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Outfit your car’s ceiling with a viewing screen that produces great video and takes up minimal space by choosing an overhead vehicle monitor from a top brand.

On long road trips, a good multimedia setup can be a big deal. Even among friends and family, you can only make chit-chat for so long. Overhead flip-down monitors for vehicles are a practical way for travelers to enjoy a movie or TV show. These monitors hang from the ceiling so several people at once can get a good view. When they’re not in use, they fold right up to give the driver an unobstructed rearview. Entertain your passengers without having to say a word by hooking up a flip-down video monitor from OnlineCarStereo.com.

Looking for the best hanging vehicle monitors anywhere? You’ll find them here. We’re an authorized dealer of respected brands such as Soundstream Navigation, Power Acoustic, Pyle Farenheit and Concept. Their products are more than just a viewing screen — they’re a full mobile entertainment system that you can take on the go. Almost all of them have a built-in DVD player, and others have HDMI, USB, SD card or wireless inputs for your choice of video. Watch them on a crystal-clear LED or LCD screen with movie theater quality. Screen sizes range from 9-inch and 10-inch small flip-down monitors for compact cars to large 17-inch ceiling monitors that are perfect for vans, SUVs and RVs.

Our selection of flip-down widescreen monitor multimedia systems has the right one for your vehicle at a great price. Most include an IR remote control to easily adjust the volume or pause the action, and some have accent trim lights to improve screen visibility at night. If only some of the carload wants to watch a movie, get an overhead monitor system with wireless headphones for distraction-free viewing. Select the features you want or call our experts for advice on which system will turn your car into the perfect theater. We provide lifetime tech support for your multimedia needs.

Car top LED displays are made from no toxic gases like argon or mercury, and they are recyclable. Alibaba.com has a wide range of LED top that range from color to light, and a car top display is made from glass, mercury, and recyclable materials. LEDs are easy to clean and maintain a source of light, such as a car top display and a car top LED display are suitable for cars and are made from recyclable materials. Having a variety of car top LED lights will allow users to choose the color and style of the car according to their preferences.

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Over the last decade or so, more and more of our interaction with our cars has been through a screen on the dashboard. The BMW screen -- the focal point of the iDrive navigation system -- lets you see vehicle information, navigation directions, messages and more. As time has gone on, the list of things you"ll find on the iDrive menu has increased, meaning more time spent staring at the dashboard display.

With the BMW iDrive screen being so important to your in-car experience, it"s worth getting to know a little more about it. So what types of BMW vivid screens are there? How do you protect and maintain it? And what aftermarket or OEM BMW screen upgrades and navigation screen replacements are available if you need it?

Like the screens on our phones, computers and TVs, BMW improves the screen technology in its central information display with each generation of vehicles. Compared to the screens in older models, today"s are larger and sharper, and often feature advanced features, like touchscreen control.

These screen improvements were quick to find their way to BMW"s premium models, but enthusiasts of the more mainstream vehicles often had a long wait to enjoy the latest and greatest features.

The screens in most modern BMWs stand upright from the top of the dashboard, but BMW has used a few different designs through the years. In many older vehicles, like the E65 7 Series or E60 5 Series, the screen was embedded in the dashboard itself. A small number of vehicles, like the E87 1 Series, even offered a flip up screen that could fold down into the top of the dash.

The most obvious change to BMW"s screens has been the size. The earliest iDrive screens were 6.5" -- roughly the same size as the largest iPhones or Samsung Notes. Making do with a screen the size of a phone had obvious consequences; cramped menus, poky navigation maps and a generally underwhelming experience were hallmarks of the early iDrive experience.

To remedy this, an improved BMW panoramic screen was available with higher-end navigation options. A size bump to 8.8" meant a lot more screen real estate. As these screens also took on a wide-screen aspect ratio, the space could be used more effectively. For example, iDrive split screen options allow using navigation and music side-by-side, for extra convenience.

More recently, BMW went on to introduce a larger 10.25" wide-screen display. Though initially reserved only for premium models, in the current generation it can be found in vehicles throughout BMW"s catalog. With more screen space than earlier versions, the 10.25" display is popular with people who make heavy use of their iDrive system, including CarPlay, video playback and other features.

The premium place previously occupied by the 10.25" has now been taken up by an even larger 12.3" screen, found in some of the latest vehicles like the G05 X5.

BMW has also added touchscreen control to its information displays in recent years. Like larger screens, these were first found in high-end models, but have since spread to more mainstream vehicles. Most of the latest generation have touchscreen control either as standard, or as an optional extra.

Our NBT Evo ID5/ID6 retrofit comes with a 8.8” or 10.25” BMW touch screen as an optional add-on for those vehicles that were equipped with an OEM touch screen from the factory. The 8.8” touch screen option may be available for F2x and F3x BMWs, while a 10.25” touch screen is on offer for F15, F16, G30 or G31 vehicles. Still, it’s always important to check your vehicle compatibility beforehand. Decode your VINhereand see if BMW touch screen could be an option for your car.

The latest BMW screen feature, gesture control, allows drivers to control select iDrive functions with the use of hand gestures captured by a 3D camera. If you’d like to activate it in your car, remember that only G-Series models are equipped with this function. Gesture control premiered in 2015 with the coming of the G11/G12 7 Series BMW, which included an NBT Evo ID6 iDrive, and nowadays can be found in almost every BMW with the newest MGU head unit.

Which screen you"ll have in your vehicle depends not only on what year it"s from, but also which model it is and what navigation option you have. Unsurprisingly, luxury models with premium navigation options are going to have bigger screens, and they"ll get extra features quicker.

In the 3 Series F30, for example, all vehicles with the basic Business navigation had the smaller 6.5" screen, while vehicles with Professional navigation system had the larger 8.8" screen. The only major change through the model run was the addition of touch screen control for the larger screen starting from the 2018 model year.

By 2018, the 7 Series had already had a touchscreen for two years, along with a larger 10.25" display. A 10.25" non-touchscreen display was also available in the F10 5 Series throughout production, starting in 2010. It would take the launch of the G20 3 Series in 2019 for fans of BMW"s more compact model to get the option of a similarly sized screen in their own cars.

