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Dynavin Info: Look here first...Part 2..."Version 5"

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#1 · (Edited)
NEW DYNAVIN...

Dynavin has made a substantial change in their offerings and has released their new "D90-3G platform"....following the past nomenclature I think it will likely end up being referred to as a V5. It is a new set of hardware and a new interface. In light of this it is time to update the Dynavin info thread! Discussion can continue about the V1-V4 units on the old thread:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=754606

Much of this post will be the same as the other one but I will change the parts that are relevant to the new unit. Scroll down past the install to get to the new info.


Please read EVERYTHING before you ask a question, pretty much everything has been answered at some point and I will do my best to put all the new info this thread.[/B]

Read the Dynavin FAQ: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=803437


As always the Dynavin forum can be found here:
http://dynavin.freeforums.org
Check it out for tips, tricks, hacks, and info.


Due to this post, my involvement in the Dynavin community, and some scary situations with previous Dynavin dealers I have decided to become a Dynavin dealer. You can now get a Dynavin from me along with all the help and advice you might need.....DYNAVIN SOLUTIONS.... you can email me at jtdist@sbcglobal.net, look for me in the sponsor forum here:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=12273055#post12273055

or click the link in my sig to find out how you can get one for yourself.



INSTALL
I am an installer, not full time, i run a small family business that in part sells auto parts and accessories including mobile electronics. I do the installs, Ive been doing a couple a week for 15 years so Ive done.....a lot..... I am an authorized Pioneer Electronics dealer so most of my experience relevant to the Dynavin is with the AVIC line of Pioneer units. I also have owned two cars with factory nav, a 2006 acura and a 2007 lexus, so understand where I am coming from, Ive used quite a few systems like this.


Here is a look at where things start




And the car:


Regular business HU, no HK, but it doesnt matter, everything here applies to the HK system as well, I had the parrot bluetooth running off the steering wheel buttons and an ipod adapter. Its all coming out.


I also have a 4 channel amp, front two channels running the front speakers and the rear two channels running a sub, the signal was being delivered via the factory amp input wires, cut and spliced onto RCA connectors and fed into an EQ and then into the amp.

The rear speakers are stock and still running off the factory amp although I am not using them and have the fader on the HU faded all the way to the front.



look here to do a system like this, awesome write up on amp install using the factory head unit:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=245914



So I took everything apart and took a look at what I was in for:




Take note here that the wiring for the HVAC controls just drops down to the new location for the controls, it only has to move a few inches and there is plenty of slack. I have not yet ordered the HVAC control relocation part but the control fits the old part ok, I used a little bit of 3/8" black weatherstrip foam to support it and hold it in place, it wedges in there pretty tight and looks fine, we will see how it works out. Ignore the mess of wires on the right, thats my parrot blutooth kit, its gone now.

This is important, right in the middle of this picture you can see a white plastic arm that moves a black plastic lever in the airbox, some part of the HVAC system, this part ends up directly below the back of the dynavin unit, be careful that you dont get any wires hung up on this or you are asking for big trouble. I will double check it later from the glovebox side


Next I put the GPS receiver right behind the unit on the metal dash frame, right below the vent ducts, it is magnetic and will stick right there, reception here is good.


So then I plugged everything into the factory wiring:



Take note here since everyone seems to mess this part up

The steering wheel control harness connects to the end of this cable............



NOT here...........




Plugged in the dynavin and put it in the dash, other people have been complaining that there isnt much room in there....they are correct. There is a good amount of space on the left side of the unit, thats where my harness and extra wire ended up. All of the AV connections ended up on top of the dynanvin, there is NO space behind or below the unit:


You can see an RCA cable and a "headphone plug" plugged into the aux in jacks for later use if I want to plug in anything to the aux in or you can run a a/v cable and use the video input as well.....more on that later....

I put all the unused plugs in a plastic bag both to protect them and to keep them from accidentally touching the chassis of the dynavin and causing any weird problems.




Shoved the dynavin in...took a couple tries to get all the wires out of the way and everything where I wanted it. Put the vents back in, and put 2 screws back in to hold everything where it belongs, here you might want to make sure everything is exactly where you want it before you tighten up the screws, the dyanvin fits very well but there is a little wiggle room and I wanted to make sure my gaps were even all the way around.

Now back to that plastic arm and lever....I had my glove compartment out to remove my old bluetooth kit so I stuck my head in there to verify that nothing was binding up the lever and arm. There was a wire back there in this pic, a little too close, I moved it.



