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Gizmag: From keeping the kids amused to giving you something to do while stuck in a snow drift, in-car video entertainment systems are becoming an increasingly important component of the modern automobile. For videophiles who demand the very best in onscreen visuals, news that the Audiovox Corporation is set to release the industry’s first automotive Blu-ray Disc player will no doubt be very welcome indeed. The compact device can be connected to any in-vehicle monitor, comes with an infrared remote and also has wireless streaming capabilities.

As you might expect, in addition to allowing users to choose from the 1,600 or so Blu-ray titles currently available, the player can also read from DVD and CD disc format. The unit can be horizontally or vertically mounted under the seat or hidden away inside a storage compartment and connected to any in-vehicle monitor from the unit’s HDMI, composite or component output ports.

It’s powered from a 2-pin, 12-volt connector to the vehicle’s accessory power source and the disc slot is illuminated by a blue accent light. There’s an infrared remote control with an extension included, for when the device is hidden away. The player is also Wi-Fi capable to cater for wireless media streaming.

The AVDBR1 Blu-ray player carries a suggested retail price of US$349.99, with a Q2 availability window. Product details will appear on the company’s mobile product site nearer to release time.

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The Red Ferret: Forget your dinky back-of-the-headrest DVD screens, how about an upgrade to this monster 22 Inch Flip Down Car Monitor Player with dome lights? It has a 1400 x 900 screen, two video and one audio input, works with PAL or NTSC signals and has an IR remote control. Best of all it has a built-in dome light which you’ll need, as this thing will take up some serious roof real estate, especially if little Sally and Tommy both want one. Might go well in a caravan though. US$263.99 (about 196 euros)

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CNET Crave: Ever wondered what would happen if you replaced your car’s speedometer with a 12.3-inch computer screen? How about if you fitted an information and entertainment display on which the driver and passenger can watch different programmes at the same time? Jaguar certainly has — hence the creation of the XJ, its brand-new executive sports saloon.

The company tells us it’ll stroll right up to the BMW 7 series, Mercedes S-Class and Porsche Panamera and hawk a metaphorical loogie right in their posh, metallic faces. It tells us it’ll handle better, wow you with more technology and make the nickname ‘Two Jags’ something to aspire to. Never ones to ignore fightin’ words, your men in the field — Rory Reid and the bloke who keeps his camera steady — jetted off to Paris to blag a ride. See the video.

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Electricpig: They’ve been out on the market for a few weeks now, but Pioneer’s been keeping very quiet about its latest range of NavGate satnavs cum-in-car-entertainment centres.

If you want a device that’ll get you from A to B without too much difficulty, buy a TomTom. But if you want a system that’ll keep keep the kids quiet in the back, not get stolen when you leave it in the car and tell you where your favourite shops are enroute as well, you need a NavGate installed.

There are three models in the range, the AVIC-F500BT, 700BT and 900BT. All pack European maps on the flash memory inside, grab tunes from an iPod and adjust sound levels on their 5.8 inch touch screens, while the high end models pack DVD playback support and the entry-level, the 500BT, can be taken out of the car and carried around.

All boast Bluetooth to automatically sync your car stereo with your phone for the ultimate hands-free kit. Add a USB and SD card slot for extra memory and you’ve got an impressive entertainment unit with satnav thrown in.

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eMercedesBenz: Mercedes has announced that starting in the summer of 2009, S-Class models will feature a new technology they’re calling SPLITVIEW. Developed in collaboration with Bosch, SPLITVIEW will allow both the driver and passenger to view two separate programs via the same COMAND display. 

For example, let’s say the vehicle’s operator is in the process of viewing navigation directions, the front passenger can simultaneously watch a film on the exact same 8-inch display.

You may be wondering what magic lies behind the SPLITVIEW system, and the answer lies in pixel placement.  The COMAND screen shows two different images simultaneously by placing pixels adjacent to one another, after which a filter masking the display divides this mixed image so that depending on seating position, either one image or the other can be seen.

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Electronista: Sanyo announced it will soon launch a trio of advanced in-car entertainment and portable GPS devices, including the 7-inch Gorilla NVA-GS1580FT that doubles as a car entertainment center and the portable 7-inch NV-SD750FT, as well as the 5.2-inch NV-SB510DT.

All three share Sanyo’s EcoDrive functionality that teaches drivers how to get the best fuel economy from their cars by changing their driving habits.

In addition, the new devices will reproduce MP3 and WMA audio files as well as JPEG photos stored on SD cards, with the NVA-SD750FT adding an optical drive to read and rip CDs, as well as play back DVDs.

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BusinessWeek: There’s a reason all those car ads on TV sound like personal-computer pitches. Automakers, aided by a slew of computer and consumer electronics players, are working hard to replicate in their vehicles the same kinds of integrated entertainment centers that car buyers have in their homes.

When Chrysler started working on its new minivan several years ago, its engineers, designers, and marketers spent days with minivan families, hanging out in their living rooms and riding around with them to better understand their lifestyles. After that, the designers loaded up the cabins with gadgets that sync with the car’s stereo: a choice of satellite TV and radio, video game systems, and a library of digital music.

Some luxury brands are going further, integrating Web-based traffic information as well as high-end entertainment into the stereo. Meanwhile, the consumer electronics industry is pushing car companies to make it easy for drivers to bring their own phones, iPods, and videos into the car—and not have all of these gizmos rattling around in cupholders or hanging off the windshield. The techies are also developing standards that will allow different technologies and services to be coordinated by one onboard computer and piped through the dashboard.

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SciFi: That plethora of wires connecting all of your gadgets to your car should be no more, at least if Venturi has anything to do with it. If it relates to your cellphone or audio player, the Venturi Mini can tackle the task at hand.

This small adapter plugs into the 12V DC adapter in your vehicle and can then connect to your cellphone and/or MP3 player for hands-free calling and audio streaming through your integrated car audio system via FM transmission. The Venturi Mini also includes a LCD display that will scroll song details or caller ID information. Don’t fret, wire junkies, the Venturi Mini also includes audio input jacks for directly connecting a portable media device and a USB port for charging.

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Electronista: Car audio specialist Alpine has just launched the B200 Blackbird II, the second generation of its unique GPS device. The revamp adds Bluetooth to the mapping unit and grants hands-free calling when the Blackbird is used either as a handheld device on foot or cradled in a windshield mount. It can still dock into Alpine’s double-sized IVA-W205 head-end unit to provide GPS navigation on a larger 6.5-inch screen without taking away from the receiver’s music or video playback functions.

A handful of software features are also new, Alpine says. A Traffic Events List mixes up the conventional approach to traffic warnings by sorting traffic problems by distance rather than just their order on the travel route. Searches for any of the preloaded 6 million points of interest can also be made by keywords rather than just by their names.

Voice direction, a 2D/3D split view, and playback of MP3 and WMA songs on removable SD cards (up to 4GB) translate from the original B100 Blackbird.

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