Any info on the SD card capacity? i.e does the slot support high capacity SD cards?

Did they mention if the backlight color is changeable like on the D3?

Did they mention if the backlight color is changeable like on the D3?

JasonH:

It sounds like you have a direct point of contact with somebody at Pioneer.

So here's my question:

Before I dumped my AVIC for a new Kenwood, I was in here all the time watching people complain about the problems with the AVIC. The three primary ones were always:

1. Why are we over a year into the AVIC-D3 with no map updates, while our neighbors are getting free map data updates on their TomToms every few months? Same question for software upgrades to fix all the bugs? Is it really Acceptable for Pioneer to not post any data on this, and to refuse to answer paying customers' phone calls with anything other than "we'll let you know"?

2. Why is the dangerously-unsafe hands-free Bluetooth problem with the AVIC-D3 going unaddressed, with Pioneer falsely claiming they complied with all Bluetooth HVP and hands-free profiles? Specifically, we can't use voice dialing because the AVIC doesn't make the phones' voice-dialing prompts (e.g., "Did you say CALL DAVE"?) audible to us. Therefore, we have to fumble with our phones while driving if we want to use them.

3. Why do customers' tech support submissions on the AVIC's many problems go unanwered for months on end (and usually remain totally unanwered, ever)?

A lot of people are fed-up with Pioneer and are looking through this months' Crutchfield catalog, which shows that the new Alpine/Blackbird, Eclipse, and Kenwood models ALL blow Pioneer's sorry offerings away, including the new AVIC supposedly coming out.

In fact, a number of us, myself included, have already gotten the new Kenwood 5XXX series, and are thrilled with how it works.

Rather than be a sales pitch for the new AVICs, this forum should be a place for all the dissatisfied AVIC owners to force Pioneer to address their concerns.

I've got my AVIC listed on eBay, and check in here from time to time only so I can come up with reasons for eBay people to buy it, or to answer eBay'ers questions like "Will there be a map disk update...ever?" before I attempt sell it to them.

Seriously dude....if you have any sway at Pioneer, try and make a case with them to fix all the major mess-ups (esp. Bluetooth) with the AVIC instead of just reporting on new products. I'd like to be able to sell the AVIC on eBay for more than $100, which is what one guy offered me on there.

- Astro

The bluetooth is fixed on the F-series. Even pulls the address book and does voice recognition on iphones. More info in the F-series part of this site

I had no problem getting $625 for my D3 + BT + XM back in April on ebay.

As far as other manufacturers being better than the F series right now, we don't know that until the F series comes out. BUT, we do know that you're not going to find voice recognition, bluetooth built in (AND now done by Parrot, not Pioneer), or MSN Direct or a high resolution screen, especially in the price bracket.

I had the Kenwood 5120 for about three weeks until I sold it to a member here. To tell you the truth, I liked my D3 better. The Garmin nav on the kenwood was easier to find POI than the D3, and the iPod control was way better, but the overall interface was poorly laid out and not very intuitive. I never saw so many acronyms used on the info bars just for listening to radio. Also, it would cause my iPod to freeze up, where I never had that problem with the D3. The only gripes I had with the D3 were: The Nav Disc ejecting accidentally due to Eject button being very close to Menu button, The "Menu" button on the iPod wheel not working, video not working on new iPods, the Bluetooth dropping my phone after using for one call, and the annoyance of finding points of interest. All of these issues seem to be fixed with the F series. The Kenwood was no angel either. Similar bluetooth problems, but mainly the voice dialing was totally crap, had complaints of echoes on the other end of phone conversations, and the Text messaging on the BT just plain never worked.

So each system has their strong points and weak points and nothing is perfect. The F series seems to be the best so far providing Pioneer has learned their lessons.

Can't tell just from the pictures. Will the F-series screen be able to adjust up and down and right and left to make for better viewing angles?

Can't tell just from the pictures. Will the F-series screen be able to adjust up and down and right and left to make for better viewing angles?

I notice nobody is even asking if all the add-on accessories for the D3 are even USABLE with the F-series.

Knowing Pioneer and how shabbily they treated D3 owners (and former owners, like me), I'm betting all the old SIRIUS and XM tuners and other stuff people shelled out hundreds of dollars to buy for their D3's wont even WORK with the new F series....and you'll all be forced to buy NEW sat radio tuners, etc. LOL Thanks a lot Pioneer!!!

Just adds insult to injury...first Pioneer releases a protype product not ready for market (the D3), then they ignore tech support requests, don't fix the issues, then they discontinue the product and make a better one (supposedly) that's not even compatible with any of the old accessories....

LOL

Nobody is asking because all the same Sirius and XM tuners work with the F-series. What the hell are you talking about?

A question that I have is that since the map data is compressed into the flash memory of the F90BT...is there any possible way to update it?

I would like to know, since the map data is compressed onto flash memory, what did they strip out? How big is the map data on the F compared to the data on both D3 disks

JasonH:

2. Why is the dangerously-unsafe hands-free Bluetooth problem with the AVIC-D3 going unaddressed, with Pioneer falsely claiming they complied with all Bluetooth HVP and hands-free profiles? Specifically, we can't use voice dialing because the AVIC doesn't make the phones' voice-dialing prompts (e.g., "Did you say CALL DAVE"?) audible to us. Therefore, we have to fumble with our phones while driving if we want to use them.

In addition to this great question, will the F700 ever be able to control preset radio stations from the steering wheel instead of doing annoying scans? This is very dangerous as well if I wanted to go from 88.5 to 93.9, I should be able to press one button on my wheel as opposed to scanning station by station from my wheel to get it.

(source: http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic. ... t+steering)