I have a kitchen counter full of gear waiting to be installed into my vehicle and I keep putting it off because I keep finding things online that guide me to ordering another cable or another adapter and while I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel the last and final hurdle just came up. 

When I ordered my 8000 I also ordered a Pioneer CD-AH200 kit which seems to have provided all the cables one would need to connect an iPod on USB 1 and a Galaxy Note on USB 2 and be able to enjoy all the coolness that is the 8000. 

I was online earlier and found a video by M Sylvester on YouTube talking about the MHL adapter and how you need the official Samsung adapter and that most others don't work. 

Since my unit has no way of being tested until I get the car apart and I'm delaying that until I'm 100% ready for everything to work since it's my only vehicle can anyone shed light on the MHL adapters and if you need the "official" Samsung adapter or is the one in the Pioneer kit actually going to work .. to complicate things even more on the Pioneer web page for Android compatibility they don't list their own adapters but only the Samsung one! 

Do I need to order yet another gadget branded by the phone manufacturer or is the one sold with the Pioneer kit going to actually work? 

Thanks in advance! .

References:

Pioneer Compatibility: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/UnAssigned-Content/Android+Compatibility

Samsung Adapter: http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/ET-H10FAUWESTA

YouTube: M Slyvester MHL Adapter: 

I'm really getting the impression that this unit is designed to work with an Apple product and Android is an afterthought. After finally getting all the cables ordered and everything installed, I've discovered that in no way does my unit work the way all the video's online at the Pioneer site show, probably because they only demo the units with Apple products! 

I have tried for 2 days in vain going back and forth between cabled and bluetooth and something as simple as the Pandora App on my phone doesn't come up with the radio interface much less the option that says Pandora in the menu like they show online in their ad's. 

If anyone is working an 8000 or similar with Andriod, particularly Samsung Galaxy Note 3, I would love to hear your experiences because as of now I'm limited to iPod, HD Radio and Sirius which will expire in 87 days and I have no plans to renew. 

Thanks in advance,

I have a note 3 and the NEX 4000. Same idea just without navigation. It has been a joke to get this thing to connect right. Pandora works fine for me as long as I am connected via HDMI and my Bluetooth shows SSP connection on the head unit. BUT I loose my Uconnect feature (New addition on latest firmware if running the digital Maestro RR connected to the pioneer) The whole system is buggy as hell. I had an I phone and had just as many issues and that's why I went to a droid. Granted that was before the 1.08.

I rooted my phone so I could run ar unchained but I cannot get the resolution to scale correctly. Changing the screen setting in the smartphone setup on the pioneer doesn't do anything and I have a squished screen on the pioneer. I have spent about 20 hours researching, trying every possible setting, defaulting my phone and starting over to have the same results.

I also get a loud pop almost every time I turn the car on through the speakers that is annoying... some say its the head unit some say its the Maestro turning on the amp. Nobody really has a clue. Idata tech support says the pioneer is a joke and they have flat out lied to consumers and as far as I am concerned they have. I plug my phone into a tv and the screen formats perfectly.

When you plug in just with HDMI does it fill the screen in landscape mode?

Bluetooth wont show album art even though it should. Only when connected via HDMI.

USB doesn't even work on the note3 connected usb do most androids with this head unit.

Plus most of the radio functions do not even work with any high end audio systems that have digital controls for amp.

So I went the route of adding music to a usb thumb drive and that doesn't work as advertised... Wont display any album art unless image is 400x400 or smaller... Will NOT resume where you left off and goes back to a every time, takes forever to index even on latest firmware and I only have 50 songs on it.

The factory radio worked more consistently.

I have a note 3 and the NEX 4000. Same idea just without navigation. It has been a joke to get this thing to connect right. Pandora works fine for me as long as I am connected via HDMI and my Bluetooth shows SSP connection on the head unit. BUT I loose my Uconnect feature (New addition on latest firmware if running the digital Maestro RR connected to the pioneer) The whole system is buggy as hell. I had an I phone and had just as many issues and that's why I went to a droid. Granted that was before the 1.08.

 

I rooted my phone so I could run ar unchained but I cannot get the resolution to scale correctly. Changing the screen setting in the smartphone setup on the pioneer doesn't do anything and I have a squished screen on the pioneer. I have spent about 20 hours researching, trying every possible setting, defaulting my phone and starting over to have the same results.

 

I also get a loud pop almost every time I turn the car on through the speakers that is annoying... some say its the head unit some say its the Maestro turning on the amp. Nobody really has a clue. Idata tech support says the pioneer is a joke and they have flat out lied to consumers and as far as I am concerned they have. I plug my phone into a tv and the screen formats perfectly.

 

When you plug in just with HDMI does it fill the screen in landscape mode?

 

Bluetooth wont show album art even though it should. Only when connected via HDMI.

 

USB doesn't even work on the note3 connected usb do most androids with this head unit.

 

Plus most of the radio functions do not even work with any high end audio systems that have digital controls for amp.

 

So I went the route of adding music to a usb thumb drive and that doesn't work as advertised... Wont display any album art unless image is 400x400 or smaller... Will NOT resume where you left off and goes back to a every time, takes forever to index even on latest firmware and I only have 50 songs on it.

 

The factory radio worked more consistently.

Yeah. Umm are there any non asian radio manufacturers? Common theme of asian tech is listing as many features as humanly possible regardless of how well any of those features work or how useful they are. 

My NEX supposedly can practically cook me breakfast in bed based on Pioneer's website, but I'm just happy when appradio mode or carplay works every time I get in the car. 

OK so I finally had success and in part thanks to grizz, I connected the Samsung MHL adapter with HDMI and USB and the phone and 8000 magically seemed to pair up after the pop-up asking me what connection I wanted to use, I choose HDMI and voila I'm up and running. I don't have a rooted phone so I can't experiment with the true controls that seem to be so popular, that's next BTW, but I do have the Pandora option on the menu, I can make and receive calls, S-XM works perfectly, I've even let my daughter enjoy Maleficent while driving down I-10 at 85 MPH! 

I will experiment with rooting this week as I'd really like to see this thing in it's glory! The only annoyance I have now is the Nav system but if I can make it take voice commands which for some reason I believe the system will, I will be extremely happy. The NAV isn't super friendly but it isn't as bad as some others I've had, this one I have to give credit to Toyota as the nav in my Camry is actually easier to use but this radio is in my Vette so the more attention I can pay to the car and the road is appreciated.

Thanks for the responses guys I am 1 step closer to enjoying this thing. 

Oh there was one more issue which may have caused some problems, my "NEW" unit shipped with version 1.03 firmware, the latest on the Pioneer site is 1.08, I upgraded and then things took off, that might have had a bit to do with this. 

Does yours display full screen? Mine does not and neither does my wifes. When I choose HDMI I need to select zoom an it displays correctly on HDMI mode only, Back to APPS and I get a letterboxed look. Adjusting smartphone screen size does not make a difference. I have two Note 3, one rooted and one default. Same issue with both. NEX 4000

Where you able to get your Uconnect functioning.  I can't get the audio prompts No matter what setup I use.    I tested a kenwood 991 which was a dog of a unit and a PIA to navigate menues and settings so I stuck with the pioneer.  I have no issues with ARUR on either of my phones Note 3 including, but I can't get the Uconnect voice prompts.  Any info would be appreciated.   If I flash the unit without Uconnect I lose the ability to adjust the Rear Monitors in the HU.