June 26, 2004

By: Sean Bornhouser
Website: http://www.booming-car-audio.com

Car Electronics Business - First Consumer High Definition Radio Tuner in U.S. Goes on Sale

Kenwood Corporation, announces the development of the industry's first consumer car audio tuner for terrestrial digital high definition radio broadcasts, which recently began in the United States. The new tuner is the first product of its type of appear on the North American market.

Kenwood's Involvement with High Definition Radio Since its founding Kenwood has worked to develop high-performance radio receiver technology by making use of its own original ideas. The shift to digital broadcasting in recent years brings with it substantial new business opportunities, and the company has been developing several different types of digital broadcast tuners while continuing to do research on new transmission technologies.

In January 1994 Kenwood joined the Eureka 147 Project, a consortium devoted to the development and promotion of a new terrestrial digital broadcasting standard for Europe called Digital Audio Broadcasting. In February 1996 Kenwood became the first Japanese manufacturer to put on the market measuring equipment designed for the DAB standard, and in June 1997 the first Japanese manufacturer to release a car audio receiver with a DAB tuner for the consumer market.

Then, in response to plans to begin digital satellite broadcasting in the United States in March 2000, Kenwood signed an agreement to develop digital satellite broadcast receivers with SIRIUS Satellite Radio. In February of 2002, timed to coincide with the launch of satellite broadcasting by SIRIUS, Kenwood released on the consumer market a car audio receiver incorporating a SIRIUS tuner.

By the end of December 2003 a total of 25,000 units had been shipped, making Kenwood the leading manufacturer of SIRIUS tuners. Acting in partnership with SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Kenwood has helped contribute to the popularization of digital satellite broadcasting in the United States and to the success of SIRIUS as a company.

The new high definition radio tuner is the result of a development agreement signed in October 2002 with iBiquity Digital Corporation of the United States, a proponent of the IBOC (In-Band On-Channel) system. Under this agreement, Kenwood has worked on the development of IBOC compatible terrestrial digital broadcast receiver products, while iBiquity has been responsible for developing the broadcasting system itself and building the necessary infrastructure.

Conventional AM/FM broadcasting has a history of more than 80 years, and during that time advances in broadcasting and receiver technology have continued to be made. However, the new IBOC terrestrial digital broadcast system supersedes conventional radio technology. The new standard gives Kenwood the opportunity to make the most of its existing radio technology, built up over many years, and of advanced digital technology as well.

The new high definition radio tuner is available as an option that can be added to a Kenwood car audio receiver. Work on further reducing the size and weight of the tuner is presently underway, and a car audio receiver with a built-in IBOC tuner will be on display as a reference exhibit at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

As with the SIRIUS satellite broadcast tuners, Kenwood sees bringing out popularly priced in-dash models of the new IBOC tuner as an essential step in order to expand the market for such products and boost sales. The company plans to continue expanding its lineup of in-dash radio tuner products for the American market in the months and years ahead.

About The Author:

Sean Bornhouser is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.booming-car-audio.com.  Get the car audio system you want plus accessories and valuable advice.