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User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Excellent Value for the Money
Pros
Good sound, terrific value. Plays DVD's, CD's and MP-3's for $200.
Cons
No MP-3 fast play or resume, steering wheel controls.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Recommended. An excellent value for $200.
Summary: For $200, this product offers an AM/FM tuner, CD player, DVD player, and MP-3/WMA playback from CD-R or DVD-R discs. A DVD-R disc can hold up to 1,100 songs, which can be navigated and played from the receiver. Removable faceplate, and support for accessories including CD changer, front-panel aux input, video screen, and Sirius radio tuner.
My daughter used our OEM CD player as a piggy bank. After dumping 30 coins out of the player, I realized our minivan needed a new radio. I selected this unit mainly because it offers a DVD player option by adding an LCD screen. For my family, I'll be able to burn all of our music onto a single DVD disc that I will keep in the player all the time.
I installed the unit myself without difficulty, using an $18 wiring harness. When I called JVC's technical support for advice about the LCD brightness connection, they didn't have a clue, refused to answer me, and told me to contact a professional installer. When I asked for a supervisor I was refused.
When I phoned the 800 number included with the wiring harness, I got a quick and accurate answer.
I initially installed the unit using my Honda's four OEM speakers. I connected no accessory A/V equipment, such as outboard amplifier, Sirius tuner, etc. In the future, I intend to install a rear-seat screen for the DVD player.
For now, the unit works fairly well. On the plus side, it has a large chrome on/off/volume dial that dwarfs everything else. For basic radio operation, this works just fine. There are six small radio presets, two up/down buttons, a memory button and an INPUT button. Inputs include a front-panel input.
The user manual describes how to operate numerous special features, such as clock set, amplifier gain, graphic equalizer, naming radio stations, auxiliary input, and -- most importantly - permanently cancelling the annoying JVC DEMO that flashes constantly across the LCD. These features are non-intuitive and you should not try to adjust them while driving. My biggest concern is that when Daylight Savings Time comes around, I'll forget how to set the clock and I'll have lost the manual. But, to be fair, most of these items are one-time setup things. The unit is generally very easy to use because there are so few buttons, and I really like the big round knob.
I haven't burned a DVD-R yet, but the gist is that you can navigate through folders to play songs, which are played in the order that your burner software added them to the disc. The constant complaint is that MP-3's can't be fast played and the player resumes playback at the beginning of a track.
On the DVD-Video side, I haven't played any of those either, but the features look pretty nice: I can add an LCD screen via a composite video jack. I can listen to DVD's via the car's four speakers, through the S/PDIF output, or through a separate set of Line Out controls. These separate LineOut controls are intended for a wireless headphone amplifier, so that backseat passengers can listen to a movie while you play the radio.
DVD playback is controlled with an IR remote control that's included with the unit. It's very nice of JVC to include a remote, but it's pretty cheap.
Speaking of remote, my steering wheel has remote controls for volume and track. Sadly, the controls won't work with this unit unless I buy a 3rd party accessory for $70... forget that.
For $200, I feel that this product gives a lot of value and it's a great deal. The only significant complaint I have is that MP-3's can't be fast played/resumed, and I get an occasional buzzing sound from the radio... which I now think is caused by interference from my cell phone. This never happened with the Honda's OEM unit. My other complaints are legitimate for a $400 unit for not for a $200 unit.
I'm looking forward to adding an LCD screen and burning some DVD-R discs so that I can get the most out of this product.
My daughter used our OEM CD player as a piggy bank. After dumping 30 coins out of the player, I realized our minivan needed a new radio. I selected this unit mainly because it offers a DVD player option by adding an LCD screen. For my family, I'll be able to burn all of our music onto a single DVD disc that I will keep in the player all the time.
I installed the unit myself without difficulty, using an $18 wiring harness. When I called JVC's technical support for advice about the LCD brightness connection, they didn't have a clue, refused to answer me, and told me to contact a professional installer. When I asked for a supervisor I was refused.
When I phoned the 800 number included with the wiring harness, I got a quick and accurate answer.
I initially installed the unit using my Honda's four OEM speakers. I connected no accessory A/V equipment, such as outboard amplifier, Sirius tuner, etc. In the future, I intend to install a rear-seat screen for the DVD player.
For now, the unit works fairly well. On the plus side, it has a large chrome on/off/volume dial that dwarfs everything else. For basic radio operation, this works just fine. There are six small radio presets, two up/down buttons, a memory button and an INPUT button. Inputs include a front-panel input.
The user manual describes how to operate numerous special features, such as clock set, amplifier gain, graphic equalizer, naming radio stations, auxiliary input, and -- most importantly - permanently cancelling the annoying JVC DEMO that flashes constantly across the LCD. These features are non-intuitive and you should not try to adjust them while driving. My biggest concern is that when Daylight Savings Time comes around, I'll forget how to set the clock and I'll have lost the manual. But, to be fair, most of these items are one-time setup things. The unit is generally very easy to use because there are so few buttons, and I really like the big round knob.
I haven't burned a DVD-R yet, but the gist is that you can navigate through folders to play songs, which are played in the order that your burner software added them to the disc. The constant complaint is that MP-3's can't be fast played and the player resumes playback at the beginning of a track.
On the DVD-Video side, I haven't played any of those either, but the features look pretty nice: I can add an LCD screen via a composite video jack. I can listen to DVD's via the car's four speakers, through the S/PDIF output, or through a separate set of Line Out controls. These separate LineOut controls are intended for a wireless headphone amplifier, so that backseat passengers can listen to a movie while you play the radio.
DVD playback is controlled with an IR remote control that's included with the unit. It's very nice of JVC to include a remote, but it's pretty cheap.
Speaking of remote, my steering wheel has remote controls for volume and track. Sadly, the controls won't work with this unit unless I buy a 3rd party accessory for $70... forget that.
For $200, I feel that this product gives a lot of value and it's a great deal. The only significant complaint I have is that MP-3's can't be fast played/resumed, and I get an occasional buzzing sound from the radio... which I now think is caused by interference from my cell phone. This never happened with the Honda's OEM unit. My other complaints are legitimate for a $400 unit for not for a $200 unit.
I'm looking forward to adding an LCD screen and burning some DVD-R discs so that I can get the most out of this product.
