FLO TV from Chrysler: First Look

Not so long ago, getting three TV stations in the car seemed like a breakthrough — and if you have kids, it was. Through Sirius’ satellite TV offering, you could watch Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network in several Chrysler vehicles. If you didn’t have kids, well, then you probably weren’t so thrilled.

Now, Chrysler is upping the ante: Working with a company called FLO TV to let viewers watch up to 20 channels of live (and time-adjusted) television in their cars. Of course, it comes with the same restrictions associated with any DVD entertainment system; the front screen (if there is one) won’t work while your car is in gear, so it shouldn’t be too much a distraction for the driver.

Among the channels you can get: NBC 2Go, MSNBC, CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, Fox News and more. The version we tested briefly also had ESPN on it. Now, that’s cool. While I wouldn’t be able to see how a game is going, I can at least listen in, or catch up with the sports or business news of the day. Considering how often I drive without any kids in my car, that could be a big benefit.

The tech behind it is pretty similar to how regular TV signals are sent out, although through a network that’s been set up by FLO TV. Up to 20 channels will be available by the end of the month, Chrysler says, and should be available in more than 100 major markets (although they don’t enumerate which markets those are). Unlike satellite TV, you won’t lose the picture going into a parking garage, but how far the coverage will go outside of the cores of the markets its launched in remains to be seen. Also, you’ll be bound by the rules of TV programming, especially when it comes to sports. So while you might be watching one game in Chiago, by the time you hit the Indy area, you likely will get shifted to the game there.

Clearly, Chicago is one, because we watched several channels while in the western suburbs. It was an interesting experience. There was a slight lag whenever we changed channels, and the picture quality is a little fuzzy. It wasn’t enough to mar the viewing experience, and I suspect as the network gets bigger and stronger, the picture quality should improve. That being said, I was floored by the range of channels, making TV in cars much, much closer to reality. A Chrysler spokeswoman told me that some shows lag from real-time; that’s actually a good thing, because it’ll give me time to get from the house into the car without missing anything.

FLO TV will be offered as a $629 option (not including installation), and you get a one-year subscription included for that price. It will be available as a dealer-installed option starting today on the following 2008-10 models:

Chrysler Town & Country
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Commander
Dodge Grand Caravan
Dodge Journey
Dodge Nitro
Ram 1500
Ram 2500/3500

The service also can be added to select 2008-2010 model-year vehicles when new Mopar headrest or seat-top DVD entertainment systems are purchased.

One warning: Renewing that subscription will run you $200 a year.

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Comments

Dec 21, 2009 1:53:02 PM

how does the quality compare to the analog TVs of not so long ago?

ben 10 oyun

Dec 27, 2009 6:24:05 PM

thanks for all admin
owe you gratitude..

henry schilitzar

Jan 27, 2010 10:36:14 PM

I think the quality and portability of pc tv would be better for a car.
http://www.computeruser.com/blogs/entry/satellite-tv-for-pc-watch-satellite-tv-on-your-pc/