Filed under: Gadgets, Tech, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury
CES 2008: Ford expands HD radio offering in 2009 to all vehicles
In-car technology has exploded over the past few years, with navigation screens, hard drives, iPod connectivity, and satellite radio becoming more and more important to consumers. While Ford was slow to get on the multimedia super highway, the Blue Oval has picked up steam with the introduction of SYNC. Ford also launched HD Radio in fall 2007, and the Dearborn automaker plans to offer the digital music maker in every Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury by 2009
HD radio is gaining in popularity as it offers superior sound quality vs. traditional radio and exclusive content, without the need to pay a monthly subscription. Radio stations are fast-adopting HD Radio as well, with 1500 stations now broadcasting digitally. Over 700 of those stations are now offering H2 and H3 multi-casts, which means that your favorite station can offer multiple genres, or more simultaneous choices of the kinds of music you love. With satellite radio riddled with commercials and still costing $12.95 per month, lets hope that HD Radio can give us what we like, but without the cost. Hit the jump to view the Ford press release.
FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO FEATURE FACTORY-INSTALLED HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN 2009
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2008 – Ford Motor Company today became the first US automaker to announce the availability of factory-installed HD Radio™ technology as a standard or optional feature on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles beginning in calendar year 2009.
The announcement follows Ford's launch of HD Radio technology in the fall of 2007 as a dealer-installed option. As with the company's ground-breaking SYNC system, the factory-installation of HD Radio technology expands Ford's commitment to deliver state-of-the-art entertainment and communications technologies.
"Our goal is to offer drivers the best new features and the most choice," said Jim Buczkowski, Ford's director of Electrical System Engineering. "The great local content, the crystal-clear sound quality and the variety of channels and data services offered by HD Radio is exactly what customers are beginning to expect in their vehicles. Moving forward, a radio will no longer be considered competitive if it doesn't include digital technology."
HD Radio technology dramatically increases the sound quality of radio broadcasts and enables more than one radio broadcast on a single channel. As a result, consumers hear a wide range of new HD2/HD3 multicast stations as well as their favorite radio stations in crystal clear digital sound. More than 1500 radio stations in the U.S. currently broadcast in digital HD Radio sound, with more than 700 stations also airing HD2/HD3 multicasts.
Beginning in 2009, HD Radio technology will join other factory-installed technologies – including SYNC and the company's next-generation of navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link – offered in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles to make driving more enjoyable and convenient than ever. Digital radio will be additional source of source of information and entertainment that drivers can choose, particularly for great local and community information not available through other sources.
HD Radio Broadcasting Continues to Grow in Popularity
HD Radio broadcasting is rapidly growing in popularity and is now available to over 80 percent of the population. More than 1,500 AM/FM stations are currently offering digital content, including more than 700 HD2/HD3 multicast stations offering unique formats and content. All a consumer needs is a new HD Radio receiver; the content is free.
There are over 50 distinct HD Radio receivers for sale at thousands of retail stores and online. The radios are priced from under $100 from major mass-market retailers across the U.S., so virtually anyone can experience the crystal-clear digital sound on AM and FM as well as the broadcast-exclusive new FM channels. For a full list of HD Radio stations, visit http://www.hdradio.com.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sk 10:09AM (1/08/2008)
Did they solve the interference problems yet?
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Sam 10:22AM (1/08/2008)
I think I'll stick with my 24/7 XM radio and drop 12.95 a month for over 150 channels of any genre of music, sports, comedy and talk, thank you.
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Scott 1:08PM (1/08/2008)
Enojy it while it lasts. Cable TV used to be commercial free too.
Gil 10:26AM (1/08/2008)
Sat Radio Riddled with comercials?? My Sirius service doesnt have any comercials on any of the misic stations. The talk radio stations get by with limited comercials...
Shame on you Autoblog your bias is showing.......
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Mondo 10:29AM (1/08/2008)
+1
"Riddled with commercials" was a poor comment showing either obvious bias (as Gil mentions) or lack of research. Both of these are inexcusable.
C.D. Ward 10:55AM (1/08/2008)
Not to mention HD radio is still governed by the Nazis over at the FCC. No thanks I will pay for uncensored songs and programs on my Sirius thank-you.
Chris Shunk 12:49PM (1/08/2008)
Since we often get vehicles at Autoblog with satellite radio, I have tested the services for months. While I love the diversity of content, lack of censorship, and clarity of the talk shows, I do hear commercials on most of the stations I listen to. They don't appear with the same frequency as they do on radio (probably about 1/3 as much), but they're there. And since you have to pay for the service, I feel it is bull. That's just my opinion though. I like listening to the comedy channels, and it seems as though every other commercial is for male enhancement or gambling some joint supplement.
