Both stereos feature RDS, not that you would know it around here, where there is only one RDS station.
Radio Data System. Some stations send out text messages (not to be confused with SMS), and if your radio has RDS, it will pick up that signal and the MSG button will light up on the Audio screen. Basically, this allows you to see the radio station's name as well as frequency, the title of the song that's currently playing and other things that they broadcast.
RDS = Radio Data System Some stations offer it, some do not. If not, your stereo would display, for example, 102.7 If the station does offer RDS, your stereo would display 102.7 KIIS FM. You can then see the name of the song and the artist that is currently being played.
Unless I'm missing something, the Prius radio does not show RadioText. It supports station name, AF (continuously tuning to the strongest frequency of the selected station as you drive), and TA (changing station for traffic announcements), but none of the other RDS goodies such as RadioText and time signal. RadioText is something I really miss in the Prius...
One station now does the "button update" method of displaying song titles, which is good and bad. Good when I don't know the song, bad when I try to see what the title is and it updates slowly. At that point, being able to hit the MSG button, read the darn title, and be done with it would be more efficient and less dangerous. Until I get back to Charlotte, my 99.7 button reads "Skynrd"...
The radio in the US Prius does have the Radio Text (RT) function. Ours doesn't - it has PS/AF/REG/TA/TP/PTY/EON only. On the other hand, at least RDS support by broadcasters is universal in the UK - I understand it's rather sporadic in the US.
If you checked the box labelled "CD-TEXT" in your burning program, then yes it will show. and yes, even here in Canada, only a handful stations will have RDS. Some offer just the station's slogan, others with the song title and artist and some with just the station name and nothing more.
