Mazda3ndp

nevermind.. i think the schematic uses the newer chip...

bobclevenger

Hey guys (and gals! if there are any reading this thread) I just got an alternate plan to get us a video source connected to our nav screens.

I bought the Blaupunkt DVD-ME3 player today. This unit has DVD/CD playing capability, two aux a/v inputs, and an NTSC TV tuner all built in. This cost me about $150 with tax and shipping.

I located a fellow who is selling composite video to RGBs video adapters specifically intended to be used with car naav screens.
He sells them on eBay and at his website also. I'll post a link to his site if all works well. He doesn't have an installation kit for the RX-8 yet, but it ought to hook up just like the Pioneer or Avelectronics boxes but without needing that IR/OSD box.

Switching is done with an ordinary 4-pole relay.

Stay tuned for the further adventures of "Tom Swift and his Electric RX-8"!

thew

yep let us know..

Mazda3ndp

thats interesting... i havent bought my pioneer box yet... im about too... i thought of going the ssame route your going with just using the blaupunkt with a rgb convertor... what i found is that i could find people to convert the rgb signal to composite.. but i couldnt find a reasonable piece to turn the signal back to rgb...or vice versa i forget.. also from what i understand you will loose video quality switching back and forth.. could you link us to this guys site? how much is his converters?

bobclevenger

OK. Here's a link to the board I'm getting from him: http://nav-vision.com/eshop/product_...products_id=31 and his price is $150. This converts from composite video in NTSC format (which is what the DVD-ME3 puts out) to RGBs video that our nav screens can use --- only one conversion needed.

You'll also need some sort of switch to select between nav and DVD. I'm going to use a 4-pole relay and I'm going to try to operate it automatically when the DVD player is activated. That's going to take some experimenting. I also intend to put the parking brake switch in the relay circuit so that the DVD player won't be accessible unless the parking brake is on -- I think this will comply with the laws. Of course I'm going to put a bypass switch around the parking brake switch so that I can use a back-up camera when I get one. I'll probably get one of the rear fog light switches and use that.

RotaryJeff

I want this - esp for rearview camera(s)

Napboy

So what's the benifit of this converter vs. the same-priced panasonic (or is it pioneer, i don't remember) box?

bobclevenger

Good question.

It's smaller. I hope to be able to mount it inside the DVD-ME3 (but I'm not counting on it).

It's still in production. The Pioneer units are limited to stock on hand.

It is listed regularly on eBay and you can get one for less if you are willing to wait.

It doesn't need the extra IR/OSD board to be built.

The final installation will only require one remote control (for the DVD-ME3) rather than one for the DVD player and another for the Pioneer TV tuner.

Paul Schmitz

are you using the stock navigation? if you are then you are going to have to convert from rgb to composite into the dvd-m3 then out in composite from the dvd-me3 and convert to rgb...

if your not going to use the stock navigation then your on the right track!

if you can't get your hands on a gex-p7000tv.. then the gex-p6400tv should work.. its the newer version of it.

thew

its just so much easyer to use the av box... but whatever..

FYI the video rgb and sync wires can also be found in the passenger side kick panel . the first big connector you see in there has the Red , Green, Blue and White sync wires routed from the back to there..

I will look at the wireing Diag today and tell you what the smoked plastic part in the lcd nav sceen is once and for all..

bobclevenger

That's my intention.

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if you are then you are going to have to convert from rgb to composite into the dvd-m3 then out in composite from the dvd-me3 and convert to rgb...

No, nothing is being input into the DVD-ME3 except composite video signals (reverse camera, game box, etc.). The composite video output of the DVD-ME3 goes to the converter's input; the converter's RGBs output goes to the "normally open" contacts of a 4-pole relay; the RGBs output of the stock navigation unit goes to the "normally closed" contacts of the relay; the RGBs input of the stock navigation screen goes to the "common" contacts of the relay. The switching is done at the input of the screen.

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if your not going to use the stock navigation then your on the right track!

If I were not using the stock navigation screen I wouldn't need to have an RGBs signal at all.

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if you can't get your hands on a gex-p7000tv.. then the gex-p6400tv should work.. its the newer version of it.

That may be helpful to a lot of people, thanks for the info.

TORacing

I just got my Pioneer box and it comes with a remote but I can't find an IR reciever on the box. How does the box recieve the signal?

thew

i think i read its an option.. you need to buy the ir reciver..

Paul Schmitz

bob maybe you and i arent catching each other.. if your using the stock navigation system... what you are trying to do wont work.. you need to convert the navigation box to composite and then you would need to convert the dvd-m3 to rgb for the monitor...

horse... you NEED to build the ir/osd box.. that way the remote will send the signal to the ir/osd box and the pioneer box will be able to read it.

