Thanks to recent breakthroughs in consumer video technology, people can now combine their love of automobiles and their love of high-quality home entertainment. The latest mobile entertainment systems offer great audio and picture, and are designed to fit seamlessly into the auto environment. For drivers concerned about safety, mobile video systems can even be installed to augment side and rearview mirrors. It's a brave-and exciting- new world of vehicular video!
Frank Buchanan has been working with cars for 12 years, and has been an installer at Sounds Good, in Southern California, for 2. Here he offers a basic guide to the features and benefits of mobile video systems:
- Keep the kids happy.
The best reason to install a mobile video or DVD system, says Buchanan, is to keep the kids happy. Imagine how quickly all that fussing, fighting and fidgeting will disappear when you pop in a favorite movie and let the little ones watch as they ride! Without the added distractions of dealing with the children, you'll be able to keep your attention on the road.
- A basic system.
Prices will vary based on the complexity and quality of system you want. A basic system with a flip-down monitor and single DVD player, says Buchanan, will cost between one thousand and fifteen hundred dollars.
- Monitors: headrest or flip-down?
There are two main types of video monitor for mobile systems. Screens that flip down from the vehicle's roof usually measure from eight to fifteen inches. Monitors installed in a seat's headrest are usually about seven inches.
- Rear cameras: backing up.
A different kind of car video system can be used for driving safety. Cameras mounted in the rear of an auto can see things that rearview and side view mirrors miss, and these cameras can display images on a dash-mounted screen that comes on automatically when you put the car in reverse.
- Backseat cameras: monitoring.
Cameras can also be installed to point at a vehicle's backseat, so you can keep an eye on babies and young children without having to turn around. It's a unique and helpful safety feature for busy parents.
For more information about mobile entertainment and video systems, check out the following websites:
Crutchfield Advisor: Car Audio & Video Learning Center
www.crutchfieldadvisor.com
Car Sound & Performance: Moving Pictures
www.carsound.com
Consumer Guide: Mobile Multimedia
products.consumerguide.com
Car Audio and Electronics
www.caraudiomag.com
Elite Car Audio.com
www.elitecaraudio.com
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