I ran the mic, ipod cable, and aux in to where they belonged, you can put them wherever you want, in my case i put the plugs in my euro tray and the mic above the rearview mirror in the factory location. Ran the RCA cable to the trunk, I ran the rca so I could do a little experimenting using the "speaker outputs" vs.the rca outputs.





back in one piece:







INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The V5 has the same fit, cosmetics, buttons, knobs etc... as the V4 and thats a very good thing, it looks OEM and overall has a quality look and feel to it.

Plugged it in and fired it up, just like the older units the V5 turns on very fast, only a couple seconds and its up and running, MUCH MUCH MUCH faster to start up than the pioneer units that I install regularly and also much faster than my oem NAVs in my acura and lexus.

Unlike with my previous dynavin install, this one was noise free as the Dynavins now come with Line Output Converters to eliminate the past unwanted noise issues, and there is now no unwanted noise in the system. The line level RCAs work great, as far as I can tell with just my ears the dynavin will go to max volume on the RCA outputs clean. This gave my system significantly more available volume than I had with the BMW headunit. Subjectively I would say it is 30%+ louder without any audible distortion. If you are running the factory amp and speakers you should expect similar or slightly better than stock sound quality.

The new interface is completely different, it has mostly orange, white and black displays that match the oem display color and style well.








Overall the audio portion works pretty good, the settings are logical and well laid out although basic, bass, trebel, fader, balance. These controls can be accessed via the settings menu but are also accessible by pressing the volume button....old school....NICE!










RADIO

The Radio works as expected, reception seems fine and the interface is a little more intuative than it used to be. Presets are set and used on the touch screen and you can save stations by frequency or by the name. RDS data displays station,song,artist,etc...






DVD/CD/ETC...

Also works as expected, it will play mp3 data discs with the same interface as the USB.

Picture quality is similar to the older units (and that is good!)






BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth paired to my iphone 3GS no problem and the blutooth audio works very good, both audio and phone connect VERY fast, only a couple seconds to connect.

The bluetooth audio streaming feature does not get enough attention on the dynavin, I think it is the units best feature! With the V5 the audio quality is now good enough to use for music as well as talk! The play/pause button worked with the bluetooth audio, so I can be listening to a podcast with my iphone in my pocket, leave the car, come back and press play and pick up right where I left off. Very nice. I also stream sirius to my iphone using the sirius app or "pocket tunes" app. Works as a nice alternative to sat radio.



The phone book still doesnt work well with the iphone, the contacts do not transfer but you can access your recent dialed and received calls. Your results may vary depending on the phone. Ive had mixed results with calls, just like on the older dynavins I had the best results by using the built in mic and disconnecting the external mic.....I would suggest you experiment a bit as your results may vary.


IPOD
The ipod interface is a work in progress, while it looks very good and displays all the right info, it takes a few too many button presses to access the required controls and I find it to be a bit too "fiddly" to use while driving. For instance, in order to go "back" you have to access a menu while it should just be a static button on the screen. I have been in touch with dynavin about this however and they are working on updating the firmware to make the interface more user friendly possibly even incorporating the steering wheel buttons into the interface. These changes will be firmware update-able so no worries for you current buyers. Its still way easier to use than a DICE or similar unit, its just that it could be MUCH better with just a couple small tweaks. (you can turn off the annoying beep)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wtUWpFI1jc

HOWEVER I did find that using the supplied remote control makes using the ipod interface a pleasure, with hard buttons for every function its a near perfect ipod interface.....now if dynavin can just mimic the remotes features with the on screen display or the buttons/knobs it will be fantastic!

UPDATE: Dynavin has successfully integrated the steering wheel controls into the ipod interface and this functionality will be available in a future firmware update once its been fully tested and any bugs worked out. Here it is being used in my car.....fantastic feature!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOe0vBVzDxM










The old models had an ipod video function....but because of a apple imposed incompatibility it didnt work unless you had a jailbroken iphone or ipod touch. Because of this Dynavin has removed the video function from the ipod interface.

BUT you can use the A/V inputs to run video off your ipod. I used an ipod>A/V plug hooked up to the aux in. You have to control it from the ipod obviously but it works.


USB

The USB function works fine although in some ways not as well as on the older units. The new interface does not seem to have the folder limitations that the old one did but it now only support 2 layers of folders.....so it will only see your album folders and your songs but NOT your artist folders....probably not a big issue for many of you but I like to navigate my music by artist>album>song, three layers, so it doesnt work that great for me. Also the load time is a bit slow.....it takes about 45 seconds to load my 16GB USB. Not a deal breaker but the old dynavins loaded faster (although I still need to play around with the file structure to see if that speeds things up)






I got this plug from pac audio and decided to do a nice flush mounted usb in the eurotray.





sweeeeet




DVB-TV
Dynavin has now moved the TV tuner out of the unit and it will be available as a separate add on option, they did this to simplify production and better serve multiple markets (and probably to keep the price down as well)....different countries use different broadcast standards and in the past Dynavin had to make multiple models for different countries, now all the Dynavin E46 models will be the same and the customer will be able to add whatever tuner is appropriate for their country. I was not able to try one of these as the tuners have not been released yet but from what I understand they will be "hide away" and be controlled by the touch screen. The V5 has a large multi pin "Din" style plug in place to accept these upcoming tuners. Ill update this post when I know more.


