Chris says:

I'm looking for a good double DIN head unit for my 05 F-150.

Would like a good size screen, DVD playback, iPod audio/video playback from my iPod Classic, backup camera input, and maybe touch screen too. I'm on a budget of under a grand--preferrably closer to $500 than $1,000. I also already have the camera

Any recommendations? I know there are a lot out there and hopefully competition has driven down prices and driven up features.

f1504rad says:

Man I wish i could find one for around 500.00 myself. All the ones I have found are closer to the 1k mark and above. I really like the Alpine IVA-W205 and cructhfiled has it currently for around 899

Richard

Cyclone says:

I just got a HELLA deal on one... It is a Clarion... about 2 or 3 years old but it retailed for $2499 when it first hit the shelves (obviously that is to much) You can get them today for about $800+... Well I got it for a WHOPPING $200... It is a single DIN with a 7" flip out touch screen, DVD, CD, VCD, MP3, yadda yadda yadda...

Chris.. I have the dash install kit for your truck if you need one... don't know how much they cost but you can make an offer if your interested.

Mumbly says:

I too have been looking for a good in dash dual Din set up.. Haven't gotten real serious since I haven't been around much.. But thinking in the spring I would like to get it done.. Will keep track of this post...

las.crew says:

Check out the Kenwood DNX7100

03BlueSTX says:

kenwood 7100 is the one with navi right? if so thats the one a friend of mine just got in his car paid 890 for it plus 108 for the install. i know its right at 1k but your getting a very good unit with navi built into it uses garmin, ipod hookup, sd card to view pics, touch screen,plays every burned cd possible. very good unit.

GATOR CREW says:

Chris, I just installed a Kenwood P6019. I love it!!!!

DDX6019 In-Dash DVD Player
In-dash DVD player with built-in amplifier (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
Fits double-sized (4" tall) dash openings
Motorized faceplate with 6.95" LCD video screen with adjustable display angle and touchscreen controls
Plays DVDs, DVD-Rs/RWs, DVD+Rs/+RWs, CDs, CD-Rs/RWs, MP3/WMA discs, JPEG, and MPEG1 and 2 files
System Q Sound Control
System E's+ Advanced Crossover system
Installer Memory retains audio settings even if the vehicle's battery is disconnected
XM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio-ready
Compatible with Kenwood CD changer, TV tuner, HD Radio tuner, or iPod Control Interface
Compatible with Kenwood's Bluetooth adapter for hands-free calls with compatible cell phones
Rear-view camera input
Input for a compatible Kenwood navigation system
Audio/video input
Audio/video output
Dual-zone capable
Front, rear, subwoofer preamp outputs
Wireless remote control
CR-2 tuner
18 FM/6 AM presets
DVD frequency response: 20-22,000 Hz
DVD signal-to-noise ratio: 98 dB
FM sensitivity: 9.3 dBf
Designed for use with "Region 1" coded DVDs
KNA-G510 Hideaway Navigation System
Navigation system offers turn-by-turn map and voice guidance
GPS satellite antenna
Built-in road maps of the United States and Canada
Over 6 million points of interest
Maps displayed on your DVD player's video screen
Voice prompts offer turn-by-turn guidance
Compatible with Clear Channel Traffic Message Channel and XM Satellite Radio traffic information services
Multi-destination route planning
Automatic rerouting for missed turns
Route customization options
2-D and 3-D map views
Trip computer
SD card slot for map updates
12-channel WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
4-1/2"W x 4"H x 1-1/2"D











The only thing I don't care for is the IPOD controls, not the best IMO


onlinecarstereo.com has the shipped to your door for $849


www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16951



I also added a Bullet Style rear camera in my tag....I know, I know, your not supposed to do that

digitalee says:

Wow, that's a great price -- you'll have trouble doing much better than that with new name-brands.

Be sure to look carefully at what's included; with all these units, you'll have to pay extra for the rear-view camera, sat-radio receiver/antenna, etc.

drbalazo says:

I recommend the Pioneer AVIC D3 or Z2

go to www.avic411.com to find out more on these units..

michaels says:

I am getting the Kenwood 7100 myself.

Someone stole my last Kenwood in October..... ::sighs::

GroundForce07 says:

Just Got my Kenwood 7019 in..will be gettin it installed here shortly..but i scooped it up for about $700

Chris says:

Hey guys, thanks for all the info and recommendations. With Christmas looming, and finding a few extra $, including an Amazon gift card, I'm doing some research to find something. I've taken all of your suggestions into consideration, and am throwing a few into the mix that I've found.

Still no firm decision at this time, but I think I'm getting closer.

So here's the research. A few questions will follow in a separate post.

My requirements:

- Double DIN
- Touch screen
- iPod control (video & audio) for 80GB Classic iPod
- DVD playback
- Rear camera input

Would be a plus:

- Bluetooth compatibility
- Nav
- Sirius

Alpine IVA-W205

---

$699 www.amazon.com/Alpine-IVA-W205-player-monitor/dp/B000RFR9RU
$699 GPS option
$200 Bluetooth
$90 iPod
$120 Sirius

Kenwood DNX7100

---

$894 www.amazon.com/Kenwood-DNX7100-DVD-navigation-receiver/dp/B000NWZPTQ
www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainm..._Video_n_Navigation/Mobile_Video/DNX7100
$30 iPod
$50 Sirius
$200 Bluetooth
Comes with Nav

