Think back to your childhood and probably the most entertaining aspect of car journeys was playing I-spy. Nowadays, however, there is a whole industry behind in-car entertainment and some cars are kitted out with the type of gadgets you are used to seeing in the back of airline seats.
At its simplest, in-car entertainment can be a stereo system or CD player but it’s possible to add DVD players, flat-screen monitors and 5.1 surround sound speaker systems to the mix.
In-car entertainment, or ICE as it is now starting to be known, started in primitive form back in the 1960s.
US car manufacturers such as Ford and Cadillac added radios to their cars, allowing people to listen to the Beach Boys as they cruised along highways on their way to their favourite surf hangout. Later, some even went as far as installing record decks in selected models.
After this came four and eight-track cartridges, which were popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s. However, their attractiveness was mainly due to Ford’s decision to kit many of its cars out with eight-track players in an effort to entice new, young customers. Neither of these tape formats took off over here, but when Philips came up with the compact cassette it was a different story. Even to this day many cars still come with radio cassette players as standard.
Digital days
Today, however, many cars have CD players and changers. These units are usually installed in the boot of the car and connected via a lead to the main stereo system (or head unit, as it is known) in the dashboard. Changers can be loaded up with CDs and swapped using dashboard controls. Many head units can now play back MP3 files that have been written to CDs and recently these have been joined by units with built-in memory card slots or even hard disks for storing digital music.
For a stereo that plays MP3s from CDs you can expect to pay anywhere between €75 and €200. One of the cheapest around is the Goodmans GCE7355. It’s basic but it does the job and costs just €100 from Argos. Higher up the scale you will find something like the JVC KD LHX551. Not only can it play MP3s from CDs but it also has an SD card slot so it can play back tunes stored on memory cards. It costs about €350.
You can now even hook your Ipod up to your car’s existing head unit. BMW has developed an Ipod adapter with Apple, allowing Ipods to be attached to the car’s audio system via a connector in the glove compartment. The adapter works with BMW’s 3-Series, Z4 Roadster, X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and Mini Cooper cars.
Once the Ipod is hooked up, it’s powered by the car’s battery and can be controlled using buttons on the steering wheel.
In fact there are now Ipod adapters available for a range of different in-car stereo systems. Most high street car accessory stores offer adapters for the likes of Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer for between €80 and €120.
Sounds great
Multi-channel audio systems in cars are also becoming increasingly common. Some people are kitting their cars out with 5.1 surround sound systems that rival the type of set-up you see in a living room.
In fact, luxury cars are starting to come with multi-channel audio as standard. For example, Volvo’s Premium Sound System with Dolby Pro Logic II is now available on its S40, S60 and V70 models. This system comes with a dash-mounted six-CD changer that plays through 12 speakers and is powered by a separate amplifier.
Lexus also offers a similar system. The GS model comes with a six-disc changer as standard that is hooked up to a 10-speaker audio system. However, Lexus also offers an optional upgrade to its specially developed, 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.
Movie time
As if all that was not enough, DVD playback kits are also starting to appear in cars. It’s possible to simply add a Portable DVD player like the Goodmans GCE5009. It can be strapped to the rear of a headrest so passengers can watch movies in the back. It costs EUR*180 from Argos and also comes with 18 games that the kids can play via a joypad.
However, more adventurous folk are installing head units with built-in DVD players and LCD screens. The JVC KD-AVX1 for example, costs EUR*500 and has a 3” colour LCD monitor integrated into the head unit. For the full-on DVD experience, however, yoU’ll want something like the Pioneer AVH-P7500DVD. It costs about EUR*2,000 but has a 7” widescreen that emerges from the dashboard and flips up into position for showing DVD movies to passengers.
But while not everyone will want to turn their car into a home cinema on wheels or a mobile rock concert, upgrading the standard AV kit that comes with your car can be a rewarding experience. And whatever route you decide to take on the in-car entertainment front, one thing is for sure: long journeys will end up being much less tedious for your passengers.
10 buying tips
1. Head units tend to use a different wiring system to an existing audio system. But a cheap adapter can make them compatible.
2. If you plan on hooking up lots of gear, you may need to upgrade your car’s alternator from the standard unit.
3. If you plan on going crazy with ICE, you may need to add a Deep Cycle battery (or banks of batteries) to provide long bouts of power without having the engine on.
4. If you don’t want to add an Ipod adapter to your car, you could always opt for an Itrip FM transmitter instead. Although not legal to use in Ireland, you can still buy one over the web for long foreign trips.
5. For extra security, look for a head unit with a removable front panel. It’s more likely to deter thieves.
6. By far the simplest way of playing DVDs in your car is to invest in a mobile player. Some of these come with cases that let you strap the player to the headrest of your car. <br />
7. Screens which flip up from the dash can often be twinned with a portable GPS unit to double up as a satellite navigation system.
8. Mounting screens on the ceiling or the back of seats is a tricky job and will generally need to be done by a professional.
9. Many shops offer free fitting for head units and other in-car entertainment devices, something you don’t often get if you buy over the Web.
10. If you are planning on spending thousands on a jaw-dropping system, speak to a specialist company as your battery and electrics may need to be upgraded.
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