3G INTERNET FUNCTION
I dont yet have this working on my unit....or should I say that I am still trying to figure out what kind of data sim card to use and I dont want to get roped into a ridiculous 24 month contract just to test it out....If anyone knows a US carrier that offers a "pay as you go" plan on JUST A SIM CARD with no ridiculous fees let me know and Ill get this thing working!



NEW SCREEN!

Dynavin is now using a matte finish screen, when used in conjunction with the supplied anti glare screen protector the glare problem that has plagued the Dynavin from the beginning is greatly improved. I specifically looked to find a reflection to take this pic, this is not the angle that I have when Im driving!



note that in the area of the screen where the rear window reflection is you can still see the display behind the glare. The screen itself is also brighter.

The new screen combined with my glare fix (see the other dynavin info thread for more info) have made glare issues a thing of the past for me.


NAV/WINDOWS

The Nav/Windows portion of the V5 is unchanged so the following is just copied over from the other thread.

The nav portion is good, the large font thing on the street names is kind of odd but is better on some of the zoom/angle settings. I also find it odd that I cant seem to make it display the direction of travel as "up" in 2D mode. I need to play around with this part some more to see if I can find settings to work a couple of the kinks like that out. Overall I would say that the Nav is on par or better than most of the other OEM or aftermarket ones I have used.

Map screens (iGo 8)




Looking for lunch....POI screen






the igo software is easy to modify and there is a large online community dedicated to customizing and tweaking it. Since the igo nav system is on the micro sd card in the front of they dyanavin it is easy to take out, stick it in your computer and HACK it. Im not going to go into the details here but I googled it and found some skins and some different color schemes, played around with it, and found some some stuff that I really liked, much better looking, cleaner, more adjustable, even easier to use. Here is what the skin I am using now looks like:







the skin you see here is from:
http://www.igo8mods.com/dimka.htm

And the color scemes I found here, I liked the stuff by "Xerses"
http://artwork-igo8.blogspot.com/search/label/scheme

Update: Im now running a customized 800x480 high res version of igo8.3, It looks amazing, it works amazing. It wasnt easy as I am not a computer programmer but i was able to figure it out (with a little help), spend some time here if you want to make it happen:

http://dynavin.freeforums.org

There is also a lot of discussion of this on the other Dynavin info thread in recent weeks.


If you want to customize your Navigation experience.....start by looking here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=754606&page=42 There are some good links on this page of the thread that will get you going in the right direction:


Check out the size of the fonts (yes I can see them while driving, pic quality here limited due to iphone pic while driving).....800x480.....nice!




And the windows interface, you wont see this stuff unless you go looking for it.




windows media player





Random video of the Dynavin in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71P3Jz6Qa_8

In this video Im running iGo Primo for the Nav instead of the stock iGo8...very nice!





a pic of a finished install in a fellow fanatics car, I thought it looked great in his dash!



and a shot in my car





VERDICT:

I gave the old unit a 6/10.....with the improvements to the V5 I give it a 7/10 with potential to be an 8/10 if the ipod and USB interface improves, as it sits now it is a fantastic value, and a very very good, if slightly flawed upgrade.

to be continued...
 
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#1,985 · (Edited)
Looks like they used their conceptual mock ups for the photoshop

Here is the real thing on that same screen (E39 model)...

 
#1,994 ·
If you're looking for iGo Primo or iGo8.3, drop me a line. Have sent out about 100 4 gig SD cards with both preloaded and ready to go.. works with all Windows CE Dynavins :hi:
 
#1,999 · (Edited)
Dynavin did 3 firmware updates to the D90 platform and added the android option over the past year. They fixed many things but they did not address the specific gripe that you had. The fact that they didnt fix the thing that you wanted them to fix does not make them or I liars. They told me and I told you from the very beginning that the bluetooth audio streaming/nav conflict was a hardware limitation. Nobody EVER promised that would be changed, in fact they specifically told us that it wouldn't be changed.

They had originally planned on getting ipod resume to work and tried for months to make it happen, and ultimately failed, by that time they were committed to the hardware for the next year and there wasnt much that could be done. That was a disappointment for all of us. I specifically pointed out that I didnt like the ipod interface from the very beginning so I had my hopes up that it would improve.

