HD Radio now available for iPhone and iPod Touch

[thataveragejoe]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/09/gigaware-dongle-brings-hd-radio-to-ipod-touch-and-iphone-for-80/

Probably meaningless, but newsworthy none the less.

[audioguy]

Why wouldn't people just use the free web app from the iTunes store and listen to the station's online stream? Wouldn't that work better than HD?

[Savage]

There are what, 25,000 apps for the iPhone?  How long will it take consumers to discover the HD Radio app (assuming they know, or care, what HD Radio is.)

80 bucks to be able to use one app?  Sure.  You bet.

As far as using the web app to access the station's web stream - sure, why wouldn't they do this instead?  Simpler - no reception issues, antenna fiddling, etc.

[audioguy]

The web stream also works just about anywhere, so listeners can still enjoy the station when they travel away from their home city. That's gotta be a plus!

[Chuck]

The web stream also works just about anywhere, so listeners can still enjoy the station when they travel away from their home city. That's gotta be a plus!

I've recently noted that about 1/3 of my station's on-line listeners are using iTunes. Further, I usually get several emails per week from people telling me they are listening in some distant place on their iPhone.  Sometimes they even call on the iPhone.  Could this be a trend?

[rbrucecarter5]

80 bucks to be able to use one app?  Sure.  You bet.

That is NUTS!  The only thing HD has going for it is HD-2.  If they are going to get consumers excited, they better just give away everything, maybe if people get excited about HD-2 formats, the streaming could be a back door to get them to buy an HD radio. Heck - I can get an HD radio on clearance for $80, and a portable for $50.  Why in the world would I want to pay $80 to stream on an iPhone?  The last thing those HD folks need is to encourage people to stream, it won't take 30 seconds before they figure out - "hey if I can stream HD-2, I can stream thousands of other things!"  And away they go - never to think of HD again!

The power increase folks on FM may be on to something - I am having a lot of trouble getting reliable HD lock on Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas FM stations from my location in Houston, even with a good yagi and the Sony and Sangean tuners.  Analog coverage is no problem, just HD.  Of course, everything within 120 miles locks immediately and reliably with the yagi.  And I can lock on everything local with a dipole.  Even crunched up on the floor.  A Godar antenna is even better, good for about 70 miles of HD reception. 

[KB1OKL]

That blurb is very misleading as someone else pointed out. I even thought that it was an internet steaming device that somehow only played internet HD streams. It is a only an HD radio and we all know how MANY stations those get.

[OKCRadioGuy]

Let's see... I could buy a Best Buy Insignia complete radio for 50 bucks retail or this contraption to hook to my iPhone for 80...  Complete radio for cheaper or a bunch of BS to effectively convert my iPhone... Hmmm.. Explain to me again why I'd bother with the 80 dollar version? LOL!