by Joe on January 7, 2010
HD Radio is making a big splash at CES 2010 in the automotive arena. The Ford 2011 Taurus SHO, Volkswagen 2010 MY Golf TDI, and 2010 Scion xB all are showcasing HD Radio. Purportedly, in Calendar Year 2010, OEM commitments to HD Radio Technology will total 15 automotive brands across more than 80 vehicle types, 36 of which will include HD Radio Technology standard:
- Audi
- BMW
- Ford
- Hyundai
- Jaguar
- Kia
- Land Rover
- Lincoln
- Mercedes Benz
- Mercury
- MINI US
- Rolls Royce
- Scion
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
Automotive Aftermarket
Home Audio
Portables
by Joe on December 29, 2009
Unvieling at CES 2010 in Las Vegas are 2 new GPS units the T70 (7 inch screen) and the T50 (5 inch screen) which are basic GPS units, but can be purchased with a range of options, including HD Radio, Live HD Traffic update, Bluetooth, WiFi, mobile TV, and black box.
BX1 – a Black Box for the car is Cydle’s solution to a eye-witness. The new Cydle BX1 continually updates every 30 seconds to keep a running video of events while driving. When the the BX1 takes a jolt it retains data from 15 seconds before an impact to 15 seconds after. The footage is saved to an SD Card, so you or law enforcement can take a look on a PC. The Cydle BX1 will be available in the United States in the first quarter of 2010 around $150.
Also, slated for release the first quarter of next year is Cydle’s new M7 Mobile Internet Device (MID.) The M7 functions as an Internet search appliance, a digital photo frame and multimedia player and incorporates HDMI support. Eight GB of memory comes standard, expandable to 16GB. The M7 is expected to come in around $200.
Cydle released a new GPS with built-in HD Radio and free live HD live trafic updates earlier this year. The T43H is the worlds first portable GPS with HD Radio built in. At the current price of $250 US dollars, that is not a bad deal considering you not only get the above mentioned, but also a rich media video player, audio player and picture viewer all displayed on a 4.3 inch screen. Of course the are no subscription fees of any kind.
Included in the kit:
- Preloaded Maps: US, Canada, Puerto Rico & Hawaii
- Built-in HD Radio reciever
- Cradle with sucction cup
- 12v power cable
- 1/8 inch audio cable
- USB cable
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So, what is HD Radio? In a nutshell it is your favorite radio station broadcasting digital, CD quality music for free. At least it is some of your favorite stations. There are more than 1600 AM and FM stations broadcasting digitally, with more added all the time. So, how do I get it? All you have to do is purchase a HD Radio equiped reciever and your all set. Well, provided you are in an area where stations are broadcasting digitally. Find out who is broadcasting HD Radio.
How does HD Radio work? It works much like conventional radio. There is a source at one end and a reciever at the other with some key differences. Both analog and digital signals are bundled and sent out together with the digital signal being compressed, which is where it gets the name Hybrid Digital Radio. What’s really cool is that textual data such as song titles, traffic and stock info can be transmitted and displayed on your receiver.
There are a ton of recievers out there for your car or home. There is a variety of affordable options. Some sub-$100 car CD receivers I have found are JVC KD-HDW10 with built in HD Radio turner, Kenwood KDC-MP338, Kenwood KDC-MP238, Sony CDX-GT320, Pioneer DEH2000MP. That said, you will have to buy an HD Radio turner for most car receivers. Typically, you can pick one up for under $100 as well.
For home I like Sony’s XDR-S3HD HD Radio and Polk Audio I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (with integrated iPod dock). Though the Polk I-Sonic is a bit pricey you get great Polk quality and you can dock your iPod and get crystal clear music over the air waves. If you already have a nice home receiver give the Sony XDRF1HD or Sangean’s HDT-1X a shot.
If you want a new multi-channel receiver for your home entertainment system, companies like Denon, Yamaha and Onkyo have you covered here as well.
The bottom line, in my opinion, is HD Radio is here to stay. It’s a nice alternative to Satellite radio and the best part is there are no subscription fees to pay. If you need to upgrade your current receiver but you not sure about HD radio or you don’t have any stations in your area yet, go ahead get one that’s HD radio ready. You’ll probably want it later on.
