From High-End to High-Potential: Rethinking Rear Seat Entertainment

The automotive industry has long seen a divide between high-end and mass-market vehicles, especially in terms of in-car entertainment. Rear seat entertainment systems, once a hallmark of luxury cars, are now becoming accessible to a wider audience – and brought-in user devices such as mobile phones, wearables and laptops, are playing an important role in it. According to a study by UnivDatos, the global BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in-car entertainment market was valued at $56.4 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15% from 2022 to 2030, with Asia-Pacific being expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the 2022-2030 period (source).

Advanced entertainment system innovations 

Recent innovations have enabled middle and entry-level cars to offer advanced entertainment systems that rival those in luxury vehicles. For instance, in the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4, passengers can use the built-in Wi-Fi to stream content from popular services directly to their personal devices, integrating seamlessly with the car’s infotainment system.  

As premium features become more common in mass-market vehicles, high-end cars continue to innovate, setting new standards for in-car entertainment. High-end vehicles like the 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class are incorporating advanced audio technologies such as Dolby Atmos and spatial audio to create a surround sound experience that rivals home theaters, so that users can enjoy the same level of sound experience at home and on the go. This immersive audio system transforms the car into a concert hall, providing an unparalleled listening experience. Spatial audio, which uses multiple speakers to create a 360-degree sound environment, will soon become an essential feature and one that more and more users actively ask for, offering a more immersive and dynamic listening experience for all passengers.  With advancements in spatial audio and frictionless login flows, Cinemo enables automakers to deliver a premium experience across all vehicle segments. One of the ways of achieving just that is partnering with Dolby to accelerate the integration of Dolby Atmos® into vehicles (read more here). 

The democratization of rear seat entertainment has been significantly propelled by advancements in chips and hardware. Modern vehicles are equipped with powerful and cost-efficient processors and GPUs that were once reserved for high-end models.  

The Cinemo CARS Connect Suite, built on Android Automotive OS (AAOS), maximizes these advancements, to offer scalable BYOD functionalities for a variety of in-car needs. For instance, it enables passengers to mirror their device screens to the head unit, create multiple audio zones within the car, leverage phone cameras during shared video calls and leverage frictionless, app-free onboarding. 

Bringing Your Own Devices (BYOD): Opportunities and Challenges 

The integration of BYOD functionalities into vehicles opens up numerous opportunities but also presents implementation challenges. Allowing passengers to connect their personal devices to the car’s entertainment system enables a highly personalized experience. Passengers can stream their favorite content, access apps, and even mirror their device screens on the car’s displays. 

The use of wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, is another exciting possible avenue for BYOD integration. Wearables could sync with the vehicle’s infotainment system to provide personalized recommendations based on the user’s health data. For example, a smartwatch could suggest relaxing music or a meditation session if it detects that the user is stressed. Similarly, a fitness tracker could recommend hydration reminders or stretches during long trips. 

The implementation of BYOD features also poses challenges. Ensuring seamless compatibility with a wide range of devices and operating systems requires significant engineering efforts and constant updates. There are also security concerns, as connecting personal devices to the vehicle’s system can expose it to potential vulnerabilities.  

Automakers must also focus on managing user experience optimally when connecting personal devices to the car system. For instance, the login process should be streamlined to avoid lengthy and cumbersome authentication steps. Additionally, automakers need to consider how to handle the disconnection of devices and the removal of user profiles, especially in car-sharing and commercial ride-sharing scenarios. 

To continue raising the bar in infotainment and in-car productivity, automakers need to leverage BYOD functionalities in innovative ways. This may include integrating video conferencing tools directly into the car’s infotainment system to transform the vehicle into a mobile office, enabling business professionals to attend meetings and collaborate with colleagues while traveling. Offering cloud-based document access and editing capabilities can further enhance in-car productivity. 

Cinemo’s CARS Connect Suite addresses these opportunities with solutions like streamlined app-free onboarding, allowing passengers to pair their devices without companion app downloads and then controlling comfort settings and entertainment directly from their phones.  

Our CARS Connect Suite further expands BYOD functionality by allowing passengers to share Points of Interest (POIs) from their personal devices into the car’s navigation system, fostering a more interactive travel experience. Gaming use cases are also enhanced with BYOD, where mobile devices can serve as controllers, and users’ headsets can create multiple audio zones, enabling personalized entertainment and overcoming traditional Bluetooth device limitations. 

Conclusion: Driving into the Future with Democratized Entertainment 

The transformation of rear seat entertainment from exclusive high-end features to accessible, mass-market options marks a significant evolution in the automotive industry. Advancements in technology, particularly in chips and hardware, have enabled a new era of sophisticated, interactive, and personalized in-car experiences for a wider audience. 

With the CARS Connect Suite, Cinemo offers automakers a complete BYOD ecosystem designed to make in-car entertainment versatile and premium across all vehicle segments. Passengers can seamlessly switch between immersive entertainment and productivity tools, whether controlling media, mirroring, or pairing personal devices. 

As automakers continue to innovate and integrate cutting-edge technologies like immersive audio and BYOD functionalities, the future of rear seat entertainment looks promising. To stay competitive, automakers must prioritize ongoing innovation, robust cybersecurity measures, and adaptability to changing consumer preferences. 

By embracing these advancements, automakers can ensure that the in-car experience becomes more enjoyable, engaging, and tailored to individual preferences, heralding a new era of automotive innovation where premium entertainment is available to all.