Really need help! Why won't my navigation system read and play DVD's?

[Bdawk20x]

I recently posted a thread asking if the nav system on an 08 Alpha would read and play DVD's. Well since that time (today actually) I found the seprerate deck that you load the navigation dvd's into (the one behind the navigation screen) but it will not play any type of movie related DVD's and it's driving me crazy! The reason for the insanity is that every salesman I talk to has told me it does and will play DVD's and if this is the case why doesn't mine? I just have the screen in the dash, none in the headrest and was thinking thats why they won't play cause the picture gets relayed to those monitors so you can't watch a dvd while driving but I am at a loss cause at this point I don't know if my system is broken and thats why I can't watch dvd's, all the salesmen I have spoken with (and so far thats 12 and three mechanics) have no idea what they are talking about or they really do and it really should play the dvd's but their leaving out a step I have to take for the system to play them or the last one is that the headunit/ navigation screen/deck doesn't have the ability at all to read and play dvd's. Anyway if there is anyone who can stop this madness I'm going threw trying to figure out which way is up with this dvd delema please post here and let me know what I need to get to make it work, what programming I need to do or if I'm chasing after something that it just isn't capable of doing. Thanks everyone in advance and hopefully the advice to get this working cause I would really love to be able to watch dvd's in my Hummer (again if thats possible ) Thanks again for reading this and all your patience in trying to help me out.

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[Ricky_Racer]

The Head unit will only accept Navigation DVD's this unit will not play movies. The headrest with monitors that you can buy as an option actually have DVD players behind the pop out screen. There is a switch box that allows each monitor to play different DVD's or display the movie from one onto the other. Delphi does not make a head unit for the Hummer that will play movie DVD's

[Bdawk20x]

Ok, if the Delphia head unit won't play dvd's is there a way to tie in an external dvd player to the exsisting factory monitor or is there some kind of bypass module or installable chip or program that will allow it to play dvd's?

The reason I ask is one I knew someone that had done this to his Lexus navigation head unit years ago, granted they are two different animals but the concept is the same. Second since it already reads dvd rom's i.e. the map dvd it has the potential to read regular dvd's I just need to find a way to unlock it or find something out on the market to unlock it, anyone know of a part that will do this or anything that can be done internally to the head unit to give me this freedom?

The question now is not will it play dvd's but how cause like I said if it will except dvd rom format the lazer in their is capable but finding the secret as to how to make it work is the puzzle.

Has anyone tied in an external dvd sorce to the stock navigation screen/head unit? I wouldn't mind hooking up a PS3 or just a plain dvd player to it either (this may be the easiest route anyway) and it wouldn't be hard to power it since there are so many 12v power outlets in the truck all I would have to do is hook a power inverter up to it then hide the inverter and dvd player (probably in the back on the passenger side where the storage compartment is would be the best hiding spot with minimal customization to make it fit properly and there is a power sorce right there that I would be able to take out of the plastic interior trim piece and put it behind so you wouldn't be able to see any plugs)

I have the ideas for the setup I just need to figure out how to get around the roadblock of being able to watch movie's or even play PS3 games for that matter on the dash screen.

If anyone has any iddea's, sites or model numbers of anything that will help me obtain my goal of doing this lmk cause I really don't want an aftermarket head unit/navigation screen to obtain my goal cause the stock one I think looks sweet and as stupid as it may sound i like that when you turn it on it lights up H3 on the screen.

Thanks in advance for any and all help cause I really really want to do this to my truck, Thanks

[Ricky_Racer]

There is a way to do it but its expensive

http://www.tvandnav.com/hummerh3.aspx

The site says its 600.00 plus shipping they recomend that you send them your head unit and let them do the mods. I guess then all you have to do is add a DVD player or what ever you are wishing to use.

