Minivans: Family Room on Wheels
Minivans continue morphing into small RVs, serving as an extension of the family room, which is important when driving on long trips. The television, however, has been conspicuously absent from the comfort and technology inside a minivan. It is possible, albeit impractical, to set-up an aftermarket satellite receiver inside one’s car. Companies like KVH offer such receivers, although the arrangement is bulky and requires non-dealer installation. It is very pricey too. The upside? Happy passengers and live television.
In a partnership announced Thursday, SIRIUS Backseat TV and DaimlerChrysler revealed they will include an all-new satellite system called Backseat TV, in both the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans.
The in-car satellite radio audience continues to grow. According to Arbitron, 74.4 million listeners tune in at 7:00 am with a peak of nearly 80 million between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. XM and Sirius satellite radio offer a wide variety of channels covering news, sports, talk, comedy, drama and kids’ programming. Satellite radio is increasingly becoming a factory installed feature with a variety of packages available to car shoppers.
This week Land Rover and SIRIUS announced that SIRIUS satellite radio is now available as standard equipment on the 2007 model year Range Rover and Supercharged Range Rover Sport. SIRIUS will also be available as a factory installed option on the new LR2. DaimlerChrysler's addition of satellite television is likely to increase the competition among auto manufacturers for in-vehicle entertainment.
“If you want a system with DirecTV right now, it will cost you between $15,000 and $20,000 and it is bulky,” says George Murphy, Sr. Vice President, DaimlerChrysler Corporation. “Our system is basically invisible to the consumer and it runs on the backbone of the existing SIRIUS system.”
SIRIUS Backseat TV is available for a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $470—which includes the first year of service—when packaged with Chrysler Group’s Rear Seat Entertainment System and SIRIUS Satellite Radio. After the first year, SIRIUS Backseat TV is available for $7 per month when packaged with SIRIUS Satellite Radio ($12.95 per month).
The SIRIUS Backseat TV is made up of an in-vehicle satellite video receiver and two small, roof-mounted antennas. The content is displayed on the minivan's rear-row video screens, much to the delight of the youngsters riding in the back. Along with the three channels of children’s programming from Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network, the channel name, program title, and its rating is also displayed on the screens.
While rear-seat passengers enjoy SIRIUS Backseat TV those in the front-seats – the parents – can listen to separate programming from SIRIUS Satellite Radio. The system can also be operated from either the rear-seat entertainment unit or the in-dash radio head unit. In addition, when the vehicle is in Park, the Backseat TV programming can be displayed on the MyGIG screen for front-seat viewing.
“The minivan segment is driven by innovation and the revolution in the minivan is on the inside, not the outside,” continues Murphy, “We are creating room for an entire family and making the driving experience much more entertaining than in the past.”
The new system is easy to operate and there is no steep learning curve on how to make it all work. This is a long way from the days when a VCR was wired into a 9-inch tube television hanging from the ceiling of a minivan. The new system portends well for future technologies under development in automotive R&D labs, and for consumers on the road. Some day leaving home might feel the same as a weekend on the sofa watching TV.
