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SEMA Mobile Electronics 2005: Jumpin' off the Hook!
SEMA Mobile Electronics 2005 continued a trend that has been prevalent over the past few years: The more the auto manufacturers up their game by making ultra-quality audio standard, the more the aftermarket responds.
Of the thousands of products, there were several that caught our eyes. First is for you big ballers rollin’ in SUVs. It’s called TracVision, and it brings the live video experience to a TV monitor in your ride. Using the latest in direct satellite technology, the TracVision scans the skies constantly for a radar lock on your favorite satellite channels. Unlike a home dish which is fixed on a satellite in the sky, mobile satellite receivers need the ability to change parameters to be able to lock on. TracVision uses military type components to accomplish this, so you don’t miss any highlights of T.O. trying (or is that crying?) to get his job back with the Eagles. The unit weighs a mere 45 pounds, and you are billed via your Direct TV service. Adding TracVision to your service means you’ll only pay (in addition to the cost of the receiver) a low $4.99 per month for all of the video feeds you can handle. Look for a TracVision unit soon to grace the roofline of an AR Project Vehicle. www.tracvision.com.
Lexus has stepped up to the plate with Mark Levinson high end audio. So what, Sony has fired a salvo back with their latest Xplod Specialty Series audio, guaranteed to “explode” any street party it’s invited to! The down and dirty on Xplod is real high tech. Witness their hottest piece of dash jewelry, the XAV-A1 A/V Center. This rig is a centerpiece of digital excellence, starting with a motorized 7” QVGA Monitor; fast response touch screen control; picture equalization; DVD R/RW/CD/CD-R/CD-RW and MP3 playback; front AV input for your Playstation; wireless remote; additional rear AV inputs; XM ready dedicated input, and 200-watt, four-channel power. Add to that a two-year warranty and what more could you ask for? Okay, you’re greedy. No problem, as Sony has Xplod amplifiers, additional video screens including a sweet portable flat screen unit you can detach and watch video on within 500 feet of your ride; and component speakers including body rumbling subwoofers. Still not done? Check out Sony’s incredible “Drag and Drive” Gigapanel MEX-1GP. Simply put, just attach the slim Sony faceplate to your PC, and drag those MP3 files to the MEX-1GP’s one gig hard drive, which can store about 500 MP3 and WMA files. HOT! Check out more fly Sony gear at www.sony.com/xplod.
Not to be outdone, Pioneer has also revamped their line. I remember back in the day, when a Pioneer cassette deck and some rear deck mounted 6x9s meant you were rocking the set. It’s still all good for Pioneer with a host of flat panel dash monitors and high powered gear. But what was really hot for Pioneer is their in dash receiver, the AVIC-Z1, that features intelligent in-car navigation, including real-time traffic information from XM Satellite Radio’s XM NavTraffic Service. Said Michael Townsen, director of marketing for mobile electronics at Pioneer, “The AVIC-Z1 fulfills the needs of millions of drivers searching for entertainment and information. It simultaneously functions as a route guidance system and entertains via DVD/CD/AM/FM/satellite radio. It also can synchronize with portable devices like cell phones and iPod players.” For you Star Trek types, the AVIC-Z1 is also Bluetooth compatible so you can wear your fly hands free headgear while using the cell phone interface. It also has a 10-30 gig hard drive to store thousands of music and video files. Check out the AVIC-Z1 at www.pioneerelectronics.com.
Now the beauty of SEMA is being able to check out static displays like those offered by Sony and Pioneer, and real world displays like those offered by none other than your boys at Automotive Rhythms. We flexed with our 2005 Phaeton “Signature Series” Show Car, tricked out with 20” Davin Speed 1s, Michelin rubber, a custom grill by E&G Classics and a sick audio system courtesy of JL Audio (amps & subs) and Audiobahn (screens & DVD Changer). We’ve got new speakers in our JL Audio Phaeton that expose the highs and lows of the audio spectrum. Need to go lower? Then hit the Phaeton key fob and watch the trunk lid glide open to reveal the latest JL Audio amplification and body shaking gear. The shaking comes in the form of a 12” subwoofer connected to dos JL amplifiers. A tailgating Audiobahn 7” screen is fitted within the trunk lid and two additional screens are set in the headrests. All wiring is neatly finished and the sound is incredible. We were able to keep the stock Phaeton head unit to control the system.
It was all good at SEMA with mobile electronics. Stay tuned for more as we flip AR project cars with the hottest audio.
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Pioneer Technology |
Pioneer's HUMMER |
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Pioneer |
Sony Style |
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Sony Shutting it Down |
Inside the Sony HUMMER |
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Rear of the Sony HUMMER |
More Sony |
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Brian Arstead & the Sony Angel |
Sony |
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AR VW |
AR VW tailgating |
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K. Rawlins & the XM F1 |
XM F1 |
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TracVision |
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