Dual XDVD8181 - DVD player with LCD monitor and AM/FM tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had an older model Panasonic 7" LCD for some time now and it works great except for the fact that it does not play burned DVD's. However, this one by Dual does! I've burned quite a few DVD's in DVD-R format and the Dual XDVD8181 has taken them all without a fuss.
The CD Player is nice (nothing special) and radio works well. Also the AUX Input for the Ipod interface doesn't allow you to control the Ipod with the Touchscreen. You need to use the Ipod itself to change songs. The "iPlug" connector is simply an RCA audio (Red/White, L/R) to stereo mini-jack (female) input so you can basically connect anything that has a stereo mini jack output to it.
Installation was straight-forward if you're technically inclined. My only gripe is that I was not able to install the unit flush with the dash because of the way the LCD Screen folds up. If you try to make the unit flush, the LCD screen gets caught when it tries to open up. The only way this can be installed is by having the unit stick out of the dash about 1 inch (maybe a little less). This is not a big deal, but for those of you who are picky about asthetics, this might annoy you.
It has an input for a rear view camera if you're in to that. It also has RCA preouts (Front, Rear, and Subwoofer) but the Subwoofer preout is mono. You'll need a Y-cable if you want to split it to simulate stereo for the subwoofer (but who really needs stereo output for the subwoofer?)
One more annoyance is that if you're like me and you want to have a DVD playing while driving (not legal, but whatever), you can't simply ground the wire that's supposed to go to the parking brake. With my old Panasonic I was able to do this to "trick" the DVD player in to thinking I was parked. The way this one works is that you have to enable the parking brake, disable, then re-enable within a few seconds, then after 5 seconds of delay, the picture will show. Basically it needs to go: Ground, off, Ground. I bypassed this security measure by buying a push button switch from Radio Shack and wired the "parking brake" wire from the unit, to the button, then to the ground. So all I need to do is push the button on, push it off, then push it on again to view DVDs while driving.
For the price, this is really a good buy. Lacks add-on navigation option, integrated ipod controls via touchscreen, and flush-mount ability.. so I gave it 4 stars.
Pros:
- Price (Best bang for your buck compared to other brands)
- Plays burned DVDs (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+/-RW)
- 3 sets of RCA Preouts
- AUX Input
- Touchscreen
- Cool blue illuminated buttons
- Remote control included
- Plays MP3 CDs
Cons:
- No true Ipod control, just AUX input
- Prevents simple hacking for DVD viewing while driving, but you can still bypass (read my hack above)
- No add-on navigation option
- Does not mount flush with dash (due to the way the LCD screen opens)

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