xsfo

I understand that if you have the Rear Seat Entertainment System (RSES), you can listen and watch (if you have Nav) the DVD player if you're in Park with the Parking Brake engaged.

Does this mean if you don't have the RSES, there is a hidden and available audio input into the ML stereo (and the Nav screen for that matter? Has anyone looked into the factory manuals for this sort of information?

Jedi

Can someone verify if even the 1st part is true?

lexuslover

yes, the first part of xfo's post is true. it works.

xsfo

Has anybody learned anything about the possibility of having an available AUX in if you do not have the Rear Seat Entertainment System (RSES)?

jlevin

BTW, You don't actually have to be in Park to view the DVD on the front NAV display, just stopped. If you are stopped at a light, you can depress the Parking Brake slightly , just enough so the Brake light indicator illuminates but not enough to engage the first click, the front Nav display will change to the RSES display.

CLK

For those of you that have the RSES, was it from the factory or did the Lexus dealership put it in for you? If the dealer did put it in, can you still watch the DVD on the nav screen when the vehicle is parked and has the emergency brake on?

- Thank you so much for your reply.
Kevin

mrb627

I just came in from the garage. I attempted to hook up a vcr via the jacks behind the right rear passanger seat in my RX330. I was able to power up the vcr and get video to the RSES screen. But I could not get video to the NAV screen nor could I get sound through the ML system. I inserted a DVD into the RSES and got that to play on NAV and through the ML system, but could not get it to switch video and audio to the jacks back in the back. I guess the RSES is just not smart enough to pass these signals through to the main unit. This is a let down as I was planning on installing an XM Commander in the back in which to utilize the power and audio jacks. It sure would be nice if this would just work. I hate to have to splice into anything to gain XM reception, but it seems Lexus leaves no choice. FM Modulation doesn't seem viable as there is some kind of signal on every channel that they offer. I hate the thought of having anything clumsy looking in the console between the front seats like the Roady. This is a 42K vehicle afterall and I don't want to junk it up.

Has anyone had any luck with this at all?

MRB

childers

I have an RX330 with the ML Stereo and Nav but I don't have the RSES (Rear Seat Entertainment System).
I am having a third party DVD player installed Friday which has an output for an additional LCD monitor (Line level video and audio).

Is it possible to connect this output to an input on the factory MS Stereo and the Nav screen so I can have the same functionality as the factory RSES; that is watch DVD while stopped with emergency brake engaged?

rxdriver

I've never opened the dash, so I can't say for sure what connectors are in there.

However, looking at the Service Manual, I have a feeling that if you were to open things up, you'd find something you didn't expect.

The RX330 is equipped with three separate data networks for communication between the various ECU's on the body. Critical sensors (like acceleration) are on a network that uses a protocol called "CAN". It's an ISO standard automotive bus-style network running at 500 kbps over unshielded twisted-pair wire.

The vast majority of the body electronics are on another network called "BEAN". BEAN is a Toyota system that runs at about 10 kbps using a single wire. BEAN is arranged in a ring-style topology that is fault-tolerant. (If the ring breaks, the components will re-route the data across good paths.)

Finally, the audio and video components - radio, amp, nav screen, nav ECU, camera ECU, RSES main unit, and RSES ECU - are all on another network called AVC-LAN. AVC-LAN is also Toyota proprietary, and it uses shielded twisted-pair cable to transmit information digitally between the components at 17.8 kbps. The AVC-LAN is a star topology, with the center of the star being the nav screen in the dash (if equipped). Without the nav system, the radio head must become the center of the star.

A "gateway ECU" is used when it is necessary to join two of those networks together to share information.

Based on that info, I wouldn't expect to find "normal" A/V wiring or connectors inside the headliner or the dash.

childers

Would AVC-LAN be used to carry the actual video signal or just to switch sources? I would'nt expect actual video data to be transmitted over this network but I could be wrong.

Unless the DVD unit installed at the factory talks AVC-LAN the signal it puts out is probably line level video. Where is this signal injected into the rest of the system?

rxdriver

Based on what I've got, I can't tell whether the audio and video would be carried on the AVC-LAN or not. If I can come up with more info, I'll post it.

JFlo

If I recall correctly .... there is a part for the RX300 that will allow you to watch a DVD on your NAV screen even if you are driving. It is sold at most custom stereo shops ... at least they used to be here in Columbus, OH. I remember this because I was selling cars for Lexus when it came out, and we were told to deny any knowledge of this when we were working. This was for legal purposes, or something like that. Anyways, give your local stereo shop a call, they may know the part I am talking about.

rx330blk

For those of you with the RSES how do you get the radio, what button do you press, to have the sound of the DVD come through the main speakers? I assume that when you put a DVD in it changes the source to AUX, however, I was wondering how you would again get to AUX if you had switched to something like the radio? I ask this because, I posted some information on an iPod kit that might allow us to connect our iPods directly in the radio, however, I’m not sure how you would access the iPod.

Thanks for your help

mrb627

To the best of my knowledge, you can only play DVD's and CD's from the RSES through the Main Speakers. All other feeds for audio through the RSES are supplied to the wireless headsets only. I would have to verify this, but this is how I would expect it to behave.

MRB