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Product details
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Product Description
Manufacturer's Description
1490TV - Don't miss a game
Advanced navigation plus your favourite Freeview stations
Navigate turn-by-turn in 44 countries across Europe with this premium Garmin sat nav with built-in DVB-T digital tuner for Freeview television and radio. This feature-packed navigator has a bright, super-wide 5-inch screen for clear visibility of the maps and Freeview content in and out of the car. With premium pan-European traffic, Bluetooth hands-free calling and advanced navigation features including Lane Assist with Junction View, nuvi 1490TV is your ideal travel partner, both on the road and at your destination.
Big-screen entertainment
The large screen, slim-line nuvi 1490TV is a cutting-edge navigator with built-in DVB-T digital tuner for Freeview television and radio content from across Europe. Broadcasting more than 50 TV channels and 24 radio stations in the UK alone, 1490TV has space to house up to 200 stations, so you'll never be stuck for something to watch!
With an integrated telescopic aerial and two dipole aerials (magnetic bases), nuvi 1490TV is designed for optimum signal reception, with stereo speakers and 3.5mm headphone output for high-quality AV, Bluetooth and navigation audio.
Once at your destination, you can even connect it up to your home TV aerial system (with optional accessory) - ideal when holidaying in a caravan or cooking in the kitchen.
If you're driving a larger vehicle or driving tricky routes, you can even connect up a reverse camera (not included) for improved visibility of what's behind your vehicle screened live on the sat nav display.
Comes with Lane Assist
Advanced navigation
Beyond DVB-T Freeview content, nuvi 1490TV provides premium navigation features found in Garmin's top-of-the-range sat navs. See what's up ahead with Lane Assist and Junction View for a clear illustration of your correct lane choice, with accurate signs for enhanced guidance at junctions and motorway exits.
Cyclops speed cameras
nüvi 1490TV is preloaded with the unique Cyclops speed camera database for accurate advance warning of fixed, average speed, mobile and temporary cameras. These audible alerts are relevant to your direction of travel, speed and route and also display speed limits.
Premium lifetime traffic across Europe
Drive across Europe confident in the knowledge Garmin can handle traffic problems up ahead. Subscription-free for the lifetime of your sat nav, these premium pan-European updates work with nuvi 1490TV's included FM traffic cable to report on traffic delays and roadworks and detour around the problem.
Make hands-free phone calls
nuvi 1490TV's integrated Bluetooth wireless technology means you can sync it with your compatible mobile phone to make hands-free calls through the sat nav's built-in microphone and speaker. Simply dial the number on Garmin's touchscreen or take incoming calls by tapping the display. Enjoy convenient one-touch dialling of your phone book contacts and points of interest and keep in touch safely while on the road.
On-hand in an emergency
If you need to know your position in an instant, simply tap the car icon to access "Where Am I?" This safety feature gives your exact coordinates and nearest junction and address to help pinpoint your location. It also finds the closest hospitals, police and petrol stations as well as contact details for local vehicle recovery services.
Pedestrian navigation
With enhanced pedestrian capabilities, nuvi 1490TV is your perfect travel companion for navigation on foot. Download optional cityXplorer™ maps to plan your whole day's travel complete with pedestrian routes and public transport across Europe.
Go beyond navigation
nuvi 1490TV is packed with features to enhance your navigation - whether travelling by car or foot and even once you have reached your destination. The ecoRoute fuel-saving feature helps you save money and fuel and reduce your carbon footprint by calculating the most efficient route and tracking fuel usage.
Export your trip data from nuvi 1490TV to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for accurate expense reporting and experience Garmin's travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter and calculator. Enhance your travel further with optional plug-in AA City Guides and other downloadable Garmin Extras including tour guides, pedestrian maps, games and audiobooks.
Traffic alerts
Manufacturer's Description
Pan-European sat nav with bright, super-wide 5-inch screen and DVB-T digital tuner for Freeview television and radio. With premium pan-European traffic and Bluetooth hands-free calling, advanced navigation features include Lane Assist with Junction View for an illustration of the correct lane choice and accurate preview of upcoming junctions. ecoRoute helps you save money and fuel by finding the less-fuel route to your destination with spoken street names, speed camera alerts and speed limits to travel alert, safe and legally. Download optional CityXplorer mapping to plan your whole journey including navigation on foot and public transport.
In the Box
nuvi 1490TV sat nav with 5-inch super-wide touchscreen, preloaded street maps for Europe (full coverage of 44 countries) with 60-day nuviMaps latest maps guarantee, pan-European premium lifetime traffic, FM traffic receiver with vehicle power cable, AC adapter, external TV antennas, vehicle suction cup mount, USB cable, dashboard disc and quick start manual.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
190 of 190 people found the following review helpful
By Derek Manley
Model:1490 Traffic - EU Maps
Nearly caused a divorce the first time we used it but that's not the machine's fault! Worked O.K. out of the box, easy to set up - connect to computer to update firm ware (do this on a regular basis for ongoing updates). Maps clear,(although a few glaring errors)spoken instructions clear although female voice less distinct. Traffic jam updates good. Third party POIs plentiful but remember to upload everything at one go as previous inputs are overwritten. Works for me - a decent piece of kit.
