Dynavin E39 Info, New Model "V6"

[jeffb325]

Dynavin D99

Looks like Dynavin has been listening to you guys! They have redesigned their E39 model based on the suggestions from you guys and here it is.
Just like on the E46 models there will be WinCE models and Android models, WinCE models being more of the conventional car stereo/GPS systems, and android models being the internet connected, google centric, wifi capable tablet on your dash sort of units. I didnt include much of the android specific info as it has been covered extensively in the E46 world and is a thread subject all on its own, I cannot stress this enough, while the android unit is a very innovative product, it comes with many caveats.....So do your homework now and dont complain later!!! http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=839753


If you are not familiar with dynavin read up on last years E39 model here:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1525768

And the Dynavin FAQ:

http://www.jandtdistributing.com/pages/faq-links


please lets try to keep this thread about Dynavin and try to keep it informative, Q & A stuff....try to leave opinions and speculation out of it, there are already 100 other pages of that. Thank you in advance.





D99 Version





New for 2012 Dynavin has released the D99 Navigation system for selected BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and VW cars. This unit will compliment their existing D95 units as a higher end model. While some things are carry over from the the D95 units, the new D99 will offer some features that have not previously been available from Dynavin. They have teamed with Parrot for the bluetooth system, have added an interface with the cars OBC, and have added Park Distance sensor support for cars so equipped.

The Android/WinCE "navigation side" of the units is unchanged.

Now for the good stuff....(will be adding content, for now here is a video of a D99 E46 WinCE unit in action)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2S2iBKPwFQ&list=UU6rH4vNH5VlWKqz6sbnPhag& index=1&feature=plcp[/ame]


Boot Screen (yes there is an option for a bmw roundel if you like)





Source Selection Home Screen



There are two screens here, you can "swipe" the screen back and forth, the (probably) most common sources (radio, ipod, phone, etc) are on page one with the less common sources (USB, TV, etc) on page 2. You can also access the settings from here. I like the large clear buttons, it makes finding a source while driving quite a bit easier.




Settings Screen ....yes, some of these pics are of an E46 unit... im working on it....



As in the past the Dynavin has a fairly simple audio feature set, no fancy 32 band EQs or time alignment here....similar to stock, bass, treble, fader, balance. It does have a separate sub level control for the subwoofer RCA outputs for those running aftermarket subs.







One thing to point out in these menus as it is often missed.... the "DIM" function affects how the screen dims for night driving, you active this by HOLDING down the MUTE button, changing the DIM setting makes the screen dim or shut off completely depending on your preference.



Radio



The new radio interface is all big, clear, easy to press, touch screen buttons. The white text on a black background is also good for visibility. The radio can be configured to tune in US, Euro, or Asian frequencies. Pretty much works as expected.




Bluetooth



Dynavin has teamed with Parrot on the bluetooth. This adds phonebook functionality to the unit. It paired with my iphone within seconds and my phonbook was there and ready to use a few seconds after that, no need to do anything extra, it was just there. There is a keyboard for alphabetical search, you just start to type and once you are a few letters in you should see the contact that you are looking for. As far as quality goes, that is up to your mic location, your phone, your voice, how loud your car is, and a bunch of other variables. I personally had pretty good results putting the mic in the factory location but your results may vary.

Bluetooth streaming works as it has on previous dynavin units, although now with a slightly better layout of play/stop/track controls.





iPod



The ipod interface is an improvement over past dynavin versions but isnt perfect. It DOES have the ipod resume feature missing in the older units. So when you start your car, the ipod will start where you left off. As you can see in the video and pic above there are page forward and back buttons, and the menu button goes back a level. Holding down the menu button jumps back to the playlist/artist/album/etc... screen. While you can page forward and back there is no "alphabetical" search so if you have A LOT of artists it could be problematic, I have a couple hundred on my ipod and it isnt a problem but I can imagine it would get tedious if you had a thousand... If this is a problem for you consider getting an android unit and use the android media player and a SD card for you music instead as it DOES allow for more rapid scrolling.....

CD Player

The CD player and SD/USB digital interface are carry over from the D95 units and just like in the D95 they are cosmetically different than the other sources. That said, the SD/USB does require a different type of interface as it is folder dependent. (no longer the case, see UPDATE below).




