Kenwood is using four MicroTuner MT2060 tuners from Microtune in a car TV receiver system. The Kenwood system, for the Japanese market, delivers terrestrial TV broadcast and other data services to a vehicle.

“Highly integrated tuners represent the future of in-car entertainment,” said Masachika Komiyama, general executive at Kenwood’s Strategic Technologies Development Center. Microtune president and chief executive officer James A. Fontaine adds “Consumer electronics applications historically have migrated from the home to the automobile, and we are now beginning to see the transition of digital TV to mobile drivers and passengers.”

Fontaine said Microtune is collaborating with Tier-1 suppliers and aftermarket vendors to develop automotive-grade versions of its silicon TV tuner for car entertainment systems. The firm plans to introduce a TV tuner IC for in-car TV systems that enables digital rear-seat entertainment at high speeds.

Technological and market factors are driving new design-in opportunities for silicon TV tuner electronics in automotive entertainment markets, according to Fontaine. With the transition of TV broadcast from analog to digital transmission, digital standards such as DVB-T and ISDB-T enable excellent car TV video and audio quality at speeds of up to 180km (112 miles) per-hour.

Fontaine added that rear-seat mounted video displays are increasing in popularity and are expected to be adopted by auto makers not only in high-end vehicles, but also as an option in mid-level cars.