This press release just hit the street.
Audiovox and XM Satellite Radio Introduce Breakthrough XM Solution for More Than 25 Makes of New and Used Cars
Audiovox's Terk Smart Digital Adaptor makes it Possible for Every Car Radio with Radio Data Service (RDS) to Become an XM Radio
2005 SEMA LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER Audiovox-Jensen-Code Systems Booth 11008
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Audiovox Corporation (Nasdaq: VOXX) and XM Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: XMSR), announced a new smart digital adaptor that delivers XM to any new or used vehicle having a stereo system equipped with Radio Data Service (RDS). The announcement was made by Tom Malone, Senior VP, Sales, Audiovox Electronics Corporation. RDS is available in a variety of vehicle models offered by leading automakers, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln-Mercury, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Porsche, Range Rover, Scion, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. The RDS system was introduced in the U.S. in 1998, and is designed to send digital display information to FM radios. Audiovox's Smart Digital Adaptor, marketed under its Terk brand, connects the in-dash radio to a hideaway XM Direct tuner box. The driver can access all XM functions using a full-feature remote control. The Adaptor offers consumers a universal solution for new and used vehicles that do not have factory-installed XM radios. The patent-pending technology provides a "factory-like" XM installation, leaving the dash and existing car stereo head unit intact. "With the introduction of this new RDS product, Audiovox covers another segment of the satellite radio market. Consumers who want satellite radio, but who don't want the extra hardware on their dashboards that a plug-and-play solution requires, will now be able to purchase this new car stereo solution starting November," said Malone. Consumers can simply use the Terk Smart Digital Adapter (MSRP $69.99) to connect the RDS radio to an XM Direct tuner (MSRP $49.99). The XM Direct tuner is placed behind the dash for a clean, seamless installation. The tuner is available at retailers nationwide. RDS-capable car stereos connected to the XM Direct tuner will display the XM channel names, artist's name, song title, channel number, and music genre on the existing car stereo's display, similar to factory-installed satellite radio receivers. The user will be able to continue to listen to AM and FM radio stations on the in-dash radio.
SOURCE Audiovox Corporation
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WOW, there's no way that Sirius will EVER come out with something similar! Give me a break. Give it another year and no one will use car based systems anymore anyway, they will all be portable ones (ipodesque). That's the main problem with sat radio now, who wants to buy a unit for their home, then for their car, then for their boat, tec. etc. and have to pay a separate subscription fee for all of them? The new portables will be coming out soon enough, for both sides, and it will make this whole thing a non-issue.
This whole thing reminds me of when cd players first came out for cars. If you had an old one and didn't want to buy an in-dash uit, you bought a discman or whatever and played it through your tape deck. If you didn't want that, then you got a cd changer and had the whole remote thing with the extra little receiver hanging around. Then all cars come with cd players, then most come with cd changers. Now its mp3s and ipods going through the same routine, cars are now coming with USB ports for microdrives, soon enough it will be sat radios and in a year or two everything will be bluetooth and it won't matter anymore.
There, my rant is done. Oh, and I have owned both XM and Sirius and they are about equal. I happen to like Howard and the Chill station, so I prefer Sirius now.
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