If you’re preparing for an iDrive screen replacement you have several choices - either change it along with a full head unit replacement or get a standalone screen upgrade such as VividScreen or Panoramic Screen. See which option will suit you best.

No iDrive upgrade brings so much technology and convenience as this one.NBT Evo ID5/ID6 retrofit comes with loads of multimedia features already activated, like CarPlay,Video & Services in motion,BMW Apps, etc., and most importantly features a high-definition screen.

However, when retrofitting your BMW with a new iDrive system, it"s worth remembering that the screens available to you depend on your model, not the iDrive system you"re upgrading to. BimmerTech"sNBT Evo ID5/ID6 retrofit kitscome with 8.8" and 10.25" screens, either with or without touchscreen capability. Checking the screen(s) available for your vehicle is easy:

The fact that one iDrive system can potentially include a variety of different screen sizes sometimes means it"s possible to upgrade your screen size -- for example from 6.5" to 8.8" -- without changing any other hardware. OurPanoramic Screen retrofit for BMW F30et you step up your screen size without having to replace your whole iDrive system.

Up for a standalone BMW iDrive screen replacement? If you want to change your factory screen for one with twice or more the resolution, BimmerTech’sVividScreenandPanoramic Screen upgradeare the retrofits you can’t overlook. Both of those displays are, all in all, quite similar to each other, yet each of them comes with different kit components that fit separate technology upgrades.

The latest 8.8” 1280x480 BMW screen replacement provides noticeably better image quality compared to the factory screen, as it doubles or even triples its pixel density. Plus, it significantlyenhances the quality of the image and contrast while viewing. VividScreen is also designed to resemble the factory screen to perfectly match your BMW interior, so you shouldn’t worry about fitting it in the car. But what’s especially convenient about this BMW navigation screen replacement, is the fact that it comes with an inbuiltMultimedia Interface (MMI) module, which supports ourSmartView mirroring devicesand ourRear & Front View cameras. This means, if you’re compatible, you can get them all for a much lower price.

However, if you want to retrofit CarPlay in your BMW, VividScreen is NOT an option for you. The only screen matching ourCarPlay upgradeis a BMW Panoramic Screen upgrade.

OurPanoramic Screen upgrade, just like the VividScreen, packs a sharp 1280x480 display, OEM quality and spot-on integration with your BMW"s interior. It also comes in two screen sizes:

Although this BMW iDrive screen replacement doesn’t have it’s own MMI module, it will be a perfect fit for our CarPlay MMI Prime, if you want to add one. Pairing up the CarPlay retrofit with Panoramic Screen will enable you to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in full-screen, with a lot more space for your icons, messages and maps.

BMW Panoramic Screen installation will require some coding to optimize your iDrive for the bigger display, so right after you add it to your head unit remember to schedule a remote coding session with our BimmerTech technician. The session is included in the price of the retrofit.

If your iDrive screen is flickering or frozen, and no iDrive screen fixes are working, it could be necessary to replace it. If you do decide to, either because your iDrive screen is not working or you just want to change to a larger version, it"s one of the easier DIY projects you can do.

As the internal trim in each model differs, how to change your iDrive screen will depend on your vehicle. However, in general you will only need to remove the air vents below the display to allow access to the screws connecting the screen to the dashboard. With that done, the screen is attached with a simple wiring harness, which can easily be unplugged. Connecting the replacement is just as easy, and requires no soldering or wire cutting. The entire process can be completed in up to an hour.

When replacing your iDrive screen with a larger one, it"s important to remember the difference between the aspect ratio of the smaller 6.5" screen and the 8.8" or 10.25" wide-screen display. Without adjusting your iDrive, the picture on the screen will be stretched to fill the wider screen.

Depending on your vehicle and factory system, it may be possible to code your iDrive to correct the screen resolution and remove stretching. When possible, BimmerTech offers this service with all screen upgrades.

One advantage of having one of the bigger BMW iDrive screens is the possibility to use split-screen mode, to show two different things on the screen at once. For example, you might want your navigation directions on one side, with the current radio station on the other.

One time you might not want to split your screen is when using Apple CarPlay. In vehicles that support it, BMW uses a split-screen CarPlay interface by default, keeping a section on the right of the screen back for the iDrive system.

What this means in reality is just less space for your CarPlay interface, and as CarPlay makes it easy to toggle between navigation, music and messages, you might prefer to go all in on CarPlay.

In many vehicles it"s possible to unlock full-screen Apple CarPlay by coding your iDrive, which can be done via USB or in a coding session with a skilled technician. To find out how to code BMW CarPlay full-screen mode and whether it"s available for your vehicle, take a look at ourBMW iDrive coding options.

Coding is a great way to unlock other screen features, too. Activating the USB Video Player option makes it easy to watch videos on your iDrive screen, and with the Video in Motion option, your passengers will even be able to watch as you drive. For business rather than pleasure, you can also switch to showing full text messages on the dashboard display, or your choice from dozens more iDrive options.Learn more about BMW iDrive coding, and how it can help you put the growing screens in the latest vehicles to good use.

In some BMWs, you can even get videos, messages, navigation and more straight from your Android mobile phone. The Android Screen Mirroring feature lets you cast your phone"s display to your iDrive, and get your favorite apps on your BMW dashboard screen. In many of the latest vehicles, it"s available as a coding option from BimmerTech, and is just one way toconnect your mobile phone and iDrive system.

If coding an Android Screen Mirroring feature is not for you, there are some other ways you can add an iDrive screen mirroring functionality to your vehicle. Our screen mirroring retrofits will make it possible to have your phone content mirrored onto your head unit display, but also play videos from the most popular VOD platforms on your iDrive screen.

If you’re a loyal Apple owner and don’t plan on changing your iPhone for an Android supported system any time soon, you may find ourSmartView HD Apple TV3orSmartView HD Apple TV4a spot-on screen mirroring solution.These retrofits are also the only ones to enable video streaming from the most popular VOD platforms, such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu or Amazon Prime, and fit perfectly with our BMW VividScreen upgrade.

