dvd on gps screen

emb623

Member
Hi there, I have the navigation system on my new mazda5 and the player in the glovebox says DVD. Is there any way to play dvd's on the navigation screen?

Thanks!
Elie
 
take apart the dash, find the wiring from the gps to the screen. 2 of those wires have to be the video feed. get a switcher, and a small dvd player to fit in the glove box. all set.
 
Actually, the video from the computer to the screen is RGB and not composite video or vga or anything easy to hack.

If you have something with RGB outputs like a high quality DVD player then it could probably be spliced in.

I installed one of those switches for a backup camera and external composite video input, it's just a video to RGB video adaptor and a couple of relays and it works very well.

Installing it was a real pain though as you have to remove the navigation box and the glove box to get in there and physically splice into the little tiny wires. As far as I could find there were no connectors I could buy anywhere that would let me doing it without cutting and splicing.

Now I can play my iPod video over the screen if I want to. I've sat eating a take out lunch in the shade and caught up on some TV viewing :D

The aspect ratio is a problem though, the screen is wide screen and if you're output isn't then it will be stretched.
 
RGB as in 15 pin? Did you by chance take any pics along the way? And what switch did you use? Thanks.
 
sorry, RGB as in a separate signal for each, like some high end video gear there are the 3 colors and a separate sync. Not like VGA or anything that is easily patched. What I installed was the budget version of this:

http://www.avelectronic.com/products.htm

there are no connectors for the mazda version, you have to cut into the wiring harness! It was very scary, and not easy to work up in there. I used crimp telephone connectors with the silicon inside to keep them from corroding over time. So far they have worked perfectly and the navi display is not affected at all and the video display is acceptable but not fantastic. I sometimes eat my lunch and watch movies off the iPod plugged into it :D

Think twice about cutting into that cable though, if you're not comfortable doing that sort of thing, find someone to install it.
 

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and a couple more pictures that it wouldn't upload into the other message for some reason.
 

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dommo_g said:
did you use Scotch-Locks for your wiring connectors???LOL!

I've never heard them called that... Is that what they are? I've always called them telephone "butt" splice crimp connectors or something like that, available here

I have no idea what the long term viability of the connection will be. Not as good as a good solder joint but I really didn't think I could get up in there with the soldering iron and do a decent job. But it would be better than just wrapping them together with electrical tape ;) It's been a long time now, and the thing still works perfectly without any signs of deterioration in signal quality or anything.
 
I was just kinda surprised. It's just funny to see those used outside of the industry. I have those things by the billions from work. I'm not sure how well they work on stranded wire, especially larger gauge. I know they don't work well at all for 24-26 guage stranded wire, they cause high-resistance opens. I don't think it would be a problem for larger gauge stranded wire.
 
So how did you figure out the color codes for the wiring harnesses on the back of the DVD drive? Do you have a wiring diagram you could share?
 
I use a ton of those things too :) I even have used them for splicing phone wires sometimes...

Most of what I do with them is easily accessable so if they were to fail then I could fix it easily enough, but over the years I dont think I've ever had a single connection with one actually fail. Not the ones between the filter and the DSL line outside the house hanging against the siding without any support ;) Nor anywhere else, so I've been pretty happy using them. It's a little shaky for small stranded wire perhaps, but it worked fine for these. I know they are meant for solid, but I've had no trouble. I routinely use them to splice ethernet cables, even between stranded and solid wire when I dont have space on the punch down blocks.

As far as the pinout, the AV switcher came with instructions :D and I actually read them! I can't seem to locate the paperwork at the moment, but I"m sure it's around here somewhere. If I can locate it I'll post the specifics.
 
It's so weird to hear terms like punch down blocks and DSL filters when I'm not at work. What did you pay for the switcher? Their website doesn't have pricing.
 
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