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..Gary Dretzka
..Noah Forrest
..Leonard Klady
..R.J. Matson
..David Poland
..Douglas Pratt
..Ray Pride
..Michael Wilmington

Among other dubious distinctions, the west side of Los Angeles has to be the SUV capital of the world.

Owning a sports-utility vehicle in the wilds of the 310-area code is one way the male of the species protects his wife and children against disoriented mule deer, marauding coyotes and loose shopping carts. It's also a polite way of pointing out to the hoi polloi, "I have more money than you, so get the hell out of my way."

And, of course, now that Saddam Hussein has been captured - and the price of a gallon of premium is below $2 -- it's officially OK to waste fossil fuels, again. Indeed, it's one of the inalienable rights our brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan are fighting to protect.

So, what the hell?

As the 2003 holiday-buying season enters the home stretch - as they say in Seabiscuit - the DigiNation column would like to offer a last-minute gift idea for those of you who can't think of a single thing to give the SUV driver in your life. And, the great thing about it is that this truly wonderful product currently is only practical for owners of the biggest and baddest of all such vehicles.

I'm talking about the KVH TracVision A5 in-motion satellite-television system.

That's right, Bubba: now you can enjoy the convenience of DirecTV in the luxurious confines of your very own Escalade or Navigator. And, better yet, the in-car-entertainment appliance is so new to the high-tech marketplace that it's unlikely your neighbor will have one … unless they, like you, are regular readers of Movie City News (another priceless benefit of the Internet).

Along with low-riders and other members of the street-racing community, SUV owners have been among the first Americans to fully embrace the concept of turning their vehicles into mobile multiplexes. In addition to in-dash video monitors - essential for hip-hop musicians and their posses - today's well-dressed automobiles are equipped with all manner of drop-down and in-cushion video screens, 5.1 audio systems and drop-dead lighting systems.

The A5 is a low-profile disc, which rests between the rails of a SUV's luggage rack, and adds 300-plus channels of digital television and 50 streams of commercial-free music to that mix. Like XM and Sirius satellite radio, the crystal-clear signals move with the automobile, and are only disrupted by time spent in long tunnels and porte-cocheres of ostentatious hotels and mansions. Otherwise, it's possible to watch all six hours of Angels in America, while driving to San Francisco or Phoenix, or to NFL games … or, depending on who's controlling the remote, you could switch between the two during commercials and half-times.

And, get this, current DirecTV subscribers can add the in-car service to their bills on the company's very reasonable "extra room" plan.

Five years ago, in-car video entertainment was pretty much limited to battery-powered GameBoys and tiny televisions. Portable DVD players were prohibitively expensive, and even the Energizer bunny tended to wear down after an hour.

Before long, though, manufacturers of after-market technology devised convenient ways to hook into a car's electronic system, and began testing the water for video monitors that could be affixed to the ceilings of SUVs or stashed in the various nooks and crannies behind a vehicle's front seat. Kids could play Nintendo or watch DVDs, and not concern themselves with such trivia as, "When are we getting there?" In fact, it no longer was an issue.

Within two years, mobile entertainment became a concept whose time had come. It was affordable, easy to install and very, very cool.

The public not only demonstrated a willingness to accommodate in-car theater systems, but consumers also kept coming up with new ways of their own to exploit digital technology. Trunk-based sound systems competed with those in the best discos, and family vans could be outfitted with systems that allowed one passenger to watch a movie while another was playing a video game.

Owners of yachts and RVs were the first to benefit from disc receivers from KVH, which maintain a steady video and audio signal using gyroscopes and other techie doodads. The KVH TracVision A5 eliminates the need for the kind of south-facing, vertically mounted dish receiver, commonly used by truckers and RV owners. The A5 connects to the DirecTV receiver, tucked in the rear of the car, by a single cable.

Other than the roof antenna, the system that was installed in the company's promotional Navigator at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show, in Las Vegas, was similar to those found in the homes of millions of DirecTV and Dish subscribers. In another couple of months, some mobile receivers will come complete with TiVo recordability.

The system currently sells for $3,500-4,000, installed, and is initially intended to impress the same folks who already can afford luxury SUVs. (Early adopters always pay the freight for R&D and marketing.)

The A5 was one of the centerpiece attractions unveiled last month as part of an automotive fashion show, at the Al & Ed's Autosound in West Hollywood. Ten four-wheeled models, wearing $600,000 worth of high-tech accessories, lined up in front of the outlet, at the intersection of La Cienega and Santa Monica Boulevards, along historic Route 66. The display served both as a preview of the upcoming SEMA and an opportunity to tease car-crazy consumers ahead of the holiday rush hour.

The automobiles, among them a Tahoe, Escalade, F-150 truck and Ferrari 465, were sporting equipment deemed worthy of inclusion on Mr. Mobile Electronics' top-10 list of "must-have mobile electronics."

"The list had to be inclusive of anyone who spends time in a car, from soccer moms, to commuters, to car fanatics," said Mr. Mobile Electronics' alter ego, John Haynes. "Commuters, for instance, now spend more time listening to music on their rides to and from work, than they do at home."

