OK so I'm in the market for a new receiver and have been eying the F90BT. But some of the reviews I've read have made me doubt the product. First off, how is the response time with a backup camera? Also, do the GPS maps have to be downloaded? As far as bootup goes I know it can be slow but I've heard it's one of the slowest. How is the bluetooth link? I really like the way this head unit looks but I also like the Kenwood DNX 7120. Thanks to all!
-Jeff
First of all, yes: the unit is slow to bootup. ...But you should really let your car warm up for 30 seconds ANYWAY, right? lol
Second, whatever shortcomings this thing might have are almost completely offset by the fact that you can change it how you want. You want a TomTom GUI? Done. You wanna rearrange the buttons? Done. You want different graphics? Done. You wanna change the sounds? Done. You're not going to find this kind of (unsupported) customization on a Kenwood.
The bluetooth for me works awesome. People can hear me fine and it just connects to your phone without any intervention on your part. You pair the phone, transfer your contacts, and it works. The one caveat that I see right now is that some phones don't seem to fully support calling somebody by name (though speaking the phone number works great). I would look into your phone if you are going to REALLY want this feature.
I don't have a backup cam, so I can't really comment on that aspect of it - but from what I read, if you buy a cheap cam it's gonna be stupid to use; like it'll take 10 seconds before you actually see the image. I don't know about you, but when I shift into reverse I need to move. The boot time on the unit will also probably impact the usefulness of this feature, as it will be a while after starting your car before you get ANYTHING on the screen - even if your first move is going to be backing out of a parking spot.
The nav works great, although the guy talks too often. The sound is awesome - way better than a stock head unit. iPod integration is supposed to be awesome also, but I don't actually own an iPod (gasp!) so I couldn't say. The unit seems to have a few quirks, but for the customization that you are afforded, you're not going to beat it. When you consider that you can get the top-of-the-line model for under $600, it's a no-brainer.
I concur with the above. This is my first in dash Nav unit, and though I did lots of research before hand on what I wanted, the price is the deal buster.
Secondly, i didn't see many negative reviews here until AFTER I ordered it. I was very nervous up till I got the unit installed and have used it for about a month. I am pleased with it, hackability and value.
I just installed the F90bt with a Boyo VTL420 and I only have to wait about 2-3 seconds after shifting into reverse (from ANY... ANY TIME ... immediate startup, 30 seconds later, 60 seconds, etc...) to see a perfect image.
The boot up continues while it shows you the reverse image -- i was VERY worried about this but luckily this isn't any issue.
yeah, my unit takes about 30 seconds to boot up, but whatever, it does quite a bit of stuff for the money. If this unit cost $1200 still, i'd say no thanks .. but it's $500-550, so that's a lot to get for the $$ ..
I have to concur as well.
At $1200, this is too much trouble than it's worth.
At under $600 this is awesome, once you remove the beeps from every push (steering wheel controls made this beep the bane of all existence).
I'm about to try the voice control for iPod. I'm ashamed at having purchased one, I feel like such a tool, but it's the only way to get that "Play artist Soundgarden" sweetness that made me want this unit in the first place.
The boot time really is not that bad, really, in the first 20sec of driving, I'm usually driving really slow backing up trying to not hit children or maneuver through a parking lot. I wouldn't be messing with the radio if I could.
Changing your car entering habits to include starting the car ASAP and then buckling up and shutting the door can reduce the effective boot time also.
I also have another question, when I buy the unit what else will I need to purchase as far as satellite radio, rear-view camera, and steering wheel controls?
Also can anyone recommend a good rear-view camera?
Last but not least, I've seen the cd's you can buy on eBay to bypass the nav/dvd controls while driving, are they worth it and how do they work? Thanks to all!
-Jeff
I can't comment on anything but this "CD you buy at Best Buy" - I have no idea what you're talking about and my unit is bypassed. Do a search on here for 'hardware bypass for dummies' to find out how.
Did you bypass it yourself? Here is the link to what I'm talking about:
Hardware bypass is easy to do yourself if you install it.
Steering wheel controls require an adapter ~$60 depending on your car's make and model. Crutchfield.com can get you the part number, which you can search on google and find a cheaper source - Crutchfield sells through amazon cheaper than though its own site for some items. 
If you can follow step-by-step instructions, you can do the steering wheel remote yourself, if you have a soldering kit.
Any rear-view camera that uses a standard RCA video out will work.
Did you bypass it yourself? Here is the link to what I'm talking about:
And don't pay anyone for any sort of bypass, the hardware one here is free and EASY. Connect a few wires and it's done.
Seriously - the hardware bypass is SUPER simple: move one wire, connect 3 wires into one wire. Done.
As far as rear view cams go, I think you may need one with configurable video flipping depending on your installation? Correct me if I'm wrong guys - but don't you need the ability to do mirror image and/or upside down image? (Or is this all done through the AVIC's menus?
Seriously - the hardware bypass is SUPER simple: move one wire, connect 3 wires into one wire. Done.
As far as rear view cams go, I think you may need one with configurable video flipping depending on your installation? Correct me if I'm wrong guys - but don't you need the ability to do mirror image and/or upside down image? (Or is this all done through the AVIC's menus?
Video flipping is a moot point.
You DO NOT back up looking at the video feed, the back up cam is for seeing if something is behind you that is shorter than the trunk of the car. The cam won't give you peripheral view at all, and most distort too much to accurately gauge distance.
You DO NOT back up looking at the video feed
Alright, safety police... We can read the warnings on the boxes. The importance of being able to flip the image (on the camera) is that it can be confusing to some to look at what you think is a camera, but really works like a mirror. And the way it is installed is entirely dependent upon the vehicle (though I really believe that they are intended to be installed in the license plate area somewhat "upside down").