I had seen some posts about the Invision Industries DVD headrest system and always wanted it and I now have their awesome Revolution II system in my X5.
This kit consists of two replacement headrests covered in perfectly matching factory leather that house individual DVD/CD/MP3 players with intergrate tilting 7" LCD screen, two wireless headphones, two remote controls, and the magic control box that allows you to watch one DVD on both screens or watch two different DVD's on each screen individually. The sound in tapped into the X5's speaker system via FM modulation and/or the wireless headphones. The final pieces are the security covers. I have seen some pictures of black, tan, and truffle but here are some pictures of gray leather.
As you can see, the quality is very good. The screens are bright and the resolution is very clear. The screens tilt so that no matter how the headrest is tilted or if you have a small child you can tilt the screen down for ease of viewing. There are some hard buttons on the front for power, source, play, stop, and eject. By using the remotes (see below) you can access all of the DVD player functions. There is an auxiliary input for plugging in a video game system or other external source. There is a headphone jack in the event that you have more than one person watch the same screen and you want them on headphone audio. As far as the audio is concerned, even through FM modulation the sound is excellent. I am very impressed with how well it performed through the stock stereo speakers. My wife and I have sat in the back while the X5 was parked in the driveway just watching in awe at how good the setup is.
The Invision headrests are a perfect match in color and texture. After all, they use the same leather used by BMW to cover the seat surfaces. The headrest are a little larger than the originals to accomodate the DVD players. You can see from the photo below that the match is impeccable. You can also see that Invision has retained the up-down and tilting functions of the original headrests which is very cool. Invision's headrests have also been crashed tested.
I got to keep my original headrests so I can take my system with me when I sell the X5.
Here you can see that both screens are playing the same DVD movie with just one DVD inserted in the "A" headrest.
Here you can see that one screen is showing "The Incredibles" and the other is showing "Gladiator". There is a DVD in each headrest. Unlike some systems, you are not tied to one video source for both screens. One can be used to watch a movie and one can be for XBox. If I had the Revolution III system with TV tuner one could be watching TV while the other is watching a movie. It's really well thought out.
While the Invision system looks as OEM as can be, it can also look totally stealth with their security covers. If you want to conceal the headrests monitors or at least make them less eye catching to a would-be thief, the security covers easily slip over the headrests and completely cover up the Invision screens. A quick glance or even a longer look will only show a set of headrests.
These security covers are a very nice touch and give me extra peace of mind. They match the interior very well too.
Finally, here is one of the remote controls and headphones that my system came with. The remotes are full function and each one can be selected to control either headrest. The headphones are wireless and are surprisingly good. The sound quality is excellent and they are quite comfortable. They are an essential item to have and use unless you want to hear whatever your kid is watching in back. Like the remotes, each headphone can be selected to listen to either DVD player.
If you are looking for a DVD entertainment system, this is the one you must get. I do not like the headliner mounted screens because they block your vision out the rear, the screen is centered so your usual right and left side rear passengers will have to share the screen, and having to look up at the roof is bad for your neck. These are by far the slickest and most OEM solution out there. The installation is fairly easy although I had it installed by one of Invision's top installers.
Invision backs their systems with a 4 year warranty and we know they support us end users. They don't sell directly to end users but they have helped many of us out by arranging the deal with a BMW dealer that sells Invision's stuff.
I give the Invision DVD headrest system
Huge thanks go out to Lawrence (acedeucy) and Larry from Invision. You guys are the bomb!
