New Generation of ICE from Pioneer

At one time, it was only radio broadcasts you could listen to while driving. Then came the 6-channel cassette tape players, followed quickly by the standard cassette. When CDs became more and more popular, the manufacturers began to offer CD players and from a selection of 20 or so songs, you could now have double that number. And if you used a CD-changer, you could get a few hundred songs to choose from, more than enough for a trip outstation.

So far, it’s been audio technology that has come to the car but as electronic devices shrink in size, it becomes possible to also incorporate them in the car. Many concept cars today suggest what we will be able to enjoy in cars before long but some devices are already available now.

Pioneer is already offering a range of audio-visual (AV) equipment for cars with the latest being the AVX-P7300DVD, a sophisticated DVD player (which also plays standard CDs and VCDs) that includes a 7-inch wide TFT active-matrix LCD colour screen and built-in MPEG2/1 decoder.

The LCD screen features Pioneer’s latest enhancements including an anti-glare low-reflection coating that diffuses external light and suppresses glare. There’s also an auto-dimmer which assesses ambient lighting conditions, brightening the screen when it’s bright daylight outside and dimming it in the evening.

For greater flexibility, the IP-bus head unit and IP-bus input/output allows connection of the system to a multi-channel AV master unit and TV tuner. There’s also a DVD output to enable connection to another monitor. Needless to say, any monitor installed should be for the viewing of the passengers and not the driver for obvious safety reasons.

Security of the system is said to be ‘revolutionized’ by Pioneer with the detachable face security unit that has a flashing LED. However, from the description provided, it is unclear how this system differs from that of others which also have detachable head units that leave behind an inconspicuous black panel.

For convenience, owners can attach an optional joystick remote controller to the AVX-P7300DVD which will allow easy manipulation of the player as well as the LCD screen.

Understanding that in-car entertainment systems are subjected to harsher conditions (bumps, high temperatures, etc) than home system, Pioneer’s car AV systems are all engineered tougher and have anti-dust features as well as better absorption of vibrations.

Also announced this month is the Pioneer SCV-P7, a more affordably priced successor to the XDV-P9. This latest model features a built-in MPEG2/1 decoder, 96kHz/24-bit DAC, an LCD display with LED backlight, and a remote sensor which enables it to function as a stand-alone player.

The SDV-7 is a 1-DIN unit which means it can slot into the minimum-sized industry-standard slot on the dashboard. Alternatively, it can be mounted under the seat or in any other location that is convenient. Wherever it is installed, the joystick remote control provides easy access to the functions.

AV fanatics will appreciate the optical digital output for AV entertainment master unit. This provides 5.1 channel surround (DTS/Dolby Digital) for superior sound reproduction in a perceived 360-degree environment.