AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Chrysler said it will roll out a live mobile TV option starting in late December that will be available on several 2008-'10 models with factory DVD entertainment systems. The TV option is priced at $629 plus installation. The feature will be showcased at next week's 2009 SEMA Auto Show.
Chrysler said it will be available on the Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Nitro, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500.
The live TV setup will offer up to 20 channels, including CNBC, Comedy Central, Fox News, MSNBC, MTV, Nickelodeon and others, Chrysler said in a statement. Chrysler said a small antenna, similar in size to a computer mouse, is mounted on the vehicle's roof to deliver the digital TV signal. Inside the vehicle, the receiver and wiring are installed under the interior trim of the vehicle and "are not visible to occupants," the automaker said. It criticized existing mobile TV systems in the U.S. as offering "limited channels" and requiring "large satellite dishes on vehicle roofs."
The Mopar option is dubbed "FLO TV." The automaker said the service won't be available in some rural areas. By the end of 2009, FLO TV should be available in "more than 100 major markets," Chrysler said.
Chrysler needed some good news this week to take the sting out of the devastating report it received on the reliability of its vehicles in the latest Consumer Reports study. However, it is not yet known how such watchdogs as the U.S. Department of Transportation, which recently hosted a major seminar on distracted driving, will react to the new in-vehicle option. Chrysler notes that this is an option for "the backseat."
Inside Line says: Undoubtedly, many consumers will snap up this option. But the jury is out on how much more distraction it will add for the driver. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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davesuton says:
03:41 AM, 11/01/2009
Chrysler comes out with a nifty new option and all Lienert has to do is find fault with it. If this were an import manufacturer that brought this to market, no negitivity would be mentioned. I guess this is why her and her husband, who also hate domestic brands, were fired from their last job for doing the exact same thing.