Industry Show Touts New HD Radio Products

CEDIA Expo 2008 begins today and runs through Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. CEDIA stands for "Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association" and is the big event for the home electronic systems industry.

This year, iBiguity - HD Radio's daddy - says 20 next-generation HD Radio components will be on display from companies like Integra, McIntosh Laboraties, and Yamaha.

In a press release, iBiguity says, "HD Radio technology is fast becoming a must-have feature for any comprehensive, top-shelf custom or retrofitted home audio entertainment system – including those in the high-end and mid-range receiver category."

What struck me about this quote was what is missing most: the low end. For HD Radio to really make inroads, it must have a hardware infrastructure that is as common as the transistor radio once was and as ubiquitous as the cell phone is today.

Ask your friends today who among them has purchased an HD radio. It's not exactly a priority - especially when the entry level hardware is still relatively expensive.

Thanks to several large companies, including Clear Channel Radio, 1,750 radio stations are now using HD Radio technology offering over 800 HD2 and HD3 multicast channels. I'm just not sure who's hearing it yet.

More: HD Radio: What it is and What it is Not