BMW is taking the TV out of the living room and onto the road with a new multimedia entertainment system that combines all the elements of a TiVo crossed with an Apple TV, a satellite box and a multimedia cell phone.
Equipped with a 20-GB hard drive mounted behind the dashboard, the entertainment system can sync movies and TV shows from a home computer while the car is parked in the garage.
On the road, content can be downloaded or recorded for later viewing (or listening) via a satellite link or a cell-phone network, just like a mobile TiVo, or a phone that can buy songs or ringtones wirelessly.
“We said, ‘Let’s think about a telematics component that extends the entertainment experience,'” said Hans-Jörg Vögel, who heads the BMW research team for the project.
The merger of cars and multimedia is just the latest sign of a burgeoning TV renaissance that’s put geezer technology hatched 80 years ago at the wheel.
BMW has a working prototype built into an X5 SUV. Developed by a consortium that includes the European Space Agency, the satellite receiver is attached to the SUV’s roof and can record video and music on the move.
During a demonstration, the video and audio controls felt naturally like an extension of the SUV’s navigation and telematics systems. After selecting a video or a song, I could quickly flip back to the navigation system or change channels on the radio. Aside from the extra multimedia options, the console and menu looked and felt like that of existing BMW production cars.
However, it may be several years before the system sees commercial application, Vögel said.
The main impediments are licensing and trademark technicalities, plus the unwillingness of content providers to take the plunge and offer service. A Wi-Fi content-delivery system, however, could be commercially available within three years, Vögel said.
“We are looking at forming relationships with the various content providers,” Vögel said.
Even so, the system may not be something consumers will want, said Thilo Koslowski, vice president of Gartner’s automotive manufacturing industry advisory service.
“Consumers like to bring whatever personal devices they already have with their personal content on them wherever they go,” Koslowski said. “(BMW’s) focalization would have to become very seamless in order to make that work, and prices would have to be reasonable.”
Vögel said BMW plans to roll out new multimedia options incrementally: This year it’s iPod connectivity; next year it might be Wi-Fi synchronization with a home computer.
“We don’t want to reinvent any podcasting models, but could give you access to the podcasts in a flexible and easy way inside the car with your existing subscriptions,” Vögel said. “You car wakes up at 5 a.m., goes online for 10 to 15 minutes and then synchronizes all of the content you would ever need for that day of driving.”
