HD Radio Launching New Features

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 9/30/2010

Columbia, Md. - The first HD Radio tuner to incorporate live pause, data bookmarking and an Artist Experience feature will be a portable headphone stereo due in Best Buy stores nationwide Oct. 24 at $69.

An Insignia-brand portable HD Radio will display images transmitted by HD Radio stations.

The portable is the FM-only NS-HD02, which will carry Best Buy's Insignia brand. The device comes with earphones and a 2.5-inch by 3-inch capacitive color touchscreen that displays Artist Experience images transmitted by HD Radio stations. Images will include album art, other images associated with the artist, and possible promotional content, including station logos.

Radio stations in anywhere from 10 to 20 markets will be broadcasting Artist Experience images by the time the portable becomes available, with multiple stations per market supporting the feature, said an iBiquity spokesman. More stations will add the feature in the future, he said.

The portable will also be the first HD Radio tuner with live pause, which will store up to 15 minutes of broadcast content, including such program service data (PSD) as song title and artist name. Images won't be stored.

The new bookmark feature lets users capture and store PSD information for later referral.

More HD Radios with one or more of the three new features will likely appear early next year and will include OEM and aftermarket car stereo systems and CE products, Baldacci said.

Other features of the 2.8- by 2.1- by 0.7-inch portable include reception of FM HD Radio stations' multicast channels, eight-hour lithium-ion battery, 3.5mm output to deliver HD Radio to car stereos with 3.5mm inputs, and armband.

Best Buy is among the major retailers that have teamed up with the HD Radio Alliance and suppliers to launch a 100-market radio campaign to drive consumers into stores to buy HD Radio during the fourth quarter.

Alliance ads will appear "with a high frequency level" on more than 600 stations in 100 markets beginning Sept. 28, the alliance previously stated. The campaign will include separate ads tailored to drive consumers into Sears, Best Buy or Magnolia Home Theater stores for special holiday offers and for new products bearing the JVC Mobile, Denon home audio, and Best Buy Insignia house brand, the alliance noted.