Drivers will one day be able to enjoy satellite TV right in their cars when government researchers perfect a new bar-shaped antenna designed to replace unwieldy dish receivers, Japan's telecommunications ministry announced.
Using a new slow-speed digital transmission system capable of sending information through satellites at a speed of 64,000 bits per second, drivers and passengers will be able to watch satellite television programs shunted through a 12-inch (30-cm) antenna mounted on the roof of their cars, officials for the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications said.Currently, satellite reception requires a parabola-shaped antenna, which is too big to be mounted on a passenger car.
Officials said images sent by the system are still too blurry for commercial use and researchers are currently working on ways to improve the picture.
In Japan, about 700,000 car television sets are sold per year, according to a spokeswoman at Casio Computer, Japan's largest digital television maker, which commands about a 60 percent share of the Japanese car television market.
Transport ministry officials said there are no regulations covering car television use or installation, but they urge people who set up car entertainment systems to take proper precautions.
"Drivers can enjoy television as long as they drive their cars safely," an official said.