[RavenAvi]

As some of you know, one of my esteemed colleagues recently bought a Tata Safari. He was having some difficulty in reversing, specially because of the rather awkward center position of the spare wheel on the boot door which made the centre rear part almost blind for the driver when backing up from inside the car.

He asked me for suggestions, and I recommended to him to get a reverse camera unit installed. A few days later, he found a Xenos reverse camera unit and earlier today got it installed in his Safari.

Now, the Xenos unit is very useful. It comes with Bluetooth controls and mic for talking on the move, and is also compatible with a DVD player to watch movies on the 7-inch display. (Strictly not recommended for the driver on the move, as it can be a big distraction)

Here are some pics from the installation procedure -

The box




Features




The screen, snugly fit on the reverse mirror




View from the passenger's side




The connecting wire extending into the roof cladding




How it looks from the open boot door behind




The unattached camera and the plate




The wire connecting the camera to the screen, through the boot floor carpet




Reverse camera in action




One more view (you can make out the reflection on the OEM mirror on the right)




The reverse camera, snugly attached




This Xenos unit comes with 1 year warranty, and includes a nifty little remote as well. Cost charged was Rs. 2200/- (2499/- printed on box), with Rs.500/- as fitment charges.


Mods, please move if this is not the appropriate forum for this thread.

[ashis89]

For the price mentioned it seems quite VFM. Does the screen act as a RVM at normal times or the RVM is gone forever?

[ghodlur]

Thats for sure a VFM buy. However the loss here is the IVRM, I guess the new display unt above the OEM IVRM will not act as an IVRM. The metal piece on which the camera is fitted, is it added separately or was it a part of the vehicle. Also installing the camera so low, would it not be prone to mud, rain water or any smuck collecting on the lens?

The clarity of the picture seems to be good for a colour camera. What other options are there in a display unit?

[Vasuki]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

This Xenos unit comes with 1 year warranty, and includes a nifty little remote as well. Cost charged was Rs. 2200/- (2499/- printed on box), with Rs.500/- as fitment charges.

Pls clarify is this the price of entire system or just sensor unit. The quote recieved from cochin is Rs.8500\- for the entire system which includes sensors & LCD screen(Rear View Mirror fitment).

[wheeler]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Thats for sure a VFM buy. However the loss here is the IVRM, I guess the new display unt above the OEM IVRM will not act as an IVRM. The metal piece on which the camera is fitted, is it added separately or was it a part of the vehicle. Also installing the camera so low, would it not be prone to mud, rain water or any smuck collecting on the lens?

The clarity of the picture seems to be good for a colour camera. What other options are there in a display unit?

I do not think he would lose the functionality of an IVRM. The display is pretty reflective when not in use and functions very well as an IVRM. A friend of mine has this installed on his car and I found it just as easy to use as a regular IVRM. If you look at the 2nd picture showing the reverse camera in action, you can see the reflection if the people standing behind in the dark section of the screen.

[Tassem]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Cost charged was Rs. 2200/- (2499/- printed on box), with Rs.500/- as fitment charges.

Are you sure about this? IIRC it costs around 8k for the LCD+Camera combo. I hope I'm wrong!!

EDIT: I just checked the website. The camera unit costs INR2200. The Display costs INR6500.

They have an HD Camera unit for INR2495 as well.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by ashis89

For the price mentioned it seems quite VFM. Does the screen act as a RVM at normal times or the RVM is gone forever?

Originally Posted by wheeler

I do not think he would lose the functionality of an IVRM. The display is pretty reflective when not in use and functions very well as an IVRM. A friend of mine has this installed on his car and I found it just as easy to use as a regular IVRM. If you look at the 2nd picture showing the reverse camera in action, you can see the reflection if the people standing behind in the dark section of the screen.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Thats for sure a VFM buy. However the loss here is the IVRM, I guess the new display unt above the OEM IVRM will not act as an IVRM. The metal piece on which the camera is fitted, is it added separately or was it a part of the vehicle. Also installing the camera so low, would it not be prone to mud, rain water or any smuck collecting on the lens?

The clarity of the picture seems to be good for a colour camera. What other options are there in a display unit?

It was a part of the vehicle, lower centre piece between the two humps on either side. It is prone to mud and dirt of course, and will require constant cleaning (it is water resistant, thankfully). But the camera cannot be placed anywhere else on the Safari's rear - the boot door takes over, and any higher than that and the smaller objects close to the car won't be displayed.

The clarity is very good. It's a TFT unit and the picture displayed is quite sharp and accurate. There are buttons on the right to map the distance behind in metres as well.

