Customer Reviews

Pioneer AVH-P3200DVD In-Dash Double-DIN DVD Multimedia AV Receiver

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My jensing stock car stereo died, so I figured that it was best to get a new one. If you want double din dash, this is the one to get! I dont know why people still buy the 3100 version, probably because they haven't heard of this one. I almost got that one too, but I accidentally clicked on this one, and boy am I glad I did! The 3100 doesn't have a SD card slot, which this one (avh p3200dvd) does! I dont use the bluetooth feature, nor do I plan to watch movies on it. I was actually looking at the fh-p8000bt, but I wanted a DVD MP3 feature. For an extra $50, it was worth it to upgrade to this one because you will get a LCD TOUCH screen, a USB, Aux inputs, DVD playability, AND an SD card slot.

Pros:
The price/feature ratio is a steal! Cheap with superb high-end sound; they don't skim on the audio just because it plays DVD's... in fact, it sounds better than my factory jensing which already sounded nice. Also since it's DVD, it can play my entire music collection. Yes, my mp3 collection doesn't even fill up a DVD but hey, I'm very picky of what I listen to.

Touchscreen LCD is very easy to use. Navigation is easy once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. The software is very smooth and doesn't hiccup or freeze.

It has lots of preset led colors to suit your style; This feature wasn't important for me, but it's still nice to have. DVD readability is nice, although i dont ever plan to use it for movies...driving and watching movies is taboo.

I can upgrade it to have a navigation system whenever I want.

The USB slot is a great alternative source for music. It is also very compatible with the ipod, and I also heard Zune, but why use an Ipod when I would rather use the deck?

The SD card slot is a feature only in the 3200, not the 3100. This is a plus because I dont want to accidentally kick my usb drive and break my dash. The SD card slides right in and gets out of your way. Also another great alternative source for music.

It looks simply beautiful. I stare at it for 5 minutes every time I get into my car.

Now for the cons:
No theft deterrent. Not too big a deal for me. If a thief wants it, he'll get it no matter what system you have. Besides, I have a car alarm. I dont think I wanna carry around a large faceplate with me whever I go anyway.

No bluetooth. Okay, so I hear that people complain that even cheap $100 stereos gets bluetooth, but for this system its a $100 addon. but do the other cheap stereos have dvd/mp3 playability? usb/sd card slots? touchscreen lcd? I dont think so. Also, I dont believe in talking while driving so it works out for me.

No HD radio. People also complain that HD radio is a freebie on even $100 stereos. I dont know what I'm missing out on because I've never had HD radio. Nor do I listen to the radio much, they just play crap most of the time anyway.

Wow Pioneer blew me away with the features/price ratio. You can't find any other system with all these features for this price. Not only that, but the quality and craftsmanship of this product is superb.

If you want an in dash DVD unit without navigation (which I believe you can add on later) then this stereo is perfect! It won't break the bank at around $420 installed and it has tons of nice features. The touch screen is smooth and the interface is very easy to navigate around. When you plug in your iPod via usb cable you can control it via the stereo. This is probably my favorite feature because its so easy and functional. The DVD picture quality is excellent and it plays DVD+R movies and music. Another great feature is that you have a USB, SD, and Aux port directly on the front of the stereo. Overall I would definitely recommend this unit!

I searched for a while. I chose this unit due to the lower cost.

The only beating is the video parking brake thing. In my state, it's not illegal to have the capability of playing video while driving....it's just illegal to do it. Also, to me, it is harder finding the parking brake wire to tie this into than installing the bypass.

The bypass is easy. Don't buy a premade one. Make it yourself. Do a search on youtube for "avh-p3200dvd bypass" and you will see one for the 4200. It's the same exact method.

Anyways, back to the receiver. It's beautiful. Pretty intuitive. I have not had a single issue yet. It will play xvid/divx files off the SD card, CD, or DVD. The only thing to consider in my opinion is getting the AVH-3200BT instead of this model. On amazon it's about 60 bucks more and you get bluetooth integrated. I did NOT do this because I have an iphone and the iphone doesn't work that well with the bluetooth and I'm not that concerned about that anyway. If you buy this model and decide you want bluetooth later it will cost you about an additional 140.

The colors of the buttons illumination and background are independently changeable. I have matched mine to a color scheme in my car.

The sound is great. It's better than your factory stereo...guaranteed.

Supports RDS which is nice. If you don't know what that is just google it.

Some say the SD card size is limited to 8 gb. Not a big deal for me. Maybe for some. I have only tested it with an 8 gb. There are many other reviews that are saying it goes up to 32 gbs. I have a 16 gb card and will try it and update this review once I do.

