Pioneer AppRadio 2/3 experience

[Mattlock]

So I got the AVH-X8550BT but haven't installed it yet. I also picked up a reversing camera too, so I'm pretty pleased!

Shout out to RUFNIT for assisting me with a bunch of PMs and face-to-face advice.

[mr mojo risin]

How did you go with your AVH-X8550BT? I just bought one of the new 2014 Pioneer range (AVH-5650bt I think) from ebay but I'm feeling like maybe I should have gone with the 8550bt for HDMI. When using HDMI do you still have to use Pioneers Appradio mode or can you mirror your iphone screen without it?

[Mattlock]

How did you go with your AVH-X8550BT? I just bought one of the new 2014 Pioneer range (AVH-5650bt I think) from ebay but I'm feeling like maybe I should have gone with the 8550bt for HDMI. When using HDMI do you still have to use Pioneers Appradio mode or can you mirror your iphone screen without it?

It's really good. I think the actual AppRadio experience has been dulled by reading about AppRadio3 over my 8550. The HDMI makes it a breeze to hook up and it works well. However, the things I have noticed are:

1. You have to do all of the control from the iPhone. If you try and touch the screen, you get a hand with a red X through it.

2. When in AppRadio mode, the 8550 locks out all of the physical buttons for volume adjustment and track skipping, forcing you to do it all on the phone - which is annoying.

3. The screen is a complete mirror, leading to you having 2 screens displaying the same information. If you try and lock the phone to blank the screen, it sends the 8550 screen blank as well. I don't know what would happen if your phone is set to auto-lock and then powers off the screen (from an energy saving perspective).

4. The 8550 prompts you to have the AppRadio app running on the phone when you hit the Apps button on the 8550. Once it has started up, you don't need to use the AppRadio apps (EZ Touch and Waze are the only ones I've played with) and I got it happily running Apple Maps as well as the Apple native Video and Music apps.

5. I watched a bit of a movie with no issues at all. The screen is really nice and the sound was good.

However, this all a bit academic as the parking brake sensor interrupts everything. Even if you are using a navigation app, as soon as you take the handbrake off (i.e. driving along) it instantly blanks the screen and puts up a warning message that watching video whilst driving is dangerous. This pretty much makes the unique selling point of the unit redundant for me. I wanted to be able to use the Nav on my phone but display it on the 7" screen!

I know there are many easy ways around this but they could all lead to an insurance claim not being paid due to the fact that the safety cut-out wasn't 'working'. I don't really know how to get around this aspect sensibly; I suspect AppRadio 3 units will suffer the same failing.

[Swainey32]

It's really good. I think the actual AppRadio experience has been dulled by reading about AppRadio3 over my 8550. The HDMI makes it a breeze to hook up and it works well. However, the things I have noticed are:

1. You have to do all of the control from the iPhone. If you try and touch the screen, you get a hand with a red X through it.

2. When in AppRadio mode, the 8550 locks out all of the physical buttons for volume adjustment and track skipping, forcing you to do it all on the phone - which is annoying.

3. The screen is a complete mirror, leading to you having 2 screens displaying the same information. If you try and lock the phone to blank the screen, it sends the 8550 screen blank as well. I don't know what would happen if your phone is set to auto-lock and then powers off the screen (from an energy saving perspective).

4. The 8550 prompts you to have the AppRadio app running on the phone when you hit the Apps button on the 8550. Once it has started up, you don't need to use the AppRadio apps (EZ Touch and Waze are the only ones I've played with) and I got it happily running Apple Maps as well as the Apple native Video and Music apps.

5. I watched a bit of a movie with no issues at all. The screen is really nice and the sound was good.

However, this all a bit academic as the parking brake sensor interrupts everything. Even if you are using a navigation app, as soon as you take the handbrake off (i.e. driving along) it instantly blanks the screen and puts up a warning message that watching video whilst driving is dangerous. This pretty much makes the unique selling point of the unit redundant for me. I wanted to be able to use the Nav on my phone but display it on the 7" screen!

I know there are many easy ways around this but they could all lead to an insurance claim not being paid due to the fact that the safety cut-out wasn't 'working'. I don't really know how to get around this aspect sensibly; I suspect AppRadio 3 units will suffer the same failing.

Basis fix is to connect to handbrake wire to a ground on your car, thus the systems thinks it's always handbrake on and all functions work. Nothing about insurance voided etc, this is purely a pioneer legality to avoid being sued due to their system leading to distraction, as far as most states are concerned, if your phone is securely mounted then your fine.

[Mattlock]

Well that's interesting. I was under the impression that it would be a breach of road worthy compliance to bypass the handbrake; it certainly is in the UK and the US.