Tech Tuesdays: New HDMI Spec Includes Automotive Connection for In-Car HD

Rear-seat entertainment and video-graphics applications in the car could go hi-res once HD hits the road. And we're starting to see elements of automotive HD come together.

According to a press release issued last week, the latest HDMI spec includes provisions for an Automotive Connection System "designed to be used as the basis for in-vehicle HD content distribution." This follows recent announcements of an HD video controller from Fujitsu and the introduction of Blu-ray disc players for the car by Mitsubishi and Panasonic and of SuperSpeed USB for faster downloads of HD video content.

While the benefit of HD for rear-seat entertainment is crystal clear, hi-res video and graphics can serve other purposes in the car.

For example, dashboards are expected to become much more complex and configurable as tech features become more plentiful. We're already seeing examples of this with Ford's SmartGauge with EcoDrive. And as cars become more complex it will be crucial to convey info to drivers in a clear manner.

As for the inclusions of HDMI cabling in the car, the new spec calls for "a solution designed to meet the rigors and environmental issues commonly found in automobiles, such as heat, vibration and noise." But the press release from HDMI Licensing, LLC doesn't mention the sticky hands of toddlers or a tug-of-war between teen siblings in the backseat as other hazards, although it does state that the Automotive Cable spec allows the connection of external HDMI-enabled devices (read: videogame consoles) to an in-vehicle HDMI device.

Posted by

Doug Newcomb June 2, 2009, 3:00 AM

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Automotive Technology, Car Audio and Electronics, Car Tech Tuesdays

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HD, HDMI, USB