HD Radio at 2010 CES
HD Radio Technology at the 2010 International CES
Once again the International Consumer Electronics Show (January 7-10, 2010, Las Vegas, Nev, www.cesweb.org) rang in the new year with the latest and greatest in consumer gadgets and technology. iBiquity Digital Corporation, developers of HD Radio in-band/on-channel (IBOC) digital radio, and their receiver manufacturing partners took this opportunity to make some exciting announcements and show some of the latest HD Radio developments.
Combination
HD Radio/ATSC Mobile DTV Receivers
Two manufacturers, Cydle Corporation and Kiryung, showed prototype receivers supporting
both HD Radio and ATSC Mobile DTV reception. The ATSC Mobile DTV
Standard was adopted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee
(ATSC, Washington, D.C., www.atsc.org)
in October 2009 and promises to offer TV broadcasters and consumers
in the U.S. some exciting new mobile television services (visit
the ATSC Web site
for information on the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard.) Shown in the photograph at right is the Cydle
receiver (designated P29A) – note that the second and third icons
in the top row are “HD Radio” and “ATSC,” respectively. The P29A
is reported to be available in the second quarter of 2010 for
a suggested retail price of $199.
Advanced
Services
A variety of advanced devices and features supported
by HD Radio technology were on display, some for the first time. 
These include a portable navigation device (PND) with HD Radio Receiver VPA (Vehicle Power Adapter) with real-time traffic from NAVTEQ Dynamic Content (an ad-supported service delivering traffic, weather and fuel price information to the receiver).
A Clear Channel Real Time Traffic with Journaline Information Services displayed via the JVC KD-NT3HDT in-dash receiver was also featured, along with a portable and in-dash HD Radio image support development platform featuring visuals of album art, client advertising/branding, station logo and imaging, and sports/news updates. An example of album art transmission, synchronized to the audio programming on an HD Radio broadcast, was demonstrated in the iBiquity booth. iBiquity is developing a Software Development Kit (SDK) for receiver partners to aid feature integration, which is planned for release later in 2010.
Also featured was a PND with built-in HD Radio Electronic Program Guide (EPG) by Cydle Corp. The EPG technology demonstrated here was developed in part under the NAB FASTROAD technology advocacy program (see www.nabfastroad.org) for additional information.
NDS displayed protected content delivered to targeted HD Radio receivers, including premium sports content and radio reading services for the visually impaired. Also known as “conditional access,” this technology (called “RadioGuard”) was developed by NDS (Middlesex, U.K., www.nds.com/solutions/radioguard.php) working with iBiquity.
Development platforms from IC manufacturing partners STMicroelectronics (HD Radio receiver development board w/NAVTEQ Traffic) and SiPort (data development platform for advanced traffic and navigation and album art) were also on display.
Portable
AM/FM Band HD Radio Receive
r
On display in the iBiquity
booth was the Sangean DT-800 HD portable receiver (shown
in photo at right), the first portable to support both AM and
FM-band HD Radio operation. Features include a built-in speaker,
a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, 20 radio station presets (10
each for FM and AM) and a sleep timer. This device is still under
development but is expected to be available later in 2010.
HD Radio-Enabled
Autos
Three new vehicles were on display at the HD Radio
booth, each featuring factory-installed HD Radio technology –
a 2011 Ford Taurus SHO, a 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI, and a 2010
Scion xB. A number of HD Radio automotive receiver announcements
were made at CES including:
Ford's announcement
that HD Radio technology will be available on most 2011 model
year Ford vehicles including the world’s first factory implementation
of iTunes tagging;
Volkswagen's
announcement that select 2010 models equipped with the DVD navigation
system will include HD Radio technology as a feature; Kia's announcement
that it will be launching HD Radio technology on select models
in 2010; Hyundai's
announcement that the 2011 Sonata will be the first popular midsize
sedan to offer HD Radio technology as standard equipment on
the Sonata limited models; and the announcement that HD Radio
technology and DTS Neural Surround will be featured with the
critically acclaimed THX II certified system in 2011 Lincoln
vehicles.
