The 9 Best In-Dash DVD & Video Receivers

Editor's Notes

June 29, 2020:

All of the models on our previous list have either been upgraded by their companies to new editions, or were deemed a little insufficient to remain. The Clarion model we removed, for example, had significant problems with its USB performance resulting in stuttering video when it would connect at all. And while a minority of users rely on the USB ports on these devices for video playback, it is a problem we couldn't ignore.

In evaluating the newest offerings from the likes of Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, and Sony, who hold the lion's share of this market, we found that the JVC KW-V960BW offered one of the best combinations of features out there, with support for Carplay and Android Auto, in addition to its ability to interface with up to four cameras placed around your vehicle. Pioneer AVH-601EX, conversely, only has one camera input, but its 7-inch screen is among the largest in its class, and its price-to-feature ratio is hard to beat.

We thought we were going to like the Alpine W970HD a lot more than we did, as its integrated Garmin navigation should be a boon to anyone who doesn't want to bother with smartphone connections, or doesn't have a smartphone to begin with. But the fact that screen mirroring is done through an hdmi cable (presumably with an adapter for your phone) is a total pain, and that, along with its high price tag, cost it a few slots.

We made sure to include a single din model, as well, for people without as much space on their dashes in the Jensen VX3518. It's an inexpensive model that isn't going to blow you away with sound quality or features, but it can help get the job done for users without a lot of steep demands.