How We Cut Marine Infotainment Costs Without Compromising Quality
SmartMyBoat Navigator slashes marine infotainment and hardware costs by transforming standard consumer TVs into fully functional marine displays, removing the need to buy multiple expensive, dedicated Multifunction Displays (MFDs).
Instead of paying thousands for extra helm displays or cabin screens, boaters can use a consumer Roku streaming device, often costing under £30 ($30) combined with an existing onboard Wi-Fi gateway to mirror all critical boat telematics onto standard television screens.
💡 How the System Cuts Onboard Costs
- Eliminates Secondary MFD Hardware – Premium 12-inch or 16-inch MFDs can cost anywhere from £1,100 to over £4,100. SmartMyBoat Navigator allows you to leverage existing salon, cabin, or crew-quarter TVs as auxiliary data screens for a tiny fraction of that cost.
- Bridges NMEA Data with Consumer Electronics – Using supported NMEA-to-Wi-Fi or Ethernet gateways (such as systems from Actisense, YachtDevices, Digital Yacht), the app broadcasts live vessel telemetry directly over your boat’s local Wi-Fi router.
- Replaces Pricey Black-Box Media Hubs – Dedicated marine entertainment processors and integration modules are notoriously expensive. This software brings multimedia streaming (like Spotify or YouTube) and real-time engine metrics together into a single, cohesive consumer interface.
📊 Financial Breakdown: MFDs vs. SmartMyBoat
| Expenses | Traditional Multi-MFD Setup | SmartMyBoat Navigator Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Helm Screen | Dedicated MFD (~£670–£4,100) | Dedicated MFD (~£670–£4,100) |
| Salon/Cabin Display | Secondary MFD (~£1,050+) | Standard TV + Roku Device (~£30) |
| Infotainment Software | Propitary Marine Media Hub | Navigator App Sub (£69.99/year) |
| Total Hardware Cost | High (£2,000–£6,000+) | Low (Base helm unit + consumer hardware) |
🔎 Key Telematics Streamed to Your Screen
The software organizes real-time marine data across four specialized dashboard views using your standard television remote:
- Interactive Navigation – Vector chart plotting featuring live vessel position overlays and course-over-ground track tracking.
- Live Vessel Tracking – High-contrast digital gauges displaying Speed Over Ground (SOG), heading, wind speed, and sonar depth data.
- Engine & Systems Diagnostics – Comprehensive engine performance telemetry including RPMs, cooling temperatures, multi-tank levels, and battery bank monitoring.
- Environmental Data – Real-time trackers for ambient air temperature, barometric pressure trends, and local sunrise/sunset calculators.