Radioplayer Launches Voice-Controlled Hybrid Radio for Cars
A connected car radio has been launched in the UK by Radioplayer, the not-for-profit collaboration between the BBC and commercial radio. With a long-term aim to share learnings with auto manufacturers, Radioplayer Car is an aftermarket-installed device to existing car dashboards, and offers FM, DAB and IP in one unit.
The radio is voice-controlled, allowing a driver to change channels by simply saying “Radioplayer” and then the name of the intended station. The voice control has been carefully built by Radioplayer, allowing listeners to use familiar names for stations and giving a result that is aware of a listener’s location.
Radioplayer Car automatically switches platform, to keep drivers listening via what a press-release calls “the best method possible”. A listener might hear their favorite station over FM or DAB, but as they drive away from the transmission coverage area, it might automatically switch to streaming.
In the UK, over 80% of new cars come with DAB pre-installed: but the average lifespan of a car is over ten years, and the majority of cars on the road do not have it installed. A variety of aftermarket solutions have been produced to allow listeners to add DAB to a car they already own: though many have meant unsightly wiring and additional dashboard controls. …
… read on at radiomagonline.com
Originally posted by James Cridland at Radio Magazine
17th February 2017