Jealous of the big infotainment screens in the dash of high-end cars and ready to upgrade from that AM/FM/cassette deck in your current ride?
Then Pyle, better known perhaps for their PA speaker systems, may have the car stereo for you.
The new PLD10BT features a 10.1-inch 1024×600 touch screen with 400 nits of illumination that sits above the in-dash head unit. The deck portion is ready to play DVDs (or just about any other kind of round shiny disc format) or stream music from your Bluetooth-enabled device.
If you’re still rocking that original Diamond Rio 32mb MP3 player, there’s also a 1/8-inch front-panel input jack. A USB port is also ready to charge your phone or power the latest chotchke you found under the seat. An SD card reader behind the faceplate allows you to play music Star Trek style.
Plug an i-device into the USB port and your passengers can play DJ using the touchscreen. Keep those eyes on the road. Backseat drivers can use the included remote to cut short your favorite song and otherwise mess with the system. A built-in mic on the head unit lets you take and make legal hands-free calls.
The big screen detaches from the head unit itself for safe-keeping (case included) and once separated from the body proper it does not function as a tablet, but what did you expect for less than $300?
The screen does not retract into the body of the head unit (it’s way too big) so be sure to figure in access to controls and cubby holes behind the screen before pulling the trigger on the install. Once the screen is removed, a large backing plate remains so you will still have restricted access to areas covered when the screen is in place.
The system will remember what angle you set the screen tilt to for maximum clarity and you can also plug in an optional backup camera for better rearward visibility, just like in a Tesla S.
A Pyle rep said the output numbers for the amplifier section of the PLD10BT is rated at 80 watts each to four channels and you can plug into two sets of outputs on the back of it in terms of amplifier connectivity.
If a big screen in your dash is a must-have, then roll on over to Pyle’s website with $284.99 (MSRP) to get more info and place your order. The PLD10BT is available now.
