Playing MP3 Files with the DVD1000
My wife and I planned a driving trip to the Surround Professional conference in Beverly Hills, CA in early December 2000. Before the trip, we visited Napster (www.napster.com) and downloaded more than ten hours of spoken word stories and comedy titles all saved as MP3 files. Since we didn’t have a monitor for this trip, the 75 or so MP3 files had to be loaded in the root directory — no sub directories. This is due to the fact that navigating through sub directories without a proper video monitor is exceedingly difficult with the DVD1000. So we placed all 75 MP3 files on a CD-R and hit the road.

A power cord was connected from the DVD1000 into the cigarette lighter receptacle in the rear seat of the car. There is no need for a turn-on lead. To play MP3s with the DVD1000, simply insert the recorded CD-R and wait until the STOP display is replaced with PLAY and the numbers corresponding to the titles are visible. With 75 titles to scan, this process can take a minute or so. The ENTER button on the remote starts playing the selection.

Indexing through the MP3 files can be done by depressing the forward or backward arrows on the remote control. Using the numbers on the keypad, you can directly access the files. There a couple of minor problems worth mentioning. First, the access time between selections can be 20 or more seconds. Don’t try pushing any buttons until the selection is complete. Second, there is no way of indexing the time within a particular MP3 file. This means that if you’re 20 minutes into a science fiction story and stop for gas, the DVD1000 will have to re-index the entire 75 files and the science fiction story will have to commence from the beginning. There is no fast-forward or rewind for MP3 files. If you have a choice, keep the MP3 files short.

We never experienced any skipping and were impressed by the operation of the DVD1000. Over the course of the 350-mile trip, we had to change FM stations twice due to overloading signals from powerful FM stations. Changing the transmit frequency amounts to: [1] locating a quiet spot on the FM dial; and [2] rotating the tuning knob of the transmitter until the audio kicks in. This system worked great and could easily work for more permanent installations or rental car applications. The newer version of the DVD1000 features a remote IR receiver that can be relocated to the front of the car for hidden installations.

Using the HRM5MA Tilt Monitor
Accele’s 5-inch tilt monitor comes with nearly .5-inch of framing around the tilting mechanism. This is quite generous, and should be adequate for even novice installers. Four small screws release the outer trim plate and the monitor can be fitted into a pre-cut opening in the rear of a headrest. Reassembly amounts to replacing the screws and clicking the Tilt Monitor into place. There is adequate signal and power cabling provided with the HRM5MA for just about any application.

The red video input from the HRM5MA is fed into the video output of the DVD1000. As for power connections, the HRM5MA requires that the Black Wire be connected to chassis ground and that the Red Wire be connected to +12 volts DC. This can be accessory +12 volts or constant +12 volts, or anything from +10 to 30 volts DC. The coolest aspect of the power wiring is that there is no turn-on lead for this monitor. It takes a video signal to turn the monitor on. The power for the display is automatically shut off after 6 seconds without a video signal.

With the monitor wired into the DVD1000, it’s easy to access directories and subdirectories containing MP3 files. The arrow buttons on the remote control can now select the Main Menu, the DVD Setup system, as well as the MP3 File Manager. The HRM5MA can be adjusted for tilt up or down by applying slight pressure on the top or bottom of the display. There is one position that will permit optimal viewing. We found this color display to be bright and of considerable quality. A quick check of the spec sheet listed the resolution as 960 x 234 with a .171 x .316 dot pitch. This is a noticeable improvement over normal color TFT LCDs. For an additional $20, a wood-grained trim ring is available.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-install headrest monitor with excellent quality and/or 12-volt DVD/CD/MP3 player, be sure to call Accele Electronics.

For more information, contact Accele at 562-860-7690 or visit www.accele.com.