Alpine's KCE-415i car interface for iPod video

As followup to that audio-only Alpine KCA-420i iPod interface from oh, about 2 years ago, it looks like Alpine has been quietly pumping out an iPod video capable KCE-415i unit in Europe for the last month. Yet a North American KCA-415i version is, at best, stil only on display on the trade show circuit. The E-variety 415i retails for about $100 and allows you to play/pause, skip, fast-forward/rewind the main 5G iPod directly from your Alpine MultiMedia station or overhead monitor with additional controls available from the Alpine head unit, remote control, or iPod itself. The interface is seen by your Alpine system as an external DVD source and not only charges your iPod's battery, but allows the iPod to be switched on/off via your car's ignition system. The unit provides composite or S-Video outs and as you'd expect works with a wide-variety of Alpine monitors. So just kick-in the autosync on your iTunes season subscriptions and you'll never suffer the lack of fresh, child numbing content on those long-haul trips again.

[Thanks, Jeff G]

[Intrepid @ Jun 28th 2006 9:41AM]

Really? Wow. More industry support for Apple only, thus hurting their competitors even more.

[CJ @ Jun 28th 2006 10:19AM]

You have to admit, as much as we hate Apple's closed-standard, proprietary lame business model, they did one thing right by allowing TPI with their dock connector. Now anyone that wants to profit off of Apple's windfall can do it easily.

So they'll ride that pony until their quarter runs out. Can't blame either of them.

[Ariza @ Jun 28th 2006 10:37AM]

Wonder if you will be able to navigate VIDEO menu and select videos from the Alpine screen????

I know with a lot of the other iPod video base + remote like the GriffinTechnology TuneCenter and the DLO Home Dock Deluxe you can only navigate the MUSIC menus with the remote and actually have to walk up to the iPod to navigate video menus and select the movie,Tv show you want to watch.

This Alpine unit would be useless if you have to keep the iPod out to navigate through the VIDEO menus

[Ariza @ Jun 28th 2006 10:42AM]

I guess I found my answer, from Alpine website..... "monitor (Play/Pause, Skip FW/BW), provided the video files are arranged in playlists"

So you need to make a video playlist before hand of what you want Videos you want to watch and all you can do with the video playlist is Play/Pause/, Skip FW/BW) thats lame

come on Apple, lift that stupid firm ware limit on the video iPods!!! We need to see the Music and VIDEO menus on the screen of what ever we have it hooked up to.

[chrisr @ Jun 28th 2006 12:21PM]

I just hope they took some time to test the new unit. I have the KCA-420i along with their (at the time) high-ish end CDA-9855 head-unit. Easily the worst useability I've ever seen. I definitely will no longer purchase an Alpine product because of the experience. Do whatever you can to try before you buy.

[phlyingpenguin @ Jun 28th 2006 1:18PM]

@chrisr:

I have yet to see an iPod interface that's worth $100 sold for any aftermarket head-unit. I have a Pioneer which is complete and utter shit. That said, it's still better than the umpteen wrecks Ive been near trying to navigate with the scroll wheel.

My Pioneer only displays the first eight characters of title text and will not scroll unless you navigate to "function 3" and hold the button. At that, it scrolls once. To change repeat/shuffle modes? Yeah, navigate to "function 2" and hold the button. To change the display from track title to album and what not? Navigate to "function 2" and press the button. Terrible.

A friend's Kenwood isn't terrible. It's actually usable as compared, but we're still talking about one line of text to navigate GBs of data. His at least displays all of the playlist names on a list if selected on his touch-lcd.

[JohnnyCashAK @ Jun 28th 2006 2:54PM]

@Chrisr:

You didn't like your 9855? Man I freaking love mine! While the 420 was a slow interface, you can't get on their case too harshly since every other deck interface on the market suffered the same problem at the time. They have since remedied that with their new high speed interface, which coincidentally retails for only $30 as apposed to everyone else's $100+. I tried it out at a local dealer and it's super smooth and just as fast as the first model should have been. If it weren't for the fact that I am so in love with my 9855 I'd swap it out in a new york minute. From the biolite display to the high volt (compared to the competition) RCA preouts to the awesome once mastered glide touch controls, it's the best deck I've ever installed.

If you were just running stock speakers off it, you won't appreciate it. But if you have it in an audiophile setup with components and at least one amp you will love it's built in crossover and time delay features. Shit I sound like a fanboy.. whatever, I love my music and it's been good to me.

[obladida @ Jun 28th 2006 10:09PM]

They show the iPod playing 3 separate images on 3 separate screens. If it can turn the iPod into a video server, then sign me up for a new head unit, 2 auxilary screens and a new video iPod.

[mike @ Jun 29th 2006 1:15AM]

Hope it's an improvement over their first generation iPod connector. Navigating is so slow it's nearly unusabl.

[bhavesh @ Jun 29th 2006 1:33PM]

The current iPod cable is the KCE-422i, and it is much faster than the 420i. I did not like the 9855/420i combo very much at all, but just upgraded to the 9587/422i. I have my draft review/thoughts on it here:

http://www.veshman.com/wp/?p=149

Bhavesh