Vehicle Integration – Video

When shopping for a new car, most buyers typically focus on horsepower, fuel economy, interior comfort, and other obviously important features. At 360 Audio we can help focus on the things that make your driving experience even better – things like a car video system!

Of course we don’t recommend watching videos while driving, but an in-vehicle video system can be a great way to entertain passengers, kids in the back seat and a good way for the driver to pass time while the vehicle is parked. There are some additional benefits to a video system that includes a screen that’s viewable by the driver. Images from back-up and side-view cameras and images from an installed navigation system can be displayed on screen. This is becoming more and more common in the factory-installed systems in new cars. Just like with high performance audio systems, you don’t have to buy a new car to get one. All of these features are available from your local aftermarket expert.

Front-Seat Viewable Options

If you drive a new car, you may already have a screen that’s capable of viewing video installed. If you do, then you may have many of the features listed above. If you don’t have a monitor or a touchscreen monitor installed from the factory but you want the ability to see videos while you are parked or if you want a back-up or side view camera system to display images on a dash mounted screen, you may need a new head unit that includes those options. These units are often referred to as a “2-DIN” or Double-DIN” head unit. When shopping for one of these units, it’s important to be sure there’s room in the dashboard for the new unit to replace the old one. The experts at 360 Audio can look at your car and indicate what’s possible.

Rear Seat Entertainment

Rear Seat Entertainment is a popular option that’s factory installed in many luxury sedans, SUVs and minivans. These systems are designed to provide entertainment for rear seat passengers. Each system may be independently operated or they may all function together as a system with the head unit mounted in the dashboard.

The two most popular options for rear seat video offered in the aftermarket are headrest monitors or fold-down monitors that are mounted to the ceiling of the vehicle. Headrest monitors are mounted in the back of the front seat headrest for convenient viewing by the rear seat passenger.

There can also be one monitor mounted to the ceiling for viewing by both rear seat passengers, or there can be two—one for each rear seat passenger.

Rear seat entertainment systems often include a wireless or wired connection to a pair or several pairs of headphones, which allows rear seat passengers to enjoy program material that’s different from what the driver or front seat passengers choose without the distraction of having several programs playing from a shared audio system. The rear seat systems may include DVD players built into the screens, or a separate player may be installed under the seat or in a center console. Most of these systems have audio and video input connectors that make it easy to connect a phone or a portable media player.

If you think video integration might be a good option for you, contact the experts at 360 Audio to find out more.