Not too long ago, videotapes and DVDs were the only viable options for in-car entertainment. Since broadcast satellite television signals became distorted when received by a moving antenna, television in cars was a dubious experience, filled with static and rolling pictures.
Companies tried for years to develop technology that would solve the problem. Receiving static-free, live television in automobiles seemed like an impossible task - until KVH Industries introduced its innovative TracVision A5 satellite television system.
KVH Industries, based in Rhode Island, has more than 10 years of experience designing and manufacturing parabolic dish-based satellite TV antennae for boats and recreational vehicles. Creating the DirecTV-compatible TracVision A5 was the next logical step for the company.
The TracVision A5 seeks, identifies, tracks and receives signals from the DirecTV satellite while the vehicle moves.
Rather than reflecting and collecting the signal at a single point, the TracVision A5 uses an array of 260 antenna elements across the surface of the antenna. A magnetic lens redirects and refocuses the signal onto the antenna elements, eliminating the need for the antenna to be perpendicular to the satellite signal.
At 5 inches high, the antenna mounts either to the vehicle's roof rack or directly to the roof. It is connected to the receiver by a single thin cable. The compact receiver can be stored virtually anywhere inside the vehicle.
The DirecTV remote control, programming guide and interface operate the same way as the programming to which subscribers are accustomed at home.
Capable of supporting all standard in-vehicle video systems, the TracVision A5 has a suggested retail price of $2,295 and is the only low-profile satellite TV system currently on the market.
To learn more about satellite television for your car, visit www.kvh.com.
