i-pad as a head unit ?

[Heartdisease 0]

I have done a few searches and have come up empty. Does anyone on this forum have and experience with this? I know it has been done several times before. To be more specific I want to use just the screen from the i-pad 3 as a monitor. If anyone has done something similar before please share some of your hard earned knowledge. Thanks.

[AgentTyler 5]

I want to do this as well. I don't know if you watch Soundman Car Audio on youtube but they do this quite often for people. I know Scosche was going to sell a mount for dashs that allows an ipad or another tablet for the headunit.

[Heartdisease 0]

Doing just the I-pad as a head unit is relatively easy as i-pads have a 3.5/toslink connector which can be used to get quality audio. They have a plethora of floor mounts or even dash mounts for the i-pad. My problem has been that I want just the screen to use as a monitor. I have a source for the screen I am just having trouble getting a controller made to drive it as a monitor. Apple uses a proprietary harness. This is my main issue. I really need a custom harness to interface with an off the shelf controller. This isn't anything soundman has done as far as I am aware.

If you haven't seen this yet, I think this is a slick implementation of having a removable set up.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Heartdisease

[Punkeyboozter 19]

Sounds like a plan to me.

[SS Teacher 177]

I'm not sure if "the727kid" is active on this board, but I beleive he did this, you might try and PM him. I do know he is active on the Challenger Talk forum, and his system looks amazing. Good luck on your quest.

[Heartdisease 0]

Thanks:) Is a like the same thing as a thank you or does this forum not have them?

[///M5 2,833]

I use a Droid as the headunit in my boat. Not sure what your question is though. Was super easy. Boat is full active as well. There is no need for Toslink on the Droid, I haven't tested the Ipad's outputs but the ones on my Droid are ruler flat and distortion free all the way up to max output. Not the highest voltage out, but that I am not concerned about.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

I prefer Fishman's install

Check out this video on YouTube:

[Heartdisease 0]

I prefer Fishman's install

Check out this video on YouTube:

That is a very nice install no doubt, looks like also a recipe for an open container violation but still cool. It sounds like he has the same or similar alarm system as me he was hitting the function button several times to activate his servos on his cubbies etc. I have my Custom led fog and effect lights hooked up to my function key.

His i-pad in the dash was very similar to the silverado I posted it is a removable slot for the i-pad itself. In that install you cant use it as a monitor, you can only display what you have on the i-pad or dowload from the internet if you are using a mobile hot spot.

What I want to do is install just the screen from the new i-pad in my dash coupled with an htpc I will put behind it. My dash doesn't have enough room for the full i-pad with the bezel and I don't want to have to tote an i-pad in and out all the time.

Which droid do you have? As far as using the droid as a source yes I do that also, the original droid has one of the best audio processors around still -- it puts out a clean strong signal. I also stream netflix on my galaxy nexus, but a htpc will give me even more options I can do anything widows or linux will do, also have a bluray and the i-pad can display it in full 1080p.

I have most of the components scoped out -- I have found a device that will take an hdmi signal and split off the audio while keeping it dolby 5.1 etc and feed a time synced optical signal to whatever. I plan on using the Alpine PXA-H800 as a source selector and to take the optical and put a good strong signal back to my amps. This setup gives me the most flexibility and will eliminate any ground loops or inductive noise that the htpc will invariably cause at least until the last short run of rca to the amps.

I really don't know if I can make it happen as I think I will need to take a controller from another monitor and custom solder up a coupling to the i-pad harness. I would need to know the pin readout from the i-pad and it is a little beyond my abilities I am afraid. Even then I don't know if the controller would be able to drive that screen even if it was hooked up correctly.

I have seen a similar set up done before- without the optical goodness- so I know it can be done with lesser monitors. I think I could do it with an i-pad2 screen as it has a different harness, but it is no where near the same level of display.

Again thanks for taking the time to respond, and I hope someone has a source I don't or can point me in the right direction.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Heartdisease

[///M5 2,833]

Why not just buy a screen? The Ipad screen isn't anything special and if you are already using a HTPC there is no need.

I still am not sure of the question...

[Heartdisease 0]

I will try explain my reasoning as to why I would like to have this screen. (i-pad3) Source: http://www.displayma..._ShootOut_1.htm

It is currently the best mobile display period. It is better than many hdtv's. It is also just about the perfect size for my dash. I can fit a 10.1 in screen in my dash if I take the panel out of the case, this is what I have seen done before. This i-pad screen would allow me a little bit more flexibility with my install and it is hands down the best screen I could hope to fit.

I don't have the htpc set up yet. I have a pioneer that is going to be replaced. I am going to start with the monitor first then go from there, it will allow me to see just how much space I have. Then I can pick a case for a custom htpc or see if a prefab unit will work and where. I will also need to put in a power inverter to power it all along with the Alpine head unit and controller for the PXA-H800 and the other audio splitter for the HDMI. Nailing down the screen is the first step and I sure would like to use the best one available.

new iPad Conclusion: Impressive… but Lots of Room for Improvement

Apple has taken the very good display on the iPad 2 and dramatically improved two of its major weak points: sharpness and color saturation – they are now state-of-the-art. Our lab tests and visual tests agree with Apple’s claim that the new iPad has “the best display ever on a mobile device” so we have awarded the new iPad the Best Mobile Display Award in DisplayMate’s Best Video Hardware Guide. But there’s more… the new iPad’s picture quality, color accuracy, and gray scale are not only much better than any other Tablet or Smartphone, it’s also much better than most HDTVs, laptops, and monitors. In fact with some minor calibration tweaks the new iPad would qualify as a studio reference monitor. So we have also awarded the new iPad the Best Mobile Picture Quality Award, which was previously held by the original Motorola Droid (not the more recent Droids, which all have poor picture quality). Finally, almost as impressive is that Apple has maintained the base price of $499. Who says Apple doesn’t compete aggressively on price!

Edited June 5, 2012 by Heartdisease

[AgentTyler 5]

If you're taking the screen out of the panel for the ipad that wont work. Your best bet is to just buy a screen/monitor and scrap the ipad.

[Heartdisease 0]

It seems that may be the case and I might have to adjust my plan a little. You can do it I believe with the i-pad 2 but the new i-pad has a different connector.

Why do you think it can't be done though, just to ask. It is a Samsung monitor at the root of it.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Heartdisease

[///M5 2,833]

Then buy the samsung monitor for 1/10th the price....

[ssh 924]

The replacement screens are about $60, but then you would have to deal with powering it, and the connections.

[Heartdisease 0]

That is what I am planning to do the i-pad 3 screen is Samsung part # LTN097XL01-A02

I have found a source for it at $159. You are correct in the 2 being about $60 but it really is not that great of a display, you can get much better for under $100

the problem being they only make these for the i-pad and hence has an ipad only connector to hook up to the i-pad internal boards.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Heartdisease