Addendum to above - If you are updating maps make sure you have, a very fast internet connection, a fast CPU, plenty of time... and patience. Took me about nine attempts over three days to finally get everything sorted. If the downloader looks as if it is doing something, it probably is! It's just flaming slow. Also I hope the update is major otherwise it's a lot of effort for maybe very little.
Addendum to above - If you are updating maps make sure you have, a very fast internet connection, a fast CPU, plenty of time... and patience. Took me about nine attempts over three days to finally get everything sorted. If the downloader looks as if it is doing something, it probably is! It's just flaming slow. Also I hope the update is major otherwise it's a lot of effort for maybe very little.
889 of 893 people found the following review helpful
By James Halliday
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Model:1490 Traffic - EU Maps
Eventually selected this Garmin after looking at a lot of other GPS units.
I've used TomTom for years, so my main decision was whether I stuck with them - or finally bit the bullet and tried out another manufacturer.
I'm used to TomTom's UI - but every extra feature seems to cost a fortune and I loathe their customer service.
Quick summary - I'm glad I changed.
Bad things:
The Power Lead. Power lead for the unit is a thick cable that's like having a boa sprawled over your dashboard. I've absolutely no idea why they've made it so chunky. On the bright side though, I've got no worries that it's going to snag or break, I'm quite convinced it's going to outlast me.
It's crashed a couple of times. When it does crash it restarts and you with one button push you're back on your route. Not good it crashed, but at least it's a reasonably pain-free crash.
Manuals. Useless. Traffic was flakey on my first trip and I'd no idea why. I'd used the power lead, but kept on losing signal. Only when I got home and noticed another lead in the box, I realized that there was a separate FM antenna you have to plug into the power lead.
Good things:
Build Quality. It feels well made. Big sold slab of nice rubberized plastic, with a lovely bright massive screen on the front.
UI. Didn't take me long to realize I preferred it to TomTom.
Full Post-code recognition. Many units have this now, but it was lovely to get it.
Bluetooth Handsfree. Works beautifully. I turn on my GPS and it now automatically routes all calls to it - can just leave your phone in your pocket.
Traffic. Not a lot to say. It works, and it comes free with the unit (yes I'm talking to you TomTom with your overpriced optional FM aerials).
Road Names. I liked the sound of this, but definitely my favourite feature. Rather than just saying "turn left in x", it actually tells you the name of the road you need to take (and quite remarkably pronounces everything correctly). Makes a massive difference when driving in a town as you no longer have to glance at the GPS screen to check where it thinks it is, and therefore where the 2nd left actually is.
In summary, it's not perfect (so close it hurts a bit) - but I think it's the best value unit out there.
Lovely large screen, full post-code search, lane guidance, road-name speech, bundled FM traffic, nice simple, clear GUI, European Maps. As far as I'm aware, there's no other unit that will give you all this for the price.
I've used TomTom for years, so my main decision was whether I stuck with them - or finally bit the bullet and tried out another manufacturer.
I'm used to TomTom's UI - but every extra feature seems to cost a fortune and I loathe their customer service.
Quick summary - I'm glad I changed.
Bad things:
The Power Lead. Power lead for the unit is a thick cable that's like having a boa sprawled over your dashboard. I've absolutely no idea why they've made it so chunky. On the bright side though, I've got no worries that it's going to snag or break, I'm quite convinced it's going to outlast me.
It's crashed a couple of times. When it does crash it restarts and you with one button push you're back on your route. Not good it crashed, but at least it's a reasonably pain-free crash.
Manuals. Useless. Traffic was flakey on my first trip and I'd no idea why. I'd used the power lead, but kept on losing signal. Only when I got home and noticed another lead in the box, I realized that there was a separate FM antenna you have to plug into the power lead.
Good things:
Build Quality. It feels well made. Big sold slab of nice rubberized plastic, with a lovely bright massive screen on the front.
UI. Didn't take me long to realize I preferred it to TomTom.
Full Post-code recognition. Many units have this now, but it was lovely to get it.
Bluetooth Handsfree. Works beautifully. I turn on my GPS and it now automatically routes all calls to it - can just leave your phone in your pocket.
Traffic. Not a lot to say. It works, and it comes free with the unit (yes I'm talking to you TomTom with your overpriced optional FM aerials).
Road Names. I liked the sound of this, but definitely my favourite feature. Rather than just saying "turn left in x", it actually tells you the name of the road you need to take (and quite remarkably pronounces everything correctly). Makes a massive difference when driving in a town as you no longer have to glance at the GPS screen to check where it thinks it is, and therefore where the 2nd left actually is.
