This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Car TV
Feb
11
2009
I got to drive a Mercedes S-Class last weekend. One of the features is a nice screen in the middle of the dashboard. It is the multi-function display: it shows the radio, navigation system, rear-view backup camera, DVDs, and live TV. The live TV comes from the over-the-air broadcasts, like any normal TV.
While that is a fun feature, I wonder how many vehicles have been sold with televisions in them. Because some of those are going to be obsolete in June, when the analog broadcasts are disabled and only digital remains. The converter boxes won’t work very well in the cars either. The Mercedes TV tuner is supposed to handle both analog and digital, so it shouldn’t be affected by the transition.
The analog tuners would have been obsolete this month (February 2009), but the digital deadline got moved back, yet again. Now it is in June, although stations can start dropping analog broadcasts now. But I wonder how many cars or aftermarket TV tuners will be affected. That would not be fun for someone who spent a boatload (or carload perhaps) of money to add TV reception to his car a couple of years ago, only to discover that he’ll have to upgrade it.
One other thing I noted from my afternoon in the car was the radio controls. The radio (and climate control and TV and nav system) is controlled by a single dial thingy. On my drive home, I usually switch between one AM station and one or two FM stations. To change from AM to FM took 3 presses (back, down, down) and to change from FM to AM took 4 presses (back, down, back, down).
Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.
Mark 8:25
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 11:55 pm and has been carefully placed in the Ponder category.
February 13th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Watching TV while driving. Hmm, I sense accidents.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:03 am
In this car at least, you can’t watch TV while driving.
If you start backing up while watching TV, the display switches to the rear camera view, so you can see what’s right behind you and not drive over any bicycles or whatever.
If you start driving forward while watching TV, the display switches to a general car-information screen (climate control, radio, etc.).
February 15th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I’ve never understood the purpose of features like this that aren’t available while driving. What’s the point of having this sort of thing available in the car if you can’t use it while the car is in motion? Who’s going to go sit in his car to watch tv on a regular basis? I’m not a fan of having the driver watching tv, but come on: if you’re going to put tv in the car, at least make it available to the passengers.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
We thought about that, and the best answer (that we have) is that it is for the chauffeurs who are likely to be driving S-Classes and sitting in parking areas waiting for their people to come back to the cars.
February 15th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Wow. That’s quite a specific audience for one piece of technology.