Why no HD Radio

I don't know either and I didn't think much of it but two friends of mine have it in their cars and absolutely love it. I'm in Los Angeles and there are tons of additional programming and the sound quality is magnificent. With the price difference between a level II and II with Nav at over 3K there's no doubt in my mind I'll get a II and aftermarket radio with Bluetooth everything, total iPod/iPhone support and integration that is user friendly, a backup camera I can have on whenever I want and kick butt navigation, and I can play DVD's when I'm eating lunch. Tons more features, better operation for less. Is there even a question?

What bothers me, and maybe some can speak to this, is that I just can't imagine it would cost Toyota that much to add it? For what they are charging I don't get it. I think in 4 or 5 years people will regret not having it.

 

I would expect that since Toyota is offering XM, they may even be contractually bound to NOT offer HD Radio. Even though HD Radio and satellite they are somewhat different products with somewhat different markets, XM and Sirius have been trying to "squelch" HD Radio since it arrived. It does cut into their business. I would not pay for XM or Sirius, but I love HD Radio (I miss it - I had it in my Dual head unit I sold with my Camry.) Now I use the $50 Best Buy/Insignia portable into the Aux port, until there is an aftermarket solution for the Prius NAV, to use the SAT functionality. Just a matter of time, I think.

 

My guess is lack of demand. Regular radio isn't failing because of sound quality, it's failing because of too many repetitive commercials and not enough good music.

 

I'm a music lover and I have both the insignia HD and the XM/Sirius in my Prius. HD radio is not comparable to satellite, 2 totally different things. HD radio is just like its standard radio counterpart but with better sound quality, i.e. same content broadcasted at different qualities. Satellite has much less commercials and a wide variety of music styles separated by channels. Cars bringing the HD radio also offer the satellite radio option because they are distinct features. Unfortunately, the quality of HD radio using the insignia in the Prius is not that different from the standard radio. When I connect the insignia to the aux port in my home stereo, then there is a huge difference, so the insignia is good, the problem is in the JBL system of the Prius, which is not that good.

 

That's not really true. There is also additional channel content, not just the standard FM fare. Most HD stations transmit not only their regular FM channel, but at least one other channel with different programming, on the same base frequency. Yes, there are still commercials, but it's still better variety than standard FM. And significantly better sound quality.

As far as the Insignia unit goes, yes, I'll admit that it's not CD quality through the Prius' aux port, but it's a heckuva lot better than the Prius/JBL standard FM reception, which is really pretty bad.

 

I think you missed the point. Take your HD favorite station for example. Their main channel is usually on their HD-1 band. What is the difference of that specific band on a standard radio vs. HD? Just the quality (very same content including commercials!). To be honest, as far as the insignia connected to the Prius, there is actually not much difference in quality… the sound is a lot lower with the HD coming thru the aux jack and the better quality is barely noticeable. I'm glad I use my insignia a lot in my home stereo, otherwise it would be a waste. Now, of course, for that same favorite station of yours, chances are there will be a second or even a third band (HD-2 and HD-3) that have exclusive content, like comedy or news, but, frankly, I find those extra bands of HD radio to be somewhat useless, at least in the locations I drive in IN, IL, and WI.

 

I would not be surprised if Toyota's relationship with XM/Sirius will not last. I have received two surveys from Toyota and they were all about satellite radio and alternative options. As more of us give the middle finger to XM/Sirius, Toyota is likely to figure out that this relationship is a loser.

 

In my experience the sound quality of XM was awful. I did not order it on my car, but they included it with a 3 month trial. I did not decide to continue. The sound was very poor. And the channel selection sucked. I have been told that this is only a sample selection. Maybe so, but if they wanted to hook me into paying their exorbitant fee they should have given me a real sample.

Locally (Minneapolis), the stations have embraced HD radio. Several of the station offer the regular fare plus several additional channels. I'm hoping for an aftermarket unit that plugs into the, obviously since they included it free, cheap XM jack.

 

I wholeheartedly disagree. With the Gen 3's widely documented poor FM reception, the difference in sound quality is very noticeable, even through the aux port. The static and fade is essentially gone, at least in the areas I drive. I'm sure that varies, though. Is it equivalent to built-in HD? Of course not. but it's better sounding than the JBL FM.

To each his own. They aren't useless to me.

 

my local cable company only offers about a dozen HD channels, I can't imagine our local radio will step up any time soon.