Welcome to 2005, and the future of terrestrial radio broadcasting: high-definition or HD radio. I’ve written about
HD in the past, a technology controlled in the U.S. by iBiquity, and the fact that over 100 AM/FM stations have already
added digital broadcasts with thousands committed by 2007. (There are 13,500 radio stations in the U.S.)
But the big fly in the ointment was the receiver: approximately 35,000 HD receivers, all car-audio models, were sold in
2004. But 2005 will be the break-out year with devices like the
Boston Acoustic Receptor Radio appearing in
second quarter for about $300.
Meanwhile, the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) standard is finally making headway in Europe, with predictions of 13
million DAB-equipped radios being sold in 2008. DAB radios are as cheap as $75.
The article linked to below suggests that HD will come into its own in the U.S. when automobile manufacturers choose to
include HD-equipped radios as a standard feature, possibly in 2006.
1. For my money... I'll take Satellite. If I have to pay anything, I'd like to pass on the commercials and get a much wider range of services.
Sure with HD you only need a new head unit, but then you just get the same radio content, but it sounds better?
Posted at 4:15PM on Jun 16th 2005 by Jonathan Greene