Sony NV-U94T, NV-U74T and NV-U84 Portable GPS Navigator Review

Sony’s NV-U94T is the premium model of the three GPS portable automotive navigators reviewed with unique features such as a audio/video player and stereo Bluetooth technology. Both the NV-U94T and NV-U84 have large 4.8 inch touchscreen displays while the NV-74T has a smaller 4.3 inch touchscreen (the largest screen size in some other GPS brands). The screen is easier to read in bright lighting conditions due to an anti-glare coating. All models come with a Sony’s Gesture Command capability which provides quick shortcuts by tracing shapes on the touchscreen display. Spoken navigation directions benefit from the text-to-speech capability.

Sony NV-U94T

Gesture Command

Commonly GPS navigators are able to interpret some finger gestures on the screen. Commonly, dragging a finger across the touch screen will move a map in that direction. Sony have taken it further with Gesture Command making a number functionalities for navigation and photo viewing available through the tracing some simple shapes on the touchscreen with your finger. As an example, tracing an inverted “V” on the screen commands the GPS to take you home. Map scale can be changed with a clockwise or anti-clockwise finger motion.

Dual View - 3D Junction Guide

All models will operate in what Sony term a Dual View mode which is a vertically split display. On one side is a 3-D map view while on the other side is either dynamic route information (distance to next destination, distance to final destination, next turn instruction etc.) or a 2-D magnification of an upcoming intersection or junction. The 2-D intersection magnification has a simple bar next to it indicating the distance to the next turn.

Text-to-Speech (NV-U94T, NV-U74T)

Text-to-speech capability announces street names as part of vocal navigation instructions providing extra safety by allowing the driver to confirm they are on track without taking their eyes off the road.

TMC (Traffic Message Channel)

Both the NV-U94T and NV-U74T have a TMC receiver for receiving traffic messages. For the NV-U94T the receiver is located in the cradle while for the NV-U73T it is in the unit itself. Traffic messages for your current route bring up an icon to press and display them. The estimated delay in minutes can be displayed. One can opt to display traffic messages on the current route or messages not on the current route. Purchasers receive 90 days free traffic service after which they need to pay a subscription to continue the service.

Bluetooth Hands-free Calling (NV-U94 and NV-U74)

Using Bluetooth hands-free technology lets drivers keep their eyes safely on the road. Incoming phone calls are displayed and a tap of the screen accepts the call. Interestingly, using a built-in microphone, drivers can use voice commands to initiate calls via compatible Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. Phone dialling is also linked to the POI database making it easy to do things like call ahead to a restaurant. Numbers from your personalized phone book can be transferred to your Sony GPS navigator.

Photo Viewer

All of the Sony GPS navigator models reviewed have a photo viewer for using the navigator’s display to share digital images with family or work colleagues. Photos can be loaded via the USB port from a USB storage drive. The photo viewer supports the JPEG format and plays will display still images individually, as part of a slideshow mode or as thumbnails.

Navigating with the Sony NV-U94T, NV-U74T and NV-U84

Through using route profile settings it is possible to set both Sony GPS models to avoid the use of ferries, toll roads, and other such conveyances when calculating your route.

There are three overriding guidelines which can be set for route calculations;

Standard: sets a recommended route
Avoid Toll Roads: Avoids the use of toll roads
Avoid Toll Roads (Shortest) sets a distance-optimized route without toll roads.

Up to ten waypoints (or interim destinations) can be set with the best route being calculated. It’s a useful feature for plotting a delivery run or touring a number of tourist sites. During a multi-destination route it’s possible to skip the current destination and re-route.

After confirming satisfaction with the plotted route it’s is possible to view the entire route via a map or turn-by-turn list. The route can then be recalculated or selected. It’s also possible to take a closer look at your destination by bringing up a map of its vicinity.

Both models provide a wide range of possibilities for entering your desired destination including:

Home Search: press the home icon or gesture with and inverted “V” to get a route back to your home address.
Address Search: search by entering house number, street name or other address information. There is a built-in automatic auto complete function to speed up the entry process.
POI Search: search the 5 million Points-Of-Interests (POI) database for restaurants, hotels, ATMs etc. The search can be by name or category and can be restricted to the local area.
Quick Link a new search feature which allows users to save their favourite POI search string for one-touch searching.
Brand Icon Search allows POI to be searched by touching a brand icon.
Intersection Search: search for an intersection as a destination
Recent Destinations Search: Quickly select your destination from a list of your recent destinations
Address Book Search: Search for only destinations stored in your personal address book.
Favorites Search: enables you to select one of your 4 favourite destinations.

Sony’s Position Plus - NV-U94T

The SiRF Star III GPS receiver in both models has an excellent reputation for gaining a GPS satellite lock even in weak reception areas such as under heavy foliage or between tall buildings. However, in some conditions such as in a tunnel, a GPS signal can be lost. For such situations, Sony’s Position Plus technology can maintain an estimate of current position using the combination of an acceleration sensor, a pressure sensor and a gyro sensor.

Position Plus can provide uninterrupted guidance when devices not so equipped might drop in and out with the satellite acquisition time delaying the restart of navigation directions. While you will know its working if you still have a GPS position in a tunnel at other times you will only know from an orange upward pointing arrow GPS signal status which indicates the current position is calculated.

Multimedia Player (NV-U94T)

The NV-U94T has an audio player which will play MP3 and non-DRM AAC music files as well as MPEG-4 video from Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo media. Sony has incorporated stereo Bluetooth technology (A2DP profile) into the NV-U94T and audio can be streamed wirelessly to a compatible Bluetooth-enabled car stereo system.