The SD card takes about 10-15 seconds to switch to everytime you switch inputs to it or turn on the car. I think it checks the contents every time the radio turns off and on or you switch inputs. No big deal....it doesn't take more than about 15 seconds.

I love this unit.

This receiver is fantastic! I've been looking for a touchscreen iPhone-compatible receiver in the right price range for over 5 years and this is definitely it. I installed it in my 1994 Lexus GS300 for which I had to order the Metra 95-8154 Double DIN Installation Kit for 1993-1997 Lexus GS Vehicles to fit in the car. After crimping all of the necessary wires and applying electrical tape to ensure that there is no feedback (still get a small amount of static noise), the receiver works as advertised and better! There's even a function that enhances the audio quality of compressed audio files (MP3, WMA, MPA or AAC) which you can access by touching the "S.Rtrv." virtual button on screen. The 8-band graphic equalizer is more than adequate for tuning your music to your heart's desire that will even please a die-hard audiophile. After upgrading from a JVC KD-LHX500 CD/MP3 receiver that clams to have a maximum power rating of 52W X 4, this Pioneer blows it away in amplification, audio quality and obviously features.

There are later models that include Bluetooth and a wider screen, but I have no need for Bluetooth on my car stereo and the version with the 7" screen doesn't have the USB and SD card slots on the front making them much more accessible like this model does. They are also considerably higher in price. I have a 16GB SDHC card with 6 movies on it and hundreds of MP3s and it works flawlessly with this model receiver so I don't feel it's that necessary to run video through your iPod/iPhone which requires either Pioneer CD-IU50 Usb IpodInterface Cable or an aftermarket cable such as CDIU50V USB & 3.5mm Cable by HYPER. You can still listen to audio through your iPod/iPhone with your Apple supplied or aftermarket USB cables. Though not easily discovered unless you actually read the manual, there are adjustable screen controls that you can access by holding the MENU button on the left of the unit that brings up the settings "Brightness", "Contrast", "Color", "Hue", "Dimmer", "Temperature", "Black Level" and "RGB Dot ADJ", though you can't sue "Color", "Hue", "Contrast" and "Black Level" on audio sources.

The DVD features are pretty much the same as a regular DVD player except you can merely touch the screen on the movie's menu items to navigate wherever you wish to go on the disc by selecting the "Touch" option, which is a very nice attribute. With the ability to tweak the screen to your liking, this receiver isn't lacking any features that I can think of which makes it a feature-rich, complete package for anyone bent on having a car stereo with touchscreen and DVD playback.

In regard to iPod/iPhone playback, there is a great option to navigate your music with the iPod/iPhone which I prefer since I have much more flexibility and control over using the receiver's controls exclusively. The good thing about this is you're still able to use the receiver's controls, if you so choose, so this makes for the best option, in my opinion. (EDIT: Although, after use I found out it is more likely to have times when it cuts out playback after switching songs and because of this, I would have to recommend the unit's iPod control exclusively for it's dependability.) Even the radio is nice since it includes artist, album and song info on FM stations that support it as long as there is good reception.

For those who use Navigation apps on the iPhone that integrate with your iPod app, you can still listen to the directions coming through the speakers, which is something I didn't expect. I currently have a marvelous GPS Drive app from the App Store that gives you the option to pause or turn down the volume of the music when instructions are spoken, which you have control of the narrator's volume as well. This is a fantastic and very enjoyable feature that is even more integrated than some stock navigation vehicle systems provide.

For all of the people who wish to watch video at their discretion and not be restricted by only being able to view it while the parking brake is applied can install a 12V Relay (WARNING: This is illegal in many states). This is much better than having a Switch because you don't have to manually operate it as it's automatic. Simply connecting a wire to a ground in the vehicle will not suffice as it searches for an ACC current when the car is switched on and then looks for the ground from the parking brake which the Relay adequately provides. I was scouring the internet for this information which is not readily given so I will provide you with how to do this. Obtain a 12V Relay from any automotive parts store. Connect a wire with two connections on one end to pins 86 (left) and 87 (top) and the other end will connect to a ground. Connect another wire to pin 85 (right) and to the remote wire, which is usually blue, on the wire harness of the receiver. Then connect the green wire from the receiver that would normally connect to the parking brake to pin 30 (bottom). And that's all there is to it!

I have been shopping around for decks for quite a while and despite this I think I may have jumped too quickly on this product. The price was great and I really wanted to get new unit for my car but I probably would not have purchased this one if I knew a few things about it as I do now. First let me start with the good.

Pro's
-Price is great!
-Touch screen is beautiful and very responsive
-Sound is excellent
-Works well with iPhone (I love having access to Pandora through my iPhone!)

