rapayn1

LOL!!! Not trying to be difficult, but not everyone that owns a Mac knows that it can also run Windows or any other operating system. I apologize if I made it sound like it was an economical thing to do if you didn't already have all of this stuff though. When I bought my first Intel iMac, I made sure to partition the hard drive into two partitions. One partition for the Mac OS was 700GBs and the Windows partition was 50GBs (give or take a few). I must admit that on average, I find myself only needing to boot into the Windows side maybe once or twice a year. Sometimes not at all. If others also have that set-up and have totally forgotten about it. I was hoping to remind them that there was an option. Roxio does the same thing with Toast updates. They only seem to make them downloadable via a Windows .exe file.

To be clear I am NOT advocating that one erase their hard drive, and reformat it and partition it JUST to be able to do a firmware download and update. However, if you already have it like that and just forgot about it, it was a friendly reminder.

There's also emulators like Crossover, Virtual Box, VMware Fusion and Parallels. If you buy from the right companies, the next time you buy a hard drive, you can get an OEM copy of something like Windows 7 for $9.99.

Assuming you have already partitioned your Mac's hard drive and can find an old copy of Windows laying around, why not just install windows on that machine, reboot into BOOTCAMP and then your Mac is a real Windows computer. Download the .exe file and then burn it to a disc or do whatever you want to do. Then, restart and boot back into Snow Leopard of Lion. With a Mac you can have a Mac OS, Windows OS and Linux OS all running on the same box. For something as non-power intensive like downloading a file and extracting it, it should work fine.

Agree that it's really odd. If anything, it should be easier to mirror everything than it is to only mirror certain items - there shouldn't be any cost at all for this feature.

It's funny how we can even by-pass the unit to show video up front while the vehicle is moving, but can't do the same thing to allow video to be output to the rear. All video going to the rear seat monitors would have to be safer than allowing video to be seen up front. I can slap a DVD of Avatar into my unit, and have it play in the front and the back, but I can't punch in an address on the navigation part of the Z120BT, as the family heads off to grandma's house, and have the map displayed to the kids in the back seat.

Its the same as with the 110 and its not going to change. That really isn't a feature that is in demand.

It may not be in demand, but it was something that was already done in the earlier versions. Seems silly of Pioneer to have the newer model unable to do something that an older one did. While those of us wanting rear mirroring seem to be in the minority, my rear passengers who remember my Z1, sure do miss seeing the navigation map on the rear headrest monitors. This miss seeing what is playing on XM Radio on the rear monitors. They miss seeing what is playing on the iPod. All they can see now is what is on satellite TV, my DVD and that is it. Seems like such a trivial feature. Whether everyone wants it or not, the option ought to be there to have it play all of these things in the front only, or the front and the back. How hard could it be? What do they save in manufacturing costs to no longer offer that option?

I can't even get iPod stuff to my rear headrest monitors. I'm royally disappointed that stuff I could do with the old Z1 can't be done with the 120BT. As it is now, I can only watch DirecTV on the front Z120BT in-dash monitor and on the two rear monitors, as well as a DVD movie. That is it. The rest of the time my rear passengers stare at a blank screen. They can't see the XM Radio channel/station that is playing (name of the group, song, etc.). they can't see the navigation map as we drive along the highway. They can't see any iPod information. No AM/FM information. No MSN Direct information (traffic incidents, flow, etc.). Nothing from my SD card. I have the main unit set to Mirror A/V, but it will only mirror DirecTV and DVD movies. Everything else gets a black screen.

I've had the upgrade for 2 weeks now. I would say that it is worth it. However, there is one thing that I do not like, but it is not a deal breaker. I kind of preferred the larger XM Radio logos on the older GUI. I had gone a long time with my AVIC-Z1 and when the channel/station logos changed, I had a lot of generic icons. When I finally bought my AVIC-Z110BT I got all of the new icons and loved them. Big, bright and colorful. Now, with the new 120 update, the XM logos are all teeny tiny postage stamp-sized logos. Aside from that, I love everything else. There seems to be more room for artists names and song titles, but there is still not scrolling of longer names.

