Navman Mio V735 Satellite Navigation System Europe with Digital TV Receiver
Posted by Notcot on May 9, 2010 in Home Cinema & Video |
3 CommentsReply |
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I recieved the satnav and was instantly drawn to how big the unit was. At 4.7″, it is a lot bigger than the 3.0″ or 4.3″ I have only ever seen before. This makes it very good for navigation as you can quickly glance across to the screen and easily see without taking your eyes off the road for too long. The large screen is also very good for the built in freeview. The signal for the freeview can take a couple of minutes to register, and I do not generally have many problems once connected; the only problem is when you take a minor route and the signal is lost which then is useless.
The maps and navigation is very very good. I have used tomtom and other navman satnavs, and i must say this is probably the best and easiest to understand, especially when approahing difficult junctions. The satelite connection is very very quick. Also with the satnav, it includes lane assist, which is probably navman’s equivalent to tomtom’s IQ routes, but I was impressed on how accurate it has been. It does also have built in speed camera data, but I would expect that as standard.
Rating: 4 / 5
HARDWARE
The Mio “Spirit” V series comes in two sizes: 4.7″ (V505) and 7″ widescreen (V735), the latter of which seems overly large and likely to block your view of the road. I got the 4.7″ and it’s ample for both navigating and watching television (not at the same time, of course). The only slight let-downs with the smaller unit are that it doesn’t come with a headphone port, which is useful for watching TV, or an FM tuner. The screen is touch-sensitive and it comes with a small remote control.
Power/charging is done via the car or USB cable connected to a computer. If you want a mains charger it has to be bought separately, which is a little annoying. When connected to a computer the device acts as if it’s an external drive, making it easy to manage and transfer files. It has 1GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a slot for a MicroSD card, on which you can store “NavPix” (images of places to aid in navigation), music files and voice recordings (a microphone is built-in). There’s also a slot for a digital TV card.
Installation is very simple – since the device doubles as a TV it’s been designed to be easy to move around – and the build quality is good.
SOFTWARE
The main home screen has a convenient button interface. Just touch what you want to do or scroll down for more options. As a satnav it’s hard to fault, although I haven’t tried any obscure journeys yet, and since this is the first satnav I’ve used I don’t know how it compares to others such as TomTom or Garmin. It features “Back-On-Track” automatic rerouting in case you do go wrong.
The big selling point of the V series is that it’s also a TV, so you can detach it from the dash and hand it one of the kids. It picks up the main Freeview channels with ease in my area (which has undergone the switchover to digital), although reception varies when you’re travelling. When disconnected from a power source and being used as a TV it’ll go for around 2 hours before needing a recharge.
It comes bundled with MioMore Desktop (Windows only), a suite of tools which allow you to organise the content on the device.
OVERALL
An excellent little satnav/TV combo with only a couple of minor niggles.
Rating: 4 / 5
Good product, but where are the freeview radio channels. Most other freeview receivers I have will also pick up the radio channels. Recently travelled to Scotland and this product could not find or display the small side road our holiday cottage was located on. My other older device did not have the same problem.
Rating: 2 / 5