6.8″ Multimedia Receiver With Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, Bluetooth and 13-Band EQ
Trying to find a modern automotive multimedia platform that interfaces well with smart phone technology is a lot harder than it should be these days – unless of course you’re looking at the JVC KW-V840BT.
Obviously designed from the ground up to work with modern smart phones in a way that traditional automotive multimedia hardware doesn’t, everything about the JVC KW-V840BT revolves around your phone, your mobile life, and the integration of the two.
Slick looking, super easy to use, and (comparatively) inexpensive, the JVC KW-V840BT also happens to be relatively easy to install.
There are a couple of drawbacks to this Double DIN set up, though, and we highlight those in this JVC KW-V840BT review, too.
Let’s jump right in!
As we just mentioned a moment ago, the folks at JVC definitely “get” the value of the modern smart phone in our lives today.
Appreciating that it is essentially another appendage these days, the entire interface of the JVC KW-V840BT has been built from the ground up to make the most of your phone and all its capabilities.
On top of that, a lot of this technology has been shaped to make it easier to use your phone without ever having to take your eyes off of the road. The 6.8 inch touchscreen interface is large enough to navigate out of the corner of your eye while remaining responsive enough to answer to short taps and swipes.
The JVC KW-V840BT has full integration with both Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto, too.
And we’re not just talking about a halfway done port of those two mobile interfaces, either.
We are talking about full need of support for Apple and Android devices – but we dig a little bit deeper into that in just a moment.
You’ll be able to stream music from all of your favorite services (including Spotify and Pandora), listen to satellite radio as well as terrestrial HD radio, and can quickly navigate using the GPS technology built right into your smart phones.
The high resolution display can be used for watching TV shows and movies as well, though you’ll only be able to do that when your vehicle is parked (unless you’re willing to monkey around a little bit with some settings).
The last thing we want to mention really quickly here is that you’ll also get JVC integrations with Web Link.
This technology comes straight from the folks at JVC, is available as a 100% free mobile application download on Apple and Android devices, and further pairs your automotive hardware and your smart phone technology.
Install this on your phone and connected to your new car multimedia set up and you’ll get native, in-dash control over applications like Waze, YouTube, and more. The whole experience is really slick and really polished, showing you just how much attention to detail the folks at JVC poured into merging your phone and their automotive technology.
There are a couple of things that you get in the box when you purchase the JVC KW-V840BT hardware, including:
As you can see, you get absolutely everything you need to hit the ground running with your new JVC KW-V840BT right out-of-the-box.
The cool thing is that you’ll be able to further extend the capabilities of this car multimedia set up the with JVC and third-party components, too.
Want to add dedicated GPS navigation with your own separate GPS antenna?
Love the idea of adding a reverse camera?
Want to include a built-in, self-recording and uploading dashboard camera?
All of that (and then some) can be added to your JVC KW-V840BT with very little headache and very little hassle. There’s a lot of extensibility and a lot of adaptability with this set up.
It’s tough to find value like this anywhere else!
The tight integration of the JVC KW-V840BT and Android Auto or Apple CarPlay really helped to put this particular platform over the top, but that’s something that we are going to do a little bit deeper into in just a moment.
Another key feature, though, is the overall audio quality of this car multimedia hardware.
The overwhelming majority of people are going to want to invest in a quality receiver that offers fantastic sound, and that’s what you get with all JVC hardware.
Not only do you get HD terrestrial radio and integrated access to satellite radio as well, but you’re going to get a lot of audio quality focused features built into the JVC KW-V840BT, too.
We are talking about a 13 band graphic equalizer, digital time alignment capabilities, proprietary technology that pulls a lot of depth out of compressed digital music and audio signals, and so much more.
The onboard “Sound Left” technology also works to improve the overall soundstage of your existing stereo equipment. This helps you to squeeze better performance out of your car’s speakers without having to spend a mountain of money on upgrades.
Combine all of that with the ability to playback FLAC files from your smartphone device, the Bluetooth wireless connectivity options, the DVD player that works fantastic right out-of-the-box, and the overall extensibility of this platform and investing in this hardware for your car is a no-brainer.
Like we mentioned a moment ago, the integrations of the JVC KW-V840BT with both Apple and Android automotive software systems are off the charts.
The second that you connect your mobile device to your JVC KW-V840BT – either over Bluetooth wirelessly or using the included 39 inch long USB cable – your device specific car software will load up instantly.
If you have an Apple device (an iPhone or an iPad) that means that Apple Carplay comes to life right on your JVC KW-V840BT screen without you having to do anything else.
If you have an Android device the same thing happens with Android Auto, with absolutely zero delay whatsoever.
Both of these software platforms feel like they were natively designed with the JVC KW-V840BT hardware in mind.
Navigation is quick and snappy, the touchscreen is super responsive, and there’s absolutely zero learning curve whatsoever – thanks to the fact that the auto management software on the screen runs the same operating system that the phone in your pocket does.
That’s tough to beat!
You’ll be able to control your mobile device or use your phone to control the JVC KW-V840BT, including with voice activated or voice command solutions.
That’s a huge bonus for those that want to keep their eyes on the road while at the same time checking in on their emails, text messages, making phone calls, or browsing a little bit of social media.
All in all, the total experience with both the Apple and Android car software solutions is really smooth and really polished.
If it’s important for you to be able to make the most of your smart phone while in the car, there may not be a better interface than the JVC KW-V840BT.
Smartly designed, smartly engineered, and one of the most impressive modern automobile entertainment platforms on the market today, JVC has another homerun on their hands with this hardware.
Like everything else that JVC makes this is a very well-made piece of entertainment equipment.
Everything feels rock solid, the touchscreen is crisp and responsive, and the overall experience is premium across the board.
It’s also nice to know that you get the JVC legendary reputation for quality when you pull the trigger on this purchase.
Combine that with a great two-year warranty straight from the folks at JVC on this unit and it starts to become a bit of a no-brainer.
Yes, there are a couple of downsides to this particular unit – including the fact that the radio gets a little bit frustrating to use every now and again, especially if you like to channel surf.
Aside from a couple of minor issues, though (hiccups really) it doesn’t take much to come away from the JVC KW-V840BT really impressed with all it has to offer.
If you’re in the market for a new multimedia receiver for your vehicle you really can’t go wrong with this particular unit. You’re going to love the JVC KW-V840BT!
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