Learn: Home » The Touch-Screen That Touches You Back
The big picture
By all accounts, our summer vacation was a hit, thanks in part to the awesome flexibility of the IVA-D300. It allowed us to make the trip in peace. The kids watched Finding Nemo on the back-seat monitors, and up front we listened to XM satellite radio while viewing our navigation progress on-screen — that's three different sources, playing simultaneously, all easily controlled from the IVA-D300's touch-screen display.
So, next time someone asks why I would want an in-dash monitor that can't display video while driving down the road, I'll explain all that Alpine's first touch-screen Mobile Multimedia Station can do ? DVD, CD, AM/FM, MP3 and WMA, and easy integration with XM, navigation, rear-seat monitors and even a back-up camera!
If you're thinking of purchasing an in-dash monitor/DVD player, here are some of my final thoughts on the IVA-D300.
Pros:
- Powerful internal amplifier, which at 18 watts (CEA-2006) puts many other higher-rated (on paper) head units to shame.
- A very user-friendly on-screen interface, with a minimum of the distracting eye candy so prevalent on other DVD monitors.
- Direct menu access to DVDs. Just point to the menu selection you want — no scrolling up/down commands to access menu items.
- Easy system expansion from multiple connections on hide-away box.
Cons:
- Very limited control of the unit when the screen is closed, unless you purchase the optional remote.
- No external display when the screen is closed (though the screen is so cool looking open, I rarely leave it closed).
- Does not offer touch-screen control of Alpine's current GPS navigation system (though that's more the fault of the Nav than the IVA-D300).