To afford these "must-have" products, admits the purchasing manager for Al & Ed's, those commuters will need very deep pockets. None comes cheap.

As one might expect, given the recent revolution in in-car entertainment systems, the list is weighted toward the latest in audio-video equipment. It includes the Terk Commander system for XM satellite radio (although Sirius systems are virtually identical, and priced in the same $199-250 range); the KVH TracVision A5; eye-level entertainment systems that replace factory headrests with ones incorporating LCD monitors, and separate controls ($1,500); and all-in-one overhead systems with 7- and 9-inch wide-screen monitors ($1,000-2,000).

Safety devices on the list included unobtrusive reverse-sensing discs that accurately measure the distance a bumper's surface is to objects behind vehicle, and warns the driver with a variable chorus of beeps ($600-800). Almost all SUV drivers could benefit, as well, from a tiny panoramic camera that switches on automatically when the vehicle is placed in reverse, and feeds images into a split-screen monitor built into a special after-market rear-view mirror ($700-1,000).

Haynes recommends two new security systems, from Clifford, which allow an owner to monitor the whereabouts of a vehicle, via the Internet and GPS, even if the current driver (a son, daughter or employee, for instance) has no intention of taking it to a chop shop. If the driver is a thief, the owner can pinpoint the vehicle's location with a 200C GPS Locator, and, unlike LoJack customers, help any law-enforcement agency recover it in flight ($800).

The Clifford Matrix 3.5 system gives customers the ability to stay connected to and in control of their vehicles at all times, and use a remote device to control the locks, ignition and interior temperature ($600). If the Matrix is installed with the 200C, it can use a telephone or Internet command to disable the car or lock its doors).

Magellan's RoadMate 700 Portable GPS uses voice and visual signals to guide motorists to their destinations, and around trouble. Because the hand-held device comes with a built-in map and tourist-information database, it can be used right out of the box, and without a computer download ($1,100). It's easily attached to the heating vents, and can be removed as often as its owner desires.

The K40 Undetectable Radar/Laser System can be installed in nooks and crannies of a vehicle's front and rear end, where police or burglars might not bother to look for such devices. An optional LaserDiffuserPlus can instantly detect a laser signal and render it useless ($1,300-2,000).

"We're all about safety, and don't advocate breaking speed limits," said Haynes, careful not to acknowledge the generally accepted reason for desiring such appliances. "Sometimes these detectors can serve as a warning to drivers they're going too fast, and ought to slow down."

He also stressed that his company has a strict policy against installing video monitors in ways that permit motorists to bypass automatic electronic cut-offs, and watch the screen while they're driving. It's illegal to re-wire a vehicle in such a manner, and, by creating such a magnetic distraction, effectively negates every other safety device installed at the factory.

Finally, Haynes recommends the Nextel Blackberry 6510 personal digital assistant, which is the first of the company's hand-held devices to integrate its vocal-command ability with Nextel's walkie-talkie feature and such conveniences as e-mail, phone, wireless Internet access and organizer applications ($349). It doesn't have to be used in a car or truck, but is far more portable than a similarly equipped laptop.

When it comes to introducing mobile-electronics devices into the marketplace, companies that cater to the lucrative automotive "after-market" often set the standard for the industry for years to come. For the last two decades, at least, manufactures have opted to play catch-up.

"The basic principle of the after-market is that whatever has been installed also can be taken out, improved and replaced," said Haynes, in an interview conducted after the SEMA show, at the Al and Ed's North Hollywood store. "Manufacturers of original equipment (OEMs) are driven by the after-market, which is driven by consumers."

For instance, he pointed out, costumers who lease their primary vehicle are starting to look at headrest-entertainment systems from Visualogic, because the cushions can be made to match the headrests in any make or model of automobile. The monitors, though, are larger and of better quality than those available at dealers.

When a lease is over, the original equipment can be re-installed, and the Visualogic product can used modified to fit the replacement automobile for a fraction of the original price.

Automobile manufacturers are getting savvier, Haynes acknowledges, and may soon figure out a way to make in-dash equipment too difficult and inconvenient to replace. It's unlikely, though, that they'll be able to make available the wide variety of gadgets and gizmos demanded by the public, and personalize them in an affordable way.

Looking ahead a few years, Haynes expects to see audio systems that include TiVo-like recording devices, high-definition and Internet-audio radio, DVD players that can warehouse movies in the same way that iPods store music, and radios that tell listeners where certain records and products are most readily available. Even so, without better coordination between manufacturers of after-market equipment, automakers and government regulators, American consumers will have to wait for appliances and applications already commonly used by motorists around the world.

Al & Ed's AutoSound celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2004, and has more than 30 stores in southern California (www.al-eds.com). Because it is one of the premier retailers in the country, Al & Ed's often gets products before they're even introduced at the CES. Comparison pricing is always recommended when considering electronics and automotive equipment. Information on the A5 can be accessed at www.tracvision.com.

- by Gary Dretzka

December 16, 2003