2006-12-11

Standard equipment for the Japanese market

Hirschmann Car Communication GmbH, located in Neckartenzlingen, Germany, has been contracted by DaimlerChrysler AG to develop and supply a TV system designed to receive terrestrial digital television programs according to the Japanese ISDB-T (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting - Terrestrial) standard. From 2008, this system will be part of the standard equipment in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles destined for export to Japan. The contract validity period will span over several years.

The TV reception system will be installed in a hidden location in the vehicle, in a similar way to a CD changer, and integrated into the vehicle electrical network via either MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) or CAN (Controller Area Network) bus. This allows the system to be easily operated via a command controller.
Television images can be shown simultaneously on a dashboard display and where existent on the screens of a rear-seat entertainment system. While the image in the front display is hidden above a speed of approx. 5 km/h, leaving only the audio system activated, the passengers in the back can receive programs regardless of the vehicle speed.
To constantly guarantee optimal image quality, the receiver system uses a diversity function to combine the input signals of up to three antennas. Further equipment features include an electronic program guide (EPG), the data service BML (Broadcast Markup Language) and a flash function for software updates.