The latest Crutchfield flyer arrived in my mailbox this afternoon. Since everyone seems to tout it as "the source" for HD equipment, I think a review is in order. This issue is some 52 pages worth. On page 15, there is ONE “HD Ready” car radio, the JVC KD-HDR-1 shown for $299.99. That’s all the HD car radios I’ve found so far, and I had to look fairly hard for that one. The funny thing is the ad for the JVC radio has a big “SAT Ready” balloon next to it which explains that you can add XM or Sirius for $100.00. In red letters, it also says “Add an iPod adapter for $49.99.” Hmmm
Elsewhere in the catalog, I find a lot of confusion. Something called “XM-HD Surround Sound” is mentioned on several home receivers. To be honest, I haven’t figured out what that is, but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with HD Radio. In any case, there is a lot more ink devoted to stand alone Internet radio players than there is to HD Radio. The biggest push seems to be satellite radio. The next most popular feature seems to be iPod connectivity. HD radio is hardly mentioned. Retailers are going to have to do a lot better than this or HD Radio will just be another footnote in history. Right now, it is simply lost in the clutter.
Elsewhere in the catalog, I find a lot of confusion. Something called “XM-HD Surround Sound” is mentioned on several home receivers. To be honest, I haven’t figured out what that is, but it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with HD Radio. In any case, there is a lot more ink devoted to stand alone Internet radio players than there is to HD Radio. The biggest push seems to be satellite radio. The next most popular feature seems to be iPod connectivity. HD radio is hardly mentioned. Retailers are going to have to do a lot better than this or HD Radio will just be another footnote in history. Right now, it is simply lost in the clutter.
-- Jason