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Prius Deal Breaker

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Rest, Jun 23, 2009.

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  1. Rest

    Rest Active Member

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    I have had the understanding that Toyota reduced the hardware resolution specs for the screen. But if the screen resolution really in fact has not changed, then it has me wondering if it is the software for the Navigation graphics that has changed. This throws a new wrench in the picture. I think we need an actual confirmation one way or another from Toyota on this subject.
     
    #141 Rest, Jul 10, 2009
  2. rcarsonk

    rcarsonk New Member

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    Rest.

    I've had my Prius III V for over a week now....and this was after trading in my 2007 Camry Hybrid (which I had a 3 year lease). The Nav. screen on the Prius is just as good as the one on the Camry. I am a graphic designer and use high quality monitors, and the ones for the Nav. systems aren't bad at all. They aren't Hi Def or Hi Res., but still good quality....no blurring, no pixilation. Did you maybe get a bad one or see a bad one? As for the dasboard screens....yes, the one on the right, it is more pixilated....but it's a different screen (if you look close you can see the different pieces). Either way, wooptidoo......I have the ATP and it is AWESOME....everything works perfectly and it gets good mileage. I am a technology geek and want all the new toys, and this Prius doesn't disappoint.

    About your point regarding not being able to get the Solar Package with the AT Package......hmmm, isn't the Prius supposed to be a fuel economy car? I asked that question and was told that it's because of the added weight. Adding the solar package would have added weight that would have decreased the fuel economy.....and they have marketed the car for over 50MPG. That's also why they didn't put an electric motor on the drivers' seat......but it's easy enough to adjust. One has to decide.....did you buy the Prius for the fuel economy or the gadgets. If it's the latter, you should have gotten a Camry or Lexus. The fact that Toyota made a new Prius with this many new gadgets, and the fuel economy was improved.....KUDOS to Toyota!

    Love the nav. system and new bluetooth and pairing options. The fact that it sucked my address book/contacts from my Blackberry is awesome. The voice activated system is also MUCH easier to use than the Camry Hybrid's. I love it.

    Carson
     
    #142 rcarsonk, Jul 10, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  3. Rest

    Rest Active Member

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    I read about the lower screen resolution on this forum first before I ever saw it in person. Then when I did see it in person it was very apparent. Others in this thread have also seen the difference. Did you read this thread from the beginning? Did you see the pictures I posted?
     
    #143 Rest, Jul 11, 2009
  4. maledyris

    maledyris New Member

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    I had never seen the previous Prius' screen, but seeing my 2010's screen for the first time, I have to agree with Rest, it is noticeable that it's a lower res screen. For me, this is only a minor disappointment though. I don't mind too much.
    On the other hand, I wonder how difficult it would be to replace the touch lcd. Replacement touch lcd's are sold for netbooks for reasonably cheap, and are fairly easy to install. The only thing I'm wondering is whether the software would properly upscale to the new res. Since it's not a regular OS like Windows or OSX, I'm not sure what it would do with a different res screen...
     
    #144 maledyris, Jul 11, 2009
  5. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    FWIW, for some reason, I neglected to pay close attention to the resolution of the nav screen on the 2010 Prius when I had the opportunity. :confused:

    That said, if the HyCam's MFD is identical in resolution to the 2010 Prius, then it definitely took a step back from the 06's higher res LCD that came on many/most packages. I was surprised that a loaner HyCam w/nav I had last year had a much worse quality MFD and I noted it at http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...impressions-after-driving-hycam-62-miles.html.
     
    #145 cwerdna, Jul 11, 2009
  6. wvgasguy

    wvgasguy New Member

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    I just don't see it as a problem. I do like that the energy screens are available seperately from the NAV. On my TCH I never used the NAV as my energy screens were always on display as I drove. Drove the wife nuts.

    I do wish they had a tank mpg on the odometer display (those are the two things I record when I fill up
     
    #146 wvgasguy, Jul 11, 2009
  7. SW03ES

    SW03ES Senior Member

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    Enough...good God...
     
    #147 SW03ES, Jul 11, 2009
  8. Rest

    Rest Active Member

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    15 pages of passion....Yea!
     
