This week, three Xperi execs gathered to discuss the evolution of in-vehicle entertainment. As part of the webinar “DTS AutoStage: The Future of Video in the Car,” attendees learned about the latest consumer trends and viewing behaviors, as well as how DTS AutoStage is looking to expand its reach with global and regional content partners.
DTS is a subsidiary of Xperi, the parent of the HD Radio technology. Bringing together radio, audio, video and gaming content, DTS AutoStage is marketed as “the first global, personalized, content-first entertainment platform designed to address the unique needs of automotive OEMs and their customers,” according to the DTS website.
“It’s really about content delivery, and that’s where we’ve been focused for the last 25 years,” said Jeff Jury, general manager of Connected Car for Xperi, on the call.
Jury said DTS Autostage is already in 12 major car brands, with more automotive partners on the way. He said, while Xperi built DTS AutoStage as an in-car entertainment platform for both audio and gaming, the company is putting extra emphasis on supporting in-car video.
[Related: “AAT and Xperi to Team Up on HD Radio”]
Xperi Vice President of Content Strategy & Business Development Scott Maddux said, with the advancement of the digital dashboard, entertainment brands can now “be the glue between home and car.” He said content creators need to seize the opportunity to manufacture a seamless video experience.
“For some of our big partners, like Paramount or Bloomberg, it’s an opportunity to extend the reach of their brand, which has really been only in the living room and on mobile devices, now to a whole new major market sector: the automotive sector.”
Anthony Landamia is the senior director of product management for Connected Car at Xperi. During the presentation, he shared data about consumers’ in-car viewing habits.
Notably, Landamia said nearly 50% of surveyed consumers reported that they’re watching video in the car. Not only that, but it’s not the smartphone that is taking center stage for viewing video, but rather the center console.
“We’re seeing this mostly in luxury and ultra luxury vehicles, and that’s primarily because that’s where the video systems are,” he said. “So our data is going to be skewed. We need to change that with our video solution.
“As we talk with our OEM partners, we talk about bringing our product into the entry level tiers of the vehicle lineup.”
On top of that, more than 50% of surveyed consumers told Xperi they want the screens in the front of the car, and that it’s an important consideration for their next vehicle purchase.
Having confirmed that consumers are indeed watching video in the car, Xperi examined how they are watching it. According to Xperi data, consumers are watching for an average of 20 minutes, with short-form programming being preferred over longer-form content.
“When we talk about short form-content, what that means is linear broadcast type television,” said Landamia. “These are small YouTube clips for kids or sports programming.”
In particular, Xperi found that consumers are primarily turning to this short-form visual entertainment to 1) pass time while waiting in a stationary vehicle, and/or 2) to entertain their children.
To capitalize on these trends, Jury said it’s not enough for automakers to simply add a screen to the center console.
“It’s not just having this platform,” he said, “but having the content with it. That makes the difference in the marketplace.”
To add to the consumer experience, Maddux said DTS AutoStage offers a robust media library.
“We have 70 channels now deployed through the BMW user experience, but we have a deep catalog that gets up into the hundreds very, very quickly.”
With so many options, and just one tiny screen, Maddux said Xperi puts extra effort into managing consumer navigation expectations, especially as there’s no remote.
“So we tend to focus on quality over quantity, but the catalog is very broad. We have partners like Pluto Plex and others that, when you launch that app, you have access to over 500 fast channels. So the depth is there.”
Watch the full DTS AutoStage webinar here.
