Gizmodo
Sony's embracing HD radio, the digital twin of our existing FM band. And when their first, the
cherry-wood XDR-S3HD radio, switches from FM to HD, you can hear the difference in a very positive way through the twin ~3-inch papercone drivers. And the display comes alive with track and artist info. But that knob, oh, it's so evil.
There is no way to scan through radio stations. You have to go to scan mode, which is inside a menu. Or use the knob to tune channels manually. Presets? Yes. But you have to flip through them with by hitting the preset button...and using the knob to flip through them. It's really unsatisfying to have a beautiful radio like this that has a more terrible radio UI than a generic car stereo. $200. Verdict: I don't like the UI. [Sonystyle]
[UPDATE: When using the included remote, the scan issue is no longer a problem. Not only is there a scan button on the remote, but there is also a dedicated button for scanning only HD radio stations.]
Comments
besides the ps3 and the new bravias... when has sony come up with a decent UI by the way...? mfff...
get some f***ing UI designers man!
HD radio is overrated. It should be included in everything by now for dirt cheap. Cars should have HD radios standard, HD radios like this one should be a feature included into their Mini and micro systems already with no extra charge. Receivers should have it. Seriously stop overcharging for a radio boost.
"Can Sony Make HD Radio A Winner?"
"Question: when was the last time you spent $200 for a table-top clock radio? What locale will have to freeze over before you pay it now? Can you think of 20 AM and 20 FM stations you'd like to store in its memory? Or any memory? Your memory? Are there 20 AM and FM stations in the entire nation worth storing in memory. Hey, the input jack is neat... Sony is crazy and the radio industry is crazier to think this is going to help their HD problem. Hello! There's no good programming on HD. Hell, there's no programming -- forget good."
[insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com]
Lots-of-luck!
HD Radio is a farce!
[hdradiofarce.blogspot.com]
@pocketradio...
Bravo! Well said. HD Radio is so damn lame. It's such a poor, ill-conceived, Johnny-Come-Lately attempt to compete with Satellite radio. It's not commercial-free... "Free-Radio"? More like "Free-From-Radio"!
@rapo: Sony Ericsson cell phones?
@rapo: Clie w/ the thumb wheel.
Sony has sucked at device UI for a decade or more. My girlfriend bought a MiniDisc player 4-5 years ago, and copying MP3 files to disc was nearly impossible because of the restrictive and piss-poor design of the PC software. I have stayed away from sony since then.
@jimbob6: yeah... just the new line... and that's exactly like the ps3 and bravias... duh :P
and the previous ones... i'll give that to the "ericsson" side... :P
Yippeee for digital and 96 Kbps music! So much better than analog! Yay! I love compression.
In the DC area we actually have a lot of very good HD radio to listen to - from WAMU the local NPR station to CSPAN radio. Would love to find a Good HD table radio plus a portable radio.
I'm holding off on getting an HD radio. In a nutshell, it comes down to cost, but there's more explanation on my blog: [lowtechtimes.com]
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