I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and am planning to buy an AVIC 8000NEX. The generic instructions say I need a Pioneer CD-AH200C Android adapter as well as the Samsung MHL-to-HDMI adapter. That's a big honkin' rat's nest of wires and plugs to stuff under your dash or in your center console.

Call me naive, but why do I even need the CD-AH200C? Can't I just connect a standard HDMI cable and a standard USB cable from the Samsung adapter box to the corresponding ports on the back of the 8000NEX? The only thing I can think of is the 8000NEX does not provide charging current to charge the phone via its USB ports. Is there a cleaner way to connect my phone for AppRadio mode?

Thanks for helping me to wrap my head around all of this.

Check out this link. It explains what you need to use appradio mode.

My Samsung MHL adapter arrived yesterday so I just tried it out and it worked - no need for the Pioneer CD-AH200C at all. The USB port on the back of the 8000NEX even charges the phone (albeit slowly).

Nice