In case you’d like to mirror both Android and Apple devices,ourCarPlay MMI Prime retrofitwould be your go-to products, with the latter adding a whole new infotainment experience to your vehicle.

Current-generation iDrive screens are exposed, with a special coating to prevent damage and ensure good visibility in all light conditions. However, that does mean it"s important to take good care of the screen, to prevent scratches and other damage.

Even routine maintenance can cause problems if you don"t know how to clean the BMW iDrive screen properly. Repeated rubbing with a rough cloth or harsh chemicals can wear away the anti-glare coating or cause scratches. It"s important to always use a soft microfiber cloth when wiping your iDrive screen, along with distilled water or high-quality, dedicated screen cleaning solution.

Whether you"re looking to replace your iDrive screen, upgrade your hardware, or just make a few changes to help you make the most of your dashboard display, our expert team is on hand to help you find the right upgrades and retrofits for you.Get in touchand we"ll be happy to help.

The same as mobile phones starting with Apple iPhone in 2007, all these rapid changes in automotive displays come from the development of multi-touch capacitive touchscreen technology.

Touchscreen display has the simple design and mount, open-source software, low pricing tooling of OEM , low power consumption,  besides HMI (Human Machine Interface) provide great user experience like mobile phones. Now, all the automakers, BMW, Tesla, Benz, Ford, GM etc. are designing more and more touch sensors in their vehicles.

All of us have a tendency to treat the driver"s seat as our personal throne. That"s where we"re in our element, so we get comfortable—and complacent. Whether our fingers were last tapping on our phone screen, grasping the handle of a wrench, or carefully unwrapping a half-melted Hershey bar, we all tend to jump in, tune the radio, adjust the AC, and set a destination on the nav screen—all without first washing our hands.

And if you have a family? Other drivers use the car and its touchscreen, too. Of course, kids can"t resist touching any kind of screen, ever, and who knows where those tiny fingers have been? All parents have swiped their car"s touchscreen and felt... mystery muck. Yuck.

Touchscreens are likely one of the dirtiest, most germ-covered surfaces of any automobile. Sure, your dash gets dusty and your floorboard accumulates (a disturbing amount of) trash. However, it"s that dash-mounted screen that gets the most fingers, and therefore germs, on it.

Not necessarily. Many typical household glass cleaners contain either ammonia or alcohol. Most manufacturers recommend avoiding harsh chemicals on touchscreens, as they can affect functionality and perhaps damage the surrounding dashboard.

Sure, it"s cheaper and easier to use plain ol" Windex or Glass Plus, mainly because you"ve probably already got that stuff. Despite the temptation, though, you should avoid using household glass cleaner on your car"s touchscreen unless you"re positive the one you"re using contains neither ammonia nor alcohol. Besides, you may already own a great screen cleaner and not realize it.

Many modern automotive detailing products, including Chemical Guys Interior Cleaner and Meguiar"s Total Interior Detailer, are safe and effective to use on your car"s touchscreen. Read the label to be sure.

The fact is, there"s an even less expensive method to clean your car"s touchscreen, no products required—except a microfiber towel. (Again, you want to avoid scraping dust particles across the surface of your touchscreen to prevent scratches, so always use a clean microfiber towel.)

Many of the experts and gearheads in our Hearst Autos test garage told us they rarely use any kind of cleaner on their personal touchscreens. Up and down the line, those who saw us testing and photographing screen cleaners—we"re talking about people whose opinions we trust and whose bylines our readers know and respect—told us that whenever they get behind the wheel, they just drip a bit of water onto a clean microfiber towel, and wipe. Done.

As a parent, however, I"m left asking the question: Will a simple water wipe eliminate germs in the family SUV? Yeah, no. Sorry, but knowing my children, and the impressive but disgusting level of filth they can achieve, I"m going to use a cleaning agent on my car"s touchscreen.

To get to the bottom of whether car screen cleaners were truly necessary, we used a very scientific methodology. That is, we got our fingers and hands dirty, and touched the heck out of a screen in a test vehicle in the Hearst Autos stable. We let it dry for a while, and then cleaned it according to the product"s instructions. We did that five times.

We first made sure all the products did the job they claimed to do—and they all did. The wipes left droplets on the screen, which required a second wipe with a microfiber. But they all cleaned the chocolate and grease off the screen, leaving it clean and clear.

While using, we looked for any greasy film or residue left behind. We also considered any particularly strong odors, and took note of cleaners that left residual streaks. Most did, but all came away clean with a soft buff—that is to say, a few more gentle wipes with the microfiber towel.

Word to the wise: Don"t discount a screen cleaner because it leaves streaks on your screen. Take your time and do it right. We noticed far too many people online complaining that the product they used wasn"t some sort of magical solution that cleaned perfectly with just one wipe. All screen cleaners—all glass cleaners, really—will streak unless you take the time and care to give the surface a soft buff at the end of the process.

With a combined 206 years of automotive publishing experience, Hearst Autos—Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Autoweek—knows cars better than just about anyone. The Gear Team is committed to delivering honest evaluations, hands-on tests, and product reviews driven by decades of knowledge and experience. We get our hands on almost every product, tool, and piece of gear we feature.

If we can’t get our hands on the gear, we rely on the combined wisdom of our writers and editors, as well as auto experts we trust. We’ll never say anything is “the best” if we wouldn’t recommend it to our friends or buy it ourselves, and we won’t claim we’ve tested something if we haven’t. Learn more about our product testing here.

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Now I know that at first glance cars and especially car HUDs (Head-Up Displays) may not seem that interesting to the average Joe, but I promise you there is a lot more than meets the eye and I am not saying that just because I am a petrol head.

You see, for a long time, cars and car technology stagnated. While the rest of the world advanced into the information age our trusty transportation machines were stuck in the past. That is until recently when technology in the automotive world skyrocketed. Of course, the main innovation is the electric cars spearheaded by Elon Musk and Tesla.

Now I believe we are seeing a renaissance of sorts, with new technologies coming out every year. I am not talking about just electric power, there is also hydro and on a smaller scale the HUDs. Now I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that cars will regain their lost popularity sooner rather than later. Especially as all these new innovations become more and more affordable.