The fact that they are now rolling out a new platform that improves on the previous platform's weak points should not be a surprise, or a disappointment.... The D90 platform is 14 months old and now they are coming out with a new model.... How is that anything other than expected?

I wont argue that it would be better if these things were worked out before they released the unit last year.....Believe me, the less shortcomings they have, the less headaches I have.
 
#2,000 · (Edited)
Come on Jeff, u know its not 1 issue.

Its

Bluetooth streaming
The ipod interface
The horrible source volume differences
The ridiculous load times for USB as well as the 2 folder limitation
None of the audio control buttons (ff, rev, next station, tuner knob) etc work with nav on the screen
The awful USB interface

I could go on, but i think my point is made, they released an unfinished product, then instead of making good on it, they bailed and changed the hardware again, leaving us v5 owners just like the v1-4 owners out in the cold.

With all of that said, no other company is making anything for the E46 anymore, so this is the best we have. My advice for anyone would be the same advice i will follow myself. Make sure that you can live with the product AS IS. Do not expect them to live up to any promises of fixing anything after you purchase it. I myself will probably buy another Dynavin, just because i am stuck with them being the only game in town. But before i do, i will make sure they have released a product i can live with.
 
#2,001 · (Edited)
yes, and many of those items I pointed out when I started this thread.

I think your advice is good, buy a product for what it does, not what you hope it will do. Ive posted some lengthy posts in these threads about the consequences of unrealistic expectations. Unrealistic expectations make for unhappy customers, and you guys all know that is contrary to what im all about.

I think devices like the iphone have changed peoples expectations of what electronics can and should do....and in most cases in an unrealistic way. Not everything is firmware upgradable. I have sold audio products for almost 20 years, do you know how many stereos are upgradeable? Almost none. What you buy is what you get. The fact that dynavin had any updates at all is fairly unusual in the larger market.

Some things are software based and can be changed, some things are hardware based and cannot be changed. They changed software where they could, but there were things that couldnt be changed without changing the hardware, and to do that requires a new model with new hardware, and that is where we are now. Ive been working with dynavin for a year and a half now, through 3 different 'models', and I KNOW that they are VERY interested in making you guys happy, but there are limitations to what is possible, from the engineering, the economics, and the logistics, not everything is possible.
 
#2,006 · (Edited)
They don't actually look much different, the major differences that you can see are due to changes in hardware (iPod and USB) not a "skin".
 
#2,012 ·
This sucks. I wanted to buy dynavin since v1, but I new there were gonna be more versions. I waited until v5 came out and I bought it. Now I am stuck with crappy ipod and usb interface with no "back" function. I am gonna have to sell my v5 in order to get a v6. I really hope that v6 stays for at least a year, because I don't want to sell my v6 for a future v7
 
#2,019 · (Edited)
your timeline is way off. I think there is a great amount of misunderstanding about these made up "version" numbers, what they mean, and when they happened.

V1-V3 were almost identical, early users used those names then to differentiate between the slight, mostly cosmetic, variations that happened in the first 3 production runs. VERY few of these were sold, they went to early adopters only (I bought a V3)

V4 was a V3 with rubber knobs and came with LOCs included. So V1-V4 were pretty much the same model (called D30 by dynavin) and were produced for a little less than a year, from late 2009 to September of 2010.

V5 (D90) came out in September of 2010 and has been in production until now, android option was added in march.

Now we are going into October 2011 and a new "V6" (D95) model is on its way.

How is this production schedule any different than every other similar product that has ever been made, Stereos, TVs, Cars, ipods, blenders, toothbrushes, sporks, its standard practice and always has been.
 
#2,021 ·
your timeline is way off. I think there is a great amount of misunderstanding about these made up "version" numbers, what they mean, and when they happened.

V1-V3 were almost identical, early users used those names then to differentiate between the slight (mostly cosmetic) variations that happened in the first 3 production runs. V4 was a V3 with rubber knobs and came with LOCs included. So V1-V4 were pretty much the same model (called D30 by dynavin) and were produced from late 2009 to September of 2010.

V5 (D90) then came out in September of 2010 and has been in production until now, android option was added in march.

Now we are going into October 2011 and a new "V6" (D95) model is on its way.

How is this production schedule any different than every other similar product that has ever been made, Stereos, TVs, Cars, ipods, blenders, toothbrushes, sporks, its standard practice and always has been.
I totally agree with you, the only difference is most of the time, the other products are customer friendly or market ready. Most of the dynavin users would not survive a week without your help or firmware upgrades etc. Imagine if they would sell the early dynavin at bestbuy? I would have probably return it because of the clock no working properly lol. But in the end the dynavin is still our best option, and I hope I can get my hand on a v6. Are you gonna get big first batch or is gonna run short (out stock)
 
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