Aftermarket Computer Gear in my XR8

**Kingsley** · 03-05-2018, 07:04 PM

I recently bought a BA XR8. It has a aftermarket sound system that looks like this with these under the seats:

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There was no manuals for it and the dealer had no idea how it works. The HITV distributor in Sydney wasn't any help either...
Does these look familiar to anyone? Anyone used them or know anything about them? Does anyone have a manual for this or know how it works or who I can take it to in NSW so I understand how to get the best out of it?

creative · 03-05-2018, 07:51 PM

looks like a media center/oem integration setup.... The hitv pure is their digital tv setup. Does it have headrest screens etc etc?

Im only in the central coast if your this way, installs were a bit of a hobby of mine so Im sure we could work it out.

**Kingsley** · 03-05-2018, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creative

looks like a media center/oem integration setup.... The hitv pure is their digital tv setup. Does it have headrest screens etc etc?

Im only in the central coast if your this way, installs were a bit of a hobby of mine so Im sure we could work it out.

Thanks.
Yes it does have headrest screens. Apparently it should be able to play files from a USB as well.
A trip to the coast to work it out would be appreciated. It'll be in a week or two.

creative · 04-05-2018, 02:39 PM

also looks like an incar pc (bottom image)

Does everything work or are you having issues?

**Kingsley** · 06-05-2018, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creative

also looks like an incar pc (bottom image)

Does everything work or are you having issues?

The reverse camera doesn't work but then again I know nothing of the system. The TV screen works but no signal.
The incar pc beeps every couple of minutes when plugged in so its unplugged until I work out how to use it all and what does what!!
There's two toggle switches under the ICC. One converts the screen between factory and aftermarket, and the other......no idea!!

creative · 06-05-2018, 05:28 PM

So a few things then. lol

Sounds like more than a quick fix though. Could be a full day tracing everything out. Still happy to give you a hand one weekend though fella. Just let me know.

**Kingsley** · 07-05-2018, 06:59 PM

I've discovered the computer is a Porares Car Computer (model unknown).

The Porares brand operated out of CDRom Supermarket (owned by Auschina Polaris) at 365 Boundry Rd Mordialloc in Victoria. Checked on Google Maps and the building looks abandoned. Checked the ASIC site and it appears Porares is still listed as a active business but due for renewal in a couple of months. Their website links dont work so I'm guessing no chance of identifying the unit through them. I'd say they no longer exist...

The second toggle switch has speaker wires coming from it so I'm guessing something to do with amp in the boot.

I also found an antenna mount behind the revision mirror. It's missing the little antennas. The also looks like there was something similar on the back window.

creative · 07-05-2018, 10:11 PM

the pc side of things will be easy to work out... just need to open it up. If its suitable that can be updated etc etc. Its just a pc in a small form factor... maybe even chuck linux on it and skin it as a media player.

wayback machine Has a cached page from 2012 and the links are still accessable so we could work out what you have and the images match your unit so I assume its from this era.

antenna mounts will be for the DTV i would assume.

amp will be used by everything assuming its been wired into the car the way I think it will have been. so again, easy to work out.

**Kingsley** · 09-05-2018, 02:05 PM

I have found the unit is a HiTV Pure II. The problem is there is no remote for ICC. HiTV in Sydney doesn't have any remotes and does not know anything about coding a universal remote so it works. Codes for HiTV aren't online. I can't find where these things are made so I can contact the manufacturer direct.
Does anyone have a spare remote for one of these or know a way of coding a universal remote without codes?

creative · 09-05-2018, 07:05 PM

ouch! matches the brochure here

Pure II pdf manual

**Kingsley** · 10-05-2018, 07:43 AM

I contacted him Tuesday and he reckons the remote he has for sale is for a Pure IV. I tried to find out if it's still compatible with Pure II and he (and HiTV) reckon they're totally different............ HiTV wont tell me who manufacturers the units or what the remote code is so I can get a universal remote.
Since my wife would rather watch movies off USB or SD card, my options will be either get a Pure IV and change it over or find something that will work with the existing headrest screens and ICC using as much as the existing wiring and not having to pull the ICC back out.

creative · 10-05-2018, 12:02 PM

Icc is easy to remove and put back in.

Headrests could be done fairly easily with a rca splitter as you would use the incar pc for that and just split the signal.. The issue would be talking to the stock icc screen I suspect.

Edit: actually, reading the manual for the pure two I suspect there may be an extra box in there somewhere to connect to the icc as the pure looks like a simple tuner with rca out. If thats the case then you could run the incar pc to this " possible extra box" and bypass the tuner completely. You may have to pull the icc to find it though. There are lots of cubby holes behind the dash to put stuff.

This is starting to sound a bit easier to work out.

**Kingsley** · 10-05-2018, 02:47 PM

There is this smaller box forward of the Pure II under the seat.....

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The PC is out and apparently has a suss motherboard and the hard drive isn't working. We were going those replaced and see if it works. I was going to take the hard drive and try and get it fixed or the programme transferred onto a new hard drive to see what was on it. It'd be better if we could use the PC for both video and tuning. If it's compatible to the ICC.

creative · 10-05-2018, 09:01 PM

you wont be tuning on it.... The icc has nothing to do with that.

That box certainly does look like it could be the one I am talking about.

Looks like your getting into it!

**Kingsley** · 11-05-2018, 07:14 PM

The plan was/is to get the computer up and running and updating it from Windows 97... Then use a programme on the in-car computer to watch movies through the ICC.
Salvage what we have from the orignal hard drive and store it. Tune it by either laptop or some other means.
The computer still has the Windows 97 key is still stuck under the base of it!!
The fun part will be figuring out the wiring!!

**Kingsley** · 21-07-2018, 04:00 PM

My youngest son got the ICC working with Raspberry Pi so wifey can watch her downloaded shows while we travel.
We removed the HiTV unit from under the drivers seat and computer from under passenger.
Heres the excess wiring removed from under the dash and seats.

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There were a number of different phone set ups in the car too. All removed.

flightstrike · 21-07-2018, 11:26 PM

You’ll save a lot of fuel having removed all that weight!