So what is a heads-up display exactly? A head-up display or automotive head-up display basically presents data in such a way that the driver does not have to look away from the road. Think of it like holograms in a video game or rather just think of it as a first-person shooter. You know how there is the health bar and armor off to the side when you are playing Doom for example? Yeah, this is the same thing but it’s for cars. On the HUD you can see your speed, GPS, weather, and even time — because who carries a watch anymore, just look at your car.

As this technology advances, I have a feeling that the old-school dashboard will disappear entirely and everything you need will be displayed on your windshield. Just like in sci-fi video games. So essentially, if you want to feel like you are in the future just buy a car with a HUD.

But enough about that, let’s travel back to the past for a bit. Head-up displays are actually not that new – pilots have been using them for decades and so have astronauts. But just recently they have been adopted by the automotive industry right? Well not exactly. The first HUD for a car was developed by General Motors way back in 1988. At the time they looked nothing like they do today and of course, they were not as advanced but they were there if you wanted one. While the first-ever HUD was installed on the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, General Motors offered it as an additional add-on on the Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix before becoming more widely available.

More recently, in 2012 to be precise, the Pioneer Corporation introduced a navigation heads-up display. This system projects a HUD in place of the driver’s visor. It gives you an idea of the road ahead by displaying AR (Augmented Reality) animations and this is just the beginning. HUD displays can offer anything from a speed monitor to night vision, even. If you have ever had to struggle with driving on a seemingly empty road at night, you would know how exciting that last bit is. Whether you are a petrol head or just an average Joe the car heads up display is here to stay.

So that is a HUD display. But did you know there are different types? My granddaughter says it reminds her of Pokemon, honestly I don’t see it but then again the only one I know is that yellow rat. Well not really, but there are 3 different evolutions. The most common and the most comfortable is the in-car HUD display; this version simply displays the needed information on the windshield via augmented reality. Personally, this is my favorite type and the one that I think will become most popular in the future. Then we have the HUD apps; Most cars still don’t come with a pre-installed HUD. Instead, you need to spend a little extra for that feature or you can get around it by simply downloading an app. Finally, we have the third-party options; these guys essentially work the same way as your HUD app.

Of course, all of them have advantages and disadvantages but I would like to start with my least favorite. The heads-up display apps are not that great, they don’t work well, and at times it’s hard to see the details, not to mention that there is the risk of your phone sliding off the dashboard. But you can download the apps for free and if you already have a car, you probably have a phone as well. The third-party GPS heads-up displays are essentaly a better version of the apps. They are small boxes that attach to your dashboard. They have a transparent shield attached to them and that’s where the AR information is displayed. However, for me, the whole point of a HUD is to keep your eyes on the road. With these third-party options, you still have to look away to check your stats. Finally, there is the windshield one. The best option by far and the most expensive one, but at least it’s the most comfortable to use and you won’t have to take your eyes off the road. But that’s just my opinion. I would like to hear what you think.

The VGEBY HUD is a simple display that can adapt to any car with either an OBDII or EUOBD (On-Board Diagnostic System). The display itself is 5.5 inches long and can display a wide variety of parameters. You have your speedometer, your fuel consumption, and even water temperature among others.

What’s more, you can freely switch between km and miles as you see fit. Not only that but the device has an automatic option, so it will power on when you start the car and of course stop when it’s time to leave the road. Oh, you think we are done with the features? Well, you would be wrong. This particular car HUD also has an engine alarm that will let you know when you are speeding. You can switch it off whenever you would like, though.

All amazing features, however, the heads up display is a bit lacking. Although there is a feature for adjusting the brightness, it does not do such a good job. There have been complaints where people were unable to make out what was shown due to the sun. Another really big con is that the VGEBY heads up display lacks a GPS.

Honestly, it’s not the best HUD for a car out there. But I still think its best feature is its screen. You have everything you need there and so much more. Well, apart from navigation.

But other than that this particular heads up display at least has a GPS. It also provides an estimated time of arrival and has a Lane Assist. You can also pair the HUD with your wireless headphones through the paid app. However, the best part has to be the easy installation. Simply place the heads-up display wherever you want on the dashboard and pair it with your phone. From there you can access all the features. The protective screen, which comes with the device, is also optimized to show you a clear picture no matter how bright the sun is.

Where to Buy: the bad news is that Garmin has discontinued this product. You can try your luck on Amazon but if none is available then eBay and FB Marketplace is your best bet.

And here we have quite possibly the biggest boy in the market. The XYCING Car HUD has a 5.8-inch screen, but not just any ol’ screen. This particular HUD has 4 modes, each with its own unique features.

There is the Reflection Mode which projects the information onto the windshield. Or in layman’s terms, this is what every HUD has – the standard. The next one is where it gets interesting. There is a HUD Direct Display Mode that allows you to place the device vertically so you won’t have to read the data on the windshield. Instead, you will see it directly from the HUD. Essentially another dashboard. Finally, we have what I like to call the two fuels. There is an idle mode that displays Instantaneous fuel consumption per hour (L/H) as well as a driving mode that displays Instantaneous fuel consumption of 100KM or 62 miles.

Other than that the car HUD displays most of what you would need. There is a speedometer as well as information about the engine RPM, water temperature, battery voltage and so much more. However, despite all of this the XYCING head-up display lacks a GPS, which quite frankly is one of the most important features of a HUD — at least in my opinion.

Now we have the DODORO 3.5 Inch Head-Up Display. This one is interesting in many ways. For starters, it has a unique design. Simple yet elegant, this HUD will only display the information you need, nothing more, nothing less. Now that’s what I call minimizing distractions.

It also doesn’t work like any other car head up display. Instead of connecting through an OBDII port or wirelessly it is powered by the cigarette lighter which can be found in all cars and trucks. So if you don’t smoke, now at least you will be able to use the darn thing. There is also a built-in GPS, however, you cannot use it for navigation. Instead, the HUD uses the GPS to calculate your speed for more accurate data. There is also an auto or manual brightness adjustment, depending on your preference. But I doubt you will need it as the screen uses nanotechnology to eliminate any excess light, making it an easy read. Oh, did I also mention that there is a compass? Although not the best car compass around, it does a pretty decent job. In fact, that compass and the speedometer are the only things that the HUD projects.

