Netflix in the back of the ’Lac: Streaming video comes to Cadillac CT6, Escalade
You can now catch up on the latest season of House of Cards while riding in comfort in the back of your Cadillac. By combining existing technologies including an occupant’s smartphone, a Google Chromecast, and in-car 4G LTE Wi-Fi, the CT6 sedan and Escalade SUV now allow for in-car online streaming video from apps like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube — because physical media like DVDs and Blu-rays are so passé.
The setup will be familiar to anyone who uses a Chromecast or Apple TV device at home. The 2017 CT6 sedan and Escalade SUV both offer rear-seat entertainment screens with an HDMI input. With the Chromecast device plugged in to that input and connected to the car’s Wi-Fi network, passengers can connect a smartphone to the Wi-Fi network and use apps to stream video onto the rear screens — and onto the front infotainment screen if the car is in park.
In the CT6, each 10.0-inch screen operates independently, and audio can be played through any combination of the car’s sound system or wireless headphones.
Cadillac is including a free Chromecast device with the purchase of any CT6 that has the rear-seat entertainment option (it costs $2,700 on the Premium Luxury trim and is standard on the Platinum trim). The Escalade’s entertainment setup, which is priced at $1,720 on Luxury models and is standard on Premium Luxury and Platinum trims, only has one 9.0-inch screen but operates similarly.
As of now, Escalade customers don’t get the free Chromecast — but, considering the lofty cost of the luxury SUV they’re purchasing, we think they can probably afford to buy one of the $35 gadgets on their own.