Stabmeister,
I am with you on "I want it all", even if I have no much use for it - just being greedy for toys...
the misumi camera is great, I have one in the stock location and it works in virtual darkness - with all the lights out it still can see things, and if you throw the reverse gear with the reverse lights, it is like having navy searchlights on. Camera is color with automatic b/w for the night operation (b/w mode is more light sensitive). The EAS's price is reasonable, if you go directly with manufacturer, you might save $20 but you will not get the support of a domestic company that stands behind its product, and in my opinion, support is very important and worth more than 20 bucks.
If you have Park Distance Control (I know, some will say that it is redundant to have a camera if there is PDC, but there are bunch of little kids in my area that play on the street and the PDC does not catch them or their toys in front of my carport), so, if you have the PDC, you can connect the reverse activating wire via a relay to the PDC module and have it activated everytime the gear is in reverse or the PDC button is depressed, even while in forward motion (upto certain speed). If interested, let me know, I'll post the relay part numbers and the wires that need to be tapped. This way, you still have the stock ability to have the camera automatically on with the reverse gear on and also have the convenience of the push button for the manual control of the camera, just in case.
The factory TV tuner has a special input for a reverse camera, and separate inputs for TV in, Audio in, TV out and Audio out.
As a matter of fact, there are special parts that go in the central console in the rear for the AV IN/OUT and TV Search button, right where the rear seat heat buttons are, just below them are two blank plugs on US E53s. That set up is good for the rear entertainment system, like the TV screens in the headrests. The AV Out does not "black" out when the car is motion, as the feed is fed to the screens outside of driver's view. When you throw the reverse camera on, the reverse image shows up on the rear screens as well as on the front Nav screen.
If I don't forget, I'll take a pic or two and post them.
Have fun,
TerminatorX5