Has anyone installed a TV tuner into a 2000 s320?.. if so is it a simple job or am I best off getting it professionally fitted? any tips/advice would be great.
Has anyone installed a TV tuner into a 2000 s320?.. if so is it a simple job or am I best off getting it professionally fitted? any tips/advice would be great.
bill
Done some checking and found the following:-
As the wiring does not exist to where the tuner should go in my car - next to the CD changer in the boot. This also means that the antenna will need updating. This goes under the roof lining beside the rear window. (This requires the removal of the roof lining.)
Also to get the cable from the comand at the front to the rear will require the removal of quite a bit of the inside of the car including one of the seats, part of the centre consol as well as trim around the pillar.
Also – the software on my comand may need upgrading to actually recognise the tuner. It needs to be Q15 or higher.
All in all I think I will give this upgrade a miss as I can bet that once I get all of the inside trims back in there will be more squeaks and rattles than on a boat and I will spend the rest of my week end trying to tack them down.
So .. for a ‘cheap’ tuner I saw on ebay may not be cheap to install!!. Not sure if any of the above is of use to anyone else
Billy Oh,
The guys at NAVTV.com did it for me and it was not too bad. I had a 2000 S500 and, yes, they had to remove the COMMAND unit and run the wires to the boot and install the TV Tuner along with the antenna (which sits above the rear windshield). They did an excellent job and it took about 4 hours. Your car may or may not have the wiring and the TV portion of the antenna. If not, you will need both and the TV Tuner. I upgraded my car to a 2004 S600 and took my TV Tuner out (left in the other items as it was more trouble than it was worth to remove).
My new car does not accept that version so I am selling the TV Tuner on Ebay (Ref Item number: 140196167457). Steve from MBenzNL.com installs the units too and I have heard nothing but praise from his customers. He has responded to me several times about my new car and I think he is undoubtedly the most astute in this area.
As for the question - Is it worth it? If you ever had OEM TV in your Mercedes you will never be without it. The picture is very clear (even in motion) and to watch the morning or evening news on your commute or a football game on the weekend is priceless. Hope my input helps!
Thanks for the feed back. The problem I had was finding someone to do the install for me as I'm now not confident I could do the job 'diy' style. The only real option I have is to get my local dealer to do it which worked out very expensive. Just labour rate is current £120 GBP ( est 240 US dollars ) per hour.
Also - someone has just reminded me that here in the UK the analogue TV system is currently being phased out and replaced by digital TV. This has already started and is due to be complete over the next few years so any TV tuner will need to be upgraded to digital receivers. As yet I have not seen any digital TV tuners for the car.
Must admit however that the chance to what the football in the quite of my own car – ie no kids wanting to watch Sponge Bob Square Pants sounds very appealing.. !!
The US is moving to digital as well but they will not phase out analog for some time (5 years). I don't know how long you plan on owning that particular vehicle but the digital issue should not pose a problem.
Remember, there are millions of viewers that will still have analog for years to come. The conversion, in the US, is required by law to start 2008 but the signal will be transmitted through 2015.
Analog television broadcasts will shut down in the U.S. by February 17, 2009 according to a statute passed in 2006. The signal will not continue to be transmitted, and home receivers with only analog tuners will need a set-top box - either from a cable company, satellite, or from a digital-to-analog converter for over-the-air broadcasts.
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2005 S500 4-Matic
with Gateway 500 iPod integration
Formerly: 2000 S500
with Ice>Link iPod integration
Moto V710 phone with MikBox
Upgraded Voice Control
Linear Mode
