Get ready, 2010 might just end up being the year of HD radio. Rumor is that we’re going to see something like eight new portable HD radio devices at CES this January. → Read More
The 2010 Rolls-Royce model line has something very distinctly in common with all new Volvos. It has nothing to do with the engines, safety ratings, comfort, or design. Nope, none of that. Any guesses? → Read More
This is the portable radio that’s supposed to rescue HD Radio from obscurity. It was showed off at last week’s CES, but since its name isn’t the Palm Pre no one gave a damn. → Read More
HD Radio is still around, for some reason, but at least there’s a portable unit on the way. This August, for the low, low price of $150, you could buy the COBY HDR-700, a rather squarish-looking portable HD Radio. The batteries last about five hours, and the whole thing is enclosed in a splash-proof housing. You know, for all those trips to the beach you take. In all fairness, it’s about times there’s a portable HD Radio. Now all they have to do is convince people to ditch their iPod and they’re golden. Remember: the “HD” in “HD Radio” doesn’t stand for high-definition. Don’t be fooled by its silly marketing. → Read More
Remember high-definition radio? It’s still around. If you want to experience high-definition radio, now’s your chance. The iLuv i68 HD Radio with Dual Alarm Clock can be yours for only $39.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. If you’ve never heard of HD Radio, you’re not alone. And if you think that there’s nothing good on regular radio nowadays, you won’t like HD Radio because it’s still the same Fergie song played 25 times each day, except in stunning high-quality audio. Same commercials, too. iLuv i168 HD Radio with Dual Alarm Clock [Buy.com via dealnews] → Read More
IBiquity, the company behind HD Radio, is making enemies all over the place, the latest of which is Pioneer. The Japan-based corp, which makes the popular Inno, recently told the FCC [PDF] that iBiquity’s scheme to force satellite radio manufacturers to include HD Radio playback is absurd. Says Pioneer: The iBiquity conditions would limit the breadth of radio product offerings to consumers, limit which radio component suppliers’ products be designed into radios, have the effect of decreasing AM/FM tuning performance, unnecessarily increase costs to consumers uninterested in HD Radio and interfere with the useful and healthy free market mechanisms extant in radio electronics purchases Pioneer added that, if iBiquity is so in favor of the free market yada yada yada, it should let consumers decide who the winner is, and not force Pioneer, which is in the satellite radio business, to include a competing service in its players. And how many of you out there in Radioland own an HD Radio? I never saw the use, personally. In the car, a $10 tape deck connected to an iPod is heaps more useful, in my opinion. via Orbitcast → Read More
[photopress:hdhdhdradio.jpg,full,center] The basic problem with HD Radio is that, no matter how crystal clear you make radio sound, it’s still radio. Commercial radio, on the whole, is absolute garbage. Maybe iBiquity needs to come to terms with that before it starts accusing XM and Sirius of unfair business tactics. IBiquity, the main force behind HD Radio, says sales increased some 700 percent last year compared to 2006. That’s what it told the National Association of Broadcasters at any rate, which is no friend of the satellite radio companies. Compare that with what it told the FCC, claiming that that both XM and Sirius have coerced their partners—car companies and the like—to “discourage proliferation” of HD Radio. IBuiquity is telling one party last year was great, and telling another party they’re being screwed by the satrad companies. Well-paid analysts call that “having your cake and eating it too.” Again, I have no interest in listening to wild shock jock antics like dropping bra bombs on top of TV stations while trying to coin funny catchphrases like “mother hucker” and “brotherman” no matter how high-quality the signal is. HD Radio: Which hype should you believe? [Orbitcast] → Read More
Product Name: JBL On Time 200ID, On Time 400IHD Description: The On Time 200ID lets you wake up to your iPod, iPhone, radio, or a buzzer. It also has a 1/8th-inch line input for connecting other audio devices. The small one-piece speaker has a backlit LCD and touch-sensitive controls, and a backup battery preserves your settings even if power is interrupted. The silver grille covers two 6-watt drivers and a 6-watt tweeter, so you can bet there are plenty of highs but probably not so much bass (verdict is still out on that until we test it ourselves, of course). It measures 11-3/16 x 5-3/4 x 2-3/4 inches. The On Time 400IHD looks very similar, but adds dual alarms and an HD Radio receiver for picking up multicast HD stations. It also supports iTunes tagging; press a button when you hear something you like, and the next time you sync your iPod in iTunes, it’ll let you find and buy it in a snap. (Like you won’t just look it up and BitTorrent it.) Neither works with the iPhone, but they do support all the newest iPods as well as many legacy models. Sorry, we didn’t have pricing and availability for the 200ID at the time of this writing. Price: 400IHD, $299.95 In-store date: 400IHD, Winter 2008 Site: www.jbl.com Why it’s cool: I’ve always loved JBL’s On Time line of iPod alarm clocks. These are pretty small, and I think the addition of HD Radio is a simple but very smart idea, because it gives you access to lots more content. No iPhone support is dumb though. → Read More
