In car television....

[Chris Peacock]

Excuse my blindness to the subject.

A guy who I work with has a tv in his '54 plate MG ZT, and he is now crying like a girl now that it no longer works due to the digital switchover.

Is there a kit avaliable that can be retrofitted to let his in car tv recieve digtal signals?, or should he just stop crying and move on with the times....

Thanks....

[MattOz]

You can buy a digital receiver. It's about £300 from memory. Wholly depends on how often he uses the facility and whether it's worth it to him.

[davepoth]

Later BMW 5 series ones will fit apparently, and give him widescreen.

[dtmpower]

Should be able to tap into the 'video in' for the screen and inject a composite input from a freeview box and/or media pc.

[D1bram]

Never understood in dash TV's. As far as I know they won't work while the car is travelling, so who sits in their car watching TV? Apart from boyracers at the local McDonalds that is.

TV's in the rear are obviously a very different matter.

[dtmpower]

D1bram said:

Never understood in dash TV's. As far as I know they won't work while the car is travelling, so who sits in their car watching TV? Apart from boyracers at the local McDonalds that is.

TV's in the rear are obviously a very different matter.

Once you have it fixed up to work at all times...it makes more sense.

[sherbert90]

D1bram said:

Never understood in dash TV's. As far as I know they won't work while the car is travelling, so who sits in their car watching TV? Apart from boyracers at the local McDonalds that is.

TV's in the rear are obviously a very different matter.

I think that by law tv screens that can be seen by the driver have to be wired to your handbrake. I could be wrong though.

So pretty pointless IMO.

[PaperCut]

D1bram said:

TV's in the rear are obviously a very different matter.

Ouch, sounds painful!

[gtdc]

Have never understood the point of it. When do the TVs get watched?

[D1bram]

dtmpower said:

Once you have it fixed up to work at all times...it makes more sense.

A working tv in view of the driver? Surely that makes anything but sense?

[Marty63]

sherbert90 said:

I think that by law tv screens that can be seen by the driver have to be wired to your handbrake. I could be wrong though.

This sounds familiar, there is also a trick to by pass

[PaulG40]

Was it the Lambo Aventador on Top Gear that Clarkson showed the TV in it? When the passenger viewed it it was a showing a TV show, but when the driver viewed it at his angle it showed the sat nav!

Now that is cool!

[treehack]

PaulG40 said:

Was it the Lambo Aventador on Top Gear that Clarkson showed the TV in it? When the passenger viewed it it was a showing a TV show, but when the driver viewed it at his angle it showed the sat nav!

Now that is cool!

Range Rover I think

[versus]

D1bram said:

A working tv in view of the driver? Surely that makes anything but sense?

It makes sense. When you're crawling in traffic on the motorway its nice to have something to hear and glance at.

Its no more distracting than the sat nav.

[LHD]

treehack said:

PaulG40 said:

Was it the Lambo Aventador on Top Gear that Clarkson showed the TV in it? When the passenger viewed it it was a showing a TV show, but when the driver viewed it at his angle it showed the sat nav!

Now that is cool!

Range Rover I think

And Jaguar XJ.

[Meoricin]

versus said:

It makes sense. When you're crawling in traffic on the motorway its nice to have something to hear and glance at.

Its no more distracting than the sat nav.

You're joking? Does your satnav frequently do things which surprise or interest you?

Oh, and for thread purposes, my head unit can play movies while I'm driving, but I honestly can't think why I'd want it to. It was just easier to wire up this way.

[A9XXC]

versus said:

D1bram said:

A working tv in view of the driver? Surely that makes anything but sense?

It makes sense. When you're crawling in traffic on the motorway its nice to have something to hear and glance at.

Its no more distracting than the sat nav.

You must a be total idiot if you genuinely think that!

[versus]

Meoricin said:

You're joking? Does your satnav frequently do things which surprise or interest you?

Yes it does. It may say an instruction too late or too early so I have to check the screen and follow the arrow to make sure I've done it right. If I have to avoid a closed road, then I have to mess with it to make sure it gives me a proper alternative route.

In fact I'd say it requires more interaction and attention than a TV.

[crocodile tears]

versus said:

Meoricin said:

You're joking? Does your satnav frequently do things which surprise or interest you?

Yes it does. It may say an instruction too late or too early so I have to check the screen and follow the arrow to make sure I've done it right. If I have to avoid a closed road, then I have to mess with it to make sure it gives me a proper alternative route.

In fact I'd say it requires more interaction and attention than a TV.

I'd agree with this.. Sat nav can be much more distracting than a TV

sherbert90 said:

I think that by law tv screens that can be seen by the driver have to be wired to your handbrake. I could be wrong though.

So pretty pointless IMO.

Whilst I'm pretty sure you're correct, I think the idea is that you 'undo' the very nature of this setup

Edited by crocodile tears on Friday 3rd February 23:44

[D1bram]

versus said:

Yes it does. It may say an instruction too late or too early so I have to check the screen and follow the arrow to make sure I've done it right. If I have to avoid a closed road, then I have to mess with it to make sure it gives me a proper alternative route.

In fact I'd say it requires more interaction and attention than a TV.

Well if you say so it must be true.

Not so sure the law would agree though.