Audiovox MVP1000 Leads Overhead Monitors

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.— Overhead monitors are the heart of the rear-seat mobile video market, with the segment accounting for approximately $62 million in sales from June 2003 through May 2004, according to The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y. And the industry breadwinner in overhead monitors for the period was overwhelmingly the MVP1000 — a 10.4-inch screen with TV tuner that is bundled with an FM modulator, headphones, trim ring and other accessories.

Accounting for almost a quarter of the dollar volume in the segment, the MVP1000 owes its success mainly to the video upgrade market — consumers who are stepping up to a larger monitor, said Audiovox's product manager, David Shalam.

Audiovox said the monitor's popularity points to the broader success of the 10-inch screen. "This one has gotten so popular because 10.4-inches seems to be the go-to size if you're stepping up. People bypass the 8-inch and go straight for the 10-inch. The MVP1000 doesn't come with a DVD player, so if you already have a DVD, you have the flexibility of upgrading the screen only," said Shalam.

Audiovox, which markets seven of the top 10 overhead monitors said the 10-inch screen size may quickly replace the 8-inch overhead segment. The company will introduce in the next 30 days its first 10-inch monitors with built-in DVD and expects these "will blow away" sales of 8-inch overhead/DVDs such as the VOD806 (the 4th best selling overhead year-to-date).

In the bigger-is-better tradition, the upgrade market may drift further up the scale to 12 inches, dependant on pricing, said Shalam. "Next year 10-inch will still remain popular and 12-inch will be coming to the market, but we'll have to see where the price points come in. Once you get past 12 inches, you start having mounting issues," Shalam said, noting that a 12-inch monitor with DVD might be a problem because of the weight.

Audiovox is by far the largest advertiser in mobile video, although the MVP1000, specifically, was not advertised. During the last 12 months, Audiovox registered 891 ads, as the No. 1 advertiser, compared to Liquid Video with 284 ads and Directed Video with 224, according to Beyen International Market Research, Niagara Falls, N.Y. Audiovox focused most of its ads on portable models.

Overall, overhead monitor sales are considered the heart of most mobile video sales; however, the total dollar volume for overheads, falls behind in-dash DVD/monitors, which hit approximately $70 million in year-to-date sales, according to NPD. Headrest monitor sales totaled $8 million for the period.