Ford First With iTunes Tagging With New HD Radio Capability

By Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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Vik is an Editor at High Gear Media and contributor for a number of sites within the High Gear Media network. He was a co-founder of... More

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From next year onwards Ford will be offering customers iTunes Tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through HD Radio technology as part of its growing list of factory-installed customer conveniences and technologies.

This will be the world's first implementation of iTunes Tagging in a factory-installed HD Radio receiver but note that only select models will be offered with it.

Working through the existing SYNC interface, users will be able to capture a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase. With a simple push of the "TAG" button on the radio display, the song information will be stored in the radio's memory. Up to 100 tags on SYNC can be stored until an Applie iPod or iPhone is connected. When the portable device is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of "tagged" songs will appear. Customers then can preview and, if desired, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.

The other benefits of digital radio include access to free, crystal-clear, digital programming that's hidden from analog units. Digital radio broadcasts, which eliminate static, fadeout and other problems associated with conventional analog radio signals, results in FM audio that's comparable to near-CD quality and AM audio that sounds like regular FM broadcasts.

Additionally, all HD Radio-enabled receivers in Ford vehicles will also provide Program Service Data--information that appears on the radio screen and includes song title, artist name and more.

[Ford]

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