Suburban Dad: Sirius Satellite TV
There may be peace in our time for suburban dads, and moms. I got an up-close look at Chrysler's new Sirius Satellite TV in the company's redesigned Town & Country minivan this week. While there is room to improve, there’s a lot of genius in the approach.
Here are the basics: Sirius will offer three channels — Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network — and, for my money, it couldn’t have chosen better. Programming from those three easily covers kids from the very young to the early teens. My kids — 13, 12 and 10 — watch all three liberally, catching such favorites as "Hannah Montana," "Spongebob Squarepants" and "Scooby-Doo."
The dual-screen approach in the Town & Country should preempt the all-out war that happens in many households: One kid can watch one of those three channels on one screen, while others can watch a DVD or play a console game on the other screen. Unfortunately, you can’t watch two of the Sirius channels at the same time.
Still, having these channels always available to you and unlikely to get fuzzy or fade out (because it's satellite, not over-the-air broadcasting) means parents can take fewer DVDs with them, and as any parent will tell you, the less stuff you have to carry, the better. As for additional channels, a Chrysler spokeswoman said Sirius is always thinking about its offerings, but that Chrysler would want to make sure any content (meaning more channels) would be appropriate for their cars.
The service isn’t free, of course. First you have to sign up for Sirius Satellite Radio for $12.95 a month, then the TV service is an additional $7 a month for a $19.95 per month total.
If you don't want to drive a minivan (I do, but I know "minivan" is getting to be a bad word around Suburbia) and don’t mind the price, Chrysler plans on putting Sirius TV in future editions of the Charger, 300 and Magnum.
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I wish an automaker would make a video system that let the driver, front row passenger see the TV screen. Ya Ya.. it's not safe I agree. I am talking about with the vehicle IN PARK only. I put the vehicle in park, and suddenly I can see the video (to get to the MOVIE and bypass the 20 commercials)..
Make it.. I'll buy it..
Rant 2: My Honda Odyssey "re-boots" the DVD player when I turn on the ignition. I end up filling up with gas with the engine running so the drooling toddlers don't get interrupted.
We put a man on the moon. Can't auto makers do these two simple things?
Comments like Brad's make me shake my head.
old man mode: "when I was a boy, we didn't watch TV in cars, we watched the scenery go by"
"If the vehicle's in park? (alegedly) then there's no reason you can't jump to the back seat right?"
"Running the van while pumping gas?!? Just so the kids won't interrupt Spongebob? It's funny you mentioned the space program, because you might just end up blowing you kids to the moon!"
Kids today!
*sigh* I feel old all the sudden.
That is amazing, I wish I could have watched cartoons in a minivan when I was a kid. Does this system come in any other vehicles?
Boy, you are so right Infosaur. And im only 15?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Wow, it's so cool. I have to start budgeting again. My kids would love it.
I'm nearly 43 and embrace technology. I Love the fact that I can get an entertainment system in a vehicle for my kids (twin 11 year olds) to watch. I hear some out there say, "I never had it when I was young and that was just fine". I say Bull Crap it was fine. We were bored to death and if we had known then that you could watch a movie in that 1970 Plymouth Belvadere Station Wagon on the long drive to Grandma's we would have revolted. Don't shake your head you know I'm right! I have a 2007 Chrysler Aspen and a 2006 Chrysler 300C which both have Sirius radio and rear seat video which I plan on upgrading to Sirius TV as soon as the retrofit kits come out. Or I will wait for the Speedray 1000 system to get more affordable so I can get all 175 Dish channels in the car. Boring long drives have finally died a good death, thank goodness.
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Quote [I wish an automaker would make a video system that let the driver, front row passenger see the TV screen. Ya Ya.. it's not safe I agree. I am talking about with the vehicle IN PARK only. I put the vehicle in park, and suddenly I can see the video (to get to the MOVIE and bypass the 20 commercials)..]
I just looked at one yesterday and picking it up today (Chrysler T&C). If the car is in park, you can watch it on the front dash TV as well.
Just bought a T&C yesterday with this... You CAN watch the TV in the front with the car in park.
This is an excellent article because satellite radio is the future of communications at http://www.1-satellite-tv-facts.com/Satellite-Radio.html