iPod video integration for 2006 Prius

VAIS sent me an email confirming that their ipod video integration unit, the SL2Vi, will be available in 2-3 weeks, that is mid-late october 2007.

also of interest:
from the club lexus forum, posted by Vaistech:
"We are going to offer to upgrade from SL2i to SL2Vi, by charging the difference between the two units.
SL2Vi will have two modes, 1. do functions of SL2i, 2.play Video and Audio from Video iPod, nothing but the Video iPod would be able to connect to this unit."
"If you placed an order for SL2i, then upgrading for SL2Vi will just require software update and different iPod harness" (presumably update via the SoundLinQ USB Update Adapter??)

Note: the SL2i does not have an additional AUX input

I'm not sure what "nothing but the Video iPod would be able to connect to this unit" means.

Re latest generation ipods from vaistech forum:
"The release of our new video ipod unit is near and with that info you need to be aware that the new ipods require an authentication chip which will not be released until Dec. or Jan. so we are building a cable to provide this authentication process for the new ipods to work with our SL2VI but this will take some time. So i you have a new ipod and are planning on buying the SL2VI we suggest waiting until the release of this cable for those of you with any of the later gen. ipods there will be no problems with operation"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lateplate @ Sep 20 2006, 05:44 PM) [snapback]322485[/snapback]</div>

I have the Ultimate Lockpick 3 Plus and I have gotten video to play on the MFD with a 30 gb video iPod but it will not work with the 80 gb video iPod.

The 30 gb 5th generation iPod's will allow video out thru the top of the ipod using a video cable that splits into 1 video Yellow and 2 audio Red and White. Apples cable works and other manufactured cables you have to sitch the colors around for it to work.

The newer 80 gb 6th generation iPod's will not allow video out thru the top of the iPod with the same cable. Video out will only work via a docking station that is now 3 composite Red Blue Green and 2 audio Red and White and I think it needs power as well. I dont think this setup will work unless you can convert the rgb back to just one Yellow output.

One thing that I also found out is that when it does work with the 30 gb iPod, it will only output a video (with audio) and the iPod screen goes blank during that operation. The menus and song lists are not displayed thru the video out. So this setup can be distracting to switch the MFD to show Video and then switch the iPod to show video takes a while with your eyes off of the road even if it is so that the passenger can watch.

So the bottom line that I can share in this post is:
You can't hold the iPod and scroll thru the menu screens and find music while looking at the MFD, it will not display.
Only the older iPods 5th gen will allow video out.
On the newer 80/160 gb ipods, even though the menu shows TVout it will not let you switch it.
The docking station is not yet available in Apple stores, only online.
The Lockpick will not accept component RGB as an input source, only RCA.

Hope this helps anyone trying to watch video with an iPod.

 

Somewhere - can't remember if it was here or not - I saw photos of a disassembled dash, and the cable that runs from the camera up to the MFD. It was behind the stereo, I believe. The idea was to splice into that cable and put in a splitter that would allow the ipod to feed through to the MFD when you wanted it, then the camera at other times. Second step was to install the toggle switch ("reverse video" thread) so you can switch the camera feed on anytime you want it. That, in theory anyway, should allow you to play video on your MFD, anytime you want it. What I can't find is the thread that Paul R. Haller is referring to back on the 1st page of this discussion. THAT was the splice operation. Anyone know where that discussion was??

 

Where is that thread????

That's the one. And then you do the "reverse video" toggle switch to keep it on even in drive.

 

I thought if you simply tap into the backup camera wiring then trick the MFD into thinking the car is in reverse to display the video resulted in the "check your surroundings" message to appear on the bottom of the screen, which may or may not bother certain people. To get clean video to the screen you would probably need a device like the Ultimate Lockpick 3 from Coastal-e-Tech.

TOYOTA LOCKPICKS