RDS? the same in US & UK?

iop9000 · #1 02-02-2006, 12:22 AM

Anybody knows if the RDS system used in UK is the same in US?
I want to purchase an Alpine unit with RDS ( Alpine Europe site )
..Cant seem to find any Headunit with RDS in the US site....TIA

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iop9000 · #2 02-02-2006, 04:50 AM

anyone?

bozo · #3 02-02-2006, 04:51 AM

Didnt know you could get RDS in the US..

It has been a while though..

iop9000 · #4 02-02-2006, 11:07 AM

i guess only selected cities, here in chicago we have it, even HD radio!

ifly · #5 02-02-2006, 11:59 AM

Mine's a US X5 in Poland and I get all the RDS info, Song & Artist plus any station info.

Baby's going back to the US in June though, all these European X's are jealous methinks.

iop9000 · #6 02-23-2006, 11:23 AM

RDS in the US started in 1992, and 1987 in Europe. Link info about RDS in the US/UK http://www.rds.org.uk/rdsfrdsrbds.html
MY question again: Did BMW used the same spec of our radios for UK and US?

X5 Sport · #7 02-23-2006, 07:14 PM

Dont US radio's and UK radio work on different frequencies?

JV · #8 02-23-2006, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X5 Sport

Dont US radio's and UK radio work on different frequencies?

Yes. US stations on FM for example, are on a gradient "odd" frequency: 102.1, 102.3, etc. in Europe, it's gradient "even": 102.0, 102.2, etc.

RDS encoders and decoders are using the same innards and were pioneered by the same company, so I think it's a safe bet that RDS works here in the US and in the UK, no matter where your vehicle was purchased/manufactured.

HD radio may end up being a different story. Ibiquity is the company behind the curtain here in the US. There may be a competitor from Europe in the near future, there's lots of talk that a major European auto group may manufacture and market their own HD radios and possibly control some of the content, which would be a master stroke if they can pull it off.

JV

iop9000 · #9 02-23-2006, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JV

Yes. US stations on FM for example, are on a gradient "odd" frequency: 102.1, 102.3, etc. in Europe, it's gradient "even": 102.0, 102.2, etc.

RDS encoders and decoders are using the same innards and were pioneered by the same company, so I think it's a safe bet that RDS works here in the US and in the UK, no matter where your vehicle was purchased/manufactured.

HD radio may end up being a different story. Ibiquity is the company behind the curtain here in the US. There may be a competitor from Europe in the near future, there's lots of talk that a major European auto group may manufacture and market their own HD radios and possibly control some of the content, which would be a master stroke if they can pull it off.

JV

Thanks, JV.
I'm trying to purchase an Alpine headunit UK spec with RDS to be used here in the US. ( US spec Alpine headunits dont have RDS )
I tried emailing Alpine directly and they replied that they dont even know RDS exists in the US

.

broknlgs24 · #10 02-23-2006, 11:21 PM

RDS can be a pain in the a$$ though.
i know, when i have it one, it can take
up to 8 seconds after switching to a
station b4 the music starts.

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