It turns out that BMW has in fact participated in a consortium with the European Space Agency to develop a satellite car radio system that lets you stream and record video and music content. After a spokesman denied the company’s participation in the consortium yesterday, BMW's head of telematics research, Dr. Hans-Jörg Vögel, told me today that BMW has indeed put a satellite dish on top of its BMW X5 model and has implemented a system that lets you download, play and record any content you would otherwise get on your TV or radio.
The system remains in the prototype stage, he said, but it works. The car, in fact, is at Munich's headquarters right now after the consortium project was completed last month in Belgium. He said that while you drive the car, it is possible for a passenger � of course � to download video and music content over a satellite link. Programming can be recorded for later viewing or listening.
BMW has taken the lead as a car OEM by developing the satellite in-car infotainment system, Dr. Hans-Jörg Vögel said, but he could not offer a timeline by when you will be able to subscribe to a satellite video service for your car. A three-year timeline would be optimistic, he said, due to the licensing and trademark legalities involved and the willingness of a content provider to take the plunge and offer the service. However, a terrestrial antenna system that would pipe in video content is more feasible licensing-wise, he said. A three-year timeline by when such a service might be available would "not be too optimistic," he said.