Next up, we have the LEANINGTECH P10 Smart Car HUD, and let me tell you – it’s kinda smart, indeed. The head-up display will power on and off with your car. It also uses the OBDII port, so there are some cars that are not compatible. But it does have nice features including some customization options.

You can pick the color of the display as well as choose from a variety of UIs. Each UI will show you a different amount of information in a different way, you can look through them and choose the perfect one for you. But other than that it has, of course, a speedometer and can measure the distance you have driven. The car HUD also has a brake test and it will show you the speed and brake distance, as well as the time it took you to stop. Honestly, I am surprised that more car head-up displays don’t have this feature, as it seems really useful. All of this and more make it one of the most accurate head up displays out there

But the P10 HUD can also show you your mileage as well as do some diagnostics on itself if you find it glitching, for whatever reason. All great features and all things I would love to have in my car, but this particular head-up display is lacking a GPS and by now you should know that I love my GPSes.

SHEROX 3.5" Car HUD Head Up Display with OBD2/EUOBD Interface Plug & Play Vehicle Speed KM/h MPH, OverSpeed Warning, Water Temperature, Battery Voltage, Mileage Measurement

If you are a fan of minimalism you will definitely love this next entry. The SHEROX 3.5″ Car HUD is simplistic and has no unnecessary distractions. The heads up display uses both an OBDII port and a EUOBD, so you know whichever you prefer.

The smoothly designed display itself is HD and for the most part, it’s very easy to read. There is also an automated brightness adjustment function, so the sun won’t be a problem. Other than that, the head-up display can show you four different pieces of information: there is the speedometer, water temperature, voltage, and travel mileage — you can also freely switch between km and miles. But here is where the minimalist design is more of a disadvantage. Due to its simplicity, there are a limited number of functions, so yeah that’s not great. Don’t get me wrong I like minimalism as much as the next guy, but when it comes to my car, I prefer to have all the information easily available. But other than the heads up display speedometer and those other functions there are three alarms. Those being the Overspeed alarm, high-temperature alarm, and low voltage alarm. I think they are pretty self-explanatory.

Jumping from one end of the spectrum to the next we have the Anauto car HUD. This has to be the most detailed head-up display and the one that has the most information available. And yet, there is no GPS. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined, well not really but I would have still liked to see one.

So yeah other than that, the display is pretty neat. There are three modes: default, high-speed and automatic. There is also automatic and manual brightness adjustment so you don’t have to worry about unnecessary glares. Not to mention that the car HUD automatically starts and stops with your vehicle, which is always nice to see.

As for the features, there are a lot of them and all of them are projected simultaneously. There is, of course, the heads up speedometer display, which is most prevalent. But also an engine RPM, water temperature, voltage, fuel consumption, and an engine fault code. Not to mention the alarms such as the speeding one that also includes a four-stage alarm, the engine RPM one that can help with fuel-efficient and is good for novice drivers.

All in all this head up display has everything you need apart from navigation, of course. In fact, it has so much information I might have confused it for a laptop if it wasn’t so small. But no, laptops need special mounts for the car. Anyways if you don’t want a computer in your second home, this is the next best thing.

Finally, my heart sings to the heavens with this entry to the heads up display reviews. One might think that with how much I have been complaining about the lack of navigation this would be my favorite HUD, but nay. There are two more. However, when it comes to the Pyle Universal 3.5” Car HUD Screen I am not disappointed.

This head-up display has a minimalistic-like design and is powered by the cigarette lighter. Not only that but it also has nanotechnology that eliminates any unnecessary light. Oh yeah, the display is also multi-colored. This means that it will adapt to the lighting for a way better visual representation. It is also powered on automatically once you start your car and can easily switch between km and miles.

If you have no sense of direction, like myself. Then the Pyle Universal might be just the right fit for you, as long as you don’t mind the missing features.

Next up we have the second best heads up display. The Yunzong Universal GPS Speedometer may appear to be another minimalistic-like entry on the surface, but below it is hiding a few secrets. It is powered by a cigarette lighter and works with most cars.

The HUD display is equipped with nanotechnology and has automated brightness adjustments, however, it is not the best and at times it might be difficult to see without the reflective film — especially if you are wearing polarized sunglasses. But other than that I would say that this car HUD does a pretty good job. It, of course, has a speedometer as well as a GPS and a compass. You can also freely switch between km and miles. Not to mention that there is a speeding alarm if you happen to get too excited.

Now, if for some reason you don’t find the projection comfortable to look at, you have the option of turning the device on its side and looking directly at the HUD screen. To me, however, that defeats the whole purpose of the display. I can understand why it is more comfortable and easy to use for some people, though. Speaking of easy to use, the head-up display is exactly that. You won’t have any issues navigating or installing it.

ACECAR Head Up Display Car Universal Dual System 3.5 Inches HUD, Speedometer OBD2 GPS Interface, Speed, Engine RPM, OverSpeed Warning, Mileage Measurement, Water Temperature, for All Vehicle

We have finally arrived at the best heads up display currently on the market. The ACECAR Dual System has a great design as well as some pretty comprehensive features.

The HUD display can automatically adjust the brightness to the time of day and it actually does it well. What’s more important is that this particular device has ambient lighting, so if you want to get your funk on you know where to look. Other than that the display itself is actually pretty simple. There is a high clearness projector which makes the images on your car windshield much sharper, but that’s about it.

While the vehicle HUD connects to your car with an OBD cable, there are a few extra steps you need to consider. Although it won’t take much of your time and honestly it’s not that hard to do, considering how easy it is for some of the other entries to connect I thought I should mention this little flaw.

But even with that, I would still consider ACECAR the best overall vehicle heads up display out there. I am gifting one to my petrol head sister and I already have one for myself. It definitely has my seal of approval.

Now, this being a relatively new technology and all, there are still a lot of things that people don’t know. But that’s why I am here, right? To research and write about what makes the best heads up display. So I hope I can help you at least a bit with your decision, or if you were someone who is not into this sort of thing I hope I at least convinced you to try it out with my heads up display reviews.