SD Card Media

UPDATE! September 2012, Dynavin "D99 PLUS" *

Dynavin has made some running changes to their D99 platform Audio/Video/Navigation Systems, some of you who are particularly perceptive may have already noticed. * Although most of the changes are subtle, they make for a more refined, easier to set up unit and that makes for happier users! (and less work for me) *This new updated model is known as the D99 PLUS (D99+). *As always, they are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the BMW E46, E39, E53, E9X, E8X and an assortment of Audi, VW, and Mercedes models.



Although they have been shipping for months in certain models the roll out has been somewhat slow. *Dynavin has not been making much noise about it, probably because up until recently it didn't cover all models, I expect they will be promoting these soon. *THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE FOR OLDER D99 UNITS, it is a mostly similar but in many ways new unit (think iphone4 to iphone4S).


....and the best part? *The price went DOWN....



So you ask, what is the "+" in D99 PLUS?




CD/DVD/USB/SD Screens Cosmetics

The CD/DVD/USB/SD screens now share the same basic cosmetic theme as the rest of the unit, black backgrounds, white letters, red or orange colorings. *Previous offerings have always had a few different cosmetic looks depending on the source but now everything pretty much looks similar.







Reverse Functions

With the D99+ the reverse, backup camera, PDC (oem parking sensors), and their related audio settings are all configurable, *you can even do a combination of features, like having the PDC graphic overlay the backup camera screen. *While in reverse mode you can have the audio mute or only reduce its volume, you can also have the PDC beep (on vehicles where PDC is built into the stock audio system). *Note the added settings (in the "hidden" factory settings menu). *If you have none of these you can also just turn it all off.






Here is a short video showing some various setups you can have when the car is in reverse, first a backup camera, then PDC alone, then Camera AND PDC. *



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbdbu...ature=youtu.be*




Password Theft Deterrence

Now the usefulness of this might be debatable, or maybe Im missing something.... *I dont think Ive ever heard of a Dynaivn theft, and a password lock isnt going to keep it from being stolen, but it will keep someone from using it. *In the WinCE units this doesnt really matter but I suppose in the android versions it would keep a thief out of your android apps that might have sensitive info. *The password lock is not something you use every time, it comes into play when power is removed from the unit, once power is restored to the unit it will require a password. *







Improved Bluetooth Phone Integration:

Dynavin is still using the Parrot bluetooth system but has changed a few things.
Minor feature but your paired phone's signal strength and charge level now display at the top of the screen on the audio screens, (or at least it does with the phones Ive tried). * Bluetooth streaming audio quality is now almost indistinguishable from being plugged in (although the D99 was pretty good too).




AND NOW A BIG ONE, those of you who have been following dynavin for a long time know that there has ALWAYS been an issue with using streaming bluetooth and the nav system at the same time, there were workarounds but basically you needed to plug in to use your phone for music when also using the nav. *NO MORE! *Finally you can stream your audio from your phone AND use the nav system at the same time.




New Touchscreen

Small change here, only a change in the sensitivity of the touchscreen. *Looks exactly the same.



Etc...
Plus a bunch of small changes in the name of refinement and stability. *None of this is some huge game changer of a feature, but it combines to make the units easier to integrate into a given vehicle, and ties up a lot of loose ends for a more satisfying user experience.











Navigation (WindowsCE unit):


Igo Primo Navigation Program.

UPDATE: Igo Primo Navigation Program.

Working with Dynavin we are now able to install licensed iGo Primo on our Dynavin units. This program has long been a favorite of the "hacker community" and now Im glad to say we can now offer it to everybody in a legit legal way. The licenses are not cheap but we are now including Primo with all of our Dynavin WinCE units. This also greatly simplifies things like future map updates etc... as iGo is well established and has an easy upgrade path available via their website www.naviextras.com



Main Menu




Main Map screen







The version that iGo offers us is just the basic North American map program, They offer additional features like premium POIs, 3D buildings, additional maps, etc... on their website www.naviextras.com. All upgrades and updates are done through that site and iGo's "toolbox" using your computer and the dynavin's map SD card.






