Multimedia Products For Your Car

It is becoming very easy to experience entertainment and receive information in your car through multimedia products from major car entertainment manufacturers like Clarion, Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer.

 

These devices have become possible thanks to the advent of GPS navigation systems in the late 1990s. However, technology has been improved to such an extent, these systems can now be expanded to include all sorts of ways to gain information and to add more entertainment. 

 

All of these systems feature a large display screen and offer GPS navigation as their foundation. But each one also includes the ability to play MP3 players like the iPod and utilize features from the iPhone. Moreover, they can include HD and Satellite Radio, a rear seat audio-video entertainment system and built-in Bluetooth for hands-free use of a mobile phone. And some of these systems can connect your car to the Internet. 

 

Alpine calls its product a Digital Media Station which is Satellite Radio ready and features a large 7-inch touchscreen display that has the ability to integrate with an iPod or iPhone as well as mate with a GPS navigation system; HD Radio module; rear seat audio-video system; and a rear camera. You can control it with your finger. Moreover, if the car includes factory controls for an entertainment system on the steering wheel, these controls can be used to command the media station.

 

Pioneer has several GPS navigation systems that include the ability to integrate an iPhone and iPod. You can use the iPhone to plan out routes by finding destinations on Google Map and transfer the info to the system by way of Bluetooth. It can use the geo-tag feature of the iPhone camera to create and save destinations on the system. It has access to MSN Direct where you get news, traffic reports, stock quotes, weather reports, movie times, and gas prices at near-by gas stations. You can also connect your PC to track driving routes and monitor gas mileage and expenses as well as select point-of-interest sites to visit through Google Map. The device can also playback movies via DVD, SD Card, USB and iPod. You can add a rear camera as well as Satellite and HD Radio and it has the ability to enhance the sound of MP3 players.

 

Kenwood’s multimedia system starts off as a GPS navigation system and then you can add a DVD/receiver with Bluetooth; traffic message channel receiver; and an MP3, WMA, AAC, DVD player. 

 

Finally, Clarion’s multimedia piece, ClarionMIND, connects to the internet via Wi-Fi. It can work in the car or it can be carried if you would rather walk than drive.  It offers navigation with graphics as well as the latest traffic information, point-of-interest sites from Google Map; Firefox-based browser to navigate the Internet; access to a music library through the MP3Tunes website, YouTube, MySpace, the Weather Channel, CNN and BBC websites. You can access your favorite movies, music and photos via RealPlayer browser; view PDF files; create simple documents and receive and send email.

 

These devices are truly multimedia and are perfect for multitaskers.