Mitsubishi Debuts Ultra-Flexible Entertainment System

A new next-generation in-car entertainment system from Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America Inc. enables rear-seat passengers to view two separate video streams and swap material by tapping the screens.

Called FLEXConnect, the family-oriented technology includes cameras in each rear-seat screen so parents in the front seats can monitor children in back. The two screens are linked through an Ethernet AVB architecture, allowing interactivity for two-screen games or sending photos back and forth.

Rear-seat content can be monitored and controlled by front-seat occupants. The system supports wi-fi connectivity with multiple smartphones and tablets, whose content can be displayed on the rear-seat screens.

Mitsubishi Electric says future variants of FLEXConnect will include the ability for occupants to personalize their display with their own layout, contact lists and audio preferences. A navigation feature will allow passengers to send a destination to the car's navigation system.

Other information, including traffic and navigation information, also may be offloaded to a tablet. Mitsubishi did not indicate when the system will hit the market.