NavTool Integration

[supratachophobia]

Has anyone seen this yet? NAVTOOL INC

They are claiming they can integrate with the factory screen and display alternate video there. If that's the case, it means watching videos at superchargers, non flipped front camera installations, and additional camera views.

 

[Randaddy]

So is this thing designed to inject a video signal over one of your existing MCU functions like Nav or Back up cam?

Looks like they sell a toggle to swtich between inputs, so factory functionality might be retained too. Smartphone screen mirroring sounds cool, but I doubt you'd be able to control your phone with the MCU touch screen like a native solution may offer.

$300...who's gonna be first to roll the dice??

 

[supratachophobia]

I don't think anyone is claiming touch control. But if this really can inject a video signal, it will be quite the accomplishment.

So is this thing designed to inject a video signal over one of your existing MCU functions like Nav or Back up cam?

Looks like they sell a toggle to swtich between inputs, so factory functionality might be retained too. Smartphone screen mirroring sounds cool, but I doubt you'd be able to control your phone with the MCU touch screen like a native solution may offer.

$300...who's gonna be first to roll the dice??

 

[Gizmotoy]

Really interested in how this might work out. The lack of the installation manual gives some pause. Additionally:

Video switching is done via factory radio buttons, all factory features continue to operate as before.

I'm not sure what they plan on using to implement the source switching given the complete lack of radio buttons.

 

[pilotSteve]

Has anyone seen this yet? NAVTOOL INC

They are claiming they can integrate with the factory screen and display alternate video there. If that's the case, it means watching videos at superchargers, non flipped front camera installations, and additional camera views.

Video switch using the rear view camera window perhaps?

 

[Gizmotoy]

Video switch using the rear view camera window perhaps?

Based on the connectors shown it's more likely it drives the entire display. So when it's switched to phone mirroring, for example, the entire Tesla-provided interface is hidden. That's how it works on the other vehicles they've integrated with. Example (skip to the last few minutes to watch the switching):

 

[supratachophobia]

Based on the connectors shown it's more likely it drives the entire display. So when it's switched to phone mirroring, for example, the entire Tesla-provided interface is hidden. That's how it works on the other vehicles they've integrated with. Example (skip to the last few minutes to watch the switching):

Well that is a deal breaker. This is only of value if it hijacks the rear camera signal.

 

[StoXto3toY]

Well that is a deal breaker. This is only of value if it hijacks the rear camera signal.

?? Uh..maybe to you but I'm gonna check this out. This would be awesome if it indeed works.

 

[MikeBur]

Oh my goodness. Did anyone watch that "company message" on the home screen. I was going to take a punt on it, though nfw after watching their attitude.

 

[supratachophobia]

Oh my goodness. Did anyone watch that "company message" on the home screen. I was going to take a punt on it, though nfw after watching their attitude.

The whole website screams geocities throwback....

 

[MoonChou]

Oh my goodness. Did anyone watch that "company message" on the home screen. I was going to take a punt on it, though nfw after watching their attitude.

Just watched a part of it haha. Reminds me of that episode on Amy's Bakery from Kitchen Nightmares.

 

[supratachophobia]

Just watched a part of it haha. Reminds me of that episode on Amy's Bakery from Kitchen Nightmares.

I couldn't make it straight through. But at first glance, I kept thinking this was some shady Russian product. Regardless, don't give me a 19:45 video talking about how your product isn't broken. Tell me about the product and all the success you've had with it.....

 

[bob_p]

The Corvette demo appears to show they are intercepting the vehicles controls and using them to control operations of their box. Since Tesla cars have only touch screen controls, not clear how you'd be able to control their box.

I agree with the comment above that this isn't very useful if it completely takes over the display. If it takes over the rear camera feed, that might be more usable - but if it makes it difficult to show the rear camera when you want it for backing up, that's not going to be very useful.

They don't have any manuals on their website - the links to get installation instructions is broken on the Tesla pages. So you can't see how they are connecting into the Tesla display.

Airlines are reconsidering their strategy for putting displays into seatbacks. So many people are now bringing their own video devices on board, it makes more sense for the airlines to provide better wifi support for customer devices than investing in the complexity of providing a display for every seat.