Con's
-SD card ONLY recognizes SD cards up to 8 gb in size. I was hoping of dropping in a 32 gb card and keeping my entire music collection there on the card like a hard drive. I asked the technical support agents if they would do any firmware to allow the unit to recognize larger cards and they simply said "No." I don't know why Pioneer wouldn't get with the program and make their unit read these cards that are now pretty common. Its not like that is asking too much.
-Interface is unorganized and sloppy. I'm not sure who the team is that looks at the layout and organization in the operating system of this thing but they need lessons on organization and simplicity. There are icons all over the place on the screen of this unit and I think it looks like it was made haphazardly. One thing I admire about a product like the iPod is the clean and organized interface. This interface leaves a lot to be desired in terms of where options are found and how many menus you scroll through to get to the options. One example I can think of is just simply ejecting an SD card. Sure you could just pop it out without properly ejecting it but you will corrupt data doing this. The instructions are not that clear on how to properly remove SD cards or USB drives and the manual really isn't very clear either.
-HD radio has to be a $100 add on. Come on, really??? There are so many sub $100 units that throw this feature on even their cheap units.
-instruction manual is vague and poorly written

So there you have it. Decide for yourself now. I wish I had known certain things first before buying and I would take it back but I would lose all the money I put into installation, so I'll just live with it.

Overall, price/performance, this is a great buy. For a lower-budget 2DIN media player, this excels. It has good sound for the price, great equalizer controls, fantastic radio reception, and plays back DVDs and AVIs as I'd expect. Ability to store music internally on SD card (apparently limited to 8GB =/) is a great convenience. Installed myself in about an hour in my Subaru WRX with a 3rd party wiring harness...I suggest purchasing such a wiring harness for your vehicle if you plan to install it yourself.

I didn't know that non-HD radio stations transmitted the name/artist of the song they were playing, so it was a cool bonus feature to see that information pop up on most local radio stations.

The lights/screens can be color customized, which is pretty fun, and points to more polish than the issues below.

Consider this product 5/5 stars in EVERY core area(media/radio playback, audio quality), with the following annoyances below:

-Interface is 3/5 stars. It's intuitive enough, but somewhat clunky at the same time. It's pretty easy to find what you want, but it could be organized much better.

-Playlist organization is 2/5 stars. It (for the end-user, practically speaking) orders folders randomly, and you have no ability to make playlists. It's consistent, so you'll end up remembering the whereabouts on the list of often listened to music on your SD card, but seriously, why not just put it in alphabetical order? Why not store in memory currently-playing tracks so it'll start from where it left off after the car turns off? Why not index the files so it doesn't have to read the card format and rediscover music every reboot? However, it DOES see all my folders and music, and it's not THAT big of a deal at all, and I consider this an annoyance. I rarely use playlists, just listen to one artist/album at a time. Not a dealbreaker at all for me.

-8GiB SD card limit.

This annoyance point to a great core system that ended up being a bit rushed to production. None of these are dealbreakers for me.

Add-ons(HD, Sirius/XM, Bluetooth, Nav) are obscenely expensive.

The average person will be very satisfied with the product, and I consider this to be the best bang-for-the-buck in its class.

I couldnt believe what Pioneer offers you in features at this pricepoint. The DVD playback is so fun to have, especially when going skiing, you can watch a Warren Miller flick to get pumped up. Ipod controls took a few days to figure out but I really like how that functions. Sirius module was Plug and play. Sound quality is first class, Im not using internal amplification so no comment on its internal power output. EQ and sound adjustment functions have given me everything I need to dial it in perfectly. Radio reception is outstanding, blows the old stock unit away. Even AM radio reception is not as static prone when traveling next to power lines. Very faint. Will be adding the Bluetooth and Backup Camera next....

I have had the Pioneer AVH-p3200DVD for two months and I have had the tuner go out and then a blue-line a quarter inch from the top went across the screen that drove me nuts. I finally sent it into Pioneer to fix under warranty. If those two issues were solved I know I will love this head unit. For those who can't understand how to sort your music on SD card, use Fatsorter. It makes it so all your music is sorted alphabetically instead of chronologically. One of my favorite feature is the Sound Retriever settings. It makes MP3's sound like CD's and adds more bass and treble. There are three ways to add more bass, the graphic equalizer, bass settings, and the three loudness settings. I bought four Pioneer TS6872 speakers and they sound awesome together. I am really surprised how much bass this unit puts out without an amp.

