Every coach journey can now become a superb entertainment experience. Watch movies, surf the internet on a reliable connection, and stream music and videos – thanks to multimedia technology from Bosch, even on a long trip, there will be no chance of boredom setting in.
Bosch has developed the new Coach smartInfotainment Series and is presenting it for the first time at Busworld Kortrijk 2017. The leading international trade show for buses and coaches is taking place from October 20 to 25, 2017 in Belgium. “With our Coach smart Infotainment Series, we are taking in-coach comfort to the next level. This ensures coach travel will remain an attractive option among the competing transportation systems,” says Oliver Baecker, head of the coach division at Robert Bosch Car Multimedia GmbH.
The core components of the new entertainment system are the Coach smartRadio and Coach smartPanel. The Coach smartRadio can receive DAB+ radio stations and stream music from a smartphone via Bluetooth; it also enables the driver to make phone calls without becoming distracted and while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. The Coach smartPanel expands this range of functions, bringing even more entertainment to the passenger cabin and driver’s cockpit.
Entertainment with outstanding sound quality
The new Coach smartRadio makes it possible to receive radio programs broadcast according to the new DAB+ standard in coaches, intercity buses, and city buses. DAB stands for “digital audio broadcasting” – the digital transmission of audio signals via antenna. The “+” means that the driver and passengers can enjoy clear noise-free sound quality as well as access to a range of additional program information, like weather maps and details about the current song and artist. With its Coach smartRadio, Bosch is one of the first manufacturers of high quality infotainment systems to offer coach manufacturers this digital standard. A class D power amplifier ensures a rich sound that fills the cabin thanks to 2 x 40 watts of output power.
The Coach smartRadio can also play audio content supplied via its USB port and two AUX inputs as well as from memory cards. A smartphone can be integrated into the system via Bluetooth 3.0 and can be used for music and multimedia content streaming. In addition, this connection is available to the driver for making and receiving phone calls in the cockpit. The integrated USB interface provides an easy way to install system software updates and supplies power for charging a smartphone during the journey. A CAN connection makes it possible for the driver to input commands on the steering wheel to control the Coach smartRadio without becoming distracted.
The ultimate in infotainment
The Coach smartPanel expands the range of functions offered by the Coach smartRadio, thus providing even more infotainment options in coaches. With music in digital quality and interfaces for external playback devices – like a DVD player and a tuner for high-definition television – the Coach smartPanel increases the range of entertainment options available in the coach still further, making boredom on long journeys finally a thing of the past. To play radio stations, the Coach smartPanel utilizes the tuner in the Coach smartRadio via the radio unit’s tandem-out function. Hip-hop in the cockpit and easy listening in the cabin?
Thanks to the coach’s independent audio zones, the driver and passengers will in future be able to listen to different music. The Coach smartInfotainment Series enables the coach to be equipped with up to three microphones. The driver uses a permanently mounted microphone for making announcements in the cabin; it includes an integrated hands-free function. Two further microphones are at the disposal of the tour guide. One of them is a wireless model that lets the guide move around the coach freely while making announcements.
