Mobile Video Vendors Get Early Jump On CES

By Amy Gilroy On Dec 8 2003 - 8:00am

As a testament to the popularity of mobile video, much of the innovation at CES's 12-volt booths next month will be in monitors, DVD players, or in combinations of the two.

A few companies are even getting a jump on the New Year and shipping video products for the holiday season.

Rosen Entertainment, under the Necvox brand is delivering the first HD-ready overhead monitor.

Model RE1569 is a 15.3-inch widescreen that "will accept HD-level transmission," said sales and marketing VP Steve Weimar. The company said it decided to offer HDTV capability as KVH car satellite systems can transmit in HDTV, and in the future progressive-scan DVD players will be available for the car.

The screen is a WXGA panel with 1,280 by 768 resolution. It has 450 NIT brightness, where most car video screens are under 300 NIT, said the company, claiming it offers improved color and off-axis viewing.

Other features include MP3/WAV capability and JPEG photo and MPEG motion video viewing (for home movies). The monitor began shipping this month at a $1,899 suggested list price. In December, the company will add a version with built-in DVD player and MP3, also under the Necvox brand, at a suggested retail price of $2,399.

Under the Rosen label is a new 9-inch widescreen overhead monitor with built-in DVD that has a remote activated screen and dome lights. Kids no longer have to unbuckle the seat belt to reach up and flip down the screen, the company said. The unit also displays JPEG photos and MPEG motion video. It can integrate a TV tuner, gaming system, secondary monitor or VCR.

The A9 has a street price of $1,899 to $1,999 installed. This is also the first mobile video product to come with a lifetime warranty, said Rosen.

Also new is a Necvox 10.4-inch model with built-in DVD, MP3, JPEG and MPEG image viewer at $1,699 to $1,799.

Blaupunkt is shipping its first in dash DVD/monitor. The new Chicago IVDM-7002 is also Blaupunkt's first Sirius-ready head unit, which will work with an add-on Sirius tuner that will also be available. The new top-of-the-line model has a built-in 7-inch fully motorized retractable screen with a DVD receiver. It comes with an outboard 5.1-channel Dolby Digital, ProLogic II and DTS digital processor combined with a five-channel 5x22-watt RMS amplifier.

The system can operate independently in two zones (for audio in the front and video in the rear seat), and it is MP3-capable. When the IVDM-7002 display is retracted, the faceplate includes an LED display in seven selectable colors. When the monitor is open, but no video material is selected, it can display up to seven user-loaded background images that rotate with each song change or at preset intervals. The unit can be connected to additional monitors. Suggested retail price is $2,399.99.

Sanyo is jumping into mobile video with a low profile ceiling-mount 7-inch monitor with built-in DVD player. The company says it engineered the unit from the ground up for the car environment, with its extreme temperature requirements. The CDV-7004 has off-axis viewing and a 40 percent smaller footprint than most overhead consoles, as it does not require a cooling fan, Sanyo said. It ships in December at a tentative retail price of $999.

Panasonic is shipping this month a single DIN DVD player with MP3 capability. The model CX-D3000U replaces the CX-DVP292U introduced last year. It adds a play/pause button on the front panel for operation without a remote. Suggested retail price is $349.95.

From Emerson is a new in-dash DVD/MP3 unit that also offers both horizontal and vertical mounting for placement anywhere in the car. The DVX-1410 has an estimated price of $199.