    #148 Rest, Jul 11, 2009
  9. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    this is the 149th post in this thread

    there is no new info to post, so i am posting the number of my post

    i hope the resolution on your monitor is satisfactory
     
    #149 fred garvin, Jul 11, 2009
  10. ScarGo

    ScarGo Common Sense Conservative

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    even 150 yea...
     
    #150 ScarGo, Jul 11, 2009
  11. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    SCARGO - does eddie murphy factor into your username?
     
    #151 fred garvin, Jul 11, 2009
  12. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Did I get post 150? yay me!
    Edit, bugger!
     
    #152 patsparks, Jul 11, 2009
  13. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    Pat - nope - you are 152 mate.

    You did better in the race you just won.

    This post is 153
     
    #153 fred garvin, Jul 11, 2009
  14. Rest

    Rest Active Member

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    Maybe if this gets enough attention Toyota will explain the reason for a lower resolution Navigation display or correct it.
     
    #154 Rest, Jul 11, 2009
  15. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Toyota could possibly address it mid-cycle, but don't expect it for at least a couple years if they're consistent w/ past trends.

    There's only so many ways to express the same opinion and it doesn't seem like this is going anywhere.
     
    #155 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 11, 2009
  16. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I was able to do some rough measurements on the Prius NAV screen w/ a tape measure against my own 2010 screen. Regrettably, I don't have a 2006-2009 screen to run the same comparison.

    At about 170mm across and ~96mm tall, and approximately 6 pixels per mm, it would seem that we're looking at 1024x576 native panel resolution.

    Even in the service menu, it appears the text is being anti-aliased at the sub-pixel level as there are red and/or blue fringes on both sides of the text. Thus, I think your NAV screen clarity complaints are software specific. Personally, some anti-aliasing looks much cleaner in the UI. Note - the 2010 Prius (as well as some other 2009-2010 Toyota vehicles) are using a Gen 6 navigation system.

    I'm not sure what native resolution on the Gen II 2006-2009 (Gen 5) NAV screen, but would venture it's not much different. The input is digital.

    Gen II 2004-2005 (Gen 4) was somewhere around 720x480ish and took an analog NTSC signal.
     
    #156 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 11, 2009
  17. Rest

    Rest Active Member

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    HTMLSpinnr, Thanks for keeping this thread open a bit longer.


    If the actual hardware (the LCD screen) is not of a lower resolution and it really is the Navigation software that is making the display look like lower resolution, then there is hope of an firmware upgrade that can easily correct things. Who makes the Gen 5 and 6 software? Maybe the answer can be gotten from the manufacture. Or maybe there is an setting in the diagnostic area of the Prius software that can be adjusted. If this in fact is the case then the 2010 Prius LCD screen wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
     
    #157 Rest, Jul 12, 2009
  18. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Denso is the nav supplier to Toyota/Lexus (mentioned at Frequently Asked Questions - Denso Europe - Markets & Products - Products for OEM's - Navigation). On the 2nd gen Prius, the MFD LCD was made by Fujitsu Ten (pics at Prius MFD). I'm not sure if that's the case for the 2010.

    Personally, I wouldn't hold your breath for any sort of updates if you're really looking to buy the car soon. I'd guess that if there's no setting to change that the solution (if there is one) is a newer version nav DVD, which don't seem to come cheap for any car. I doubt they'd address it in the middle of the 2010 model year if it's not a deemed a serious functionality problem.

    Either don't buy nav (I don't think it's worth it anymore vs. PNDs) or buy some other car w/non-dealbreaker (to you) factory nav. $1800 buys lots of PNDs (even if they're higher end Garmins each with lifetime [of the unit] upgrades).
     
    #158 cwerdna, Jul 12, 2009
  19. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I believe Denso is the software provider. Toyota has a 24% stake in Denso though.

    Does someone else have the patience to use a magnifying glass and measure the number of pixels (squares) per mm or cm, then the size of the entire screen (panel only)? This would help us determine screen resolution of the Gen 5 screen to answer Rest's question once and for all.

    Despite the difference, the anti-aliasing is software. I'm not sure I'd want to see it go away, but make sure that it isn't compromising quality of display either (fine lines where fine lines are needed).
     
    #159 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 12, 2009
  20. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Keep in mind Gen 2 had 2 MFD revisions - 2004-2005, then 2006-2009 (which the base model 2006 still had the older display, and the NAV or backup cam versions had updated).
     
    #160 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 12, 2009
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