Hi

wanting to upgrade the stereo in my Octavia Mk2 estate. I’m wanting satnav and dab radio. Do I go for original Skoda or vw headunit or are aftermarket ones better. If I go for one of aftermarket ones should I consider the Android and Wince models or stick with trusted names 

Thanks

Kenwood do VW & Skoda compatible HU so you still get PDC and climate control functionality. 

 

I think the Kenwood HU upgrade deal Skoda dealers are currently doing is for Octavia MKIII, but you could always ring them and ask if they have anything for a MKII. 

The Skoda head units cost over £1000 new. I found a Kenwood upgrade one from the period but reviews slated them.

 

My next choice was to be the aftermarket Chinese OEM look ones and did loads of research, just for the Mrs, who's car it is to tell me she doesn't like them. These show the climate control too.

 

So the next choice is  Parrot phone and DAB phone/radio device that will stream music from a phone and deal with phone calls via bluetooth. 

 

There's a few other brands that do the same now, all available in Halfords,  albeit I'd install myself or get it from a specialist audio shop and have them fit it professionally. 

 

Kirkynut 

I have Just installed one of the Android units for less then £300.  Its a great bit of kit and gives me loads of extras that the standard unit did not, such as door opening and other vehicle specifications, all climate control and other bits show on the display.  It was a straight swap no change to looms or fascias and took me about 10mins to swap (dependant on what unit you are replacing obviously). 

 

It came with DAB+ (Arial extra cost)

Sat Nav

Bluetooth (including hands free mic)

 

I was a bit sceptical but have to admit its a good bit of kit.

Don't go for Wince , Windows CE is obsolete no updates, no apps , no support ended in 2014.!

Edited 7 August, 20197 yr by Kenrw8

I second that, did not realise thats what mine was, its an absolute piece of **** spends most of its time crashing and rebooting, over 50% of the time the reversing camera switches on, it defaults to radio and cant be stopped or even turned off, switch on and you are assaulted by unwanted music, silence it and it comes back every time it reboots.

 

The bluetooth is always disconnected and doesnt send a pairing signal most of the time, the virtual CD player freezes or crashes before playing less than 3 tracks.

 

The Satnav is good but thats nothing to do with them and comes on a memory card so is slow to load, seemed odd that they said it was a free gift until you realise it has a speech impediment that even at the lowest volume will blow the speakers out of the door when it happens which is very often, keeps you awake though.

 

Satnav replaced by an identical one on a memory card for next to nothing and works well now, because its Wince and not Android as I thought there is no choice available.

 

The branding is Erisin, dont be tempted at any price.

2 hours ago, J.R. said:

I second that, did not realise thats what mine was, its an absolute piece of **** spends most of its time crashing and rebooting, over 50% of the time the reversing camera switches on, it defaults to radio and cant be stopped or even turned off, switch on and you are assaulted by unwanted music, silence it and it comes back every time it reboots.

 

The bluetooth is always disconnected and doesnt send a pairing signal most of the time, the virtual CD player freezes or crashes before playing less than 3 tracks.

 

The Satnav is good but thats nothing to do with them and comes on a memory card so is slow to load, seemed odd that they said it was a free gift until you realise it has a speech impediment that even at the lowest volume will blow the speakers out of the door when it happens which is very often, keeps you awake though.

 

Satnav replaced by an identical one on a memory card for next to nothing and works well now, because its Wince and not Android as I thought there is no choice available.

 

The branding is Erisin, dont be tempted at any price.

 

Oh wow 😮 thanks for the heads up on this I was seriously thinking about going this route, it’s either android or I’ve chance of an RNS315 with gps and dab for £150

@Kenclarke a few people have been lucky with some xtrons units. I've been tempted to get a joying one.  There are threads about but the only one I have to hand at present is this one:
 

 

There might be a problem with a dirty contact on my reversing light switch which would remove the bulk of my bugbear with the thing, that the reversing camera never seems to work when i want it to either bringing up a Windows error message box containing a Chinese sick note or rebooting, its always when I reverse into my drive where I want it to work that it refuses or will cut out just as I am getting approaching the garage door and need it, it seems to know when I need it and thats when it plays up.

 

The other idiosyncracies I could probably live with.

 

I'm not confident about the reverse light switch causing the problem, I know they play up and have replaced them before but the unit gets its signal via Canbus and the reversing lights always come on correctly.