Integrating Aftermarket Video with
Factory Audio on an '03 Hummer H2

Perhaps you are already satisfied with your factory audio system but want to add aftermarket video products - a DVD changer, PlayStation 2, and monitors. You might think the creation of such a hybrid system would be impossible. Actually, it is very possible and very functional.

Witness what was done on Eric Brooks' '03 Hummer H2. Brooks owns LA Car Connection in Woodland Hills, California, a new car buying and leasing company. Customers contact the firm to find a vehicle. The firm buys or leases all makes and models of vehicles. Often the customer may ask that certain accessories be added, to the vehicle before it is delivered. L.A. Car Connection finds the vehicle and arranges for the accessories to be added and then delivers the car to the customer' s home. The Hummer featured on these pages serves as an example of an exotic vehicle that LA Connection can find, and the audio/video system serves as an example of the high-end accessories which can be added before delivery.

In this case, most of the factory audio system was kept intact. In fact, Brooks wanted to keep things as factory-looking as possible. The factory speakers, which remain in their mounts, consist of a 5-inch subwoofer in an enclosure under the center console, a 5-1/4-inch coaxial speaker in each of the front doors, 3-1/2-inch speaker in the dash, a full-range 5-1/4-inch speaker in each of the rear doors, and a 3-1/2-inch speaker in the left and right pillar in the rear of the vehicle. In addition, since this Hummer has OnStar, the factory radio had to be kept as well, since the OnStar system works through the factory radio. The Hummer also has buttons on the steering wheel which control the factory radio.

At the time of the installation, there were no adapters that would allow the steering wheel controls to command the aftermarket stereo added to the system. In addition, there are no adapters that would allow the integration of the OnStar feature with an aftermarket radio.

Isaac Goren, owner of Sounds Good Stereo in Woodland Hills, California, performed the upgrade. Sounds Good Stereo has been doing upgrades for LA Connection for about two years. According to Issac, LA. Connection has upgraded as many as 100 vehicles, some of those are even more elaborate than this one.

One of the first things that was done was the factory head unit was removed from its place in the dash, and its wires were extended so that it could be mounted behind a quarter-panel in the rear of the vehicle. A separate speaker was added to accommodate the OnStar, which ensured that any communication from the OnStar center was played through this speaker and not through the factory audio system. Isaac noted that a lot of time and energy was expended to gain access to
the factory radio and OnStar. The dash and center console had to be disassembled, which took as long as two to three hours.

SELECTING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS
Selecting the proper head unit was essential in making this hybrid installation work. The unit had to have the capability of working with the factory speakers in the doors and dash as well as integrating with the factory amplifier that powers the factory subwoofer in the center console. The radio needed to have its own built-in four-channel amplifier to work the doors and dash speakers, so it had to have high-level and low-level outputs. Moreover, the factory amplifier could be connected to the subwoofer output of the new radio. This permits Brooks to control the volume level of the subwoofer through the new radio.

unit that was used is the Alpine IVA-C801 in-dash AM/FM radio and CD player. The IVA-C801 has its own four channel MOSFET amplifier that delivers 45 watts per channel. It also features a 6.5-inch fully motorized monitor. Also, it includes subwoofer level control and bass center frequency adjustment, a spectrum analyzer display, two auxiliary audio/video inputs, an input for Alpine's navigation system, auxiliary audio/video output, four volt pre-out, and three pre-outs. It also comes with a wireless remote control. This unit was put in the factory opening in the dash. According to Issac, an installation kit was created to make certain that the unit fit right and looked stock.

An Alpine NVE-852A Power navigation system was included and was mounted under the back seat. The unit interfaces into the overall system through the IVA-C801. Brooks can listen to any audio source he wishes. When the navigation system gives him voice directions, it automatically mutes the audio until the directions are completed. It also shows directions via a map on the IVA-C801 monitor. A map and other data play on a DVD-ROM in the brain of the unit. Brooks can enter the address of where he wants to go, or he can find his destination from a databank of restaurants, sites of interest, hotels, golf courses, and so on. In addition, he can store addresses in th esystem. The device indicates on the monitor what distance you have left to travel to your destination, what distance you need to travel to the next turn, and what time you will arrive at your destination. It includes a 12-channel GPS receiver, speed sensor, and gyro sensor, and it comes with its own remote control.

An Alpine TMV-M760 6.5-inch monitor has been put into the back of each front seat headrest. Each station has also been given a wireless headphone that works via radio frequency so that the viewer can listen to the audio of what he is watching. When the headphones are removed from a viewer's head, they will shut off automatically, thus saving battery energy.

A PlayStation 2 is also mounted under the rear seat. A 110-volt converter is included so that the video game can be used in the vehicle. Not only will the PlayStation 2 play video games, it will also play DVDs. The game console is wired to both of the rear monitors, and to the front monitor as well. In addition, extension cables and a second controller were purchased from Sony. Plug-in ports have been mounted to the back of the center console, and the controller plug-in port on the PlayStation was extended using the cable to these external ports. The two controllers can be plugged into the ports on the center console to allow the rear passengers to play the games.

There's one more thing concerning the PlayStation 2 to note. Whenever power is taken from and then reintroduced to the PlayStation, you have to press a reset button on the video game console or open the console. Obviously, since the game console is under the rear seat, it is difficult to get to the unit to press the reset button. So the reset was extended out to a red button mounted on the back of the center console. Isaac explained that he had to go into the PlayStation 2 to gain access to its circuit board. A wire was soldered to the board and extended out to the red button on the back of the center console. Now players can simply press this red button to reset the game console.

An Alpine DHA-S680 six-disc DVD/CD changer is also mounted under the rear seat It is controlled from the IVA-C80I head unit. It is Dolby Digital and DTS compatible and includes an optical digital output, a video output, and a wireless remote control.

So there are two products that play DVDs in the system - the Sony PS2 and the Alpine DHA-S680. This means that a movie from a DVD playing on the PlayStation can be viewed by a passenger on one or both of the rear monitors, while another Movie playing on a DVD in the DHA-S680 can be shown on the front monitor. For all those readers who fear that this is an accident waiting to happen, Issac cautioned that the front monitor has been tied into the emergency brake. 'lhe car must be stopped and the emergency brake must be engaged before movies from either DVD player can be shown on the front monitor. All wires, video RCA cables, connections, and so on come from Scosche.

FULL, FUNCTIONAL, AND FLEXIBLE ENTERTAINMENT
So with the system complete, this is what it can do. An audio CD can be played on the factory speakers for all to hear. The driver and front seat passenger can enjoy an audio CD through the factory speakers, while the passengers in the rear seat can be watching a DVD and listening to its audio via wireless headphones. If the H2 is stopped and the emergency brake is on, the front seat passengers can be watching a DVD and listening to the audio through the factory speakers, while the back seat passengers watch another DVD and listen to its audio via headphones. Another scenario is while the front seat passengers watch a DVD and listen to the audio through the factory speakers, the back seat passengers can be playing a video game and listening to its audio via the headphones. Lastly, the back seat passengers can be watching a DVD and listening to the audio via the factory speakers.

That is one flexible entertainment svstem!