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Why is Navigation Map So dark?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by samsdad, Jan 9, 2014.

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  1. samsdad

    samsdad Junior Member

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    The navigation map in my 2012 PIP is soooooo dark and basically unreadable, even during the day. I used to drive a 2006 Prius, which had a larger screen, and was easy to see and read because the main background color was a cream/yellow, with street names in bold outline; even at night you could easily read it. I was schocked when I upgraded and saw the new navigation map: dark grey background, with dark outlined font for the street names, etc. The engineer who designed this at Toyota should be quartered and drawn for incompetence. Is there any fix or patch to improve the map? Am I the only one who can't read it? Thx
     
    #1 samsdad, Jan 9, 2014
  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Sounds like it is in Night Mode.

    SCH-I535
     
    #2 xliderider, Jan 9, 2014
  3. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    I found it odd doing the same thing moving from a 2006 Prius to 2012 PiP that the screen was so much harder to read in general. I had to adjust the contrast way up to get the audio display to be visible in the sunlight! Also have similar complaints about night mode. And beyond that, somehow they made it way slower to respond to user input. The 2006-2009 screen was top-notch... I can't believe how much worse they made it in the third gen Prius. o_O
     
    #3 iluvmacs, Jan 9, 2014
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    when you say, 'even during the day' do you mean even during the night? it should always be easier to read at night. mine is plenty bright during the day, unless the sun is on it. then, i can't see it at all. xl probably has it right in his post above, you might be in night mode. do you turn the headlites on in the daytime?
     
    #4 bisco, Jan 9, 2014
  5. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Perhaps counter-intuitively, many here have found that turning the contrast all the way *down* and the brightness up is what improves the visibility. Give it a try and report back.
     
    #5 ftl, Jan 9, 2014
  6. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Ah, sorry, you're right, it did go in the negative direction (but in my mind that was enhancing the contrast...).
     
    #6 iluvmacs, Jan 9, 2014
  7. rcf@eventide.com

    [email protected] Member

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    As samsdad points out, the 2012 PIP display is ever so much worse than the previous generation. But at least the design has it angled up so that it is often in direct sunlight, which makes it even more difficult to read. Drawing and quartering is too good for those responsible for this appalling regression.
     
    #7 [email protected], Jan 9, 2014
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  8. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    Just pointing out that these gripes about the display system seem specific to the Base model ("Display Audio"). People with the Advanced seem a lot happier.
     
    #8 CharlesH, Jan 9, 2014
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  9. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    Base model 2012 only if I'm not mistaken.
     
    #9 markabele, Jan 9, 2014
  10. samsdad

    samsdad Junior Member

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    No, it's not in night mode. The day mode just sucks, as dark as night would be. Sometimes i run the day mode at night just so I can read the map

    Totally agree!

    Have the "daytime running lights" on during the day, but that doesn't effect the screen at all. Mu point is that the background -- day or night -- is preset to be too dark; then the lettering is in black. So, together its impossible to read. Someone else said it best: the Gen II map was awesome compared to the base PIP.

    If that's the case, that sucks! Glad i didn't pay full retail for my car
     
    #10 samsdad, Jan 9, 2014
  11. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Yep, contrast down, brightness up and you can see the display fine during the day. The reverse camera can be adjusted the same way, too.
     
    #12 El Dobro, Jan 9, 2014
  12. samsdad

    samsdad Junior Member

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    So thanks for all the tips. I did adjust the contrast down, and the brightness up. Helped a little with reading the lettering! But the overall quality of the map is still sub-standard. Maybe Toyota will offer a worthy upgrade someday....
     
    #12 samsdad, Jan 9, 2014
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  13. iluvmacs

    iluvmacs Member

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    Might be called the Fourth-Gen Prius :ROFLMAO:
     
    #13 iluvmacs, Jan 10, 2014
  14. Les_PL

    Les_PL Active Member

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    Do you wear a polarised sunglasses or spectacles?
     
    #14 Les_PL, Jan 10, 2014
  15. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I wear polarized sunglasses, and I can definitely confirm that they make seeing the screen very difficult.
     
    #15 xliderider, Jan 10, 2014
  16. Les_PL

    Les_PL Active Member

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    In most cases tilting the head left or right may help :)
     
    #16 Les_PL, Jan 10, 2014
  17. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I actually drive with the display turned off. :p

    SCH-I535
     
    #17 xliderider, Jan 10, 2014
  18. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    Interesting. A reason?
     
    #18 markabele, Jan 10, 2014
  19. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    We have factory Nav, and 99% of the time I know where we're going. ;)

    Plus, we find the screen a little distracting. We haven't been able to make the display screen default to something other than the navigation mode.

    SCH-I535
     
    #19 xliderider, Jan 10, 2014
  20. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    I do the same thing until I need the Nav;
    1) There's nothing critical there to see.
    2) Keeping #1 in mind- why have it powered up?
     
    #20 ny_rob, Jan 11, 2014
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