harmon kardon 810 review
by migs
I just picked up a Harmon Kardon GPS-810 Guide + Play. I’ve been wanting a GPS for quite some time now. I was even at Circuit City a few months ago in line, ready to pay for a 1500 nav+install on my mazda speed3. I backed out last minute. Left the papers on the counter and walked out. 9/10 times I would have jumped the gun and splurged.
Anyway, since then, I’ve come across a few friends who have portable GPS devices and from what I’ve gathered, owning one will really benefit me.
For starters, I’m horrible at maps. If I had to find my way out of a town and all I had was a map, I’d be shit out of luck. I’m also very indecisive on the go when it comes to that dreaded question, “Where do you want to eat?” With a GPS, it lists nearby restaurants based off types of food. This is awesome!
Aside from food places, you can also find ATMs, entertainment, shopping, culture, sports recreation, lodging, landmarks and more. How sic is that? This is perfect for traveling. You can even type in names of places and it will find it.
One of the coolest things about this gadget is that it comes with a wireless remote that you can attach wherever you see fit. I have a pretty sweet set up that looks like it’s actually integrated in my car. I’ll take pics soon.
As a GPS, this device is outstanding. What also drew me towards this was it’s ability to play music and video through a SD card. I just connect through my aux port in my car and that’s that. Of course it’s illegal to play video while driving, but my passengers can watch a movie (just be sure you know where you’re going because the navigation stops the moment you have your video playing). A note about converting video files. It took me awhile (and a few headaches) to figure out the best way to put video on the 810. The best way to do this is to convert your DVD or files to PSP ready settings and the video and audio will sync up and play great.
For video (when converting from a DVD), I use Instant Handbreak for mac and for converting clips or files you might already have on your computer, I use FFmpegX, also for mac. These are the best PSP to mac converters that are free and work well with the Harman Kardon 810.
Price: $400 (Frys – 30 day price match)