Replacement DVD Player

[iggy913]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've got a 2013 Suburban LTZ with the factory DVD system. It has been an absolute life saver for road trips, however lately it's started making quite an annoying buzzing/vibrating sound, which makes me think it's on its way out! What options has anyone found to replace the factory head unit with something that offers similar features?

The biggest roadblock I've run into is nothing out there seems to be able to "multitask" like the factory head unit. By that I mean I can play a DVD for the kids, which they can listen to with their wireless headphones. Once they're situated with their movie, I can switch the input to the FM radio and listen to music through the speakers while their movie still plays. Everything I've seen in the aftermarket can only play one input at a time, meaning if the kids are watching a movie, I'm stuck listening to the audio.

Short of finding a factory DVD player am I stuck?

 

[Doubeleive]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've got a 2013 Suburban LTZ with the factory DVD system. It has been an absolute life saver for road trips, however lately it's started making quite an annoying buzzing/vibrating sound, which makes me think it's on its way out! What options has anyone found to replace the factory head unit with something that offers similar features?

The biggest roadblock I've run into is nothing out there seems to be able to "multitask" like the factory head unit. By that I mean I can play a DVD for the kids, which they can listen to with their wireless headphones. Once they're situated with their movie, I can switch the input to the FM radio and listen to music through the speakers while their movie still plays. Everything I've seen in the aftermarket can only play one input at a time, meaning if the kids are watching a movie, I'm stuck listening to the audio.

Short of finding a factory DVD player am I stuck?

you just need a updated headunit that supports RSE (dual zone)
with the proper adapters you can do just like the factory headunit plus have extra features like android auto or carplay and/or built in navigation and other options.
manufactures such as pioneer & kenwood offer these kinds of headunits
idatlink maestro rr would be one module option that works with the above mentioned head units and provides the interface needed.
if you go the idatalink maestro rr website there is a web interface to input all your vehicle information, the headunit you wish to use and then it gives you a work up of all the features suppored.

 

[iggy913]

Thank you for the reply. I picked a few different DVD players off the Crutchfield website, JVC, Kenwood, etc. and ran them through the Maestro page for compatibility. All seem like they would work fine, however none mention anything about the rear screens, did I miss something?

 

[iggy913]

Disregard, it looks like I would just need to purchase an additional harness: AVGM2

So in total I'd need the head unit itself, the Maestro RR, the RGM2 Harness, and the AVGM2 harness for the rear entertainment system. Anything else? I feel like I'd need a dash kit of some kind?

 

[Doubeleive]

Disregard, it looks like I would just need to purchase an additional harness: AVGM2

So in total I'd need the head unit itself, the Maestro RR, the RGM2 Harness, and the AVGM2 harness for the rear entertainment system. Anything else? I feel like I'd need a dash kit of some kind?

yes you would need a dash kit, there are a couple brands out there
and one thing to note if you have the 3rd row screen then you would need to "patch" the 2nd row screen to the 3rd row screen, since the avgm2 only provides video to the 2nd row

 

[petethepug]

Option 2 is purchase a pre loved replacement. If that doesn’t work, return it and continue to diagnose.

The good: Your correct in that the 12-14 HD / hard drive Navi GM ran in the last years are fast, reliable and built around the trucks features. They’re still plentiful because upgrading to one is labor and part intensive.

The part to unlock a preloved unit, the autosync, will unlock any factory Navi, unlimited times. A/S will also add about $2k worth of other options the factory left off our trucks.

The Bad: The A/S is $295. But, if the replacement Navi is a dud, you will NOT have to pay to activate a replacement. There is no other downside, replacement is plug n play and you’ll get all the upgrades of the a/s.

The 12-14 HD units also allow a $69 A2DP BT music / audio streaming module to be added that fully integrates into the steering wheel controls and dash. It runs simultaneously with the factory BT phone and auto switches between calls, music, Navi & radio. I use it with Waze running in the background of Pandora to alert of speed traps.

Lastly when it looks OEM thieves want nothing to do with it. Last year when our 09 Esky was pilfered of about $1.2k of stuff inside, they left the 12-14 SD card OEM SuperNav alone. The A2DP module is hidden behind the glovebox so out of sight, out of thieves hands.

 

[KYTroutbum]

you just need a updated headunit that supports RSE (dual zone)
with the proper adapters you can do just like the factory headunit plus have extra features like android auto or carplay and/or built in navigation and other options.
manufactures such as pioneer & kenwood offer these kinds of headunits
idatlink maestro rr would be one module option that works with the above mentioned head units and provides the interface needed.
if you go the idatalink maestro rr website there is a web interface to input all your vehicle information, the headunit you wish to use and then it gives you a work up of all the features suppored.

You seem to know your stuff on this subject. I'm looking to replace the head unit on my 2013 Denali & crutchfield says all the in dash receivers are too deep. Do you have to modify the depth for the aftermarket dvd receivers or are crutchfields depth numbers just wrong? There's plenty of install videos of people doing dvd receivers on YouTube & no one mentions a depth issue.

 

[Doubeleive]

You seem to know your stuff on this subject. I'm looking to replace the head unit on my 2013 Denali & crutchfield says all the in dash receivers are too deep. Do you have to modify the depth for the aftermarket dvd receivers or are crutchfields depth numbers just wrong? There's plenty of install videos of people doing dvd receivers on YouTube & no one mentions a depth issue.

When I put my pioneer in it fit but the cooling fan was blocked in by a plastic piece so I cut it out so the fan could move some air, otherwise depth was not a issue. And the cut I made affects nothing, it's inside you'll never see it

 

[Doubeleive]

It's been in there for 7 years, I upgraded it once when the wireless head unit was released a year later, same dimensions. It still does everything I could ever want and I can add more functionality if I really wanted to. If this pioneer ever dies I would probably throw a Kenwood in there because Kenwood uses Garmin for navigation and pioneers nav is kinda sucky with the interface but works in a pinch