A company called DICE Electronics has announced that it is now shipping a new device that integrates HD radio into an existing car audio system.

The unit itself is small, compact and can be added to a car audio system in a matter of minutes.

DICE Electronics says it has begun shipping its HD Dice, an aftermarket module that adds HD Radio capability to a car’s car audio system. The HD Dice’s price is reasonable - $299 - and if you can connect a CD changer or satellite radio tuner to your car’s radio, you should be able to use this gadget. Dice says it will ship kits for BMW, Lexus, Scion, and Toyota next week; for GM vehicles on December 1st; and for Hondas in mid December.

The company further says that “According to Dice, once installed, you can then see the song, artist, and other info that all HD Radio stations provide on your factory unit’s display, and you’ll be able to change channels with your car’s steering wheel-mounted radio controls, if it has them. The HD Dice is multicast-capable, which means that it can tune into the multiple HD side channels that some stations offer.

What exactly is HD Radio?

HD Radio technology works much like traditional analog transmissions (AM and FM are both analog signals). The difference is that the station broadcasting HD Radio technology transmits an extra digital radio signal, along with its normal analog signal. It can also broadcast a third signal for text data.

Your radio receiver receives the signal – just as it does an AM or FM signal. If you have a HD Radio receiver, it will decompress and translate the signal and viola! AM stations sound as clear and static free and today’s AM stations. And it gives FM stations the crystal-clear sound of a CD.

More than 2,800 radio stations in the U.S. are in the process of converting to the HD Radio system with more than 500 HD Radio broadcasters currently on the air. HD Radio technology transmits digital audio and data alongside existing AM and FM analog signals, allowing listeners with HD Radio-compatible receivers to enjoy CD-quality sound, while virtually eliminating the static and hiss typically associated with analog radio.

For more information on HD Radio, including an explanation of the technology, as well as information, HD2 channels, and HD text messaging, be sure to go to hd-radio-home.com hd-radio-home.com. You can also get detailed information on HD Radios at hd-radio-buyers-guide.com hd-radio-buyers-guide.com.

Douglas Hanna is the publisher and webmaster of two HD Radio websites as well as the author of numerous articles on HD Radio