Comparison Kenwood LZ-7500 vs Kenwood LZ-612IR

Diagonal screen size of the car monitor in inches. The larger the screen, the larger the image on it and the easier it is to view it from a distance. At the same time, large displays require an appropriate amount of space for installation, which can be critical in cramped car interior conditions. And looking at a large screen up close is not always convenient.

For most types of auto monitors (see "Installation"), the diagonal from 7" to 10" is considered optimal. At the same time, ceiling models can significantly exceed this figure, reaching 15 "and even more. Devices for installation in a mirror, on the contrary, have small displays of 3-4" (more are not required for them). If the characteristics of the mirror monitor indicate a large screen of 7-10", most often this means a display elongated in width, the image on which is divided into 2-3 parts (for example, for simultaneous broadcasting from different parking cameras).

The car monitor has a touch screen, similar to those used in smartphones and tablets. Such a screen plays the role of a separate control body: you can give commands to the device by touching the icons on the display itself. This is often more convenient than using the "classic" buttons, in addition, it provides additional features — for example, working with special programs or even playing games (as on the same tablet).

— Bluetooth. A wireless communication technology designed to directly connect various devices to each other over a relatively short distance — on the order of several metres (although in specific cases the range can reach up to 100 m). There are many Bluetooth protocols, each of which is responsible for certain functions of a given connection; the set of these protocols (and, accordingly, functions) in different models of automonitors may be different. So, a fairly popular option is to use it as a hands-free car kit: for this, a mobile phone is connected to the monitor via Bluetooth, and the microphone and monitor speakers (or external speakers to which it is connected) are used during a conversation. This allows you to have a conversation without holding the phone in your hand, which makes it easier to drive. In addition, audio can be broadcast from a car monitor to wireless headphones / headsets (or vice versa, from an external device to a monitor), remote control from a smartphone, etc.

— FM transmitter. The car monitor has a built-in FM transmitter. If you have a car radio with an FM tuner (and it is installed in almost all radios), the transmitter makes it easy to output sound from the monitor to the car's speaker system: just set the radio's FM tuner to the frequency of the transmitter. Another option is to use a portable FM receiver or other gadget with an FM tuner (MP3 player, mobile pho...ne) as wireless headphones. The power of the FM transmitter is small (so as not to interfere with others), but it is enough for a distance of several metres.

— Built-in speakers. The car monitor has its own speaker or speakers. This function eliminates the need to connect the device to an external speaker system or use headphones, portable speakers and other similar equipment — you can play sound on the monitor itself. At the same time, the power of own speakers is usually low, which should be taken into account when installing in large vehicles such as buses.

— Plafond with backlight. The presence in the design of the automonitor of its own lighting lamps. This function is found only in ceiling type models (see "Installation"), as for their installation, it may be necessary to remove the regular lighting cover of the car. In this case, the monitor's own ceiling will replace it.

— Remote control. The presence of a remote control in the delivery set of the car monitor. This feature is useful primarily for passengers in the back seat: to control them, they do not have to reach for the buttons on the monitor case. Also note that if there are additional functions, it is often more convenient to control them on the remote control, and leave only basic adjustments on the panel of the monitor itself; this principle is often used in mid-range and top-end models.

— Connecting IR headphones. Possibility of using wireless headphones connected via infrared channel with the automonitor. The purpose of such headphones is similar to conventional wired ones (see "Outputs — Headphones"), however, they do not have the actual wire, which limits mobility and gets tangled under the arms, which makes it much more convenient. The range of the IR transmitter installed in the monitor is usually several metres. Among the disadvantages: IR headphones work only with line of sight, and also require their own power supply from batteries or accumulators, which have to be periodically changed or recharged. The headphones themselves most often need to be purchased separately, although in some models they may be included in the package.

— Auto-dimming mirrors. The presence in the car monitor of an automatic system that automatically dims the rear-view mirror if necessary. For obvious reasons, this feature is only found on mirror-mounted models (see "Installation"). The meaning of auto-dimming is to reduce the brightness of the intense light flux that enters the driver's eyes — for example, "dim" the powerful headlights of a car coming behind. In this way, not only can overall driving comfort be improved, but glare that could lead to an accident can also be avoided. This function is found in separately produced rear-view mirrors, but it is often more convenient (and cheaper) to equip a standard mirror with a monitor overlay.

