Kenwood HDV-770 GPS/media player
By Marc Perton 
posted January 25th 2006 9:20AM
posted January 25th 2006 9:20AM
Kenwood is aiming for a piece of the growing market for multi-function GPS units with the HDV-770, which includes a 7-inch touchscreen display, hard drive, CD/DVD player with MP3/WMA and MPEG playback, TV tuner and iPod connectivity. Of course, it might be a little tricky to use it for navigation if the kids are screaming to watch a video, so we anticipate this leading to some control battles (with the movie lovers winning out, no doubt, so you'd better keep some maps handy). It's due out next month for ¥215,000 ($1,876).
[Via Akihabara News]
it's got dual zone too, so your kids won't be screaming and be quiet while watching their movie while you navigate (you cannot even whatch a movie on the dashmounted screen while driving, it's illigal)
Get a cheap ass laptop instead. You will have money left over for a personal dvd player for the kids.
what would be nice is a GPS unit with internet access that could use google maps.
I want one of these SOOO bad, except without the slide out screen. I want the screen to be the ONLY thing visible and when I click a little button the screen flips up to reveal the dvd drive. :P
first of all...*drool*
second, @#2, there's two things wrong with laptop navigation systems. First, the interface is too dificult to use while driving so you would have to pull to do even simple things like zooming the map safely. Second, laptop drives are not designed to handle constant vibration and sudden jerks experienced in an everyday car ride. Taking it for a ride once and awhile probably won't do anything to it, but as a long term solution drive failure is almost inevitable.
Oh and third, just think about what that 10 pound laptop is going to do when you get in an accident. I wouldn't want that flying around in the car at 60mph.
#5 What state do you live in? There are laws either on the books or in the process of being enacted for all 50 states. Even in the ones that don't have specific laws prohibiting front seat entertainment, cops are writing tickets for reckless endangerment. You're fooling yourself if you think a cop anywhere is not going to stop you for having a dvd playing on a front screen.
Actualy notebook drives are fine for in-car use, they are rated for fairly decent shocks and I wouldn't be surprised if the HD in it is a 2.5" notebook drive. I have an indash car PC in my car and have had it for about a year now with no problems with the notebook HD I use in it. But yeah, either way a notebook sitting on the passenger seat isn't easy or convient to use.
#7, Don't speak for policemen unless you are one. I have not given a ticket to anyone with in dash video and I've seen a few. I've seen one car with 5 screens going at once. As long as you maintain your lane and are not driving like a smacktard, I have no problem with it. Its no worse than trying to operate BMW's I-Drive system.
What no bluetooth :( ?
I guess another option would be to get a stick on Garmin c320 ($450), 1 gb sd card ($50), and a backseat laptop DVD player for $200. Cheaper overall, but you'd have wires hanging all over the car, fighting over who is using the power outlet (with your cellphone also charging). An accident would make all this hardware turn into a flying bunch of strangling wires with shrapnel at the end (think Final Desination).
This is a great alternative to those oem GPS units that are way overpriced. Hopefully this thing is double DIN? Car compatibility will be a problem...
Our police department uses standard laptops mounted in the cruisers for viewing call information and running registrations and licenses. There arent many vehicles driven as hard as patrol cars, and laptops have been working fine there.