Originally Posted by Vasuki

Pls clarify is this the price of entire system or just sensor unit. The quote recieved from cochin is Rs.8500\- for the entire system which includes sensors & LCD screen(Rear View Mirror fitment).

The cost of the camera unit is 2499/-. And the cost of the LCD screen is 6500/-. They charged 2200 for the camera unit and 6300 for the screen, plus 500 fitment charges. Net Total was 9K.

This unit doesn't have sensors. It's just the reverse camera.

Originally Posted by Tassem

Are you sure about this? IIRC it costs around 8k for the LCD+Camera combo. I hope I'm wrong!!

EDIT: I just checked the website. The camera unit costs INR2200. The Display costs INR6500.

They have an HD Camera unit for INR2495 as well.

This is the HD Camera unit. For dark, murky weather this is pretty efficient as it adjusts brightness and contrast automatically according to the display, making it much more clearer.

[Lukeskywalker]

This Xenos unit comes with 1 year warranty, and includes a nifty little remote as well. Cost charged was Rs. 2200/- (2499/- printed on box), with Rs.500/- as fitment charges.

I looked like a dud for spending some 8k on my reverse camera with TFT screen till I saw this

The cost of the camera unit is 2499/-. And the cost of the LCD screen is 6500/-. They charged 2200 for the camera unit and 6300 for the screen, plus 500 fitment charges. Net Total was 9K.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

I looked like a dud for spending some 8k on my reverse camera with TFT screen till I saw this

LOL!

Sorry, I forgot to mention the price of the TFT screen in the opening post.

[chetan_l]

@RavenAvi - thank you for the details.
I see that your IRVM is mounted on the windshield. Any chances that the heavy TFT screen could damage the IRVM mount? I was warned of this by one of the dealers.

Have you checked out any alternate mounting such as a dash-mounted stand? Any insights will help.

Based on @Tassem's feedback, I am keen on fixing one for my new Optra - I am only apprehensive of any potential damages...

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by chetan_l

@RavenAvi - thank you for the details.
I see that your IRVM is mounted on the windshield. Any chances that the heavy TFT screen could damage the IRVM mount? I was warned of this by one of the dealers.

Have you checked out any alternate mounting such as a dash-mounted stand? Any insights will help.

Based on @Tassem's feedback, I am keen on fixing one for my new Optra - I am only apprehensive of any potential damages...

The IRVM stalk is actually pretty sturdy and holds up the weighted screen quite nicely. 4 months of usage and it's holding up nicely so far. I enquired from the service center if it was strong enough to hold the weight, and they assured me it was.

I would advise against a dash-mounted one. This way (on the IRVM) it looks more clean and non-fussy. Plus, on the dash, it might interfere with your line of vision when driving.

See if the Optra's IRVM has a strong stalk to support the weight, otherwise see if you can find those screens which are stuck on the windshield, on the right (not left). You should have a clear view of the vision in front of you while driving, and since the Optra is a comparatively low-slung car, a dash mounted install might hinder viewing range on your left.

You are welcome, and all the best!

[chetan_l]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I would advise against a dash-mounted one. This way (on the IRVM) it looks more clean and non-fussy. Plus, on the dash, it might interfere with your line of vision when driving.

See if the Optra's IRVM has a strong stalk to support the weight, otherwise see if you can find those screens which are stuck on the windshield, on the right (not left). You should have a clear view of the vision in front of you while driving, and since the Optra is a comparatively low-slung car, a dash mounted install might hinder viewing range on your left.

Thanks much @RavenAvi. This helps...

Two more queries - have you tried playing videos on the screen (surely, while not driving!) How's the quality?

And, how effective is the Bluetooth? Have you tried pairing your phones and also listening to calls via your car speaker system?

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by chetan_l

Thanks much @RavenAvi. This helps...

Two more queries - have you tried playing videos on the screen (surely, while not driving!) How's the quality?

And, how effective is the Bluetooth? Have you tried pairing your phones and also listening to calls via your car speaker system?

Not yet, buddy. That requires a separate cord to be installed, and my colleague hasn't got one yet. Although I am sure the quality should be decent.

The Bluetooth is very effective. It connects in a jiffy and the connection streams quite nicely. The sound is quite clear over the speakers and the mic is pretty powerful. All in all, the call quality is quite good. He has connected only one phone at a time till now: multiple phone BT connection is yet to be tested (although I think it doesn't support multiple BT connections)

[chetan_l]

Thank you @RavenAvi.
I just got mine installed yesterday.

The SR700BT & 170 HD camera, together with installation, bill and 1 year warranty, cost me Rs 6,800 at Car Kemp in Bangalore.

I shall post my feedback on my thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...um-thread.html