Car rearview systems

	Guangzhou Kingtop’s CL-3016-6C model comes with a 6-inch TFT LCD. The camera has a resolution of 380 or 420 TV lines. The aspect ratio is 16:9.

Usually procured overseas, sophisticated cameras and monitors yield improved graphics even in the dark or in low temperatures.

Amid heavy importing of key components from top-tier providers, suppliers of car rearview systems in China are directing the latest product enhancements toward safety and convenience.

Imaging capability continues to receive substantial R&D attention, the results of which include the introduction of night-vision features into the mainstream over recent months.

As such, the majority of China-made car rearview systems can now perform efficiently in conditions where there is minimal or no light.

Models from a featured supplier, for example, come with monitors that switch from color to black and white mode, improving visibility when used at night.

This and other similar upgrades help offset higher prices caused partly by the continuous strengthening of the yuan against the US dollar. There have been no significant adjustments in quotes in the past six months. Further, companies are planning to keep prices stable in the next half-year amid the projected slowing of the local currency. Systems currently range between $40 and $280.

Enhancements in product performance also bolster suppliers’ foothold in the upscale segments in Europe and the US. Combined, the two markets absorb 60 percent of shipments, making them the line’s biggest overseas destinations.

In the first half of 2008, exports of car rearview systems were estimated at $10 million, accounting for more than 65 percent of China’s combined domestic and overseas sales for the period. About 70 percent of outbound shipments were under OEM contracts.

Eighty percent of exports at Guangzhou Jincheng Electronic Technology Co. Ltd are OEM orders. The supplier offers high-end car rearview systems to Europe and the US, and low-end products to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Shipments in the first half of the year totaled 100,000 sets, representing 92 percent of output.

Shenzhen Uninew Embedded Software Co. Ltd counts car parts distributors in Germany and the UK among its OEM clients.

Production at Shenzhen Auto-vox Technology Co. Ltd reaches 54,000 sets annually and is wholly export-oriented. Sixty percent is shipped as OEM models.

Key to the industry’s primary R&D thrust is the emergence of monitors capable of multiple imaging that allows drivers to see obstacles or other vehicles from different angles or directions.

Car rearview systems from Sharpvision Co. Ltd can support more than one camera input, enabling the LCD panel to show up to four images simultaneously in split screens. The monitors, which Sharpvision produces in-house, have adjustable contrast for use at night or in lowlight conditions. Between 60 and 70 percent of output is equipped with wide-angle lenses.

A supplier of wired systems, Guangzhou Kingtop Electronic Technology Co. Ltd has an eight-member R&D team that is currently designing monitors that display three to four images.

To enhance night-vision functionality, many companies in China have turned to CCD cameras as these produce high-quality images and have greater sensitivity than CMOS-based units. Guangzhou Kingtop is among the featured makers doing so. The supplier uses high-definition CCD cameras, although it also offers CMOS units fitted with LEDs to improve visibility in the dark.

Shenzhen Luview Co. Ltd imports cameras from Sony and panels from AU, LG, Sanyo, Sharp, Chi Mei and CPTC. Ninety-five percent of car rearview systems from the manufacturer have wide-screen monitors.

Similarly, Shenzhen Uninew purchases chips from Japan and the US. Models come with 7-inch TFT LCD panels and value add-ons such as audible alerts and a heating function that allows the camera to work even in extremely low temperatures.