Insignia intros NS-HD01 portable HD Radio
updated 02:15 pm EDT, Mon July 13, 2009
Insignia portable HD Radio
Best Buy's in-house brand Insignia has recently released its first HD Radio device, the NS-HD01. The device picks up both analog and digital stations on the FM band and has 10 user-programmable presets. Power comes from a sealed lithium-ion battery that is recharged by a standard mini-USB connection and an included cable. On a full charge, the device is said to be good for 10 hours of playback, and the screen automatically dims to save energy.
Also included is a pair of earbuds and a Velcro armband for use while exercising. There is a hold switch and nine control buttons surrounding the 1.5-inch color LCD screen. Tuning to HD-enabled stations switches from the analog to digital signal within a couple of seconds. A signal strength meter will let users know if they can freely listen and lock onto a signal. There is no fading like in traditional FM stations, as digital broadcasts drop out when the radio is out of range.
HD Radio requires no paid subscriptions and allows multicasting, or access to multiple digital subchannels not available on the analog band. These usually offer different music genres, or HD simulcasts for clear reception of AM stations in certain areas. There is no internal memory or memory card slot in the NS-HD01.
The Insignia NS-HD01 is now available at Best Buy, priced at nearly $50. [via CNET]
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2009
A Fantastic Little Gadget
After placing an order locally, I found the NS-HD01 at
ONE Best Buy. I have been trying it out this morning and
have to say this is one little wonderful gadget. The color
screen gets high marks. Tuning is absolutely simple — you
seek tune and then can use the UP/DWN buttons to scroll
through the available HD subchannels. Reception sensitivity
here in the DC area is superb — playing it through my home
multi-speaker setup yields excellent sound, great volume.
I have experienced no fading or breakup of local HD channels.
Now — for my purposes, I would make this recommendation
to Best Buy/Insignia — put another fixed level audio output on the radio —
this would enable recording of signals in addition to just being able
to listen. And the next obvious step would be to incorporate a
solid state recording capability, with say a 2 GB minimum capacity.
If they are really smart they would design the next version of this
along the lines of the CC Witness which enables use of both internal
and SDHC card recording as well as a multi-event timer.
But that’s for the future — the Insignia just shows that you don’t
really need to get a large HD receiver if you want to take advantage
of the new technology.