Yes, I can, but give me a little more time to find the warts/quirks/"rough spots", I've had the unit installed for <24 hours.
GROM VLine - Google apps/Android&iPhone integration
- Thread starter therealdutch
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Yes, I can, but give me a little more time to find the warts/quirks/"rough spots", I've had the unit installed for <24 hours.
TL;DR: The VL2 is a faster version of the VL1, with the same shortcomings (other than speed),
The full story:
My test environment:
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I noticed someone is trying to put together a "group buy", of the VL2, over on ClubLexus:
Group Buy: Next GROM Gen VLine VL2 for Apps and Maps - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion
2006 Lexus LX470
Internet access: ZTE Mobley (AT&T OBD2 hotspot)
Grom VLine: LEX4VL2
Google Apps installed/Activated
Primary apps used: Waze, Spotify, A2DP (bluetooth) & CarPlay
Background:Internet access: ZTE Mobley (AT&T OBD2 hotspot)
Grom VLine: LEX4VL2
Google Apps installed/Activated
Primary apps used: Waze, Spotify, A2DP (bluetooth) & CarPlay
As far as smart phones go, I’ve typically been an Apple phone user. I did purchase one of the original Motorola Droids when it first came out, and I tried Android again with the HTC One M8.
I’ve owned a number of Android tablets.
I’ve got a handful of the cheap Chinese Android set top boxes. I loaded various ROMS/Android systems on these boxes, each of which seemed to have their own issues, I finally gave up and loaded a variant of Linux on them, and they have been stable ever since.
Installed a VLine VL1 in my car ~12/2016
Fiddled around with the Joying double DIN head units, and installed one in my kid’s TLC ~5/2018. We’ve got (1) Intel Atom (quad core) based Joying unit running Android 6, and (2) different PX-5 (octa core) based Joying units running Android 8. (Before someone points out that we should have spent the extra money and bought a “real” head unit from one of the major Japanese manufactures, it replaced a 3 year old (~$1000) Kenwood, and we couldn’t be happier.)
I wouldn't consider myself an Apple fanboy. While I like the flexibility and ability to tune/tweak/customize Android devices, as a whole I've found Android to be less stable/reliable than the IOS environment. I've learned to expect/accept a certain level of instability in Android devices.
VLine VL1:I’ve owned a number of Android tablets.
I’ve got a handful of the cheap Chinese Android set top boxes. I loaded various ROMS/Android systems on these boxes, each of which seemed to have their own issues, I finally gave up and loaded a variant of Linux on them, and they have been stable ever since.
Installed a VLine VL1 in my car ~12/2016
Fiddled around with the Joying double DIN head units, and installed one in my kid’s TLC ~5/2018. We’ve got (1) Intel Atom (quad core) based Joying unit running Android 6, and (2) different PX-5 (octa core) based Joying units running Android 8. (Before someone points out that we should have spent the extra money and bought a “real” head unit from one of the major Japanese manufactures, it replaced a 3 year old (~$1000) Kenwood, and we couldn’t be happier.)
I wouldn't consider myself an Apple fanboy. While I like the flexibility and ability to tune/tweak/customize Android devices, as a whole I've found Android to be less stable/reliable than the IOS environment. I've learned to expect/accept a certain level of instability in Android devices.
I pre-purchased the Grom VLine (VL1), as a Christmas present to myself (Christmas 2016), to replace the VAIS SL3B that I had been using to stream music (over Bluetooth). The VAIS did everything that is was supposed to do, but I was curious about the added functionality of an Android based system on the OEM screen. As an example, running Waze on the nav screen is a whole different experience than running Waze on your phone and streaming the audio over Bluetooth.
The original release of the VL1 was full of bugs and nearly unusable. I carefully documented and reported each bug that I found, and slowly Grom started releasing patches to fix the issues, one by one.
Examples:
Short comings of the VL1 after the majority of bugs being addressed:
Joying (5/2018):The original release of the VL1 was full of bugs and nearly unusable. I carefully documented and reported each bug that I found, and slowly Grom started releasing patches to fix the issues, one by one.
Examples:
Dec 25 2016 - unit works fine in the driveway, as soon as you start driving it goes into an endless boot loop.
Jan 11 2017 - discovered a boot loop work around
Feb 25 2017 - Boot loop issue finally resolved in software
Sept 23 2017 - reverse camera finally works w/o having to press additional buttons
Initially I used the VLine (VL1) the same way I used the VAIS SL3B, streaming music from my phone. I gradually eased into using CarPlay with the apps actually running on the phone, probably because this was the most full featured mode, that was somewhat stable. As Grom took care of their issues, my usage evolved into primarily running Waze and Spotify (standalone app, not the Grom plugin), occasionally running Torque to read OBD2 information, and playing with Gaia offroad.Jan 11 2017 - discovered a boot loop work around
Feb 25 2017 - Boot loop issue finally resolved in software
Sept 23 2017 - reverse camera finally works w/o having to press additional buttons
Short comings of the VL1 after the majority of bugs being addressed:
The screen resolution is limited by the OEM screen.
