Long before Sirius Backseat TV was even announced, many a satrad geek has questioned how much bandwidth would be required to deliver the mobile video entertainment.

Well, the math-geniuses over at Satellite Radio TechWorld have a pretty darn good theory. Based on Sirius' response to a complaint filed by the WCS Coalition about Sirius Backseat TV, we learn that the video programming will use less than 1/5 of its bandwidth.

Now for some number crunching:

"So, we can calculate that [Sirius Backseat TV] will consume 2.5 MHz of the 12.5 MHz band, or 0.625 to 0.833 MHz per channel. Since it is broadcast on 3 carriers (two satellites and one repeater), the numbers have to be divided by 3, meaning that each channel per carrier will consume 208 to 278 KHz. If we understand the technology correctly, that should translate into video streaming somewhere on the order of 625 to 833 kbps per channel."

That might be our nearest indicator as to the level of quality to expect for the service. The demo at CES looked pretty damn good, though that could have been, well, just a demo.

[Satellite Radio TechWorld] 

Delphi, which is working to rise up from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has historically depended on GM for a huge chunk of its sales. But with the introduction of Sirius Backseat TV in 2008 Chrysler vehicles, Delphi is further expanding their business beyond GM and getting cozier with the Chrysler Group.

You may not have known it, but Delphi makes the hardware for Sirius Backseat TV that Chrysler plans to introduce in the Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan soccer-mom-mobiles this fall. Delphi makes the receiver that accepts the satellite signal and the decoder that interprets those signals. The hardware is made in Delphi's plant in Matamoras, Mexico.

The technology will be exclusive to Chrysler for a year, and Chrysler is the first to offer live backseat TV as a factory-installed option. Other auto companies reportedly are interested but haven't committed to offering it just yet.

"We're proud to be working with Chrysler Group to help usher in the next phase of in-car entertainment," said Ken Erickson, Delphi product business unit executive, entertainment & communications. "With this video technology, passengers will be able to bring new entertainment content directly into their vehicle. They won't have to watch and carry around the same DVDs anymore."

[Detroit Free Press]