Using a platform called Remo, the Jacobs Media team took over 350 broadcasters on a tour of the Consumer Electronics Show, which is being held virtually for the first time ever.
Fred Jacobs was the main host for the event as Paul Jacobs introduced product videos including new smart glasses from a company called Vuzix. Both Triton and Xperi sponsored the tour.
The tour included Fred’s interview with Amazon Alexa Auto Chief Evangalist Arianne Walker who spoke about Amazon’s plans to integrate Alexa into automobiles, both as they roll of the assembly line and as an after-market product. Walker said one of the biggest complaints she hears about when it comes to the automobile is voice activation.
Amazon sells a product called echo auto ($49.99) that allows drivers to seamlessly bring Alexa into the vehicle with help from the Amazon echo app on their phones. Drivers can then voice activate their favorite radio stations, use the navigation system, control the heater in the car seats and even pay for gas at Mobile stations. The system can even switch languages in the middle of a conversation.
Jacobs also interviewed Joe D’Angelo, Senior Vice President for Radio at Xperi, which always has a big presence at CES. After the tour D’Angelo told Radio Ink 2020 was an incredibly busy year for Xperi, both in terms of technical development, commercial introductions and the completion of the TiVo/Xperi merger. “As a result, our presence at both the Virtual CES 2021 as well as our new microsite Evolve.Xperi.com is extensive and covers a wide range of technologies, applications and services. I encourage your readers to visit us on both platforms. With regard to broadcast radio specifically, I think the industry would be extremely interested in the latest advances in HD Radio, including AM All Digital and new vehicle implementations which have brought us to over 70 million HD Radio equipped cars on the road. In 2020, we also launched DTS Connected Radio (now rebranded, DTS AutoStage) with Daimler. Unlike HD Radio, which is currently focused on North America, our DTS AutoStage launch with Daimler is global and provides connected radio services in over 60 countries across analog, HD Radio and DAB+ broadcasts. This is the only global hybrid radio system in the world and has been specifically designed to ensure broadcasters maintain their prominence and control in connected cars.”
With real estate on the automobile dash in constant flux and technology changing by the minute, D’Angelo says Xperi is focused on making radio stronger in vehicles. “Xperi has a twenty year history of technology innovation to enhance the broadcast radio experience in cars. First with HD Radio, followed by advanced DAB+ services and most recently with the launch of DTS AutoStage in Daimler vehicles. We are committed to building robust, cost effective technologies, platforms and services that can be widely deployed in cars and leveraged by all car companies and broadcasters around the world. Our DTS AutoStage platform is not only redefining the broadcast radio experience today, but is delivering personalization and recommendation capabilities that have become the cornerstone of today’s digital platforms and is positioned to enable continued innovation, field upgradability and new emerging commercial opportunities for broadcasters.”