On light colored screens you can see “noise” on the screen.
The unit is slow to boot (although the reverse camera does work before it fully boots).
Apps are slow to load and get started.
The unit can be slow responding to button presses (sometimes making you wonder if it actually registered the press).
Some apps from the app store can’t deal with the “low” screen resolution.
Some apps seem to view the VLine as a “rooted” device and won’t run (Netflix DRM).
Every great once in a while you may get an app crash, reboot, or failure to boot, but they are relatively rare.
Inability to listen to an OEM sound source and use VLine navigation (Waze)
On light colored screens you can see “noise” on the screen.
The unit is slow to boot (although the reverse camera does work before it fully boots).
Apps are slow to load and get started.
The unit can be slow responding to button presses (sometimes making you wonder if it actually registered the press).
Some apps from the app store can’t deal with the “low” screen resolution.
Some apps seem to view the VLine as a “rooted” device and won’t run (Netflix DRM).
Every great once in a while you may get an app crash, reboot, or failure to boot, but they are relatively rare.
Inability to listen to an OEM sound source and use VLine navigation (Waze)
While the Kenwood in my son’s 2000 TLC had a Garmin based navigation system, the user interface (both nav and stereo interface) was awful, in addition it was a pre-CarPlay/AndroidAuto unit and the phone interface was dated. Our experience with the functionality of the VLine steered us toward one of the double DIN Android units, although our expectations for reliability were pretty low after our Android set top boxes and VLine VL1 experience. Stability/reliability of the Joying unit was a pleasant surprise, there were a few minor issues, but support was responsive and quickly sent fixes. The biggest problem with the Joying unit(s) was it really illustrated out how slow the VLine (VL1) was, and how bad the OEM screen is.
VLine VL2 (7/2018):
I purchased the VL2 hoping the updated CPU and increased RAM would make the VLine’s speed/responsiveness more like my son’s Joying head unit. I was also crossing my fingers and hoping that Grom had learned a few lessons from the VL1, and the software for the VL2 was going to be somewhat “bug free” on release. The VL2 is much faster than the VL1. As an example, Spotify autostarts on my VLine(s), on the VL1, the music didn’t start playing until I had backed the car out of the driveway and travelled about 2 blocks, on the VL2 the music is playing before I reach the end of the driveway. Waze still takes a little time to start up and figure out where it is before you can enter a destination, but the VL2 is still much quicker than the VL1. The button response on the VL2 is amazingly quick compared to the VL1. Basically the VL2 is close enough to the Joying speed that you’d have to have them side-by-side to tell the difference. On initial install I was having an issue with the VLine (VL2) not being recognized on every start. I did figure out that if you paused for a few seconds at ACC, before start, the issue seemed to go away. Fortunately an OTA update to the latest software/firmware seemed to fix this issue. The only “new” issue that I have been able to find so far, is that there is an issue with Bluetooth streaming (which affects A2DP and CarPlay), the audio is “choppy” or stutters a bit. Grom says that they are aware of the issue and working on a resolution.
Short comings of the VL2:
I am still of the opinion that the Grom VLine is less stable than an OEM or (typical Japanese) aftermarket head unit, and probably not for everybody, but once you become accustomed to the added features, it would be hard to do without. The VL2 hardware is what the VL1 hardware should've been, and the VL2 software appears to be more what I'd expect from a "pre-order", than what shipped on the VL1 ~11/2016. My only concern now, is the Android 7 upgrade that has been promised for the VL2. I'd much rather have a stable Android 5.1 VL2 than to have to go through the whole (early) VL1 experience again.Short comings of the VL2:
The screen resolution is limited by the OEM screen.
On light colored screens you can see “noise” on the screen.
Some apps from the app store can’t deal with the “low” screen resolution.
Some apps seem to view the VLine as a “rooted” device and won’t run (Netflix DRM).
I assume that you still have, the occasional app crash, reboot, or failure to boot, I haven't seen it yet.
Inability to listen to an OEM sound source and use VLine navigation (Waze)
Bluetooth streaming currently has an issue. (fixed as of 7/26)
On light colored screens you can see “noise” on the screen.
Some apps from the app store can’t deal with the “low” screen resolution.
Some apps seem to view the VLine as a “rooted” device and won’t run (Netflix DRM).
I assume that you still have, the occasional app crash, reboot, or failure to boot, I haven't seen it yet.
