Moving Pictures

Before you head out to buy that mobile video system, wrap your head around what’s available.

Adding video to a mobile audio system has become easier and less expensive thanks to advances in technology and installation options. When compared to the original 4-inch LCD displays of five years ago, today’s high resolution, large size, multimedia monitors integrate seamlessly into the vehicle to create visual excitement and enhance the listening experience. Let’s explore the possibilities for your next video purchase.

Video Monitors
We’ve all seen the ads for low-cost mobile video displays. Unfortunately, those ads are misleading in that the displays may cost under $100, but the source (head unit), cabling, and installation could cost several hundred more dollars. At the bottom end, we have the 4-inch LCD monitors which are best suited to sun-visor or glove box installations. The monitor’s resolution, brightness, and included hardware vary with price, but a $79 retail price for a stripped down 4-inch unit is not unusual.

Stepping up, we have the 5-, 5.6-, 6-, and 7-inch LCD monitors. These sizes make real sense — particularly from the viewing distances common in a vehicle. Typical pixel resolution for a reasonable 5-inch monitor is around 1000 (Horizontal) x 250 (Vertical) which totals up to 250,000 pixels. Typical brightness specs range from 200 NIT to 300 NIT and higher depending on the back-lit illumination for the LCD monitor. These monitors are usually installed on seat backs (headrest) or floor consoles.

To facilitate installation and set-up, the best monitors come with a trim ring and controls for brightness and contrast. A great variant on the trim ring is the tilting mount which varies the viewing angle: Left - Right, and Up - Down. Retail prices here range from $150 to $350, depending on the options included with the LCD tilt-mounted display.

New monitors include 8-, 10-, 15-inch and even larger sizes. Prices range from $450 to over $1000. We recently installed a 15-inch monitor into the back of a floor console in a large SUV. The result was a traveling home theater experience for the rear-seated passengers. In daylight hours, we watched two movies in 5.1 surround while traveling from Los Angeles to Sacramento. The brightness was 300 NIT.

Display Options
Besides the monitor trim rings and tilting trim rings, there are flip-down, drop-down, and flip-down swivel installation options. Installations for this type of LCD monitor are roof-top (overhead) consoles. The flip-down swivel mount is a good choice when there’s only one passenger in the back. Screen sizes for these monitors run from 6 inches up to 15 inches and costs vary from $300 up to over $1000.

The latest generation monitors include features such as “touch-screen” control (great for navigation), and flexible base mounting. With this type of base, the display can be mounted on a center console and then rotated towards the driver (when the car is parked), or towards any of the passengers. The “touch-screen” feature permits the operator to use a finger to press instructions into the system. Screen sizes are 7 inches and up.

In-dash monitors take many forms and usually range in size from 6 to 7 inches. With these “stealthy” monitors, the LCD display retracts safely into the dash cavity when not in use. Retraction can be manual or automatic and retail prices range from $400 to over $2000, depending on the options, which we’ll discuss next.

Video Sources
The original sources for our first mobile monitors included the VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) and the TV Tuner. These sources are certainly available today in prices ranging from $100 to $300. Mounting for these units can be in a floor console, glove box, under the seat, or in the trunk. (Don’t forget that a mobile TV tuner will require an antenna system.)

Optical formats including CD, CD-R, DVD, and VCD are the primary sources of choice for today’s mobile audio/video systems. The first stand-alone disc players were too large for in-dash installations, and were often installed in the glove-box, under a seat, or in the trunk. The more compact disc players can now be installed in-dash. There are also a few 10-disc players that can handle DVD media. Prices for DVD players range from $150 up to over $500. Adequate installation hardware and cabling is usually included.

Other video sources are video games, CCD cameras, digital cameras (still and moving), laptop computers, and navigation systems. Video cameras can be used for tasks such as back-up or surveillance. X-Box and Sony PlayStation games can be easily modified for mobile operation. Digital camera photos/movies, and laptop computer video can be easily fed into a separate video input for distribution throughout a mobile system as well.

Electronic Options
Connecting the video monitors to the various sources requires fairly complex electronics. Some monitors include features such as remote control, IR wireless headphones, widescreen aspect ratios, and wireless FM modulators. Remote control systems that are wireless, or wired, can facilitate both operation and set-up. The Infra-Red wireless headphone option permits passengers to privately hear the audio on battery-operated headsets. This is great for kids playing games in the back seat of an SUV.

The ability to easily change aspect ratios is important because of the differences in display dimensions in the various sources. For instance, broadcast TV is 4:3 (4 units horizontal by 3 vertical units), but widescreen DVD can be 16:9. High resolution is another option and VGA (i.e. 1280 x 1024 in a 7-inch display) reproduction is great for viewing computer and navigation sources.

Complete Systems
Just as with home-theater, complete mobile video systems can be purchased in one kit — just add the installation. For instance, for under $750 a complete 7-inch flip-down monitor with DVD player, FM Modulator, two IR wireless headphones, and a remote control can be purchased from several companies. A VCR with TV Tuner and antenna can be substituted for the DVD player at no additional cost. For a few dollars more, dual 5-inch tilt-mount headset monitors can be substituted for the overhead console display. With some vehicles, installation can be done without professional help.

Summary
Video is now a large part of mobile entertainment. Thanks to innovative designers and quality manufacturing, we have mobile video components to fit any application. If you don’t want to get left in the dark, be sure to include video in your next system.