Time for the slight gripes:
I will admit, it is annoying to put in an 8GB SD card and have to wait four to 5 minutes for the unit to finally read the card, but It's not a deal breaker. I have the relay switch so DVD's look fantastic, but I wish there was a way to get DTS on DVD's. I own a lot of concert DVD's and they would sound sweeter with DTS. I bought the remote that goes with it and it works well. The Ipod settings give you more control and I don't understand why they didn't add the same features for SD and USB. You can add your own custom photo for a background on the unit, but it is virtually impossible to get the photo not to be stretched. I have tried about 20 different photo sizes and finally gave up.

I may get the HD radio accessory, but I am not sold yet. I will for sure get the backup camera, but not from Pioneer.

I am on my 10th day waiting for my unit to come back to Pioneer and I hope I don't have any more problems.

I've never had any gripe about any Pioneer product till now. I bought the AVH-P3200DVD with the intention to install a reverse camera on my truck. Bought the BOYO VTL375 (great product) and installed it. I'm very savvy in car electronics but I was stumped when I came across this issue. I selected the rear-view option in the menu... throw the truck in reverse... voila... the display shows me what's behind my car. Okay, this is not the problem. So you would like to think that you can throw the car into drive and the display would automatically default back to the media you were previously playing.... NOPE!!! First you have to touch the screen to get out of the rear-view display and 5 seconds later the damn thing cycles back into the rear-view camera! I called Pioneer and the service center said that you have to physically turn off the rear-view option in the menu to keep if from cycling. Other forums say you can cycle through the settings between battery, ground, and off, but this is cumbersome and irritating. Pioneer, you FAILED at this aspect in your product! If you want to use the AVH-P3200DVD for the reverse camera you want to install, invest your money elsewhere. If all you want to do is play media... I think it's great for the price you pay

For the price i really did expect a lot more functionality and a more polished product. Pioneer seems like it should be on the bleeding edge of car stereo, but this current offering still seems like it was designed over 5 years ago.
Menus and screen layouts seem very unpolished and remind me of the cheap Chinese imports that can be had for half the price. On screen icons and text look like they just jammed a bunch of random pieces like a bargain-bin dvd player, a crappy mp3 player, and a regular car stereo into a case and hooked it up to a screen... no real uniformity to the overall theme and appearance of the feature menus and controls. Most of the menus ignore the ability to slide your finger to move through menus and files, and instead force you to have to either repeatedly tap or hold the screen till it moves faster (usually while not being able to see titles as the files fly by at warp speed).
One of my biggest complaints is the lack of any current file-system support when it comes to a usb devices or hard-drives! I have no idea who made the decision to only support the much outdated fat file system, but it is extremely limiting when it comes to large collections of music or video. I have a music collection that is nearly 90 gb on a powered usb hard drive, and it takes this stereo just over 12 minutes to "read format" EVERY SINGLE TIME I change the source or power on the unit! If it is a licensing issue, then i would have been more than happy to cover the extra licensing fees in my purchase costs.
All the cool features in the videos and pictures are pretty much limited to those that have an Apple branded product. The rest of us are left without the ability to change how we sort our files and folders, or even a basic search function to aid in finding a specific song or artist. Pioneer must believe that we all are either apple enthusiasts or have a music collection of 20 or so songs. Why provide so many input options only to cripple them with no support whatsoever? My 5 year old has a Disney MixMax mp3 player with more advanced music organization abilities than this unit... and i only payed 20 bucks for it! Just be prepared to tap away for 5 minutes to get to your next desired song... you might want to pull over first!
Customer service was vague and unhelpful when i contacted them for advice in somehow speeding up load times and just responded "thats what we have heard". They ignored all of my questions regarding future firmware updates or recommended organization methods for quicker loading. At least they could have informed me of increased functionality in future products or an explanation for why normal functionality was chosen to be left out. They may as well have not responded at all.
I hope that a firmware update is coming down the line for this unit or else i dont see me hanging on to it for very long. With the way it currently functions, i can not bring myself to recommend this to anyone other than someone looking for a basic car stereo with a few bells and whistles. Though video playback does look fairly good, this alone does not balance out all of the other major flaws of the unit. This is definitely not for a real music lover or anyone with a large portable media collection. Apple enthusiasts might be happy, but why reach for the units touchscreen when your iPod is already there like a tethered remote?
I think its time that the homebrew communities turn their attention to these over-equipped and underutilized devices and show Pioneer just how these devices should be operating when they ship from the factory floor. Its a shame that Pioneers programmers dont take more pride in their work, and have allowed devices like this to be hobbled together just enough to make it out the door... maybe its time for Google or Apple to turn their attention to these outdated devices too? The future looks bright... but i just dont see Pioneer leading the way anymore.