wanting to get a dvd head unit for my mk1 octy vrs but i have no idea where to start looking and for prices and ideas suggestions would be appreciated

I would start off by saying that I am no expert in this as I'm in a similar position to you - I have the standard Stream audio and am wondering about upgrading to a DVD/nav head unit. For what it's worth, what I've found out so far is:

1) The RNS510/Columbus generally seems to be a good unit but very expensive - official manufacturor price seems to be well over £1000 and that does not include iPod playback - if you want that, you'll have to pay an extra ~£200 for an MDI. No Bluetooth included either. You can get cheaper "second hand" units on eBay (~£500) but there seems to be quite a lot of uncertainty as to the origin of such units. Seems that one area that lets down the RNS510 is that you can only do 5 digit postode searches. Some people aren't so bothered by this but for me, I can't quite believe that such an expensive navigation device can't handle full postcode searches! Not sure if the DVD player is region free or not.....? Maybe others can advise on that.

2) There are some reasonable options available from China - mainly from companies called Witson and TimelessLong. These units are considerably cheaper than the RNS510/Columbus units and often include more features (i.e. will usually include Bluetooth, iPod control and DVB-T TV tuner) - price tends to be around £350. The interface isn't especially slick and can appear a little dated but they seem to work well. Most such units run Windows CE under the bonnet which means you can load your choice of navigation software (iGo8, TomTom, Garmin, etc) which is useful if there is one that you prefer. DVD player is usually region free. Generally they seem to perform OK though if you do get a problem, you have to ship it back to China. There are some UK sellers that supply them (check out eBay and the like) who will include a local warranty, but expect to pay a premium for this. Disadvantage of these units is that they don't appear to interface with the MFD/Maxidot. Check out Hauptmans post on fitting one such unit....lot of useful info there.

3) The Zenec NC2010 seems to be a good unit, but more expensive (~£900). Includes a Parrot Bluetooth module and will integrate with MFD/Maxidot (audio info and nav info shown on Maxidot) and even shows a graphical display if you have parking sensors fitted. Reviews seem to be positive though you can't change the navigation software so it's iGo8 only.

I'm undecided about if/which/when......plus I need to find some £££'s first!

Good luck!

Edited 2 May, 201016 yr by slicendice