signal was perfect - I would have assumed the higher buildings would block the signal.

I didn't install mine so I could watch it while driving, I installed it so I'd have something to do while sitting in the car waiting for people.
 
wow so much hate already.
lighten up guys.
not even gonna bother justifying myself. just dont install one yourself
 
cooni said:
wow so much hate already.
Click to expand...

Hardly "hate".
I just get perplexed with the obsession to mod cars.
Especially with mods of questionable use.
It's surely only a matter of time until someone dashmounts a George Foreman grill.
 
I thought about whether it was worth me paying out for TV or a DVD/DivX player for my car last week. I think it'd be great for when I'm waiting for the ferry (although Dutch TV might be a bit different) or waiting for the misus. But for the price it is definately not worth it.

I have a PSP which is chipped, with access to 400 films, a load of TV programmes and 80 odd games. That will keep me busy for years!

I do think however that this is a million times better than fitting a flatscreen TV in the boot with a playstation though. I mean WHY?!
 
staz1000 said:
I do think however that this is a million times better than fitting a flatscreen TV in the boot with a playstation though. I mean WHY?!
Click to expand...

Because they don't have homes of their own to go to.
 
I wonder how long it will be before someone tells their insurance company "this tree jumped out in front of me whilst I was watching the tele".
 
Given that the screen is relatively visible, it stands to reason coppers will see when it's switched on.
Now, one can argue it's for the passenger's use as much as one likes, I bet the coppers would need convincing the driver isn't distracted, especially when I assume it uses the car's speakers?
 
cooni said:
Sooo, I think I'm getting carried away but who cares.
<sarcasm>Decided that TV is something that I'd reallllly need in the car </sarcasm> so i went and got it done.

My expectation after reading various forums was to frankly not expect too much whilst in motion.
The end result has far exceeded my expectations and is pretty much perfect for most 2+ lane road driving....................
.
Click to expand...

Pulling the inside of an S3 to bits eather means you are very skilled, very brave or Mad as a Goose !

Fair play though, I like it, well done.

The rest of us have to assume its being responsibily. Ive considered a similar mod to upgrade to DVD Nav and Glove box mini DVD player for my little cherub when shes in the car. Not DIY though.

Cheers
Paul
 
bowfer said:
Hardly "hate".
I just get perplexed with the obsession to mod cars.
Especially with mods of questionable use.
It's surely only a matter of time until someone dashmounts a George Foreman grill.
Click to expand...

Pot calling kettle grimey **** - do you not drive a modded Beamer?:whistle2:
 
Paul can you edit that post please? There's no need to quote cooni's entire post. It just takes up room on the board and means the page takes longer to load.

Edit: I thank you sir.
 
PaulAr said:
Ive considered a similar mod to upgrade to DVD Nav and Glove box mini DVD player for my little cherub when shes in the car. Not DIY though.

Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Better off buying her a multimedia player, like an itouch or an archos.
They prefer it themselves.
 
bowfer said:
Better off buying her a multimedia player, like an itouch or an archos.
They prefer it themselves.
Click to expand...

Fair point, but want the upgrade also for the SAT Nav itself and the `got one` factor of the desirible DVD Nav system.
Ive been quoted retrofit AUDI OEM DVD Nav for £750 and the DVD player isnt that much extra.

When I bought my car used a few eeks ago, DVD Nav equipped cars were fetching a premium of around 1K on the used market so I figured this would be one of the rare mods that would add value and/or desirability to the car. Useful at resale time of course.

Cheers
 
Now, one can argue it's for the passenger's use as much as one likes, I bet the coppers would need convincing the driver isn't distracted, especially when I assume it uses the car's speakers?
Click to expand...

That argument would certainly not hold water with a police patrol. The law says than any tv screen 'within the driver's field of vision' must be automatically turned off whilst the car is moving. This is why the normal setting with the tv on the RNS-E does just that. Anyone who overrides that setting is breaking the law and in my view is certainly guilty of driver without due car and attention.
 