Maps look the same to me, but the maps are spot on for me here in Maryland. I never had any complaints about the maps at all. I wish the maps could be displayed on the back headrest monitors. Right now the old AVIC-Z1 was better about that. On the Z1 I could display the navigation maps up front and in the back. I could have the iPod display in the front and back also. XM Radio could be displayed in the front and the back, TV in the front and the back, and DVD in the front and the back. Now, the only thing that shows in the back is TV and DVD. Maybe my installer hooked something up incorrectly, but I don't see how a newer model does less than an older model.

I also don't get the whole Echo Graph thing. Does the upgrade disc not give you everything that you get with the real 120? The manual shows screens that I can never find on Echo Graph.

Yes, on the Pioneer web site:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/ ... ion=models

While I realize that most of us don't pay retail for stuff like this, I paid $949 for mine from Newegg.com back in December of 2009, it still looks weird to go to the manufacturer's site and see side-by-side that the older one costs more than the newer one. I'll be getting the $200 upgrade discs and it will still be cheaper than a new Z120BT or an old Z110BT. Looked at that way, the upgrade discs are a bargain.

This doesn't seem logical to me. Shouldn't the older version/model be cheaper now than the new one? What are you giving up in the 120BT or if you upgrade your 110BT to a 120BT? Thanks.

I did that but it is still not working. I think the installer must have connected something the wrong way. Satellite TV works, but it will not show XM Radio on the rear headrest monitors. It will not show the navigation maps. It will not show my iPod screen on the back monitors. If I could get it so that it would show XM Radio, DVDs, navigation maps, iPod screens and satellite TV on the front and the two headrest monitors, I would be REALLY happy. The Z1 did this. Everything I have read in the manual suggests that this is also doable (page 158 of the Z110BT manual).

I got my AVIC-Z110BT installed this past Saturday, December 26th. I am finding that I can't mirror the head unit display on the two rear headrest monitors. On my AVIC-Z1, I can show the navigation maps/screen on the front head unit and the two headrest monitors supporting the rear seat passengers. I can also show the XM satellite radio screen on my Z1 to the front and rear monitors at the same time. I can share the DVD video to the front and rear screens. AM/FM radio can be shared to the front and rear. However, on my Z110BT, I can only seem to get it to share/mirror the DirecTV satellite signal. I can't share any suggestions? I thought I read earlier in the thread that this could be done as it was on the Z1, but right now I don't see how it is done.

Thanks so much man.

When you say most are up-to-date, is there a list I can see of the station logos that will still be generic/blank? Hopefully none that I listen to, but right now I don't know which are or are not updated. Thanks.

Thanks. How are people using their iPods with the Z110BT? I mean do you run the cable out the back of the Z110BT and snake it/loop it up through the glovebox? If you hide your iPod in the glovebox, how do you charge it? Does the extreme heat and/or cold affect the iPod? It's drive is not as robust (meant to be outdoors) as the AVIC's drive is it?

Thanks. Getting a $250 upgrade disc is definitely cheaper, but I'm thinking that after 3 years (almost 4 soon) that maybe it is time to upgrade my hardware. There should be a big leap from the AVIC-Z1 to a Z110BT. Yes? No? I hope. I know I'm getting the Z110BT for less than I paid for the Z1. $899 for a Z110BT vice $1,799 for the Z1 in 2006. I'll keep the Z1 around and if something goes wrong with it, I can at least slap the Z1 in while the Z110BT is in the shop for repairs.

WIth the AVIC-Z1 I could only load CD-Rs with MP3s or AIFF files. My library would hold up to 8GBs or 10GBs (don't remember off the top of my head) of music on the internal AVIC-Z1 hard drive. With the Z110BT if I understand correctly, I still have a built-in hard drive library, but also a SD card slot that can store as much as your SD card will hold? Is this true? If true, does this mean, if I have a 16GB SDHC card, that I can have 16GB worth of MP3 files or AIFF files on the card that is inserted into the Z110BT, and I can also have 10GB worth of music on the internal hard drive library? Can you still sort the library by artist, song, genre, or album?

