I didn't get a picture but it was more or less the model pictured here. The radio was showing a bunch of stuff they didn't want to see, turns out it was stuck on "demo mode" and listing a bunch of features. The interface was unintuitive but luckily he kept a manual, so I navigated through the settings menu and turned off the demo. Sorted.

That's an elderly person's car stereo. 💀 Any youth I still had just evaporated.

Man, I miss the old style standardized radio slots you just could put in any fancy device you liked, without having to pay 1000s of Euros for the car manufacturer's premium package just to get decent, but still somehow crappy entertainment stuff.

You don't know how old they were when they bought it though.

It bugs the hell out of me when these newer radios don't have a volume dial. And anything with on screen buttons only is just asking for trouble.

He replaced it in the last few years but just didn't know how to work it. One of those things when you "press something" and it stops working the way you want.

No cassette, CD AND MP3? That's a radio player from the future!

If there's any more left to evaporate, JVC basically hasn't been a brand you can buy in over 15 years

More of a comment about myself…

Is it a stupid demo button you can somehow "disable" (say with crazy glue?)

Pretty sure that happens when the car has lost power completely (disconnected or completely drained battery.

Anything like that happen to them recently? They might want to get their cars electrics looked at.

Disconnecting the battery, cleaning the connections and then disconnecting the ground wire (usually goes to a bolt in the cars body) can do wonders for improving battery performance.

Right there with you bud. Just trying to find a silver lining.

Check your hair

Real men don't read the manual!

JK, of course. Well done!

Greetings, fellow geezer!

Doh!

JVC doesn't exist anymore?

They merged with Kenwood at the end of the 00's and basically exited the consumer market after that.

I imagine some private equity company owns the brand itself now, but I've honestly not seen it used on anything since the time of the merger

No you had to hold Select to go to the settings, Press skipforward until "Demo" option appears, then turn the dial right until it says Demo Off. I have a feeling the mistake could have been an accidental reset to default demo behaviour or activating satellite radio somehow through one of the modes.

Same! My back hurts now!

There are people driving who are younger than the last generation of cars where aftermarket radios were commonly installed

We're old friend 😭

Aww really? That's the one I used to buy.

I once fixed a broken guitar app for an elderly friend of mine. It was damaged during a lightning storm. He called the manufacturer, but they were from Europe and shipping it for repairs would cost more than a new amp. I offered to take a look, and after some probing with an oscilloscope and an AUX cable pushing some Mozart, I was able to find the signal stopped at a pre-amplifier at the input. I ordered a replacement IC for a few cents, and swapped it out. Worked like new after that. I was very satisfied to have saved it when the fix was so small.

You can read the manual first, or never. Anything else is admitting defeat.

For real. And really what you're getting with the trim upgrade is the ability the to plug in your phone and use Android/Apple Auto for the low price of $800 or more. There should really be anti-bundling laws to prevent it.

Yeah man, don't leave the face plate in the car... You gotta carry that thing. Someone might wanna steal it.

RTFM

WMA as well! And for those who don't know, that and MP3 applies to what is on the CDs.

Does it have Bluetooth though. That's the future-proof feature.

TBF I always find these "futuristic design" car stereos inscrutable, and I fit into the age bracket of people who grew up with them.

Car manufacturers themselves were always better at creating simple UIs for their own stereos, in my experience.

accidental reset to default demo behaviour

by far most likely

This is a radio from the 2000s.

How old was this elder?

Please! My life youth depends on this answer.

I miss it, but I don't care too much as long as there are physical buttons and an AUX input

won't buy a car without that

Likely around 70... It was a modern piece for his age

Phew, safe. For now...

I don't care about seeming old for liking this generation of tech. I just miss physical controls. The look alone of the knobs and buttons is so appealing.