Similarly, this product might have been interesting a few years ago. Now, when the passenger wants to watch a video (something the driver shouldn't be doing while the car is in motion, at least not until FSD is operational), we have multiple devices, with several display sizes that we can use. On our most recent road trip, we used our smartphone's LTE network and a connection to our home TiVo to stream an NBA playoff game to the car - and it was OK for the passenger to watch the game on the smartphone (and skip over commercials using the touchscreen interface) and listen to the game using Bluetooth over the car's media player.

We still need Tesla to follow through on their promises of improving the browser and the media player, along with smartphone mirroring - all features that have been promised, but not yet delivered...

 

[Gizmotoy]

Oh my goodness. Did anyone watch that "company message" on the home screen. I was going to take a punt on it, though nfw after watching their attitude.

Wow. Paraphrased: "If the product doesn't work you broke it and we don't want to take a return. If you insist, we'll charge you a restocking fee. If you see reviews saying we wouldn't take a return of the product we already asserted we think you broke and admitted we don't want back, they're lying."

Yeah, no... not interested.

 

[MGMDaware]

Wow. Paraphrased: "If the product doesn't work you broke it and we don't want to take a return. If you insist, we'll charge you a restocking fee. If you see reviews saying we wouldn't take a return of the product we already asserted we think you broke and admitted we don't want back, they're lying."

Yeah, no... not interested.

I was legitimately interested in this and was willing to spend the $300 to try it out . . . . UNTIL I read that. WTF are they thinking?

 

[Bheuring]

I will give it a try . I have a friend that has it on his cadillac and it works really good.If it works it could be awsome

 

[Gizmotoy]

I was legitimately interested in this and was willing to spend the $300 to try it out . . . . UNTIL I read that. WTF are they thinking?

I'm skeptical even without that. If we assume the product switches the video output as it does for their other products, display orientation is an issue. Nearly all source inputs are going to assume a horizontally-oriented display. To work with the Model S's portrait display, something is going to need to rotate and scale the video, otherwise everything is going to be sideways. And even then it'll probably look weird.

Maybe they hijack the video feed from the rear camera, but it's hard to tell from what they have posted. The connectors pictured are definitively not the rear camera's connectors, so if that is what they're doing the pictures are inaccurate.

 

[Akikiki]

So is this thing designed to inject a video signal over one of your existing MCU functions like Nav or Back up cam?

Looks like they sell a toggle to swtich between inputs, so factory functionality might be retained too. Smartphone screen mirroring sounds cool, but I doubt you'd be able to control your phone with the MCU touch screen like a native solution may offer.

$300...who's gonna be first to roll the dice??

After a little more reading, I see more of the picture you refer to. It appears that the manual switch must cycle through all the possible ports/positions to get to the item you wish to access next.

And you are correct about the smartphone. Controls remain on the smartphone. What you see with the mirroring is the image of what's on the smartphone. Specifically, the center console has no controls over the mirrored smartphone screen.

 

[Akikiki]

Has anyone seen this yet? NAVTOOL INC

They are claiming they can integrate with the factory screen and display alternate video there. If that's the case, it means watching videos at superchargers, non flipped front camera installations, and additional camera views.

At first its impressive if it can do what it says. I've read their instruction manual. Its generic, I don't see any reference to how to install - how to hook up the power, reverse backup trigger connection, how to connect it to the center console. There's references to "connect it to the connections behind the panels, not the back of the display", but does not guide us in where those connections are.

Initially, I was excited as it might show or replace my artsci-brainstormed front mounted rear camera, since I've not been able to get it to work on my '17 90D. But, after a bit more reading, I believe now that it does not have the guidance necessary to connect to the Model S. There's a software driven interface inside the device, but I don't see instructions for showing us how to connect the device to power, reverse backup. Now I am just repeating myself.

I wish them well, but they have a ways to go.

 

[Akikiki]

I'm skeptical even without that. If we assume the product switches the video output as it does for their other products, display orientation is an issue. Nearly all source inputs are going to assume a horizontally-oriented display. To work with the Model S's portrait display, something is going to need to rotate and scale the video, otherwise everything is going to be sideways. And even then it'll probably look weird.

Maybe they hijack the video feed from the rear camera, but it's hard to tell from what they have posted. The connectors pictured are definitively not the rear camera's connectors, so if that is what they're doing the pictures are inaccurate.

I've got the installation manual. After reading it, I don't think they hijack the existing factory rear cam feed. They can add a rear, front or either/both side camera, but that image will be instead of or supplement the factory feed. Their device does not have the hardware interface to connect to or override the factory rear camera feed.