— Connecting a remote antenna. An external antenna significantly improves the quality of radio and terrestrial TV reception. It should be taken into account that antenna designs differ not only for radio and TV, but also for different bands and formats in both cases. Therefore, you need to choose an external antenna, taking into account its intended purpose.

— AV input(composite). Combined input for connecting an external source of audio and/or video signal in analogue format to the car monitor. The full-size composite interface assumes the presence of 3 RCA connectors — one for video and two for the left and right audio channels. However, “stripped down” versions can also be found in auto monitors — for example, with 2 RCA connectors (video + monophonic sound) or even with one “tulip”, only for video transmission. In addition, in compact models (in particular, mounted instead of a mirror, see "Installation"), this input can use a 3.5 mm mini-Jack connector. Anyway, the composite interface is one of the most common, it is supported even by outdated video equipment, but it has rather modest characteristics and is unsuitable for working with HD video. However, the latter is critical only for the most large-format auto monitors — it is in them that high resolutions are found, the performance of smaller models is noticeably more modest.

— Linear. Analogue input for connecting an external audio source, such as a portable player or DVD player, to the car monitor. This allows you to broadcast sound either through the monitor's own speaker (if available, see "Features"), or through an audio system or headphones connected to it (see "Outputs").

— For reversing camera. Separate input for connection to the reverse...camera car monitor. Note that the name of these cameras is rather conditional, because. they can be installed not only at the rear, but also at the front or on the sides. Anyway, such devices help the driver to see dead zones that cannot be seen from the passenger compartment either directly or through the mirror. In this case, the “rear” camera usually turns on automatically when reverse gear is engaged, and the image from it is transmitted to the screen, regardless of what was shown there before (movie, splash screen, etc.). The camera input is only available on models designed for viewing from the driver's seat; most often it is found in car monitors with installation in a mirror, less often — in models for dashboards, and in isolated cases — in devices with a different type of installation (see "Installation"). To use the reversing camera effectively, you may need to use the “mirror image flip” function (see above for details).

— HDMI port. HDMI is actually the most popular modern audio and video interface. It provides the transmission of a signal in digital format and allows you to work with high-definition video (in the latest versions — ultra-high) resolution, as well as multi-channel audio. The presence of such an input in the car monitor makes it possible to connect various external signal sources to it — for example, laptops, for which an HDMI output is practically mandatory, or smartphones, in which this interface is also found.

— AV output(composite). An output for transmitting analogue audio and video from a car monitor, usually via cables with RCA connectors, but there are other options (for more details, see "Inputs — AV Input"). With this connection, the monitor itself plays the role of a signal source, and another device connected to the AV input plays it. For example, a model with a USB port (see "Multimedia") can be connected to a stationary TV with a larger screen, and the car monitor in this case will act as a media centre that provides playback from USB. The composite interface used in the AV outputs does not support multi-channel audio (maximum stereo) and cannot handle HD video; at the same time, it is extremely popular in video technology and is compatible with many outdated stationary TVs, including even kinescope ones.

— Linear. Output for transmitting analogue audio signal from the monitor to an external audio system — for example, portable acoustics. And if there is a linear input in the car radio, the sound can be broadcast through it to the car speakers. This connector is found even in models equipped with their own speakers (see "Features"): external equipment often provides better sound quality than the built-in one.

— Headphones. Output for connecting wired headphones to a car monitor; usually this is a standard 3.5 mm mini-jack, used in most modern "...ears" of all price categories. Headphones can be useful in situations where broadcasting sound to the entire cabin is undesirable — for example, if a small child sleeps in the car, or if the sound can distract the driver. In addition, they allow you to hear the sound from the monitor even if the main acoustics of the car are working in parallel. Thanks to this, you can simultaneously watch videos and listen to the radio — for example, if a child wants to watch cartoons on the road, and parents prefer music.