At our current point in the timeline, heads-up displays are more of a luxury than a necessity or a common feature. The price can range anywhere from 30 dollars to 1000 and of course, you can download an app for free — but I don’t really count those. Of course the more expensive the HUD, the better it will be, with the windshield option being the most pricey one. However, if you really want a car heads up display be it for navigation or just because it looks cool, a 30 dollar one will do the job for you. In the future, I expect that as technology advances, the prices will also decrease and HUDs will become more available. You can wait until then but no one knows when that would be. Plus don’t you want to be a part of history or be an early adopter?

Well, here is something that will vary quite a bit. Now obviously if you only have a HUD app, the size of the screen will be roughly the size of your phone. But if you have a third-party HUD display, the size can range anywhere from 3-inches (which has only the most basic information) to 5.5-inches which will show everything from speed to directions, and even battery voltage. Pretty cool right? Yeah, there is only one problem with the bigger third-party screen. Since they don’t blend in seamlessly with your windshield, they can get pretty distracting, which as you can imagine is not the best thing when you are driving. If your HUD is installed directly in your car’s windshield the whole thing becomes your display. So if you really want a big heads up display car windshield then I recommend going with that last option. Otherwise, a 3-inch third-party HUD will do you a decent enough job.

Now, the features available in your chosen HUD display will greatly depend on its size. If you have one of the bigger versions then there will be more to do and see. If, however, you go with a HUD app, the features will be limited. Naturally, getting the latest heads-up display will get you more and better features. So depending on your choice, your windshield can show you the RPM, fuel consumption, and even engine codes. Then there are some that come with their own car compasses if that’s more your thing.

However, if those features don’t particularly appeal to you, then you can go for something more streamlined such as a GPS heads up display or a heads up display speedometer (even though literally every HUD has that nowadays). There are different versions of those features, however. Some offer a more streamlined version, while others go the extra mile with animations. Of course, the more fancy a device is, the higher the price. So, in the end it all depends on what you are looking for, but you make sure that the navigation heads up display you choose has at least all the basics covered.

Using a HUD display is not difficult. The difficulty, however, comes with installation. There are some products that have made it as easy as cutting a pie, while others are more difficult to conquer. Now in this section, I will mainly focus on third-party HUD because everyone knows how to download an app, while installing a heads up display car windshield is a difficult task that may require professional help.

A good HUD should be easy to install (ideally). Simply mount it to your dashboard where you think it’s best to be placed and run sum wires down to the OBDII port. Alternatively, you can connect it to another power source such as the cigarette lighter. Once you’re done and have picked a good place for it on the dashboard you can apply the sticky pad so it won’t move — most HUD displays come with a sticky pad. There is also a reflective sheet that you can use to make the images brighter, but personally, I find it a bit distracting.

Another thing to look out for is a sun sensor. Some units come with that additional feature and it will make your life a lot easier. How does it work? Well, depending on the time of day the sensor will make the images brighter or darker for easier readability.

At the end of the day, where you are in the world and, of course, your personal preferences and expectations, your choice of a HUD will vary. I do hope that my buyer’s guide provided you with a good starting point and you find what you’re looking for.

A: You know how you have all that information on your car’s dashboard? Or for Tesla owners on the touch screen pad? A HUD will essentially display all that information on your windshield. However, depending on the type of head-up display, that information may vary. Essentially you can use it to check the speed, fuel, GPS, and so much more.

A: HUDs are most definitely safe. In fact, they are designed to minimize distractions for the driver as they will no longer need to look down at the dashboard for information. But wait there’s more! Head-up displays are getting more advanced and in the newer models, they can alert drivers to obstacles or objects on the road. Your HUD will highlight the object’s location on the windshield, thus helping you avoid a collision. In fact, I have this feeling that they will get more and more advanced and soon they will become a standard in every car.

A: The short answer is yes. The long answer is a bit more complicated. You see, car HUDs are a rather new innovation and as such are not anywhere near as good as they could be. With that being said I still think it’s well worth the purchase. Not only will it increase your awareness but it will also give you easier access to any information that you might need. Ultimately, consider the available options and decide for yourselves if it’s worth it now or you would rather wait for better tech.

A: The price can range anywhere from free to 1000 dollars. Depending on the HUD you want. There are phone applications that you can download either from the Play Store or App Store. These applications essentially do the same thing as your standard HUD. However, they are not as good and in all honesty, you are much better off buying a third-party head-up display. Those come in various shapes and sizes, and they can cost as little as 30 bucks or as much as 100. Then there are the windshield ones which are sold only by the car manufacturers and not every car can be equipped with one. They also require a specialist to install and can cost as much as 1000 dollars. They are by far the most advanced, though.

Technically yes, but also no. If you download an app for your phone it doesn’t matter what kind of car you have – the information will simply be projected onto your windshield. For a third-party HUD, your car needs to have an OBDII port. Luckily, every car manufactured from 1996 till now and is also sold in the USA has that port. Then there is the windshield version which can only be installed on specific cars. If you want to find out if your vehicle supports it, you need to check with the manufacturer.

General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and Lexus offer a full one head-up display. Check if your car model is compatible and if it is, you can get the new heads up display car windshield installed. But if it isn’t, you can also get some form of a HUD display and I am not talking about third-party boxes here. You see, although not a full-on head-up display, some manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Citroën, Nissan, Mazda, Kia, Mercedes, and Volvo offer a version of the HUD that also does the job.

A: Currently there is no law saying that a HUD is illegal to use. However, some aftermarket heads-up displays could be considered a Visual Display Unit for which there are a few rules. What’s more, if the police thought that a particular HUD was distracting they might give you a fine. We all know how people can be with new technologies, especially ones that are not so widely distributed yet.

A: Well as I have mentioned in this article, I believe that HUDs are the future and soon your entire windshield might become a display. While this may sound scary at first, it will be way safer than the current dashboard, because your eyes will be constantly on the road and you won’t have to look away for whatever reason. That being said, some people believe there are dangers. You see, once your windshield becomes a screen, some manufacturers might decide to put advertisements on it. Although I don’t think that will happen because it’s just asking for an accident. And even if it does, it won’t be long until the government issues a legislation that stops this kind of practice. Those are my thoughts at least, but hey I consider myself an optimist so I might be wrong. Who knows? Only time will tell.