Inability to listen to an OEM sound source and use VLine navigation (Waze)
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I noticed someone is trying to put together a "group buy", of the VL2, over on ClubLexus:
Group Buy: Next GROM Gen VLine VL2 for Apps and Maps - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion
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A simple comparison, to illustrate what i mean by "faster":
Cold boot = power on, without using one of the "sleep" or "standby" modes, until launcher is up and ready to run apps
Spotify start = app comes up, displays cover art, and ready to play music
Waze start = Map is up, location is displayed, Spotify button is displayed, able to input a destination
Grom VLine VL1 (LEX4VL1) Google Apps enabled:
[Android 5.1, Quad Core Cortex-A7 MCU 1.35GHz 1GB RAM, 16GB Flash]
[Android 5.1, Quad Core Cortex-A17 MCU 1.8GHz 3GB RAM, 16GB Flash]
[Android 8.0, Octa Core px5 Cortex-A53 MCU 1.5GHz, 4GB RAM, 32GB Flash]
[Android 5.1, Quad Core Cortex-A7 MCU 1.35GHz 1GB RAM, 16GB Flash]
Cold boot ~35 sec
Spotify start ~33 sec
Waze start ~73 sec
Grom VLine VL2 (LEX4VL2) Google Apps enabled:Spotify start ~33 sec
Waze start ~73 sec
[Android 5.1, Quad Core Cortex-A17 MCU 1.8GHz 3GB RAM, 16GB Flash]
Cold boot ~20 sec
Spotify start ~3 sec
Waze start ~4 sec
Joying JY-UO135P4:Spotify start ~3 sec
Waze start ~4 sec
[Android 8.0, Octa Core px5 Cortex-A53 MCU 1.5GHz, 4GB RAM, 32GB Flash]
Cold boot ~30 sec
Spotify start ~4 sec
Waze start ~8 sec
Spotify start ~4 sec
Waze start ~8 sec
Cold boot = power on, without using one of the "sleep" or "standby" modes, until launcher is up and ready to run apps
Spotify start = app comes up, displays cover art, and ready to play music
Waze start = Map is up, location is displayed, Spotify button is displayed, able to input a destination
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My V1 has been acting up lately- endless boot up where I have to shut the ignition off and restart.
About a year ago I had an issue with my Nav screen going black and all climate and screen control buttons rendering inoperative. This had never happened prior to installing the Vline. It seemed resolved it self after I unplugged vline and plugged back in.
Fast forward to yesterday, the nav screen went black again intermittently as Vline tried to boot up- the climate screen and related buttons inoperative. The screen blinked on and off a couple of times and then came on and everything sermed to work fine.
I cant confirm it but I think the Vline has a bug that is intermittently affecting Nav ecu. Cant confirm it but cant rule it out either.
Has anyone else experienced this?
About a year ago I had an issue with my Nav screen going black and all climate and screen control buttons rendering inoperative. This had never happened prior to installing the Vline. It seemed resolved it self after I unplugged vline and plugged back in.
Fast forward to yesterday, the nav screen went black again intermittently as Vline tried to boot up- the climate screen and related buttons inoperative. The screen blinked on and off a couple of times and then came on and everything sermed to work fine.
I cant confirm it but I think the Vline has a bug that is intermittently affecting Nav ecu. Cant confirm it but cant rule it out either.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Chasing a battery drain issue I did a little current testing today to confirm my Vline is pulling 0.50 Amps with key out of the ignition, doors closed. This is after 30 minutes. Wondering if it never goes to sleep? With the Vline box disconnected my current draw goes to .045Amps or 45mA.
Anyone having battery drain issues with their Vline1?
Anyone having battery drain issues with their Vline1?
I received an email from Grom, a week or so ago, saying that the 8.1 update for existing VL2 units would be posted sometime in February. I’m in no rush to update, because my VL2 has been pretty stable on the current code.
I don’t remember the timers, but yes the VLine units are supposed to go into “sleep mode” for short stops, and “shutdown” after a longer stop. I haven’t had any issue with the VL1 or VL2 draining my battery.
So for a 06/07 470 what’s the best option at the moment for modernizing the head unit? One of the replacement screens or the grom v2? How hard is installation for the grom, and does it come with a rear view camera?
I'm partial to the VL2, but I don't own one of the 10" replacement screens.
Install is about the same as any of the other "stereo add on boxes":
Pull the center stack out.
Remove 1 connector
Plug in "Y" cable
Route "Y" cable to glovebox
Put center stack back into place.
Run GPS/microphone cables to glovebox
Plug cables into Vline2
Close glovebox
No, It does not include a camera, but it works just fine with the factory camera
I received the same email, but I didn't see any mention of a VL1 upgrade.
I'm a little irritated that I have to buy the SDcard upgrade, but I did order the update.
On my AT&T “Family Plan” the ZTE Mobley is just another extension (with its own number) that uses the same pool of minutes. If I remember correctly it is/was an additional $5 a month.
I don’t think I’d call it “faster”, but it does seem more reliable at connecting (without any fiddling), doesn’t require charging, i’m not likely to forget it, and doesn’t matter who’s in the car (and who’s not)
I did the 8.1 upgrade over the weekend. I should've known better. I'd suggest waiting a bit before upgrading to 8.1. Button presses are registering slower than before. Car Play is broken. Button presses don't line up with icons. Waze locking up.
They do, it’s called Grom Vlite
I’m researching it now because I just want something to mirror my phone.