Now for ANDROID:

REMEMBER: I cannot stress this enough, the android versions are intended to be tethered to a cell phone through an infrastructure wifi hotspot, if you do not intend to do this you are wasting your time with an android unit and would be better off with a windows unit. With the added flexibility of android comes the added possibility of issues, issues with android, issues with apps, issues with connectivity. In general these units work great but they are more complex and require a basic level of technical ability and knowledge to get the most out of them. If you are willing to spend the time to read, learn, dial everything in, and update things regularly, android will be a lot of fun for you, if you just want to "Set it and forget it", get a windows unit. Most of the unit is the same as the windows unit so all the stuff seen earlier in this post applies to the android units as well (except the widows based nav program), these pics are of android specific stuff like:

Home Screen (with my custom background of course)





Media Player





Time and weather





Google Nav





Internet





New E39 Mounting Bracket

dynavin now includes an E39 mounting bracket, it replaces the factory bracket allowing for the higher CD slot, larger screen etc of the E39A unit. How to make this work in an E53 remains to be seen although I'm sure you ingenious forum DIYers will figure it out.

The bracket comes in 5 pieces and screws together in a couple minutes. The side parts go into the dash FIRST, then the center section is installed.





IT goes in the dash first, and then the dynavin slides into it.





The Dynavin then clips into the bracket with a little spring clip on each side. DONT LOOSE THE CLIPS! They can get pulled off if you repeatedly remove the unit and can get lost in the dash. To minimize the odds of loosing/damaging them, leave the unit loose until you are sure that everything is working as it is intended, then snap the unit into place.




Thanks to member 'thxalot' for these pics of how the bracket goes in the dash, the bracket should go BEHIND the plastic dash parts with the included screws going in from the front side, through the holes in the dash (remove the brass colored clips from the dash) and thread into the bracket, You put the side brackets in the dash FIRST, then attach the center section to tie them together.

Like this:






NOT like this:




Please note: D95 info has been removed from this post as it is now old news

[93325]

how much is it?? and is it touch screen?

[jeffb325]

Pricing can be found on our website (link is in the sig) and yes it is touch screen, just like the previous model.

[apocalypsegoat]

Obc support?

[jeffb325]

Nope

[crdiscoverer]

How is Dynavin handling manufacturing of the WinCE vs Android units, Jeff? I mean, quantities. If I recall correctly, for the E46 the Android model was pretty much always in short supply. Will there be a limited number, or considerably less E39A Androids than their Windows counterparts? I ask because I want one but I doubt I could afford it until next year or so, but I definitely want the Android.

[jeffb325]

Dynavin only did a limited number of E46 android units back in the spring to "test the market." The market was obviously strong so they will be in regular production going forward, pent up demand may still make them difficult to come by for awhile (I sold out my first shipment in the first day) but once they have been out for a while I think they will be easier to get.

[Kevin Da Clean1]

jeffb325,

Those are great looking units. Thats about as close to stock/OEM as you can get/I have ever seen. Very nice fit & finish. I wonder how the sound quality & output stages compare to the original BMW/Alpine unit...

[Ironman273]

How do the Android units handle offline maps? Do you basically have all the features of the WinCE models plus extra if you tether it or use a SIM card?

[faruqster]

No OBD? Couldn't you use the torque app and a bluetooth OBD2 adapter?

Never mind, I thought it said OBD, not OBC.

[jeffb325]

jeffb325,

Those are great looking units. Thats about as close to stock/OEM as you can get/I have ever seen. Very nice fit & finish. I wonder how the sound quality & output stages compare to the original BMW/Alpine unit...

If you dont know already, dynavin has been around the BMW community for a couple years now, the E46 model is 2 years old and the first E39 model came out a year ago. There were some initial noise issues 2 years ago but since then the consensus has been that the SQ is at least comparable to stock, or better than stock if you are running aftermarket stereo components.

How do the Android units handle offline maps? Do you basically have all the features of the WinCE models plus extra if you tether it or use a SIM card?

We in the E46 community have been running some offline android map apps like Copilot, igo for android, etc.... some are legit and can be found on google market....some not so much Check out the Dynavin Android thread on that other forum....the "E46 fan" forum.... for endless info, discussion, troubleshooting, rants, raves, etc... about android.

when you are tethered you would of course use google places/maps/nav.

