|
Hard disk drives have traditionally been the province of desktop and laptop computers, but the drives are now being adopted by automakers for storing and playing back digital audio and video content, thanks to the explosion of digital multimedia infotainment systems in cars.
According to a White Paper (News - Alert) by iSuppli entitled: “Auto Sector Gets Behind the Wheel with PNDs and Multimedia,: shipments of HDDs for automotive infotainment systems are expected to reach 16.6 million units by 2013, nearly five times the 3.5 million in 2006. Automotive HDD shipments will rise at a compound annual growth rate of 25.1% from 2006 to 2013, making hard drives the fastest-growing storage solutions for cars in the coming years.
“The expansion of infotainment in vehicles is providing users with a multimedia environment that has the capability to exceed the entertainment systems found in their home,” said Richard Robinson, principal analyst, automotive electronics for iSuppli, in a statement. “In the very near future, vehicles will be required to receive and store broadcast digital content, from radio, television and other data-delivery systems such as WiMAX . This requirement is shaping the strategies that are being developed by vehicle manufacturers as they look for suitable replacements for current read-only optical technologies, including HDDs.”
The White Paper noted that dual-layer DVDs have replaced CDs as the primary map storage format for auto navigation systems; however, DVD optical technologies do not compare favorably with the system performance and storage capabilities of HDD-based systems.
But the CD is not dead. In spite of consumer preferences shifting away from read-only optical technologies in favor of flash memory- and HDD-based media, optical-based single-CD systems remain the default audio playback technology in cars through 2013, the White Paper said.
Spencer Chin is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Don't forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.
802.16 (WiMAX) | X | | As a sister technology to Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 specification outlines technology for Wireless Metro Area Network (MAN). WiMAX actually stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, whi...more |
Internet Protocol (IP) | X | | IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data
in packets over the Internet. I...more |
|
Internet Telephony Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
CUSTOMER 
Cloud Computing Magazine
Click here to read latest issue
IoT EVOLUTION MAGAZINE
By 