I don't see what the problem is in hoping that HD radio is all that it's cracked up to be, becuase free is better than $12.95. If HD radio gives me more choices with better quality and no subscription fees, I'll have more choices when the commercials come on. Traditional radio sucks because here in Detroit we only have about 15 good FM stations, and only 3 with the music I like. With HD radio, I'm hoping that changes, but I have no idea if it will.
Polly Prissy Pants 1:06PM (1/08/2008)
Sirius has plenty of music channels with commercials as heinous as anything coming over the air. If you had kids who listened to Radio Disney you'd know this ;) And the non-music channels are as bad as anything broadcast over the air. It's following the same path as cable. Back in The Olden Days (tm) when TV was free, cable was justified by saying that 'you have to pay for it because it doesn't have commercials'. Slowly commercials were introduced and now we get the pleasure of paying $60 a month for cable plus we get battered with the same old commercials we always did. What a deal.
In this day of Zune's and iPods who still listens to sat radio (or any radio) anymore anyway? I probably haven't tuned into anything "radio" for a month.
Damian 10:27AM (1/08/2008)
What do they mean riddled with commercials? I've got Sirius and never hear any commercials..??? I love it, just got it for my other car as well.
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Mondo 10:36AM (1/08/2008)
FYI:
You can also get satellite radio for $9.99/month (not $12.95) if you get a multi-year plan.
True, HD radio is free but if you think it is commercial-free you will be sadly mistaken. How do you think they pay the bills?
That being said, I like HD radio. My only problem with it is that I am often stuck with local radio personalities and I just do not like my local radio personality options.
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Travis 10:55AM (1/08/2008)
the only commercials I hear on XM are:
1) on the Clear Channel stations. think that there's 3 or 4 stations that XM gets from CC, and in a bid to sink satellite radio (and prop up normal broadcast radio) CC started running commercials on them so that XM couldn't claim that they were "commercial free". that contract expires in '08, so expect any commercial stations to expire with it.
2) tv stations that have run commercials anyway. since CNN/Fox News/etc run commercials, XM has to replace that dead air with something, so they run commercials.
3) they've started to insert commercials into XM programming like O&A, comedy channels, etc. *that* I'm not happy about, since it's not like they're forced to run commercials, they just chose to.
if you want commercial-free music, Sat's the only way to go. I actually get annoyed when I find out that I had left the radio on one of the CC channels and start to hear a commercial.
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Rob Federle 11:37AM (1/08/2008)
I can't speak for XM, but I don't get any commercials on Sirius Radio and never have. Someone should bone up on their fact checking!
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JIm 11:38AM (1/08/2008)
The Sat stations are going to have to do something since they cannot continue in the non profit mode much longer. I fear increased fees or commericals are just around the corner. Originally XM did have commericals on their music channels, but because Sirius did not, they followed. How that will change once they are partnered remains to be seen.
My only complaint - at least with XM - is, because XM originates from D.C., their music channels seem to have an East Coast bent. Too often I find myself listening to a Decades station and thinking I've never heard that song before. I'd also like to see a few stations that do the books on tape/CD thing.
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Sam 1:19PM (1/08/2008)
I dunno about that, I've heard tons of west coast start up bands on XM all the time and some of the major ones as well. Change stations?
sitruc 11:41AM (1/08/2008)
In theory digital radio is good, but I do a bit of driving and I'm not a big country music fan. When I'm in the middle of nowhere, that is normally the only thing I can find, if anything. FM's range is limited and HD is even more limited. This is why I really like and appreciate my XM radios. I can listen to music, news, sports, and more when I want wherever I am. Satellite radio may not be necessary in a large metropolitan area, but it's especially nice when in more rural settings.
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cwcentral 12:09PM (1/08/2008)
wow that picture describing HD looks like normal radio. Why pay for something that's already free?
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Toy Yoda 12:37PM (1/08/2008)
What satellite radios should do is to offer internet radio, and allow for local radio channels that also broadcast on the internet to broadcast (with commercials) on satellite.
In this manner you get the best of all worlds. You offer the same non-commercial channels, but you also give your listeners the option to listen to their favorite local channels from all over the world. You also allow local radio stations to reach many more people. Local radio instantly become national radios without the FCC restraining them. And both the local and satellite stations have a chance to make a lot more revenue.
In addition, Satellite radio should offer "picture radio". You can broadcast images with all that bandwidth. Imagine listening to radio BBC documentary with pictures, or the stock market update with actual charts, or pictures of the Horward Stern show's studio. This might be dangerous for car use, but I think it would be really neat.
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phil 1:33PM (1/09/2008)
Have you heard satellite radio? The bitrate is way too low to listen to anything like classical or jazz. They need to up bandwidth before they can offer pictures over their service.
b0nesc 1:17PM (1/08/2008)
If Ford was smart they would offer HD radio as standard equipment.
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tikirob 1:40PM (1/08/2008)
So ford is trying to sell cars as Gadgets...since it seems to be the only thing moving them
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