We just bought an 2004 S60. Very nice car. At first I was skeptical since I’ve owned Honda and other Japanese cars for the last two decades. It’s attractive, very comfortable, and even a little sporting (even for the non-turbo model)
For HD Radio, expect it to be offered by more makers. As the costs for recievers come down, this will be a no-brainer for luxury cars. Then it will work it’s way down to ‘normal’ cars and economy cars.

How do you offer more stations on AM/FM? I was under the impression that most frequencies that aren’t taken yet were restricted.

Manufacturers should do away with CD players and use the savings to do HD radio units. Just make sure you have the integrated mp3/ipod jacks.

Hell no. I love my 6-disc CD changer. I can play more than enough music on there, and I don’t have to drop $200 on gimmicky MP3 players that dangle from a cord on the front of my radio, ruining a clean look.

Plus unless you buy an overpriced iPod specifically, you usually end up losing steering wheel controls if you have them.

Hell if I can understand why people think they NEED 87,294,175 songs to get to work in the morning.

All frequencies are restricted (even those that are purchased or leased from FCC). Radio stations are in big financial trouble and they feel that they are under pressure from satellites. They converting existing stations into HD, just like TV stations do. When there is little can be offered in terms of programming execs are turning to technology.

yeah what a stupid idea cookie, HD radio is absolute garbage and its a waste of money. Only a few stations support it right now and they still play the same crap music with the same crap commercials every 15 minutes. Satellite Radio is the EXTREMELY better choice.

I have XM and while I love it (XM46 and XM54 rock! as does XM41), there’s no station variety. The playlists of any given station are restricted and do nothing but play bigger hits. There are local stations with better content.

For example I live in Chicago and I like listening to classic rock. XM46 isn’t bad but its limited compared to 97.1 FM. 97.1 FM plays a wider range, has special shows (like a show where they’ll play b-sides of vinyl live and w/o commercial interruption), and do not always play hits. They’ll play lesser known work and you get to hear stuff you haven’t heard or just don’t’ remember. XM54 reminds me of what Chicago’s Q101 was 10 years ago when it played decent music.

I’ve yet to hear any remotely interesting talk radio on XM. I like having it in a local context and nobody on XM is as good as Spike O’Dell.

MP3 players are nice for listening to podcasts and stuff like that.

I agree iPods are pricey (and unreliable). I have a $120 4GB Zen that is far superior to the $150 nano.

“Satellite Radio is the EXTREMELY better choice.”

You have to pay for Satellite, but no cost except the head unit for HD. Heck, XM and Sirius have been around for a few years and HD still gets offered as standard equipment this late in the game says a lot. I suppose for those who live out in B-F-E, they need satellite. Where I live, I can get just about everything on regular radio at least, so why pay for satellite radio?

My avg commute is 20 min each way, so 40 min a day in my car. I’d rather listen to the engine note than pay for stuff that can be had for free.

I disagree frylock, I think you’re listening to the wrong stations. I have XM and the great thing about XM is it plays stuff other than whatever’s on the Top 10 Pop **** list that week. I wouldn’t listen to FM regardless of what quality it’s in. For talk radio, I switch over to AM, but that’s about it.

Satellite FTW.

I get Savage and Tom L. on terrestrial radio, but this could be OK

frylock: I’m getting my teen an iPod. Unable to convince her that a walkman is a better idea

Hey! I like my iPod. haha. But you have a point, CA36GTP, it just depends on peoples taste. I have a truck, so the cord wouldn’t be ruining the looks of anything. Besides, the front part of my dash is easily removable so I just hide the cord inside it and have it come out from underneath.

CA36GTP you do have point about 84 million songs, i was looking at a 4gb just for camping and outdoors stuff and ended up arguing with my buddy on why he thought i needed a 40gb unit, he kept on about how he has almost 10 thousand songs. how do you listen to that many songs. i ended up just buying a 25 dollar waterproof cd player.

This is great news. HD Radio > Satellite radio.

CTS, 4gb isn’t so bad. That’s enough space to provide variety without going overboard. I feel the same way about my 6-disc. If I had to swap out every CD, I think I’d get annoyed. But 6 CDs is enough to keep me happy.

Those 30gb/40gb/60gb players though, I just can’t understand. Even the ones that play video. Have fun watching your movies on a 3″ screen, yea. Meanwhile I’ll have my portable dvd player with a 10″ screen that cost less.

CA36: An old co-worker would watch movies on her kid’s PSP.

I don’t get it.

Yeah, these kids and there toys! Who understands them??? Back in the day we didn’t even have TV; we just had a large rock in the living room that we stared at for hours. Now THAT was entertainment!

When I was a kid, we didn’t have MTV. We had to get stoned and watch the radio.

–Robin williams

^thats funny as hell, rw rocks.
by the way jack my whole office loved the link yesterday for “the onion news”.

to the silent knight, i stab at thee. you shall be silenced as i quell thy flickering soul. thou wanted an interpretation and thou shall receive. i only offer my pretentious hand once. who gave you carte blanche to analyse my psyche? you think you’re saving a life? you’re already dead. you, me, him, everybody, we’re all dead. a pox on you and you’re sententious harangue. conscience, you dare speak to me of conscience? only when you have realized the full gravity of choice shall you dare question my judgement. insult, the last resort of a fading half-wit

by shauncreaney on 03-11-2003 @ 09:29:33 AM
to retaliate, calling me misguided, incorrigible and a fool, among others, is fair. one thing persists. i do see it ‘as it is.’ i have the most profound perspicacity to date. you are blinded by your ostensible ‘freedom’ and your spurious hopes for a better life. how can you question my integrity and insights when you have only construed some electronic text? what does it represent to you? is it a mellifluous melody or a dramatic dialogue aimed at your heart. perish ye heathen and dispense with thy pontification.