Comcast and Delphi to explore in-car video

NEW YORK - Comcast said on Wednesday that it plans to explore ways with mobile electronics maker Delphi to send video programming to cars.

The move will pit the top US cable company against Sirius Radio and even Microsoft in a new battleground for digital entertainment.

While satellite radio companies have targeted in-car entertainment for several years and iPod fans have attached their music players to car radios, few other digital entertainment devices have been aimed at the automobile -- until now.

At the centre of the competition is Delphi, which currently has deals with Sirius Satellite Radio and rival XM Satellite Radio for satellite radio receivers built into vehicles.

Microsoft is also eyeing video in cars and is working with Sirius to beam children's channels via Sirius' service next year.

Details on Comcast's deal remain scarce. The two companies said in a statement they plan to find ways to export video from the living room, presumably from a home cable connection, to cars.

In one early scenario, Comcast subscribers would be able to download cable video onto a device manufactured by Delphi that can be attached inside an automobile.

In another scenario, users of the new devices would be able to download Comcast-distributed video by driving near wireless "hotspots" or areas that provide wireless high speed internet connections.

Delphi said the goal of the agreement was to "leverage" Delphi's wireless-enabled rear-seat video system, letting users transfer programming to their vehicles.

But one source said the deal was non-exclusive and said they have no immediate plans to release a device.

One sticking issue involves programming licensing rights. Video distributors such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable pay programming networks like ESPN a fee based on the number of subscribers that are expected to view the networks.

While some newer carriage contracts include provisions to license programming for cable video-on-demand services, the contracts may not include agreements covering new distribution methods, such as mobile video.

A Comcast spokesman declined to comment on details of its contracts.

- REUTERS