The idea of autonomous or self-driving cars tends to cause
some controversy, especially from those who want to keep their own hands on the wheel and want to remain in control of the driving experience.
However, the connectedness in connected
cars may, at least initially, be aimed at serving and entertaining passengers in those cars.
MGM’s Epix just announced that its streaming video app will be integrated into the back seats
of Honda’s 2018 minivan.
Epix says this is the first entertainment service globally to launch an app that makes its movies, original series and other original programming available to
passengers in a connected car, through a subscription to Epix, of course.
“As vehicles evolve to become the ultimate mobile device, we are pleased to work with Honda to develop new
entertainment experiences for second and third row passengers and pioneer this next chapter of streaming video and true TV Everywhere,” stated Mark Greenberg, president and CEO of Epix.
This is a major step beyond the old method of using DVD’s to watch movies in back seats.
Car connectivity is hardly new. Back in early 2014, at the annual CES convention in Las Vegas,
General Motors and AT&T teamed to present their vision of the car of the future and how commerce could fit in.
More recently, GM announced that Chevy owners now can get an unlimited amount
of data through their car for $20 a month
Connected cars will grow from 30 million globally at the end of last year to more than 200 million by 2020, according to Futuresource, which projects
that autonomous driving will not have a significant impact through 2020.
Futuresource expects autonomous vehicles to reach the consumer market by 2020, accounting for the production of 10% of
all vehicles, but not until 2035.
Meanwhile, passengers in the back of Honda minivans will be streaming movies.