In summary, it's not perfect (so close it hurts a bit) - but I think it's the best value unit out there.
Lovely large screen, full post-code search, lane guidance, road-name speech, bundled FM traffic, nice simple, clear GUI, European Maps. As far as I'm aware, there's no other unit that will give you all this for the price.
403 of 405 people found the following review helpful
By M. Hammond
Model:1490 Traffic - EU Maps
This seems to be a product that divides opinion. Yes, I recognise most of the criticisms that have been made by other reviewers, but I also believe they can be overcome to a large degree. For example:
1. Buy a dashboard mount: I find this invaluable, providing somewhere to tuck spare wiring, as well as making removal from the car that much easier.
2. True, the touchscreen can be frustrating at first, but with practice errors become much rarer.
Of course, the simplest way to use a SatNav is just to put your destination in and let the SatNav take you there, but we all know the difficulties that can create, when the SatNav thinks that impassable track is a great short cut, avoiding the need to take the main road miles further. The great advantage of the Nüvi 1490 is that you can use it away from the car to plan and simulate routes. If you think the SatNav is wrong you can always change the route by adding Waypoints.
As with human beings, it cannot be expected to respond to information it hasn't received, so if there is no FM signal or no information available, you may still be stuck in a queue. However, whilst driving from the North East to the Midlands recently, I twice had reason to be grateful for its ability to re-route in the face of traffic problems up ahead, so this is a useful feature, despite its limitations.
Finally, the Nüvi 1490 is not just a SatNav for the car. It's light-weight and its pedestrian mode means you can continue to us it when you have left the car, enabling you to avoid getting lost in town.
So, all in all, this SatNav may not yet be the answer to ALL our dreams, but it's still the best I have come across.
1. Buy a dashboard mount: I find this invaluable, providing somewhere to tuck spare wiring, as well as making removal from the car that much easier.
2. True, the touchscreen can be frustrating at first, but with practice errors become much rarer.
Of course, the simplest way to use a SatNav is just to put your destination in and let the SatNav take you there, but we all know the difficulties that can create, when the SatNav thinks that impassable track is a great short cut, avoiding the need to take the main road miles further. The great advantage of the Nüvi 1490 is that you can use it away from the car to plan and simulate routes. If you think the SatNav is wrong you can always change the route by adding Waypoints.
As with human beings, it cannot be expected to respond to information it hasn't received, so if there is no FM signal or no information available, you may still be stuck in a queue. However, whilst driving from the North East to the Midlands recently, I twice had reason to be grateful for its ability to re-route in the face of traffic problems up ahead, so this is a useful feature, despite its limitations.
Finally, the Nüvi 1490 is not just a SatNav for the car. It's light-weight and its pedestrian mode means you can continue to us it when you have left the car, enabling you to avoid getting lost in town.
So, all in all, this SatNav may not yet be the answer to ALL our dreams, but it's still the best I have come across.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 'Which' best buy
Fast delivery. Item as described in reviews around Jan.2010 and still ranked third as a 'Which' best buy! Read more
Published 1 month ago by GRAEME
5.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin Great
Easy to operate in the car, confusing to operate by foot Just sorry I didn't get one with updates for life.
Published 1 month ago by Alan Mason
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it
What this NUVI hasn't got is not worth having. Have moved to a single car..ie my wife's and she has the same NUVI....so don't need mine any more.
Published 2 months ago by Mr. T. Nicholson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lifetime was about two years
This nüvi 1490T was £165 in May 2010. Plus £21 for a friction mount. Plus £77 for a European map. Plus £45 for a North American map. So £308 total. Read more
Published 2 months ago by E. P. Schlaikjer
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother
Bought this item in May 2012, and wish I hadn't wasted my money. It consistently lets us down, by being unable to find the addresses, and once even continuing past the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin sat nav
I forgot to review this at the time but have been very pleased with it three years on. The only criticism I have was having to select which UK country a place is in. Read more
Published 4 months ago by H
1.0 out of 5 stars
what a terrible item
I bought this item as a xmas present but what a dissapointment none of the chargers worked and the external attena was the wrong type for this item the sat nav was a total let down... Read more
Published 4 months ago by tonyharvey1967
2.0 out of 5 stars
Difficult to update
Very difficult to update and it had a very small memory. I bought extra maps for US and was unable to load them
Published 5 months ago by Kate Connolly
4.0 out of 5 stars
garmin sat nav.
so far has been satisfactory when used, once my husband had digested the information, which could have been more explicit. delivery excellent.
Published 5 months ago by S. W. Madge
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magic gadget
Sat navs are magic, I've had my Harmon for 8 years so when I bought my daughter one it had to be a garmin and we are not disappointed
Published 5 months ago by Peter Coleman
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