PaulAr said:
When I bought my car used a few eeks ago, DVD Nav equipped cars were fetching a premium of around 1K on the used market so I figured this would be one of the rare mods that would add value and/or desirability to the car. Useful at resale time of course.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Really?
Crikey, I'm surprised by that.:scared2:
It wouldn't sway my decision one way or the other.
I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for a car equipped with it.
 
bowfer said:
Really?
Crikey, I'm surprised by that.:scared2:
It wouldn't sway my decision one way or the other.
I certainly wouldn't pay a premium for a car equipped with it.
Click to expand...

You may not but I'm sure others will. Maybe not a grand though! But then if you don't know that you can retrofit for a lot less then a 2k option is a lot of money.
 
fortunately there are no police patrols these days
Click to expand...

Well a unmarked black police BMW followed me for about 10 miles up the A1 today. Fortunately I come up beside him at a roundabout beforehand, and noticed there were two policemen in it. I'm sure if I had been watching television he would have noticed!

There often seems to be a marked Volvo estate on the A1(M) between Alconbury and Peterborough.
 
marriedblonde said:
Surely it just makes the car easier to sell?
Click to expand...

That's what I think.
I don't think it actually 'earns' you a single penny more.
The 'proof' is somewhere above, where someone says they bought an A3 a couple of weeks ago, with satnav ones going for about a grand more.
But they didn't buy one.
So people really aren't willing to pay more.
:think:
 
marriedblonde said:
Surely it just makes the car easier to sell?
Click to expand...

I've had this debate a few times with people, normally with the case of double glazing affecting the price of a house. People seem very set on this idea that it doesn't affect the price but I disagree.

Lets say you have just had an audi which had Sat nav + in it and you liked it very much and wanted it in your next car. Then you go to the dealership or wherever and they have two identicle cars in every way but one has sat nav and the other doesn't. The car with sat nav let's just say costs £300 extra. You know you it'd cost you more than that to get it fitted aftermarket, plus the hassle. Which are you going to choose? And don't forget most people won't know you can get it fitted for way less aftermarket.

In this extreme case the car is worth more with than without. Now there are in infinate number of variations on this of course. One car could be slightly older and there is a difference to reflect this but ultimately by virtue of the fact that a car is more desirable with sat nav then it must be worth more.

Now how much of a difference in price is a matter of luck really. One buyer could be not bothered about it, one might not want it at all and one might be desperate. And also the one who is desperate may have just spent 2 months looking for a certain car with sat nav already but not found one so is willing to pay more for yours than it is 'worth'. Therefore it is worth more!

The value of an item is dictated by it's desirability.
 
staz1000 said:
but ultimately by virtue of the fact that a car is more desirable with sat nav then it must be worth more.
Click to expand...

Not in a buyer's market, IMO.
IMO, if you ask more for your A3, just because it has OEM satnav, a potential buyer will just move onto the thousands of others available.
Yours 'may' sell quicker than the next one, because it has it, but only at the same sort of price.
So in that sense, it's 'value' to you is more, because it has allowed you to move on.
That's my take on it.
You can ask for more, but you shouldn't expect to get it.
 
bowfer said:
Not in a buyer's market, IMO.
Click to expand...

But it IS a buyers market. If noone wants your car then it's worth less.

If more people want your car (for whatever reason) then it is worth more.
 
bowfer said:
That's what I think.
I don't think it actually 'earns' you a single penny more.
The 'proof' is somewhere above, where someone says they bought an A3 a couple of weeks ago, with satnav ones going for about a grand more.
But they didn't buy one.
So people really aren't willing to pay more.
:think:
Click to expand...

I wouldnt and didnt, but I wouldnt have specced it even if I had bought brand new, purely because its a 2K option and not worth that much to me.
However for £700 retrofit Im considering it.

Like I said, I did months of homework before i bought mine used, and cars with DVD Nav and or RS4 Seats were carrying a premium and dealers/traders were using this as justification for the premium price. The asking prices were certainly higher, this is fact, whether they were ever achieved I dont know.

