Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator
December 18, 2008
Pioneer is a brand name when it comes to satellite navigators. The Pioneer AVIC-HD1BT Satellite Navigator which was voted as Europe’s best satellite navigator. Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator is the outcome of the Pioneer’s innovative team.
Pioneer AVIC-X3 7-Inch Widescreen Satellite Navigator comes with a screen size of 7 inches with touch-screen operation. It has a slot for RCA AV input, a slot for RCS Pre-Outs, a slot for RCA AV Rear output, a slot for IP-Bus Control, a slot for USB interface, a slot for connecting iPod, and a slot for connecting headphones. It also provides portable unit connectivity and one for reverse camera input.
Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator has the maps of 26 European countries pre-loaded on a DVD. . It also provides 1.5million places of interest, thus users can easily find a hotel, a tourist spot, a petrol station etc. It allows for 2D and 3D viewing of maps. Its menu guidance is available in 10 European languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Flemish, Italian, Danish, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian. Its voice guidance is also available in 10 languages.
Pioneer AVIC-X3 Multi-Sensor Satellite Navigator combines the GPS signals with the information obtained from a 3D gyroscope to provide quicker and precise route guidance. This also indicates that the device works well even in places where the GPS signals are weak; i.e. in tunnels, high-rise cities etc. Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator comes with TMC facility which enables the device to provide real-time traffic updates. Thus the user is now aware about the traffic jams and accident hotspots. This sat nav provides users with alternate route under such circumstances.
Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator has an in-built player can play CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD-video, MP3/WMA files. Users can now listen to their favourite tracks and watch their favourite movies as well. The user has an option of connecting the iPod as well. The advanced technology used in this satellite navigator is the Dual Zone entertainment, which allows passengers in the rear seat to watch a DVD on optional screens while the user is navigating in the front. It comes with a radio tuner as well. It includes an Anti-Theft Protection technique, so users can track their GPS device if lost. This sat nav provides Bluetooth compatibility that allows short-range wireless communication between laptops, desktops, mobile phones etc. It also includes a wired remote control.
Pioneer AVIC-X3 Satellite Navigator thus provides accurate route guidance, dual zone entertainment along with Bluetooth connectivity; trust this satellite navigator and never get lost again.
Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator
December 10, 2008
Pioneer has introduced the Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator, which provides accurate navigation guidance and good in-car entertainment, along with highly effective Bluetooth enabled technology. Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator succeeds Pioneer AVIC-HD1BT Satellite Navigator, which was not so long ago, voted as Europe’s best satellite navigator.
Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT In Car Multimedia Sat Nav comes with a screen size of 7 inches with touch-screen operation. It has a slot for RCA AV input, a slot for RCA AV Rear output, a slot for RCS Pre-Outs, a slot for IP-Bus Control, a slot for connecting iPod, and a slot for connecting headphones.
Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator includes a 30GB memory with detailed maps of 26 European countries pre-loaded. It also provides 6.3million places of interest, thus users can easily find a hotel, a tourist spot, a petrol station, etc. It allows for 2D and 3D viewing of maps. This sat nav stores the recently used journeys, so users can avoid the need to input regular routes into the GPS device. Its advanced re-routing technique provides the facility of avoiding traffic jams and accident prone areas.
Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT TMC Satellite Navigator provides users with regular traffic updates. A special feature of this satellite navigator is the Voice Recognition feature; users can control the operations using voice commands. It comes with a Multi-Sensor Navigation facility, using which it can recognise exactly where you are. This also helps in faster navigation. It supports 10 European languages; English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Portuguese.
Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator provides users with the facility of storing up-to 160 hours of music in the system’s Hard Disk Drive; also the tracks can be selected by voice. The user has an option of connecting the iPod as well. The advanced technology used in this satellite navigator is the Dual Zone entertainment, which allows passengers in the rear seat to watch a DVD on optional screens while the user is navigating in the front. It comes with a radio tuner as well. It includes an Anti-Theft Protection technique, so users can track their GPS device if lost. Pioneer AVIC-HD3BT Satellite Navigator is a Bluetooth enabled gizmo that allows short-range wireless communication between desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, etc.
Pioneer Avic-S1 Pocket Sized Portable Sat Nav System
October 4, 2007
The Avic-S1 from Pioneer is a more updated and advanced in-car navigation system than its predecessors. On the design front, it fits in your pocket, measuring 4.1 by 3.5 by 0.7 inches. It weighs 6.4 ounces but it’s considerably slimmer than Nuvi 300 and it has a completely internal antennae.
The Avic S1 uses the SiRF Star III GPS and NavTeq maps for navigation. The display screen is a 3.5 inch TFT antiglare screen which gives you clear pictures in any ambient lighting conditions. The interface is not completely touch screen, with three backlit buttons providing the essential functions. The one on the left toggles between 2D and 3D and the right button brings out the configuration and destination menus which are touch screen activated. The scroll button in the middle lets you scroll through options in the menus. An elongated press on the button on the right side brings out the Bluetooth interface which is a special feature of this device. The maps are displayed in both 2D and 3D. In the 2D mode, there are two "+" and "-"icons which can be used to zoom in/out. In 3D mode there is an "auto zoom" feature which will automatically zoom in and out depending on the speed of your vehicle. The turn-by-turn voice instructions are clear and timely with visual indications. As you near the turn, the distance and the location of the turn is highlighted. In addition to this there is a display of seven bars whose number varies with your distance to the next turn.
Entering address into the Avic S1 is very easy with an intelligent input system, which narrows down the choices with each letter you type of the destination. You have numerous features like address search , POI search , address(from address book) search etc. In addition to this, the Avic S1 lets you navigate to any point in the map. Once you have keyed in your destination, the route is calculated in a very short time. The Avic S1 has a convenient re-calculate button which will reconfigure your route after you have "blocked" the obstacles like toll ways, ferries, interstates etc.. The Avic S1 holds about 1.5 million POIs and it has 21 categories of POIs including parking spots, restaurants, hotels/motels, and bank. You can choose which categories to display on the map using the configuration menu. The one notable drawback is that the POI database does not hold phone numbers in spite of the Bluetooth hands-free connection feature. The other one is a faulty POI search which does not perform that accurately. The Avic S1 has 14 languages, 11 backgrounds and a 3 level auto zoom feature. With Bluetooth you can even use the Avic S1 as a hands-free phone.
Our Verdict
The Pioneer S1 is a commendable effort from Pioneer. The elegant and stylish model is packed with lot of useful features. But functionality is where this offering falls short with no turn-by-turn list, faulty POI search etc. Besides these few negatives, this model is one of the best GPS systems available and offers great value for the customer.
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