My AVIC-Z1 is really hurting now with regard to the lack of actual XM radio station artwork (logos or icons). If I buy a new Z110BT, will I have all of the XM stations logos, or do I still need to order a hard drive from Garrett here on the site?

This is possible on my AVIC-Z1. Are you saying that when I upgrade to the Z110BT that I won't be able to have my navigation map that is displayed on the front screen also displayed on the two back screens (headrest monitors)? That is odd. I wonder why they made that change. Now all three monitors can show the map or I can show satellite TV or DVD on the rear monitors and have just the navigation map on the front monitor. It's called mirrored view or something like that.

Thanks for the quick reply. WOW!!

I bought my AVIC-Z1 way back in August 2006. The only thing I did to it was have it by-passed. I have loved the unit, but am getting that itch to get something new and am wondering if the new Z110BT is a good choice? I know everything should be the same, just new icons and all of the current XM and Sirius logos pre-installed. However, is there an A/V input where I can connect my TracVision A7 TV unit into the way I have it now on my AVIC-Z1? With the MSN service going away soon, what are you all that have it doing since XM Traffic is not offered on the Z110BT?

Yes. I gave up on it and got a TracVision A7 satellite dish. Now I can watch 265 channels of DirecTV in my SUV and couldn't be happier.

I can confirm this. If you can afford it, and have the right type of vehicle (preferably a SUV), get a TracVision satellite dish system. Other than when buried deep in a grove of trees or in a tunnel or parking garage, the thing works great for me on residential streets as well as on the highway. I totally do not miss having my Pioneer analog TV Tuner at all. Nothing better than CNN, ESPN, local channels, MTV, NFL Network, etc., all on the road.

blackh8552,

Exactly, it is LIVE TV. Not a DVD. I have plenty of DVDs too, but there is nothing like watching your local weather forecast live. Watching the local news. Watching breaking news on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, watching ESPN, etc. DVDs have their place. So does live satellite TV. If you are just going to run around the corner and be at your destination in 5 minutes, then you listen to the radio (AM/FM/XM/Sirius) or you listen to your own CDs, MP3s or just leave everything off. If you are commuting 45 minutes to work, you have time to enjoy some TV. If you are waiting on your wife at the store, you can enjoy watching what you would be able to watch at home and not feel like you are missing the big game for example. I understand in the current economic environment, that $1,800.00 (US) or more is not something to take lightly. However, everyone here has, or is getting ready to buy an AVIC series head unit. Why do that? I mean the money spent on one of those is more than if you just used the AM/FM factory radio and CD player, got a portable satellite radio receiver, and bought a $49.99 portable DVD player and draped some $50 Emerson or Jensen monitors over the headrests and used a standalone Garmin or Navigon GPS system. If you ever take your vehicle on a long trip, live TV is invaluable. If you ever go to a game and want to tailgate, live TV is invaluable. If you ever go on a picnic or go camping, live TV is invaluable. Just my $0.02 worth on the matter. There is no right or wrong answer here. Just offering up some additional reasons why the $1,800 investment is not as bad as you might think, unless you have lost your job and could find better things to spend your money on than satellite TV.

If you have an SUV, get yourself a TracVision A7 satellite dish. I had the Pioneer analog TV tuner and it was fine. I got my money's worth out it for two years. It is still installed but will be pretty much worthless after February 17, 2009. I love my TracVision A7 though. Watching NFL Network, CNN, MTV, ESPN, etc, all on the highway is great. Crystal clear picture on the AVIC-Z1 screen and the Alpine monitors in my headrests.

That is correct. There is supposed to be a way to do that, but I have not been able to make it work. If I put in the ability to go directly ahead 5 or 6 minutes (to the next track), then I will get that pause (even if just for half of a second.