For passengers in the rear, BMW’s Theatre Screen gives us a glimpse of its vast, 8K display that could potentially turn the cabin into a personal cinema on wheels. Featuring a full 31” ultra-wide panel, the panoramic screen has a 32:9 aspect ratio and 8K resolution while it unfolds down from the ceiling of the vehicle.
BMW has recognised that while most passengers bring their own displays with them in the shape of smartphones and tablets, there’s still a market for larger, better-integrated viewing options. In the case of Theatre Screen, it means tapping the vehicle’s embedded 5G connection for streaming. This way, passengers can more seamlessly pick up on whatever content they might have been watching in the living room. There’s also a total of 128 GB local storage for downloaded content.
Rear passengers can control the interface either via touching it, or touchpads that are built into the rear doors. Hit the button and not only does the Theatre Screen fold down, but the ambient lighting dims and the rear window sunshades close. The driver will also be able to override the rear seat controls and fold the display out of the way as well as mute it should that be required.
Video can be shown in 16:9, 21:9, or 32:9 aspect, with smart zoom expanding it to fill the display. As for audio, there’s a 4D Diamond Surround Sound system with Bowers & Wilkins speakers, together with dual-wireless headphones for private consumption.
Though currently only a concept, BMW says Theatre Screen is actually remarkably close to a production version that should launch “very soon”. We can certainly hope.
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