A connected car radio has been launched in the UK by Radioplayer, the not-for-profit collaboration between the BBC and commercial radio. With a long-term aim to share learnings with auto manufacturers, Radioplayer Car is an aftermarket-installed device to existing car dashboards, and offers FM, DAB and IP in one unit.
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The radio is voice-controlled, allowing a driver to change channels by simply saying �Radioplayer� and then the name of the intended station. The voice control has been carefully built by Radioplayer, allowing listeners to use familiar names for stations and giving a result that is aware of a listener�s location.
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Radioplayer Car automatically switches platform, to keep drivers listening via what a press-release calls �the best method possible�. A listener might hear their favorite station over FM or DAB, but as they drive away from the transmission coverage area, it might automatically switch to streaming.
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In the UK, over 80% of new cars come with DAB pre-installed: but the average lifespan of a car is over ten years, and the majority of cars on the road do not have it installed. A variety of aftermarket solutions have been produced to allow listeners to add DAB to a car they already own: though many have meant unsightly wiring and additional dashboard controls.
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Radioplayer Car consists of a small box, professionally fit behind the dashboard, which links to the driver�s existing car radio. It connects wirelessly to the driver�s smartphone, held in a supplied mount; and to an additional antenna for DAB radio, normally mounted on a window. A free app enables the driver to navigate between stations, access traffic information, and listen to messages. Both the box and the app are upgradeable, allowing for further software enhancements.
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In a press release, Michael Hill, Managing Director of Radioplayer said: �With Radioplayer Car you get the best of both worlds � a powerful multiplatform radio with hundreds of free-to-air channels, that�s safe and simple to operate. It shows what�s possible when the radio industry works together, and we look forward to sharing what we�ve learned with manufacturers, so that all radios can improve.�
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The Radioplayer Car product has been over two years in development, with a number of firms involved including DTS-owned All In Media. It uses data from the Radioplayer platform. While this product is UK-only for now, the Radioplayer platform is also licensed by Radioplayer Worldwide for use in many other countries.
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A launch video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rneq_Ns9ADA and a technical demo can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upAgNEDU3hY.
