Car video players, car DVD players, and mobile multimedia refer to the vast variety of entertainment systems available for today's automobiles. We are way beyond car stereos now, with surround sound options, video capabilities including DVD-Video and DVD-Audio, and security and navigation systems. While the categories of telematics and multimedia tend to overlap, multimedia generally refers to automobile systems that offer audio and video options.

Until recently, the only option for visual entertainment was a television and VCR for rear-seat passengers. Today, in-dash LCDs, DVD-Video playback for movies and navigation information, and complete surround sound systems are becoming everyday add-ons. To make these systems easy and safe for the driver to operate, single controllers are available; these are what we call multimedia systems. Who needs a drive-in theater when you can have a driving-around theater?