I believe that car heads-up displays are the future. They minimize distractions while maximizing the information available to the driver. Although there are many types available right now, the most comprehensive is the windshield one. They are also the most expensive ones but for a reason. In the near future, I predict that they will become more widely available. But for now, the third-party HUD will help you just fine. So what are you waiting for, you know the best heads up displays on the market and you know how to spot a good one as well; go out and be part of history by becoming an early adopter!

The Hisense U8H matches the excellent brightness and color performance of much pricier LCD TVs, and its Google TV smart platform is a welcome addition. But it’s available in only three screen sizes.

The Hisense U8H is the best LCD/LED TV for most people because it delivers the performance of a much pricier TV yet starts at under $1,000, for the smallest (55-inch) screen size. This TV utilizes quantum dots, a full-array backlight with mini-LEDs, and a 120 Hz refresh rate to deliver a great-looking 4K HDR image. It’s compatible with every major HDR format. And it’s equipped with two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs to support 4K 120 Hz gaming from the newest Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Add in the intuitive, fully featured Google TV smart-TV platform, and the U8H’s price-to-performance ratio is of inarguable value.

Chief among the U8H’s many strengths is its impressive peak brightness. When sending it HDR test patterns, I measured an average brightness of 1,500 nits, with peaks just north of 1,800 nits (a measurement of luminance; see TV features, defined for more info). To put that into perspective, consider that the 65-inch version of our budget 4K TV pick (the TCL 5-Series) typically costs around half as much as the 65-inch U8H but achieves only around 30% to 40% of its brightness. On the other side of the coin, the 65-inch version of our upgrade pick (the Samsung QN90B) costs almost twice as much as the 65-inch U8H, but it achieves only nominally higher brightness. Adequate light output creates convincing highlights and image contrast and (when necessary) combats ambient light from lamps or windows. It is a necessity for any TV worth buying—especially if you hope to watch HDR movies or play HDR games—and the U8H simply outpaces most TVs in its price range (and some in the next price bracket up, too).

Key to this functionality is the U8H’s employment of mini-LED backlighting with local dimming, which allows this TV to produce very bright light while still maintaining satisfyingly deep black levels that are typically free of blooming (or light bleed that’s visible around bright objects against a dark backdrop). This not only ensures impressive image contrast, it also makes the U8H a viable choice for most rooms, whether they’re brighter than average or dimmed down like a movie theater.

That’s not to say the U8H has pixel-precise light control—it’s not an OLED TV, after all—but it does a terrific job most of the time. In fact, in our tests, the U8H bested last year’s upgrade pick, the Samsung QN90A, in certain scenarios: The intro to Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix features the filmmaker against a pitch-black backdrop. Though last year’s QN90A failed to maintain perfect control over dimming elements during this scene (the black backdrop brightened distractingly once a sufficient amount of brighter content appeared on screen), the U8H did not. (For the record, the newer QN90B also passed this test.) The U8H’s mini-LEDs also help the screen look uniformly bright: Although the U8H is still not as good as an OLED TV in this respect, it shows very little indication of being a backlight-driven display, even during tricky scenes with large swaths of dim lighting.

The U8H’s brightness, black-level integrity, and local-dimming abilities make this an excellent TV for watching HDR content. The U8H is capable of playing HDR content in all of the major formats (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG), but when it comes to impressive HDR, what’s under the hood is much more important than format compatibility. The most crucial thing for good HDR is high brightness and deep color saturation, and the U8H’s quantum dots achieve the latter. It’s not as simple as just having quantum dots, however: While many TVs (even the budget options) have quantum dots nowadays, what is often not taken into account is that brightness directly affects color saturation. For example, both the 2022 TCL 6-Series and the Hisense U8H are equipped with quantum dots, mini-LED backlights, and local dimming. But because the U8H is notably brighter than the 6-Series, it also achieves a higher total color volume. During our color-volume testing, the U8H exhibited color ranges at more than 100% of the DCI-P3 color space (the range of color needed to properly display HDR content), and it is capable of roughly 10% more total color volume compared with the 6-Series.

And thanks to Hisense’s inclusion of Filmmaker Mode, it’s easy to rein in the U8H’s brightness abilities for a more-subdued and filmic experience in a darker room. Our measurements revealed that this mode has a very accurate white balance, mostly accurate colors (green is a bit oversaturated, but not egregiously so), and a perfect “dark room” gamma (which controls how quickly the video signal transitions from dark to light). Additionally, the TV’s 120 Hz refresh rate means it can play Blu-ray discs at 24 fps without the judder that’s usually present on TVs with 60 Hz refresh rates.

The TV’s higher refresh rate also reduces motion blur in faster-moving sports and allows for smoother, more stable motion in games. Two of the four HDMI inputs support 4K gaming at 120 Hz. The U8H measured low input lag while playing in 4K resolution, and Hisense’s helpful GameZone setting in the picture menu allowed me to confirm the presence of 120 Hz playback and variable refresh rate during games.

The onboard Google TV smart platform is another feather in this TV’s cap. As usual, however, it will be much more satisfying to use if you have a Google account and already take advantage of Google’s connected services, like Photos. The experience of navigating the TV’s smart features—scanning QR codes to sign into apps, using the onscreen keyboard, and browsing your Google Photos to set a photo as a screensaver—was very satisfying in terms of responsiveness and speed. Powering on the TV and booting into an app took just seconds. The included Bluetooth remote is also equipped with a handy “Hey Google” button, allowing you to pull up Google’s assistant and use voice commands to search for content or set a reminder. If you have multiple users with their own Google accounts, you can designate separate profiles (attached to a Gmail account) so that each user can customize the experience to their liking, as well as access their own Google Drive or Photos. While some reviewers have reported instances of momentary freezing while using the U8H’s platform, I didn’t personally experience any instances of slowdown that were egregiously worse than with any other smart-TV platform.

