iConnect: Altec Lansing iMV712 mini home theater.

Posted by John P. on July 11th, 2007 Comments Printer-Friendly

Altec Lansing iMV712

Altec Lansing was the very first manufacturer to put out an iPod-compatible speaker system, dubbed the inMotion. Now, they’re the first (from what we’ve seen) to create a mini-home theater for your iPod. It’s the Altec Lansing iMV712.

The iMV712 is a high-end iPod speaker system, with a twist. On the front of the unit is an 8.5″ LCD screen that provides a clear look at the content stored on your iPod. There is also a built-in four-inch subwoofer to provide bass that fills the room with quality sound. On the back is an auxiliary input jack, RCA video input, and S-video output. The video input allows you to play video from other sources like a DVD player.

Altec Lansing iMV712 Inputs

Included with the system is a universal cradle that allows you to plug in any other portable audio or video player such as the Microsoft Zune via a 3.5mm mini-jack.

The 8.5″ LCD isn’t the best though. The video we tried looked a bit stretched. The colors looked a bit washed out compared to viewing the video on the iPod itself or on a standard TV. The screen also displays a somewhat annoying Altec Lansing logo bouncing around when playing music.

Sound quality was great and comparable to the previous high-end model from Altec Lansing, the iM7. In the end, the iM7 still offered much more room filling sound.

We don’t see the point of owning this device because you can just hook the iPod up to a TV and for the price, it just isn’t worth it at $349. It is available today at many brick-and-mortar retailers across the US.

Pros