Introducing the Next Generation of In-Vehicle Infotainment: Distributed Playback™ Contents Introduction: Closing the gap in IVI ..............................................3 Industry trends driving IVI .......................................................4 Key features of Distributed Playback™ ...........................................6 Field-proven reliability ..........................................................7 Wide cross-platform support ....................................................9 Universal API functions ........................................................ 10 Highly optimized media player ................................................ 12 Seamless access to online services ............................................. 13 Economical use of system resources ........................................... 15 Advanced use cases ........................................................... 17 Industry recognition .......................................................... 22 Conclusions .................................................................. 23 About Cinemo ................................................................ 23 Appendix A: Media formats supported by Cinemo ............................. 24 Appendix B: Platforms supported by Cinemo .................................. 25 Sources ....................................................................... 26 Cinemo GmbH © 2016 by Cinema GmbH. All rights reserved. Kaiserstrasse 72 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany Distributed Playback is a trademark of Cinemo GmbH. [email protected] Any other trademarked names are used for editorial purposes www.cinemo.com only, with no intention of infringing the trademark holder. Introduction: Closing the gap in IVI This white paper introduces the next-generation of in-vehicle infotainment (IVI): the patented and award-winning Distributed Playback™ technology from Cinemo. Cinemo ofers automotive-grade embedded middleware that enables fawless multimedia playback, streaming, media management and connectivity. This dramatically extends the possibilities of IVI for automotive OEMs and Tier 1 head unit makers. As shown in Figure 1, Cinemo’s embedded middleware links a vast array of media and devices to the vehicle’s head unit, either through wired or wireless connections. The head unit can use any popular platform, operating system, chips, media standards, or fle formats. The innovative Distributed Playback™ feature supports multiple sources, multiple screens, and multiple devices, enabling complete in-vehicle BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). All functions are available to all passengers in the rear seat as well. And any licensed online services can be linked to the IVI as well. In this way, Distributed Playback™ opens up exciting new capabilities that were never before possible, and closes the gaps in the user experience outside and inside the vehicle. And it will help OEMs and Tier 1s take advantage of three major industry trends: the connected car, ride sharing, and autonomous vehicles. Figure 1 Cinemo IVI block diagram, showing how passengers can bring their own devices or access online services 3 Introducing Distributed PlaybackTM www.cinemo.com Industry trends driving IVI Three major trends are driving the need for the next generation of in-vehicle infotainment: the connected car which is always online, the worldwide popularity of ride-sharing services, and the dawn of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. Industry trend: The connected car For most of its history, the automotive industry moved at a somewhat sedate pace. But today, the industry is being re-shaped by technology, especially the notion of the connected car. Most people think a connected car simply has internet access and an in-vehicle network, likely Wi-Fi. McKinsey goes further, saying that a connected car can “optimize its own operation and maintenance as well as the convenience and comfort of passengers.”1 Consumers are pushing for this faster than many OEMs can respond. For example, in 2014 Accenture asked 14,000+ consumers around the world about the connected car. The results were dramatic: t 89% already stream music in their cars, or would like to t 71% surf the Web from a screen in their cars, or would like to t 65% listen to and dictate e-mail in their cars, or would like to Perhaps the biggest surprise: 2 out of 3 consumers said that when they shop for a car today, in-car technology is more important to them than driving performance. The era of the connected car has clearly arrived. 2 Industry trend: Ride sharing By now, ride-sharing services like Uber, Lyft, and China’s Didi are mainstream. And these services are changing attitudes about owning cars. For example, close to 10% of Uber users surveyed in London have decided not to buy a car, or to get rid of their existing car.3 And the proportion of Americans who hold driver’s licenses has been dropping, especially among younger people ages 16 to 24.4 Instead, many now rely on ride sharing. As this trend grows, McKinsey estimates 1 in 10 cars sold in 2030 could be for ride sharing.5 Yet most cars today still lack a signifcant capability. Passengers can easily order a ride using a mobile device; but once inside, they can’t use their devices efectively. Wi-Fi and cell connections are often poor, and the IVI can’t support their devices. 4 Introducing Distributed PlaybackTM www.cinemo.com Consumers want to bring their mobile devices into any vehicle, even when getting a lift from Uber or Lyft. The OEMs that meet this need frst will attract buyers, perhaps for entire feets. Autonomous vehicles will free up billions of hours that many drivers will want to fill with audio, video, and online services. Industry trend: Autonomous vehicles Meanwhile, mass-market autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to arrive during the 2020s. By 2030, McKinsey estimates at least 15% of all cars sold will be fully autonomous, and perhaps as many as 50%.6 One factor behind this trend is probably the growing congestion on our roads. Trafc analysis frm Inrix found these numbers for 2015: t Los Angeles drivers spend 81 hours a year stuck in trafc t San Francisco and Washington, DC: 75 hours t New York: 73 hours The frm reported that trafc in Europe could be just as bad: t London drivers sit 101 hours a year in trafc jams t Stuttgart, Germany: 73 hours t Brussels, Belgium: 70 hours t Paris: 45 hours7 The Castrol Start-Stop Index found that drivers in Shanghai are stuck in idle one- third of the time, and in Beijing 27% of the time. Hong Kong was only slightly better. And some of the worst trafc jams in the world are in Jakarta, Indonesia.8 No matter the location, nobody wants to sit in stop-and-go trafc for hours every day. AVs will free up literally billions of hours for drivers—hours that many will want to fll with in-vehicle audio, video, and online services. The companies that meet this need best will be rewarded with more sales. 5 Introducing Distributed PlaybackTM www.cinemo.com Key features of Distributed Playback™ Cinemo can help OEMs and Tiers 1s beneft from the important trends driving the industry. Distributed Playback™ technology provides all these key features: t Field-proven reliability t Wide cross-platform support t Universal API functions t Highly optimized media player t Seamless access to online services t Economical use of system resources All these features come together to support exciting new possibilities for advanced front- and rear-seat infotainment and fexible video playback. The rest of this white paper describes these features and benefts in more detail. All these features come together to support exciting new possibilities for advanced in-vehicle infotainment 6 Introducing Distributed PlaybackTM www.cinemo.com Field-proven reliability It’s easier to design an infotainment system for a living room than an automobile. As you know, in-vehicle technologies must withstand some of the most punishing conditions on earth. These include: t Physical stress from bumping, shaking and vibration t Temperature extremes from freezing winter nights to sizzling summer days t Humidity extremes from torrential monsoons to arid desserts t Electromagnetic noise from static, other vehicle systems, and outside interference t Limited bandwidth from in-vehicle networks t Poor internet connections to mobile devices Yet in-vehicle systems must operate fawlessly for an extended period, surpassing the vehicle’s expected lifespan. These are not simple challenges to solve. These are regular topics of discussion within industry associations and automotive engineering societies such as the AEC9, AIAG10, EAIG11, FISITA12, and SAE International,13 not to mention the International Congress on Advances in Automotive Electronics.14 Failure is not an option Rain or shine, drivers depend on their vehicles. By the same token, passengers expect their IVI systems to work properly, no matter what the conditions outside. All OEMs, Tier 1s, and online service providers seek to deliver top-quality, reliable infotainment. Failure is not an option. Car buyers will not tolerate software that crashes or playback that skips at every bump in the road. Consider a recent survey from Consumer’s Reports, which criticized many IVI systems for software crashes, freezes, glitches, and slow response to commands. Some unhappy owners called their systems “buggy, clunky, fakey, and sluggish.”15 This is not what any OEM or Tier 1 wants to hear. If an IVI system does not work reliably, instead of an added incentive to purchase, it can become a convincing reason not