DETROIT – In-car entertainment has come a long way since the in-dash turntables and AM radios of the 1950s. Today we have in-dash CD changers, DVD players, iPod adapters, even USB ports and flash memory that allow you to listen to your favorite music on the road. Now, satellite TV is rolling out as the newest entertainment option for your car, SUV, or minivan.
Last year, KVH Industries became the first company to offer in-car satellite TV with the introduction of the TracVision A5 package, TheCarConnection.Com reports. Using the same satellite-TV technology that delivers a digital stream of sports, movies, and news into your home, TracVision brings it all to your vehicle ? whether you?re tailgating, keeping kids occupied in the back seat, or just listening to the audio feed of your favorite news channels or satellite?s array of commercial-free music.
Now for the obvious question: is in-car TV a smart idea?
Some observers look at mobile satellite TV with the same concern they do for DVD players and other in-car entertainment. But the makers of such systems say they?re meeting the demand of more and more car buyers who want to keep their kids and other adults occupied on the road. J.D. Power studies report that one-third of all the 2004 model-year SUVs sold in America were outfitted with video screens; other analysts say that by the start of the next decade more than three million vehicles will have in-car satellite TV.
?People want live satellite TV in the car because it provides tremendous variety in entertainment and news, helping pass the time on trips or stay in touch with what?s going on in the world using the same content that consumers depend on at home,? says Chris Watson, spokesman for KVH.
To read more, click on TheCarConnection.Com
