Z3 vs Z110 More Questions

[john_tsouris]

Hey gang.

 

I've used the Z's for years now. My current Z1 unit has 140,000 loooong miles on it. The bugger survived upgrades to Z2, then Z3....as well as two theft attempts.

 

Looking at upgrading to the new Z110 from my two current Z3's, and what I'm hearing is mixed so far.

 

I have questions. Thanks THANKS T H A N K S! For those that respond! And please don't tell me to look elsewhere as the answer is buried somewheres else in the forum... I have done so already and didn't see all the questions answered..... Thanks again.

 

The following questions attempt to ascertain if Pioneer has fixed some glaring shortcomings with their new offering which would show some value in purchasing the new unit.

 

Here goes:

 

1. Please confirm there is no split screen. Are you guys DAMN sure?? And that might be a deal killer for me.

 

2. I've read reports about very VERY screwed up navigation route selection on the new unit, and POI locations that are way off. Anybody?

 

3. Does the new Z, when searching POI's while you are already traveling a route, only show you POI's that are along your route vs. showing all POI's.... even those you passed 20 minutes ago? (That makes me want to punch my LCD.) I hope Pioneer improved POI search in this area as I'd love to know where the next closest Outback Steakhouse is ALONG MY ROUTE, rather than one 50 miles behind me, etc.

 

4. Will the new Z play a DVD, allow all menus etc, and play ipod video while in motion?

 

5. Will it play a home-burned DVD without overheating the laser after 30 minutes?

 

6. Will it allow the library to be populated with songs from a burned DVD chock full of mp3's rather than only allowing 10 song-1980's era CD's to be put into memory?

 

7. When using the external HD, memory card or ipod, is the interface horribly slow as in the Z3... such as scrolling down the song list on the ipod GUI which takes forever and a day?

 

8. Does anyone know what video file types the unit will play?

 

9. Does the new Z allow easier/more complete ability to modify song and artist info in the library....preferably without taking 15 seconds to save your changes?

 

10. This thing has NO instrumentation display? Not even speed? How about speed display on the map page, which I've been emailing them about for years now? Yes? No?

 

11. Does this thing have a one button detour function? (On my VERY old Pioneer NAV... CNDV-40 Circa 2003... the remote had a 'Detour' button which made the unit search for an alternate route in user-selectable increments of 5,10,15,20 miles. If you got stuck on the interstate, or wherever, you hit this button, selected the length of detour, and it would find a route of proper length around your traffic incident. If my Z3 has this feature, do tell what the easter egg is on how to get this feature to function, as I can't find it.)

 

12. When searching for a POI by telephone number, does the new Z finish populating your phone number (when it has only one possible 'hit' left in the dbase based upon your first 5 or 6 digits) and automatically set your route without telling you what POI it has selected like the old Z units, or does it tell you where it is taking you first? I hate punching in a number and having the unit set a route, only to look in destination history and find the POI info was old and inaccurate.

 

13. Will the new Z allow you to import photo's easier?

 

14. I have read several users indicate that they LOVE the new Z compared to their old Z's.... but no one really says WHY they like it so much. What does this thing have that the Z3 doesn't that makes it so much better? Thx.

 

Sweet! Cheers!

[ibcr8iv]

Here's answers to some, but not all of your questions:

 

1. There is no split screen (so you can see your rear camera at the same time as your rout)

4. Yes, but not right out of the box (you've gotta 'hack' the unit)

5. I've had no issues with burned DVDs

6. There is no internal hard-drive, so there is no library to populate.

7.iPod is super fast, SD card is okay- it just depends on how your files are organized on the card.

8. It's in the manual- and you can download that from the Pioneerelectronics.com website.

9. There is no library, so this isn't possible.

10. There is no instrumentation display. It can show speed on the map screen if you want.

11. If you have the MSN direct service, there is a detour button on the map screen- I think it's two 'button' presses to get a new route.

12. You cannot search a POI by phone number.

13. If you're referring to wallpaper- yeah it's easier.

14. I'd suggest you find a retailer who's got a Z110BT on display and play with that- that'll answer most of your questions.

[john_tsouris]

Thanks!

 

Unfortunately, I have no dealer in my area that has one to play with....

 

Thanks again!

 

-J

[VBLUE42]

Here's answers to some, but not all of your questions:

 

1. There is no split screen (so you can see your rear camera at the same time as your rout)

 

Wrong, refer to following post.

