BMW is elevating the entertainment experience on the road with its new BMW Theatre Screen. Unveiled at CES, the display could be a future option for the BMW 7 series due to their design similarities. It may also be available for some XM crossover models.
The BMW Theatre Screen is a 31.3-inch 8K display with 5G connectivity and a 32:9 aspect ratio. It also supports 16:9 and 21:9 . BMW has partnered with Amazon to include its Fire TV software for 4K streaming.
“The BMW Theatre Screen is our idea of luxury in-car-entertainment of the future. It brings the ultimate digital experience to the back seats of your car, transferring it into a real driving cinema,” said Adrian van Hooydonk (Senior Vice President BMW Group Design).
Kyle Conner (Out of Spec Production) and BMW BLOG teamed up to provide an exclusive demo of the display.
The display is paired with a 1,500-watt Bowers & Wilkins 4D speaker system with 30 surround sound speakers. There are also speakers installed in the seats to let users feel the audio. The system also incorporates technology to shift sound away from the driver to prevent distractions. Surround sound may not adequately describe such an encompassing audio solution.
There’s also an HDMI port to allow various devices such as game consoles or laptops to be connected. Detailed specs such as refresh rates or VRR are not available, but those who were lucky enough to see it in person said the image was “razor-sharp.”
The screen is installed behind the front seats, lowers from the roof, and can be tilted with controls to get that perfect viewing angle. The door panels feature volume controls. Users can even adjust the sun blinds to further optimize viewing.
The big display is not fixed in place since it can be lowered and tilted through the configurable My Mode Theatre for optimal viewing. To create a cozy atmosphere, it will allow users to control the sunblinds and lighting to mimic a cinema experience.
From an ultrawide aspect ratio to surround sound, 4K streaming, and even console and PC connectivity options, BMW is doubling down on the luxury theater experience. The screen rivals those PC enthusiasts and gamers already have and could leave many feeling envious.