Learn: Home » The Touch-Screen That Touches You Back
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I've had almost the exact same conversation about a dozen times recently. The people and the words spoken were always unique, but without fail, the gist remained the same. It would sound something like this:
"Hey, isn't that one of those cool monitor/DVD players you have in the dash of your minivan there?"
"It sure is. It's the Alpine IVA-D300. Pretty nifty, eh? And by the way, it's not a minivan, it's an MPV."
"Yeah, whatever. Can you watch movies on it while you're driving down the road? I bet that helps keeps the kids in the back happy during trips, huh?"
"No, it's illegal to have video in view of the driver while the vehicle is in motion. You have to connect a couple of extra wires during installation, which block the DVD picture from the screen unless the emergency brake is engaged."
"What? You got all that, and you can't even watch movies on the screen when you're driving down the road? Then what's the point of having it?"
I usually then launch into a lengthy dissertation, lasting as long as the person's attention span (sometimes longer), extolling all that is good and righteous about the Alpine IVA-D300 DVD Mobile Media receiver. Here, for your benefit, is a brief summation.
PulseTouch™
Besides being Alpine's first ever touch-screen A/V receiver, the most unique feature of the IVA-D300 is the PulseTouch™ display technology. Introduced in January at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the unit garnered Tech TV's "Best of CES 2004," as well as the CES "Innovations" Design and Engineering award.
At the press of a button, the motorized 7" LCD panel emerges from the standard, single-DIN receiver chassis. Though touch-screen monitors are nothing new, this is the first to offer a unique "tactile" feedback. Alpine embedded piezoelectric elements within the screen that either expand or contract when pressure is applied, resulting in a perceptible "click" when the screen is touched. Though I haven't counted, Alpine indicates the screen is capable of creating eight different and unique types of feedback, depending on the screen and type of control touched. In addition to the tangible feedback, most buttons also elicit a slight audible feedback. Not quite a "beep", more like a subtle "boop." Say it out loud a few times, and you'll hear the difference (just make sure no one else is around while you try this).
The positioning of on-screen menus and controls is consistent across almost every source. This consistency, and the tactile feedback, makes it easy to control the IVA-D300 while keeping your eyes on the road ? not on the radio!
 Alpine's PulseTouch™ technology produces physical feedback that simulates the feel of pressing real buttons. |
I've had almost the exact same conversation about a dozen times recently. The people and the words spoken were always unique, but without fail, the gist remained the same. It would sound something like this:
"Hey, isn't that one of those cool monitor/DVD players you have in the dash of your minivan there?"
"It sure is. It's the Alpine IVA-D300. Pretty nifty, eh? And by the way, it's not a minivan, it's an MPV."
"Yeah, whatever. Can you watch movies on it while you're driving down the road? I bet that helps keeps the kids in the back happy during trips, huh?"
"No, it's illegal to have video in view of the driver while the vehicle is in motion. You have to connect a couple of extra wires during installation, which block the DVD picture from the screen unless the emergency brake is engaged."
"What? You got all that, and you can't even watch movies on the screen when you're driving down the road? Then what's the point of having it?"
I usually then launch into a lengthy dissertation, lasting as long as the person's attention span (sometimes longer), extolling all that is good and righteous about the Alpine IVA-D300 DVD Mobile Media receiver. Here, for your benefit, is a brief summation.
PulseTouch™
Besides being Alpine's first ever touch-screen A/V receiver, the most unique feature of the IVA-D300 is the PulseTouch™ display technology. Introduced in January at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the unit garnered Tech TV's "Best of CES 2004," as well as the CES "Innovations" Design and Engineering award.
At the press of a button, the motorized 7" LCD panel emerges from the standard, single-DIN receiver chassis. Though touch-screen monitors are nothing new, this is the first to offer a unique "tactile" feedback. Alpine embedded piezoelectric elements within the screen that either expand or contract when pressure is applied, resulting in a perceptible "click" when the screen is touched. Though I haven't counted, Alpine indicates the screen is capable of creating eight different and unique types of feedback, depending on the screen and type of control touched. In addition to the tangible feedback, most buttons also elicit a slight audible feedback. Not quite a "beep", more like a subtle "boop." Say it out loud a few times, and you'll hear the difference (just make sure no one else is around while you try this).
The positioning of on-screen menus and controls is consistent across almost every source. This consistency, and the tactile feedback, makes it easy to control the IVA-D300 while keeping your eyes on the road ? not on the radio!