TORacing

so how do you switch inputs w/o remote there isn't a manual switch

TORacing

if we are to build how do we mate the ir eye we buy with the remote that came with the box?

bobclevenger

You attach the IR "eye" to the IR/OSD board that you build at the place that is indicated in the circuit. The IR/OSD box then communicates with the Pioneer box.

bobclevenger

Yes, I think we are not communicating here. I will try again.

Why do I need to convert the nav box to composite? It has a perfectly good RGBs signal that I'm going to connect back to the original wires to the screen using a 4-pole relay. When the relay is relaxed everything will be exactly the same as it was before modification.

When the relay is energized, the relay will connect these 4 wires (the ones that go to the screen) to the RGBs signal coming from the composite to RGBs converter board which is getting its composite input signal from the DVD-ME3 unit. At the same time the relay will disconnect the 4 wires coming from the nav box.

Is that any clearer?

Thommino

I don't understand?
Can I use GEX-P7000TVP on my mazda Rx-8 or not?
Thanks

bobclevenger

Yes, you can use the Pioneer GEX-7000TV (I assume the 'P' stands for PAL) on your RX-8, but it is not plug and play. You will have to make an IR/OSD interface card and wire it up as shown in the link in the first post in this thread. You will also need to cut into the wires (four of them) that carry the video signal to the navigation screen.

Thommino

Yes I'm an European user. I need Pal version. Here in italy pioneer cost about 500 Euro

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but it is not plug and play.

I don't understand. What P&P means for thi product. Can you explain better?

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You will have to make an IR/OSD interface card

Where can I find an IR/OSD?

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and wire it up as shown in the link in the first post in this thread.

yes they are only 4 wires to cut on rx-8 right? R G B Sync right?

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You will also need to cut into the wires (four of them) that carry the video signal to the navigation screen.

And the how can switch from my navigation system to tv tuner or dvd player?
the navigation system work in background?
Thanks

Paul Schmitz

now i understand whats your saying about the dvd-me3... i didnt know how your were proposing to switchin inputs thats where you lost me..

you have to build the ir/osd box. If mine works i may start building them for people pending if its patented, and i wouldnt be able to offer any sort of warentee or anything like that.. but we will see..

the dvd-me3 is starting to sound like a really good idea.. im holding out on purchasing the pioneer box because if this solution works then im going to get the dvd-me3 and order that convertor as well as the relay..

bobclevenger

I mean that the installation is not a simple as unplugging the stock connectors and plugging in the new devices.

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Where can I find an IR/OSD?

You have to make one.

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yes they are only 4 wires to cut on rx-8 right? R G B Sync right?

Correct.

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And the how can switch from my navigation system to tv tuner or dvd player?

The GEX-7000TV(P) does the switching via remote control if you go this route.

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the navigation system work in background?

It will run in the background and you can still hear the voice guidance (unless you have the volume turned down to 0!), but you will not be able to see both the the DVD and the nav at the same time.

bobclevenger

I won't need the IR/OSD box the way I'm going to do it. The IR/OSD board provides translation between the GEX-7000TV and the RGBs display. I'm not using a GEX7000TV.

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the dvd-me3 is starting to sound like a really good idea.. im holding out on purchasing the pioneer box because if this solution works then im going to get the dvd-me3 and order that convertor as well as the relay..

The DVD-ME3 looks like a very good DVD/CD/MP3 player/TV tuner. It plays my DVD-Rs and my CDRs without problems. The TV tuner works, but it's hard to evaluate where I am since on-the-air TV signals are really poor here. It comes with a simple retractable TV antenna and a remote sensor for the IR Remote.

Stay tuned for updates as parts come in. I have a plan to make the relay pull in when you activate the DVD-ME3. If I can find connectors that fit the one on the stock nav unit I can even make this "plug and play" except for audio. Still waiting for that aux-in that Overload's working on!

Paul Schmitz

i think i understand you now... the relay will do the switching between nav and dvd-m3 and the converter will do the converting of the composte signal to rgbs! BRILLIANT! i was trying to think of ways to use the dvd-me3 but never thought of using a relay to do the switching..

just curious what kind of relay is it? can you link us? also.. how will you do the switching between nav and dvd-me3? will it be a switch you install and flipp it on by hand? or will it be a relay that switches when it sense power from the dvd-m3?

dam the gears are really turning! im almost toally done with my ir/osd box and if this solution turns out well im going to kick myself for building this ir osd box for the pioneer