| bimmer88 |
| I'm actually posting to help my friend ask some stuff. He's thinking of purchasing an MDX but wants to know about some audio stuff. How much work is involved if he wants to install an aftermarket indash DVD player. Can the OEM subs be replaced with aftermarket subs?? Thanks!!! :2: |
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| renov8r |
Aftermarket indash DVD , the type that replaces the factory radio and has a motorized screen, is no harder or easier in the MDX than any other vehicle -- those units are typically DIN and the adapters botl right in.
The factory "sub" is a joke. Replacing it with a real sub ranges from simple bolt-in to others who have fabbed custom boxes. There is not at much room as say an Escalade, but there are many owners who have taken easy or custom approaches to upgrading the audio, all have reported good results. |
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| shootist |
Several people have installed an adapter which then plays a DVD on the factory Navigation screen, using the factory Rear Entertainment System (RES) as the DVD player. Search for "Sam's unit". This would require starting off with an MDX with Navi and RES. THe 05's are a little different than previous models.
Other people have installed stereo upgrades from simple speaker replacements to full-out multi-amp multi-sub systems.
I'm not going to comment on the legality of playing a DVD that the driver can see while the car is in operation, other than to mention the issue. |
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| Hap35 |
| I'll comment on the legality. It's illegal everywhere. And, in addition, it's really, truly stupid. Further, if you are in an accident and someone is killed, and it is determined that the cause of the accident was that the driver was watching a DVD while driving, I imagine the judge and/or jury would lock the driver up for as long as the law allows. Of course, then you would have years and years to watch DVDs in prison. Add to that certain financial ruin, as the civil punitive damages award against you for gross negligence in watching DVDs while driving would likely take all of the assets you now have or will ever have. Judgments are typically good for 20 years, and can be renewed for another 20, which covers most working lifetimes. Still wanna watch DVDs while you drive? Jeesh. :3: |
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| UncleMilt |
| I think that summed it up nicely! :claphead: |
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| Warzau |
| It is illegal if it is used while the car is in motion NOT illegal to have one in front. Most if not all install wiring have a wire that is to be connected to the parking/emergency brake that it will only activate when it is applied or when the car is in park. I think it is moronic to try to watch a movie while driving and a driver who get in a accident deserves what is coming to him. But it is perfectly legal to install a system to view dvd in the front, but like anything else what you do with it is up to the discretion of the driver. |
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| Hap35 |
Warzau, yes you are correct that it's only illegal for the driver to watch DVDs or other video while the car is in motion. But let's be realistic. I've never seen any driver sitting in a parked car watching a DVD. Never. Ever. Have you? If I'm going to watch a DVD while seated, I want to do it on my big screen TV in a heated or air conditioned house, not sitting in a hot or cold car that is parked. It's easy to install these things and wire around the parking brake interlock, and that's what people do in real life.
At night when it's easy to see a bright screen in a nearby car, I have seen many drivers in motion watching video on portable DVD players mounted on the dash, or wedged behind the steering wheel (creative, saw that one on a night trip last week) in front of the speedometer. Let's face it - the reason why people install DVDs in the dash is to watch them while they are driving, maybe when traffic is slow and grinding and they are bored, or on an open highway with little traffic. You and the people who sell them are engaged in an exercise of self delusion to claim otherwise. Sadly, drivers like that fool themselves into thinking they are better drivers than the rest of us, that they can drive and watch a DVD or other video feed at the same time, that their reflexes are better so they are safe, that they are not endangering others, that they are bulletproof, that nothing can happen to them, and that the rules are for other people.
I guess you've figured out I'm not a fan of DVDs in the front seat, huh? |
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| DaleB |
| Good thing Navigation is no more than a manual slide-show with limited audio. :cool: |
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| Hap35 |
Dale, actually I think if you were in an accident and the cause of the accident was that you had taken your attention from the road and traffic around you while the car was moving - for any reason -including:
cell phone use;
DVD or other video feed watching;
NAV watching;
looking at a map;
eating;
applying makeup (women);
reading paper, book or other material; or
any other behavior that diverts your attention from driving
you would be liable.
Some of these activities are riskier than others, for sure, and following a NAV is probably less risky than watching The Matrix on DVD, but the NAV still takes your attention from the road. Recently a local driver was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and he had a huge civil judgment entered against him all because of cell phone use, when he looked down to dial at speed and rear-ended another car stopped to make a legal turn, killing one of the people in the other car. The accident would not have happened but for the cell phone use by the driver at fault. So, think of that the next time you look down to program the NAV when the car is moving. |
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