Evening Rye,
I for one am a massive fan of the RNS-E PU (Mk2) but it certainly won’t assist your viewing needs in it’s native form and can cost well into treble figures to add a quality external multimedia module for the playing of DVDs whilst you await the surf.
Right now there is no solution to simply pop a DVD into its disc drive for viewing. It may come one day but certainly not an option right now but the Video In Motion (VIM) lock has already been resolved to assist should it ever become a useable feature.
Of note, there is a concern of safety for the driver and other road users whilst having any form of media in any vehicle that requires concentration of the eye as it has clear potential to distract you from what your supposed to be doing whilst the vehicle is in motion, it really isn’t worth thinking about the possibly outcomes of a driver becoming unaware of the ever changing road conditions and hazards around them. This reason alone will probably stop experts from opening this feature as there could well be legal complications involved.
All that said, for the very best integrated look, feel and function then the RNS-E PU with the custom firmware Steve
@steve_c links above will always be the answer for most but it’ll never be an Android unit with touchscreen or Apple CarPlay etcetera. Whilst I really like the RNS-E PU with its LED screen, it’ll never beat the screen resolution of a smart tablet or even the latest large screen smart phones.
Would it not be a possibility that you could leave the film viewing to a smart device once you’re static waiting for the surf. It may have a better/bigger screen and would certainly be less demanding on your vehicle battery to keep your smart device’s battery topped up from the 12v outlet under the handbrake lever than having the whole infotainment system running for up to 2 hours and possibly running the vehicle during viewing thus wasting fuel. Just my take on it though.
Should you consider the factory approach then occasionally I link available reasonably priced RNS-PUs on
this thread, so keep watching it as I only link to units that are well under £300, mostly in the region of £200.
The installation of these antiquated but awesome units really is very simple, you’ll find a plethora of information available on how to install them spread across the internet. Adding any peripherals tk the RNS-E like the A3 Bluetooth Module is also a very simple process and provides the very best handsfree experience. Again plenty of information freely available for the installation. Additionally there is the A3 Audi Music Interface (AMI) which you could connect to the A2s audio system to use your smart devices screen whilst having enhanced sound from the 8/9 speaker system but this of course requires the infotainment system to be running that could damage the vehicle battery over time should you only do short journeys.
If you’re unafraid of reading and understanding the pinouts of head units verses wiring diagrams then you’ll be fine having a go yourself. There are a few harness adapters available for this very installation online, one of which is VAG Retrofits who will offer a 10% discount just for mentioning that you’re a member of this fine Club. Of course other adapters are available across the usual auction platforms as well as Amazon, some of course better than others, you get what you pay for.
I believe Tom
@timmus produces his own harness adapters which will be top quality and has already mentioned that he can complete the installation for you.
Happy to answer any further questions you may have regards features but do have a look at the custom firmware link in the earlier post to get an understanding of what’s possible.
Kind regards,
Tom