[Bdawk20x]

Ricky Racer, thank you very much on the info and the site. I went to the site and checked it out and then got a brain storm since I wasn't to happy with the price or the idea of sending my $2000 dollar navigation system threw and back the threw the mail system to someone I don't know (who knows if I would have gotten it back, gotten the same one back I sent them and received a refurb so they could keep mine or if it would have gotten damaged in transit) so I thought to myself everything is on Ebay!

I went to Ebay and sure enough it was there for $225 with free shipping so I ordered one, I figured I have been a certifed MECP installer for 10 plus years now I should be able to do this myself so it's on it's way!

I will provide step by step instructions on the install when I receive it and how good the quility of the unit is and how good the quility of the video source its said to produce is.

I guess you can say I will be the test mouse for anyone else who wants to try this.

If you figure this unit is $225 plus I called around and installation is between $100 and $150 (assuming that someone might not want or know how to install it) and a modile dvd player is anwhere from 100 to 500 depending on what kind you want to get and what features you want and install is around 100 so even if you add all that up you still come out way cheaper than getting an aftermarket head unit and get to keep the stock look (which is a theft deterent in itself even though it's a high priced head unit but most theives know what their looking for and know factory units won't work in the 78 junker so they back off), I mean you can't get even close to a head unit of good quality for under a thousand and on top of the radio you have to get interface modules because of the amplified system which is around another $150 so this is by far the cheapest way to go (based on the assumtion the navtool will do everything it says it will including the plug and play installation).

Again I will post after I get the unit and install it and hopefully it will be a help for everyone else who wants or wanted to do this and just didn't have the information on how.

Stay tuned!!!!

[Rajul_Al_Hummer]

This looks similar solution to the one I'd previously posted, except this appears to install inside the nav unit, rather than on the wiring loom externally.

$225 sounds a fantastic price - will look forward to your tutorial on how to do this.

[Jetama]

That is a video aux input only. You won't get sound. What they fail to tell you is that is for adding a back up camera or the like. You will need another adapter piece to get sound into the system."NavTool is a video only input interface module, which means an FM modulator, FM transmitter or an auxiliary audio input interface adapter needs to be used to connect the audio signal from your external AV source to your audio system"
You will need an adapter from SOUNDGATE to get sound to work. I speak from trial and error

[Bdawk20x]

Sorry for the delay guys but no good news to report anyway.

After waiting longer than what I would deem exceptable for me to get the bypass I took the radio out and just by looking at it I could tell it just didn't look right so I contacted the seller.

Two days later I received a reply stating I'm sorry but in order for that unit to work you will need to send back the part and your radio/nav unit and we have to do the install for you which would be an extra $500 on top of the $225 because he stated he didn't know I was ordering it for an H3 even though I made a point to mention H3 6x's in my original e-mail to him about the unit.

So the unti got sent back and I got a full refund and I am now back to square one SOB!!!!!

I just can't believe that their is no simple fix to this especially since the unit already plays dvd rom's, there has to be a way!

I'm not trying to be a smart ass but I went to school for three years for mobile electronics, am a MECP master certified installer for the past 6 years and have been the roadshop manager at Circuit City and Best Buy so I know what I'm talking about but this has got me stumped, the software is in the unti to make it work but how to unlock it is the key and there has to be a way other than buying an add on piece or bypass module.

So the hunt continues, I have some leads and if they go anywhere I will keep you all posted. Sorry about getting everyone's hopes up including my own.

[Bdawk20x]

Jet, What did you end up doing?

Did you finally get audio and video and if so what did you use? Thanks

[Rajul_Al_Hummer]

Did you take a look at these guys I posted on the other thread?

http://avelectronic.com/NavigationVid-Switcher.html

They have a unit that definitely works with H3 (I had email correspondence with them). It can handle backup camera and another video input like TV or DVD.

The system is supposed to be plug and play - ie just plugs into the wiring loom - no modification of factory nav unit.

I'm tempted by this unit, but is a fair cost to ship it to Dubai.