Clarion VRX288RUSB video head unit

By Graeme Lambert

27th September 2008

Devices that play films in cars are becoming increasingly popular – as long as you have lots of space in the console to mount the screen. Otherwise, it has to go in the rooflining, or on the back of a headrest.
Should none of those options suit you, however, there is now an alternative from multimedia specialist Clarion. It’s come up with a single-DIN unit that can be fitted into just about any vehicle’s dashboard.

While most rival products are double the height, the maker has still managed to squeeze a 3.5-inch colour LCD screen into the compact VRX288RUSB. The monitor enables viewers to watch their favourite movies, and the head unit supports DivX, the latest form of video compression.

The Clarion can read information from DVDs and CDs, as well as MP3, WMA and AAC files. It also has USB ports and direct Apple iPod control. Access to 255 folders is possible, and each of these supports up to 15,000 tracks.

The unit can be operated through the car’s steering-wheel controls, and it can broadcast telephone calls with the optional Bluetooth link. A rear view camera can be added, too. Audio is supplied through a 4x50W amplifier, as well as various equaliser settings and a separate subwoofer control.