Jaguar is taking it one step higher as usual, with it’s new XJ sedans featuring HD Radio. The XJ is known for it’s breathtaking interior and superior technology, and Jaguar believes that adding in an HD Radio reciever will boost the luxury sedan’s status. Receivers will be optional and will cost about $500 extra.
“Given that customer demand is increasing rapidly, we predict that the number of HD Radio stations will continue to grow and expect it to exceed 3,000 within the next few years.”
However, this is a big step for HD Radio, as Jaguar was one of the first companies to push AM/FM radio in cars. Jaguar’s implementation can cause the number of HD Radio users and subscribers to skyrocket, making it a popular alternative to AM, FM, or Sattelite. Jaguar is so confident in their choice, that they believe there will be over 3000 HD Radio stations within the next few years. The 2008 XJ sedans will include the radios as an optional $500 add-on.
Read [Radio Ink]
“Sirius, XM, and HD: Consumer interest reality check”
“While interest in satellite radio is diminishing, interest in HD shows no signs of a pulse.”
http://www.hear2.com/2007/02/sirius_xm_and_h.html
"Is Pay-for-Play HD Content on Horizon?"
http://rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.4028.html
"HD Radio Effort Undermined by Weak Tuners in Expensive Radios"
http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/7002/hd-radio2.html
“HD Radio on the Offense”
“But after an investigation of HD Radio units, the stations playing HD, and the company that owns the technology; and some interviews with the wonks in DC, it looks like HD Radio is a high-level corporate scam, a huge carny shill.”
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2007-03-07/music/hd-radio-on-the-offense
"The FCC Tunes Into HD Radio–And May Turn Off Distant AM"
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2007/03/the_fcc_greenlights_hd_radio_n.html
“RW Opinion: Rethinking AM’s future”
“Making AM-HD work well as a long-term investment is seen as an expensive and risky challenge for most stations and their owners. There is the significant downside of potential new interference to some of their own AM analog listeners as well as listeners of adjacent-channel stations.”
http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.557.html
The FCC has just given away our free airwaves to a few corporate thugs, including iBiquity Digital Corporation. Especially on AM, HD/IBOC causes adjacent-channel interference, which I have confirmed listening to WTWP 1500 AM-HD in Wash., D.C.- the HD/IBOC digital sidebands are over-powering on 1490 and 1510 and would clobber any existing stations on those frequencies. Few HD radios have been sold, as consumers have not bought into this farce. This whole setup is just to the advantage of the HD Radio Alliance, as they own most of the 1,200 stations broadcasting in HD – the small mom-and-pop stations have lost coverage and will probably disappear. This FCC sole-source, non-competitive contract award to iBiquity is totally outrageous.