AV Shoot Out

First test review – a serious group of three regular-car-radio-sized 1-DIN source units with a TV screen that whirrs out of the dash by motorisation. They can be connected to lots of extra stuff like TV tuners and iPods and will all play DVDs. But which is the right one for your urge? Do you like flashy and bling with lots of fun, or are you also after the loudest you can get without needing an extra power amplifier? Or maybe you want the best possible hifi output and surround sound and value that the top reason behind the decision. Either way, after a seriously long play with each one (I love my job!) and some proper technical digging for facts, we have our first group test of many.

Pioneer AVH-P5900DVDi

Single DIN source unit with motorised 7 inch QVGA touch screen. Piano Black finish surround to screen to look like Pioneer’s Plasma screens’ surrounds. Sub-display on front of unit. Certified for DivX and you can operate DVD menus intuitively by touch screen by pressing what you see, or else by the more pedestrian onscreen GUI menu-button emulation system. Plays DVD-Video, -R/RW, Video CD, CD-Digital Audio -R/RW. Does not play DVD-Audio. Full control of iPod, with scrolling faster than on an iPod. Video iPod compatible but that must be controlled from the iPod, rather than using the intuitive emulation-display on the touch screen. iP-Bus means 12 years of retro compatibility. An old machine can thus operate a new device. The deck will play MP3 from DVD discs. The remote control is an option.

Alpine IVA-D105R

Single-DIN source unit with motorised 6.5 inch QVGA PulseTouch screen. Plays DVD, DVD +/-R, +/-RW and CD discs and can read MP3, AAC and WMA digital music files, as well as play DivX compressed video.
It’ll play DVD-Audio but will down-mix it to stereo. Decoders for Dolby Digital & ProLogic II and dts are built in. You can add a digital TV tuner, the Alpine DVD navigation and a reversing camera via the A/V input, although it doesn’t have a dedicated reversing cam input like the IVA-W205R. The remote control is an optional extra. However, the PulseTouch screen is a class-leading concept. It offers you some feedback. Like the breakout force of a switch needed for proper use of calculators, you get a small ‘zzipp’ against your finger tip to verify operation of that virtual screen-icon control.

Kenwood KVT-829DVD

Single-DIN source unit with 7 inch touchscreen 16:9 monitor with DVD player and radio. Will decode digital audio file formats AAC, WMA & MP3 and has a USB (1.1/2.0) interface. Plays DVD-Audio discs. Certified for DivX video use and able to run iPods, including video ones. It has a dedicated reversing camera input as well as Audio-Visual inputs and outputs for having an extra source or feeding extra screens. You can add a TV tuner and the remote control is included in the price. It can deal with dual zone output. There is no 5.1 output for a surround sound decoder to use.

 

Three Screens A Whirring
After having tried all the features on all three machines in our small head to head and checking out all the file formats played and connectability, it becomes clear what they are best at and who is likeliest to want which.
First off, all three are Dream Machines that anyone in the know would be impressed by. Each is capable of having extra items such as navigation and TV tuners and especially rear view cameras appended, all at the same time via lots of plug holes. Also, although they work in different ways and some are a tiny bit more comprehensive in how they do it, they will all work with an iPod connected.
The Kenwood KVT-829DVD is great for those who want flash technology and serious sound from a unit that needs no extra amplification but who are untroubled over surround sound. Is it astonishingly loud for its 4 x 50w rating and the adjustable on screen graphics are lovely. It will operate an iPod, including full on screen control of video functions. Slightly expensive but worth it.
The Pioneer AVH-P900DVD is a triumph of cost effective engineering. It has the lowest audio purity specification but you would not be able to tell as the sound is nevertheless excellent. It has a big slice of glamour and clever flash technology all packed into the one unit, so no hideaway box needed like the Kenwood. The most affordable way to get a unit like this. Video from iPods have to be controlled by the iPod rather than on-screen.
The Alpine IVA-D105R is going to appeal to the more grown up buyer and brand fans alike. It’s graphics are not nearly as appealing as the regular touch screens and is a half inch smaller at 6.5 inch but it is PulseTouch, so responds with a ‘ZZip’ to a fingertip. It has ProLogicII and will output real 5.1 surround sound as well as having all the other stuff like DivX and all those digital formats like the others. Only a little more pricey than the Pioneer but a bit more advanced, putting it ahead of the other two by a whisker at 9.2 points vs. an equal 8.6pts for different reasons for the other two.