Kenwood DDX7019

---

$718 www.amazon.com/Kenwood-DDX7019-player-double-DIN-openings/dp/B000NSZ43W
www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainm..._Video_n_Navigation/Mobile_Video/DDX7019
$30 iPod KCA-iP300V
$50 Sirius
$200 Bluetooth KCA-BT-100

Kenwood DDX6019

---

$699 www.amazon.com/Kenwood-DDX6019-dash-player-screen/dp/B000FAKOB0
www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainm..._Video_n_Navigation/Mobile_Video/DDX6019
$30 iPod KCA-iP300V
$50 Sirius
$200 Bluetooth KCA-BT-100

Kenwood P6019

---

$849 www.onlinecarstereo.com/CarAudio/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=16951
- Comes with Nav
$? iPod
$? Sirius
- If you google "Kenwood P6019" FTS comes up as the first link:
www.google.com/search?q=Kenwood+P6019
LOL -- but I couldn't find it anywhere but the link you provided.

Pioneer AVIC D3 or Z2

---

$999, $1,635 -- not considered (budget)

Others I've looked into:

Sony XAVW1

---

$699 www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/I...m/Main.aspx?search=Sony+XAVW1&i=158XAVW1
$50 iPod

Dual XDVD8285

---

$638 www.amazon.com/dp/B000KEDT8Q
$699 www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?i=070VD8285
$549 www.sonicelectronix.com/item_8446_Dual+XDVD8285.html (has the best detailed photos) and Sonic sells the same unit through eBay for $525 (ResellerRatings.com) (eBay Ratings)
- Comes with Bluetooth & iPod adapters
- No Sirius option, only XM
- Reviews
- 96-page Manual

Valor DTS-603W

---

$434 www.amazon.com/Valor-DTS-603W-Touch-Screen-Receiver/dp/B000RZMP5Q
- Comes with Bluetooth & iPod adapters
- Reviews are sketchy about features working as advertised
- No Sirius option

Chris says:

Alright, now that I've dumped my research notes into this topic, I have a few questions.

It seems like the Kenwoods are getting rave reviews (Crutchfield.com is the best site I've found for reviews). I can't quickly determine the difference between the DDX6019 and the DDX7019 but I'm going to assume that the 7019 is a newer model and does things better. The price difference isn't that huge (~$20) between a few different retailers, so it's kind of a no brainer.

Here's my questions for the Kenwood owners:

1. On the DNX7100, how good is the Nav? Is it worth the extra $200 to get?

2. On the Kenwoods, how decent is the Bluetooth phone support? What about the iPhone?

3. The $30 iPod adapter is a no-brainer option... how decent really is the support on-screen for the iPod (I have an 80GB iPod Classic -- one of the new ones)? And how well does it play the video from the iPod?

I'm seriously considering a Kenwood at this time, or perhaps giving that Dual XDVD8285 a shot since it comes with everything.

michaels says:

Not sure on iPhone bluetooth support. Best bet is to head to www.kenwoodusa.com and look. If it's not listed, send em an email and they are usually good to respond.

I may have gotten one for christmas......who knows what the heck Sam and my sister conspired. They told me not to buy anything I was looking at.

Chris says:

What about its nav feature? Is it easy to use and accurate?

I found the Bluetooth kit but it doesn't show any compatibility info:
www.kenwoodusa.com/Car_Entertainment/Accessories/KCA-BT100

michaels says:

The Nav feature is made by Garmin and there is an SD slot for future updates. I heard it is faster than most units because of the internal 2gb memory.

Chris says:

That's cool... still not sure I even need Nav. It would be nice, but not a requirement. Good to know it's made by Garmin. That might actually convince me.

Thanks for finding these 2 links, too... even though the people contradict each other.

Says it doesn't work with iPhone BT:
discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1256440&tstart=60

Says it does work with iPhone BT:
www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2060805

Chris says:

After poking around the 'net and doing a bit more research tonight I found the Dual at a SoCal reseller for $525 on eBay with good feedback. I checked them out at ResellerRatings.com and their feedback on eBay and it's not bad at all. The good thing is that the Dual comes with BT and the iPod cable (for audio & video), whereas the Kenwoods do not. To get the same features with the Kenwood it would be pushing $1,000 -- that's about double the Dual. Plus it supports the rear view camera I already have, and a SD card reader. See my notes above below the Dual XDVD8285 heading.

So, I'm looking for a reason not to get the Dual at this point. I'm a cheapskate I guess, and if someone's going to rip off my stereo, it might as well have not cost me an arm and a leg to buy. I'm skeptical about the low price, but the reviews I've read online about the Dual are quite good... better than the reviews of the more expensive stereos. My last stereo was a flip-up Pioneer -- and yeah, I got it for free, but I hated it. I could never figure out how to use it, the buttons were tiny, no touch screen, etc...

The only downside to the Dual is that it only supports XM radio, not Sirius, and it has no Nav. I don't have a sat radio subscription so that's not an issue for me yet (was thinking about getting Sirius one day) and Nav would be nice, but I was thinking that since we use both our cars quite a bit it might be better to get a portable Nav device so we can use it in both cars. There, LOL, I think I just talked myself out of having Nav as a requirement!

michaels says:

Honestly Chris, I have never heard of dual.

The Kenwood's touch screen and interface are so easy - you can also use either XM or Sirius with Kenwood.

There are a bunch of sellers on ebay who include the ipod cable and bluetooth if you search.

Get the Kenwood - trust me.

Cheapskate

Chris says:

True I are... but at the same time if another brand offers everything else a name brand does for half the price then I'll have a good story to tell

I'll check eBay to see if I can find a good deal on Kenwoods.