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SLK 350 review Carpages UK

2K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  Zut 
#1 ·
http://www.carpages.co.uk/mercedes_benz/slk-review-part-1-16-07-05.asp

Pretty good overall summary.
 
#4 ·
malibuite - 9/18/2005 10:45 AM

Is there a reason that U.S. cars can't play video DVDs? Is it just a U.S. safety regulation?
I am just guessing here, but can it simply be a matter of zoning? Here in North America, we have zone 1 DVD's and in Europe, they have zone 2. Perhaps MB install zone 2 DVD players in all their cars. I do have a zone 2 DVD that I could try on my player but my dealer told me that I could not remove the navigation DVD myself for some reason (a warranty thing I suppose).
 
#5 ·
Zut - 9/18/2005 4:17 PM
I am just guessing here, but can it simply be a matter of zoning? Here in North America, we have zone 1 DVD's and in Europe, they have zone 2. Perhaps MB install zone 2 DVD players in all their cars. I do have a zone 2 DVD that I could try on my player but my dealer told me that I could not remove the navigation DVD myself for some reason (a warranty thing I suppose).
I very much doubt it is anything to do with region. All DVD drives can play any region (or even all regions). It just depends which region is written into the firmware of the drive. Perhaps they figure people in the US will enable DVD while in motion, watch a DVD, crash, then litigation will follow for making it possible.

Why are you talking about removing the navigation DVD BTW? In Europe COMAND plays DVDs using the drive in the COMAND unit itself. There's never any need to remove the navigation disk from the dedicated nav drive in the trunk.
 
#6 ·
steve-p - 9/18/2005 12:06 PM
Why are you talking about removing the navigation DVD BTW? In Europe COMAND plays DVDs using the drive in the COMAND unit itself. There's never any need to remove the navigation disk from the dedicated nav drive in the trunk.
By the time you answered my post, someone else also told me that the COMAND unit on the dashboard was DVD capable. I stand corrected![:I]

You are probably right as far as the crash factor is concerned. Personally, I wouldn't watch a film while driving but it would be nice to run cartoons or a kid movie for my 6-year-old godson to keep him busy when I take him on a two-hour trip.
 
#7 ·
Zut - 9/18/2005 5:50 PM

steve-p - 9/18/2005 12:06 PM
Why are you talking about removing the navigation DVD BTW? In Europe COMAND plays DVDs using the drive in the COMAND unit itself. There's never any need to remove the navigation disk from the dedicated nav drive in the trunk.
By the time you answered my post, someone else also told me that the COMAND unit on the dashboard was DVD capable. I stand corrected![:I]

You are probably right as far as the crash factor is concerned. Personally, I wouldn't watch a film while driving but it would be nice to run cartoons or a kid movie for my 6-year-old godson to keep him busy when I take him on a two-hour trip.
... As far as I'm aware, the USA COMAND system cannot play DVD'S - full stop - it's just got a CD player in it (our Colonial Cousins will tell us if the head unit can play MP3 disc's). The DVD player in the trunk will only play the NAV DVD. I'm not sure what the setup is in Canadia. In the UK (and Europe) you can set the head unit to play multi-region DVD's (and supposedly, set it up to play video whilst you're on the move)
 
#8 ·
Woolly - 9/18/2005 2:38 PM
... As far as I'm aware, the USA COMAND system cannot play DVD'S - full stop - it's just got a CD player in it (our Colonial Cousins will tell us if the head unit can play MP3 disc's). The DVD player in the trunk will only play the NAV DVD. I'm not sure what the setup is in Canadia. In the UK (and Europe) you can set the head unit to play multi-region DVD's (and supposedly, set it up to play video whilst you're on the move)
A few minutes ago, I tried a zone 1 DVD and a zone 2 DVD in the COMAND player to no avail. [V] I was warned but I had to see for myself. I have not tried to play MP3's on a DVD as yet. I hope it will work. I know some of you guys said it would work and it says it will in the Owner's Manual but I had quite a few disappointments so far. It seems like MB's Canadian clients get the least for their money. [:(!]
 
#10 ·
To clarify:

1) The US/Canadian COMAND does have a DVD drive in it.
2) Said drive will NOT play DVDs
3) Said drive will play MP3s on either CD, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW media.
4) Several attempts were made to hack the software since the hardware is now identical to our european mates' but to no avail. (Note, the identical hardware is a new thing. The hardware used to be quite different but thats apparently over and done with.)
5) That is all.

[:)]
 
#11 ·
silver_Lana

Thanks for the update. Thought I remembered reading that somewhere, but with my encroaching CRS, wasn't sure.[:)][8D]
 
#12 ·
SIlver_Lana - 9/19/2005 8:34 AM

To clarify:

1) The US/Canadian COMAND does have a DVD drive in it.
2) Said drive will NOT play DVDs
3) Said drive will play MP3s on either CD, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW media.
4) Several attempts were made to hack the software since the hardware is now identical to our european mates' but to no avail. (Note, the identical hardware is a new thing. The hardware used to be quite different but thats apparently over and done with.)
5) That is all.

[:)]
Thank you, SIlver_Lana! It is perfectly clear now. [:)]
 
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