No OBD? Couldn't you use the torque app and a bluetooth OBD2 adapter?

Its been discussed on the above mentioned dynavin android thread but I havent seen anyone do it. The E46 userbase is still small though, with the addition of the E39 android and increased production I think we will see more interesting things in the future.

[skininsac]

Does anyone know the estimated cast and time for installation?

[Schitzo]

Now that is something I can see myself buying pending installed pics.

[jeffb325]

Does anyone know the estimated cast and time for installation?

if you dont have DSP or Nav.....not very long, maybe a coupld hours at the most. Its a pretty easy DIY as well.

Now that is something I can see myself buying pending installed pics.

There are tons of pics of the dynavin installed....just not this new one with the better cosmetics.

[dookateh]

Two things that turned me off about the last version was its dull look and not DSP support...this unit is FAR better looking and i honestly would say close to OEM

question is how many people would spend 800$ on a headunit when the cars are worth 4-5k

They need to make it PnP for DSP...and no im not looking at threads for walk arounds, if im paying 800$ for something i want it PnP...not to spend another 300-400$ to get it working and numerous hours of headaches.

[Alpina540i]

Two things that turned me off about the last version was its dull look and not DSP support...this unit is FAR better looking and i honestly would say close to OEM

question is how many people would spend 800$ on a headunit when the cars are worth 4-5k

They need to make it PnP for DSP...and no im not looking at threads for walk arounds, if im paying 800$ for something i want it PnP...not to spend another 300-400$ to get it working and numerous hours of headaches.

Amen brother!!

Exactly how I feel....

[jeffb325]

I dont see DSP happening, the technical obstacles are massive. The E39 has been around for 15 years and NOBODY has ever integrated with the DSP so I woudnt expect it at this point.

[Schitzo]

There are tons of pics of the dynavin installed....just not this new one with the better cosmetics.

I know
The main thing that was holding me back from getting the old unit was the aesthetics. It just looked out of place. This one looks much much better but I would still like to see it installed.I'm sure it just a matter of time.

[jeffb325]

ive shipped out a bunch over the last couple days so the pics will start showing up soon.

[PhillySean]

Any screen shots of the Android platform?

question is how many people would spend 800$ on a headunit when the cars are worth 4-5k.

+1

I would consider in the 450 to 550 max range.

[Jynger]

Is there any way to get unpacked firmare, so I could use my own OBC translator from carpc to add OBC functions?

[dookateh]

I dont see DSP happening, the technical obstacles are massive. The E39 has been around for 15 years and NOBODY has ever integrated with the DSP so I woudnt expect it at this point.

Understandable...the unit belongs in the e39, looks very OEM...

In my opinion, personally i think the buttons are out of date...would of been much much cooler if the screen was a lot bigger and completely touch screen...whats the point of buttons if you have touch screen...but then again like you said the e39 is 15 years old.

[jamfool]

Two things that turned me off about the last version was its dull look and not DSP support...this unit is FAR better looking and i honestly would say close to OEM

question is how many people would spend 800$ on a headunit when the cars are worth 4-5k

Yeah much better looking I agree. Product has matured.

800$ yeah so what, that is pretty common to spend more on our cars than they what they are actually worth. Got new refurbished engine swapped in my car last year. Cost me much more that I could hope to get if I was going to sell it.

[kaineb]

I think they did a good job matching the style of the vehicle. Plus giving us andriod and redesigning the unit. $800 may seem high at first but if you price other aftermarket with this functionality they are even higher, and they aren't made specifically for the car.

Like to see the US distributor post some simple videos of installation and function of the Android version.

[Chigga]

Two things that turned me off about the last version was its dull look and not DSP support...this unit is FAR better looking and i honestly would say close to OEM

question is how many people would spend 800$ on a headunit when the cars are worth 4-5k

They need to make it PnP for DSP...and no im not looking at threads for walk arounds, if im paying 800$ for something i want it PnP...not to spend another 300-400$ to get it working and numerous hours of headaches.

Well, by looking at the VF s/c GB, I'd say there's still very good amount of people who are willing to spend money, while its not a technical classic, but E39 has stopped attracting the "fake ballers", as they are all driving 745 and E60's but more enthusiasts.