In terms of design, the Hisense U8H is not as svelte as our upgrade pick, but it’s plenty sturdy and doesn’t look or feel cheap. Two narrow, metal feet jut out from beneath the panel and steadily hold the TV. They can be attached in two separate spots, either closer in toward the middle of the panel or out toward the edges, to account for different-size TV stands. The feet are also equipped with cable organization clasps—a nice touch for keeping your TV stand free of cable clutter. Though the TV is primarily plastic, its bezels are lined with metal strips, providing a bit more durability in the long run. I moved it around my home, and it was no worse for wear, but we’ll know more after doing some long-term testing.

The Hisense U8H has some difficulties with banding, or areas of uneven gradation, where transitions that should appear smooth instead look like “bands” of color (sometimes also called posterization). Like many current 4K HDR TVs, the U8H uses an 8-bit panel rather than a 10-bit panel, which affects the color decoding and color presentation process. This is usually relevant only with HDR video and games. When playing games on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, I saw a few instances where the content wasn’t rendered correctly and displayed ugly splotches of color on the screen. However, this almost always occurred during static screens (such as a pause menu or loading screen); I rarely spotted it during actual gameplay. Hisense has stated that it would address the problem in a future firmware update, but at the time of writing it was still present. This is a flaw that may give dedicated gamers pause, but we don’t consider it to be a dealbreaker for most people.

I also saw occasional instances of banding with TV shows and movies, though they were few and far between. The U8H isn’t the best at upscaling sub-4K content, so videos with a 1080p or lower resolution looked a little soft. You can get better overall video processing and upscaling by springing for our upgrade pick (this is one reason it’s more expensive, after all).

Although the UH8 TV has four HDMI inputs, only two of them are fully HDMI 2.1–compatible. And one of those is designated as the eARC input (intended as an audio connection for a soundbar or AV receiver connection). So if you’re pairing an external audio system with the U8H, you may have only one input remaining that can support HDMI 2.1 features like 4K 120 Hz playback, variable refresh rate, and auto game mode; this could be a dealbreaker if you own more than one current-gen gaming console. If you’re in that boat, you may want to splash out some extra dough for our upgrade pick. Additionally, folks using pre-HDMI source devices—like the five-cable composite connector with green, red, blue, and red/white audio inputs—should be aware that this TV requires an adapter to allow those devices to connect, and an adapter is not included in the box.

Finally, like most TVs that use vertical alignment (VA) LCD panels, the U8H has a limited horizontal viewing angle, which may be a bit annoying if you’re hoping to entertain a large crowd. Our upgrade pick uses a special wide-angle technology to address this.

For gaming, use the game picture mode (the TV should switch into this mode automatically when paired with the newer game consoles), and then go into the Gaming submenu to make sure the right settings (VRR) are enabled. We recommend leaving the HDMI setting in “auto,” unless you notice that your game console is incorrectly identified.

Unlike TVs, projectors are actually one part of a multipart system. The screen, room, and projector all play a role in the final image you see. A projector can be perfectly accurate (more on this below), but the image can still look wrong because of how the screen is affecting it. The main factors we considered when testing a projection screen were: gain, color accuracy, viewing angle, and texture.

Gain is a measurement of how much light the screen reflects. A gain of 1.0 means it reflects the same amount of light as an industry standard white magnesium-oxide board. Screens can reflect less light and have a gain of less than 1.0, or more light and have a gain higher than 1.0. A lower gain will produce deeper, darker blacks but reduce overall image brightness. In the early days of digital projection, this was useful because projectors had terrible (read: grayish) blacks. But that is less of an issue now with most decent projectors.

A higher gain, made possible by special screen materials, reflects more light back toward the center of the room. This creates a brighter image, but it also reduces viewing angles and can introduce hot spots (areas of the image that are noticeably brighter than other areas). It used to be that a higher gain was necessary, but as projectors have gotten more powerful, today a gain of 1.0 is often sufficient.

Color accuracy measures how well the screen reflects the colors projected onto it. The makeup of the screen can result in certain colors being absorbed more than others and introduce a tint to the image that isn’t coming from the projector. Many projectors ship with picture modes that are close to accurate out of the box, but those might no longer be accurate after they hit the screen. A screen that introduces as little color shifting as possible is ideal. The two images below show the same image on two different screen materials. You can easily see the color shifts between the two and the problems a screen can introduce.

At left is Goo Systems" Screen Goo paint, and at right is Elite Screens" Sable. Note the warm, red tint to the Screen Goo, while the Elite has a cool, blue tint. Photo: Chris Heinonen

Viewing angles influence how wide you can sit from the center of the screen before the light noticeably drops off. With a gain of 1.0, the viewing angle can be close to 180 degrees, since it reflects everything more or less equally in all directions. With a higher gain, the viewing angle gets smaller, as you are in essence “focusing” the reflected light more toward the center of the room. With a high-gain screen, you’ll want to put seats closer to the center of the screen.

The texture of the screen also impacts how much detail you can see. If a screen’s texture is evident from a usual seating distance, it will alter the image quality and possibly your enjoyment. If the screen material is very fine, then you will not see any texture from a normal viewing distance, so the image appears smooth.

Almost all of the screen reviews out there are of expensive screens, so we had to start from scratch. I first went to the AccuCal Projection Screen Material Report. W. Jeff Maier of AccuCal has tested samples of many screen materials using high-end equipment to determine their color accuracy and actual gain. Since he is dealing with only samples of the materials (often 8½- by 11-inch pieces) that he is sent through the mail, the report doesn’t go into construction or installation of the screens themselves.

Next, my research turned to the main AVSForum and other resources. Here the screen conversations range from the top-of-the-line Stewart to a DIY option for $3 from Home Depot. There are also many small Internet Direct companies that would otherwise go unnoticed without discussions at AVS and other locations.

We also pored over reviews from Amazon, making sure to carefully read what people actually complained about. I also talked to other reviewers and calibrators to find out what they might have used and seen in their work that impressed them, even if they had not formally reviewed that particular screen.

After all that, we set out to review 100-inch, 16:9 screens, as close to 1.0 gain as possible. We figured this was a good-size, average screen that would work for most people. You can certainly go larger, though the image wi