« THE SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO GUEST APPEARANCES & INTERVIEWS
Lincoln to Come With Sirius Standard in Almost All Vehicles. »

Sirius Backseat TV Debuts on Chrysler Vehicles & Programming Announced!

Chrysler has announced that Sirius Backseat TV will be available on model year 2008 Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Town & Countrys. There will be three channels of live tv: Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network.

After the Town & Country/Caravan debut, it will also be available in the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger/Magnum, and the Jeep Commander/Grand Cherokee. The option MSRP will be $470, available with the Rear Seat Entertainment Group, and include a year of service free with it. The Backseat TV price will be $7/month, essentially the price of a second subscription to Sirius.

(Photo Credit: Orbitcast)

Sirius Backseat TV has been in the planning stages for years, being first announced and demonstrated at CES in 2003, and finally receiving an official release announcement at CES this year. There will also be an aftermarket option from Directed Electronics coming later this year that will essentially combine Backseat TV and the current Starbase.

The big thing for me that I am wondering is if this will be a special feed of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, or if they will be a simulcast of what is on TV. There are pros and cons to each. If it is a simulcast, then there will likely be more commercials(at first), but it could include Nick @ Nite and Adult Swim programming. If it is its own unique channel, then it will probably have fewer commercials(similar to Cartoon Network’s Boomerang) but no programming skewed towards the older demographics late at night.

Sirius also has a page about Backseat TV up as well, but without any new information - yet.

Posted by BenDee on Thursday, March 29th, 2007 at 10:10 am.
Filed in Backseat TV, Auto Manufacturers, Sirius.
You can leave a trackback from your own site.



Comments:

  1. Will there be enough bandwidth to support this and all the radio channels or will we lose some channels of audio to support the TV??? by Wally699
  2. Quote:
    If it is a simulcast, then there will likely be more commercials(at first), but it could include Nick @ Nite and Adult Swim programming. If it is its own unique channel, then it will probably have fewer commercials(similar to Cartoon Network's Boomerang) but no programming skewed towards the older demographics late at night.
    I still don't understand the appeal of adult programming to the back seat. Maybe I'm not driving around at the right time, but when I'm on the road, I'd guess 95% of the people I see in the back of cars are children. When are all of you in the backseats of your cars?!?

    As a parent, Backseat TV has a great deal of appeal to me. But I don't need the programming to appeal to me, as I'm almost never in the back of our family van.

    Quote:
    "Cartoon Network Mobile is a customized programming service designed for the on-the-go mobile lifestyle," said Coleman Breland, Executive Vice President of sales and marketing for Turner Network Sales. "This new venture with SIRIUS is one we think parents will see the benefits of and represents the next generation of back seat entertainment."
    At least for Cartoon Network, it appears from the press release that it will be a customized service. by RoadRunner
  3. Drats.

    The reason for me is that I fit into Adult Swim's demographic, and I would not mind Adult Swim. by BenDee
  4. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wally699 View Post
    Will there be enough bandwidth to support this and all the radio channels or will we lose some channels of audio to support the TV???
    This was discussed in the last SEC filing from sirius. Yes, they are using a technology known as "hierarchal modulation" which is currently only available on the stiletto. It is soon to be available on other units. This technology allows more "things" to be broadcast in the same area. I live in the US and own a stiletto 100. I receive 4 canadian channels that most other sirius radios don't. This is the technology sirius is planning to use, with their existing satellites. The TV system is already in use, but it is only being used for sirius prototypes. And now after this announcement, Daimler-Chrysler also has functional units i am sure. by jfranklin
  5. I would pay $7 a month for this, great idea. by TX WJ
  6. I'm concerned that Sirius won't be satisfied with just three channels by NHTracker
  7. The Cartoon Network feed will be simulcasted into Sirius's satellites. I've heard rumors that they are going to blank out for Adult Swim. As for Nick and Disney, I'm not sure. by realwx
  8. How about an opt-in for HowardTV? by kingchuck69
  9. Both services complain about limited bandwidth so what is going to have to be removed in order to add video service? Also with all the other backseat entertainment options I don't know about this one. by v1ru5
  10. Quote:
    Originally Posted by kingchuck69 View Post
    How about an opt-in for HowardTV?
    howardtv in your car? eh, doubt that will happen. plus its satellite, they dont have the ondemand feature.

    - Jon by jon01
  11. Quote:
    Originally Posted by kingchuck69 View Post
    How about an opt-in for HowardTV?
    That would be the greatest thing ever. I have Directv, and my local cable company doesn't offer it either. Sooner or later I'd say there will be a handheld device that will receive the video feed. One thing I wonder is if you will have to buy screens with the directed backseat device, or if you will be able to buy just the tuner, and use your existing screens if you have them. As for the bandwidth issue, I don't think they will add any more video programming until after the merger, where they will gain some bandwidth through channel consolidation. by no1hedberg
  12. Quote:
    Originally Posted by v1ru5 View Post
    Both services complain about limited bandwidth so what is going to have to be removed in order to add video service? Also with all the other backseat entertainment options I don't know about this one.
    My understanding is that SIRIUS has always withheld some of their bandwidth for video. So, if that is true then we shouldn't see any impact on audio. by DAB
  13. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DAB View Post
    My understanding is that SIRIUS has always withheld some of their bandwidth for video. So, if that is true then we shouldn't see any impact on audio.
    So Sirius could have used that bandwidth for TEMPORARY music/talk channels.I would have understood that,then when those TEMPORARY channels were removed there would not have been any beef. by v1ru5
  14. Quote:
    Originally Posted by v1ru5 View Post
    So Sirius could have used that bandwidth for TEMPORARY music/talk channels.I would have understood that,then when those TEMPORARY channels were removed there would not have been any beef.
    No, I am sure they have constantly been testing the video so this bandwidth was being used. However, do you really believe once you use this bandwidth for music and then set a date to take it away you'd do that without complaint? Man folks bitch already about this stuff. Give it and then take it away and it would be twice as much complaining so there would have been plenty with a beef at that point. No if they planned to use this bandwidth for video it was best to hold it in reserve. However, it is my belief it has been used for testing, so it has been used. by DAB
  15. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DAB View Post
    My understanding is that SIRIUS has always withheld some of their bandwidth for video. So, if that is true then we shouldn't see any impact on audio.

    I agree with you, I know someone on the inside and sirius has been testing for some time now. You don't throw someting to the market without knowing if its going to work, its logic. by gb1
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by DAB View Post
    No, I am sure they have constantly been testing the video so this bandwidth was being used. However, do you really believe once you use this bandwidth for music and then set a date to take it away you'd do that without complaint? Man folks bitch already about this stuff. Give it and then take it away and it would be twice as much complaining so there would have been plenty with a beef at that point. No if they planned to use this bandwidth for video it was best to hold it in reserve. However, it is my belief it has been used for testing, so it has been used.
    Ok...that explains a lot.And you are also right about people bitchin' about removing TEMPORARY programming. by v1ru5
(16) comments | Add your comments