[VBLUE42]

1. Yes but not the way you are thinking. Refer to pic below.

 

2. Not that I have noticed.

3. Only NEAR DESTINATION and NEAR CITY. You can use VICINITY search however but it will include POI's behind you.

4. Yes, bypass thread.

5. No one claiming that problem yet.

6. No, no hard drive.

7. IPod is awesome, others not so much.

8. Divx for sure, not sure for others.

9. Same as #6.

10. No, no speed on map except for traffic alerts which gives the approximate speed of the traffic jam. Relies on MSN option however. Can display speed on 3D CALIBRATION SCREEN however.

11. With MSN option

12. No phone search, can call POI search though.

13. Yes for start screen, from SD card.

14. Faster boot time, better ipod with video support (biggest highlight) SD slot, AVIC FEEDS support for PC and Iphone app, more stable software drive with flash disk, far superior bluetooth included, divx support, mp3 DVD disk support, voice recognition improvement for nav and AV, and probably some others I cant think of right now.

 

Also check out the following thread for the demo vids I have done of the highlights of the unit.

 

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=26954

[VBLUE42]

Ok divx on DVD or CD only. AVI, WMV, and MPEG-4 on USB and SD media.

[VBLUE42]

Another one for #10, Bluetooth audio and higher rez screen

[john_tsouris]

Excellent answers! I'll have to track one of these units down.

 

Anyone at 411 here in touch with engineers at Pioneer? Can you imagine if the next software update could include a bunch of fixes initiated by the forums here? That would make the Z111 the best nav on the planet.

 

I'm having trouble believing that there is no split screen. It seems to me that the structure of the unit's display can do it, but the engineers just didn't put that in as an option. The Z2 to Z3 update from Pioneer even expanded the split screen options... giving a 2D/2D option in addition to the 3D/2D option. Why would they go backward?

 

I guess the new Z really eliminates a lot of problems by improving ipod support.

 

But I can't understand why Pioneer has yet to implement a POI search along a programmed route. Long haul truck nav systems have had this feature for years now, even looking ahead for low bridges and diesel stations along the route as well. Not having this feature from the Z is unacceptable.

 

Thanks for the answers guys.... very appreciated!

[VBLUE42]

But I can't understand why Pioneer has yet to implement a POI search along a programmed route.

 

The F/X series has it.

[john_tsouris]

You're kidding! Pioneer has this feature in other models, but not the flagship????

 

See, this kind of thing really pixxes me off about Pioneer. It makes you want to sit down with these guys and ask "What are you thinking"???

 

I think I'm going to drive North to Virginia's Crutchfield retail outlets and test drive the other brand names.

 

I may have to change my thinking that Pioneer is the best nav on the market, even though I've been using them for nearly half a million miles in the last several years. It just seems like a slap in the face that Pioneer would put features into other units, and take away features we love when they put new product out. It's insane.

 

Thanks for the info, tho!

[spyfox]

I agree 100% with you.I hope eventually that they will listen at users like us and make changes accordingly.It's like the engineers don't actually use the products!

There are some omisions on the z110bt that are mindbodling! Like the fact that some functions are available on some cheaper models and not on the flagship unit !!??And also taking out features that were available on previous models. I hope eventually they will come to their sensenses and maybe make a round table with users; with what we would like to see on the unit.

Unfortunately it seem that companies listening to their customers is becoming less and less common.

I'm assuming that the engineers are in Japan so I don't think that many are looking at forums like avic411.com that much.

Hope I'm wrong!

I'll probably end up buying a z110 bt anyway!

[john_tsouris]

It is very frustrating. I might drop a letter to Pioneer's US HQ.

 

As for the programming being made in Japan, I must disagree. Only American companies can drop the ball like this. Ever play a Wii game? It's shocking how well made it is. If Nintendo made the Z110, we would be in a completely different situation right now.

 

I'm traveling up North this week, and I'm definitely stopping at Crutchfield for an entire day. I will put each brand through the ringer. You know, it's quite possible that a Wal-Mart product might carry more features than the Pioneer Z110, and that's a shame.

 

I drive about 75,000 miles a year. I really depend on the nav, and I've been using Pioneer units for years. I've been thinking about installing a full PC in the car to make up for what the Pioneer Z3 wouldn't do, and when I saw the Z110, I thought for sure they would fix the rudimentary problems. They added more problems it seems!

 

I bought my parents a cheap little nav system that sticks to the window. You could program the little thing yourself for different themes, colors, and even what information to include on the map screen and where! And that was in a little $200 unit!!!

 

I may still also go the PC route... At least that way, I can hand-select the programs I want so I know they work.

 

I doubt they'll let me post to this forum the results of my investigation. If anyone wants, I can email them what I found on the other units.

 

Cheers!