Announced back in September, iTunes Tagging is a way for listeners of HD Radio to take a song they’ve heard on the radio, mark it with the appropriate metadata (that’s then synced to your iPod), then download the song from the iTunes Store after connecting their iPod to their computer. I’ve completely make a mess of that sentence, but you know what I mean to say. Now we’re hearing word that Apple will be making a big push at January’s MacWorld for stereos and boomboxes that work with iTunes Tagging. Apple says it’s a way for non-satellite radio stations to get into the digital music age. Because, you know, I always wanted to hear radio ads for the local car dealership in the highest quality possible. So far, manufacturers committed to building iTunes Tagging-compatible radios include Sony, Griffin and Cambridge Soundworks. Apple readying HD Radio push for Macworld [iLounge] → Read More
I’m a satellite radio guy but that doesn’t mean I don’t listen to regular radio now and again. Thanks to HD radio, you can now listen to commercials, Soulja Boy, and commercials 24/7 in CD quality, ensuring you’ll never miss a song you’ve never really heard before but is apparently very popular as a ringtone and, as a result, gets played on terrestrial stations with intense frequency. Now, the folks at the HD Radio Alliance et al have put together a buying guide to keep you abreast of the latest in HD radio technology. To recap: XM FTW, but HD radio is apparently just super so give it a listen. Buyer’s Guide → Read More
If you were holding out on HD Radio until Sony got in the game (those of you that didn’t run out and buy Cambridge’s radio), your wait is officially over. Sony announced that it’s totally down with HD Radio for the long haul (on a holiday mind you), and will be developing and distributing HD Radio-enabled products in the coming years. And it all starts with the XDR-S3HD table radio. Sporting stereo speakers with a simulated surround sound function, a built-in AM/FM/HD digital tuner and separate bass and treble controls, the table radio with HD Radio capability offers high-quality stereo sound in a small package. The little box also has an auxiliary input so you can connect an iPod S2 Sports® Walkman® MP3 Player up to it. Oh, and it’s an alarm clock, too. Expect it in July for around $200. Sony also announced a mobile tuner with HD Radio (XT-100HD), but I didn’t put up a picture of that because, well, it’s boring looking. It’s a little black box with inputs and outputs. You get the idea. → Read More
HD Radio isn’t exactly spreading like wildfire. But if you’ve experienced it, you know it offers clearer sound and more channels than regular analog radio, and for nothin’ — except the extortionate rather high price of HD-capable radios. Cambridge SoundWorks’ 820HD Radio is a bit closer to affordable, with a list price of $299, and it’s pretty slick-looking too, but I’m pretty sure that not enough people are hip to the concept yet for it to really take off at that price. Maybe they should be. → Read More
Though HD Radio is still in its infancy, it’s a technology that will eventually catch on in the following years as long as the support is there for it. Best Buy has now started stocking HD Radio receivers at all 832 of its stores, which will surely give HD Radio the help it needs. Says Robert Struble, President and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, who developed the technology behind HD Radio: “This is another major step forward for HD Radio technology,” “Following rapid adoption by the broadcast community and an increasing range of products for the mass market, Best Buy’s efforts will dramatically accelerate consumer adoption of this great technology.” Now all it comes down to is price. Make HD Radio affordable for the consumers who love radio and they shall flock to your service. Best Buy to Stock HD Radio Receivers [MediaWeek] → Read More
HD Radio. Yeah, I’ve never listened to it either, but Cambridge SoundWorks apparently still has faith in it, what with its new Radio 820HD and all. It looks remarkably similar to its iPod dock’d radio from a few days ago, but you’ll find no such compatibility here (aside from the aux inputs). It does, however, let you listen to regular radio, CDs and the aforementioned HD Radio, which is essentially just higher fidelity commercial radio. Most major cities have at least a few HD Radio stations, many of which are simulcasts of popular FM stations. The Radio 820HD could be a fine way to jump aboard the HD Radio bandwagon, provided “crystal-clear” radio is worth $300 to you. Product Page [Cambridge SoundWorks] → Read More
Sure it costs $300, doesn’t have a CD player and high definition radio probably isn’t available in your area, but who cares?! It’s HD capable, and what’s more important than being an early adopter? This tabletop unit from Boston Acoustics is pretty barren, but it’s stylish face might be enough to woo some buyers. The system features two speakers, one in the head-unit and one satellite. It is capable of receiving HD2 Multicast programming. And there is an input jack for an iPod or whatever. Product Page [via Uncrate] → Read More
