HDMI’s “Time Has Come” in Car AV

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HDMI Credit: Monoprice

The car audio/video aftermarket is finally catching up with other consumer electronics categories and upgrading from standard analog connections, to new digital HDMI inputs in car video devices.

HDMI Credit: Monoprice
HDMI cable Credit: Monoprice

Pioneer says it will offer more HDMI products in the not too distant future.  And Kenwood says the market will gravitate toward HDMI.

Boss Audio is the latest to announce an overhead monitor with HDMI.     Last week Audiovox said it will offer overhead DVD/monitors followed by  headrest monitors with HDMI inputs in 2013.

Pioneer Marketing Director Ted Cardenas told us, “I think, yes, I can say there will be more HDMI products from Pioneer in the car space in the future; probably sooner, rather than later.”

Currently, Pioneer offers a limited-use HDMI input on its AppRadio 2 (it’s used only for connection to an Android phone, but it won’t work universally with other products).

Cardenas added, “What we all learned from Apple’s September announcement is that digital—because of its ability to have content protection for licensing—is certainly something we’ll all have to address in the future.  So HDMI and digital content protection is becoming a part of the car space…”

Senior VP Consumer Electronics at Kenwood,  Keith Lehmann said, “The promise of HDMI is really in its extreme bandwidth and delivery and what you could do with that in the future.” Kenwood, however, is not planning to show any HDMI devices at CES next month.

Sony said it is studying HDMI for the car.

With an HDMI connection a car radio screen can “mirror” images from a growing number of smartphones,  HDMI is one of the few methods of mirroring video from an iPhone 5.  Additionally, it permits a connection to a Blu-ray DVD player in the car.

Until now, most car audio products used analog composite or component video connections with a few exceptions from companies including ICON, Vizualogic and Intraphex.

Boss Audio’s new HDMI DVD/overhead monitor includes a 12.1-inch screen and it comes with interchangeable color shrouds in black, tan or gray.  Shipping is expected next month at a suggested retail price of $369.

Source: CEoutlook

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