I challenged my local AUDI dealer on the validity of their pricing, and their response was " ...you cant ignore a 2K option on a 4 month old car and not acknowldge that it has some effect on resiudual value....blah..blah"

All that said, if your buying a used S3 and want factory SAT Nav you will pay extra for it, as you have no choice. Unless you know about the retrofit option and I bet many dont.

cheers
Paul


Horses for courses though , I walked away from 2 cars because one was without an armrest and another without FBMFSW
 
bowfer said:
Not in a buyer's market, IMO.
IMO, if you ask more for your A3, just because it has OEM satnav, a potential buyer will just move onto the thousands of others available.
Yours 'may' sell quicker than the next one, because it has it, but only at the same sort of price.
So in that sense, it's 'value' to you is more, because it has allowed you to move on.
That's my take on it.
You can ask for more, but you shouldn't expect to get it.
Click to expand...

Depending on budget and desired spec there simply arent 1000s of cars.
Im spefically talking S3 here, I had a 25K budget, and preferences on colour and minimum spec, and there were never more than 10 cars natiowide that fit my criteria.

If its a specialist model such as an S3, then desirable options will have a strong influence on value. How can it not? especially on a car just a few months old.

Unless trends have changed radically in the last 6weeks, look on Autotrader and do some comparisons, at the risk of sounding arrogant, Im right!
I have no bias neither, I dont have SAT nav, just sharing my experience.

Cheers
Paul
 
PaulAr said:
If its a specialist model such as an S3, then desirable options will have a strong influence on value. How can it not? especially on a car just a few months old.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

To put it another way, if so many people are willing to pay so much extra for an option when the car is new then how can you believe that there aren't people willing to pay extra for those same options fittied to a second hand car?

£1600 for bucket seats new, £0 extra for a 1 day old car with buckets fitted already? No way! Of course as the car depreciates so will the extra value of those extras but they still hold a value up to a point. And what that value is depends on what the item is and how much people want it.

Let's say hypothetically a car is worth 10k. The same car also has sat nav fitted. And lets say there are 2 buyers who are willing to pay £10,500 for it and there are 2 who aren't willing to pay a penny extra for it just because it has sat nav. You could argue that the car is worth £10,250, because it's the average figure. You could also argue it is worth the full £10,500. You could argue that it is worth anywhere between £10,000 and £10,500. But to argue that it is only worth £10k no matter what would be wrong.
 
staz1000 said:
£1600 for bucket seats new, £0 extra for a 1 day old car with buckets fitted already?
Click to expand...
That's the reality.

Second hand buyers are not prepared to pay a penny for options - they won't buy cars that don't have the options they want UNLESS they get a good discount off the guide price.

So options cost the new buyer but he/she gets the use of them while they own the car, and they get a car that sells quicker when they want to move on.

Desirable options have a negative value if they are not present, but a £0 value if they are.
 
PetrolDave said:
Second hand buyers are not prepared to pay a penny for options
Click to expand...

Well I would pay extra for a car with an option that I would want. And I am sure there are millions of others who would also. Are you telling me that if the car you wanted was £50 more than guide price but had an extra you wanted that would cost £500 to retrofit you wouldn't pay?

PetrolDave said:
Desirable options have a negative value if they are not present, but a £0 value if they are.
Click to expand...

So what you're saying is the car with the options is worth more than the car without.

:keule:
 
If I was looking for a used car and I found two cars basically the same spec and one car had options on it that I would like and the other didn't, I would be prepared to pay more for the one with the options. But they would have to be options that I wanted.

Personally, if I had the choice of two cars basically the same and one had OEM Sat/Nav and one did not, I would go for the one without as I much prefer a Sat/Nav that offers more than the standard Audi unit.

Before Air/Con was standard on the cars I buy, I paid extra for the option when I ordered a new car and I always got a slightly enhanced trade-in price when I came to change. I think it can depend so such on which options are fitted as to whether you will get anything more than the basic price.

As I tend to always buy a new car now, I always have exactly the spec that I want and I never take into account whether I will get anything back for those options.
 
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