RDS radios

[Cole D]

I've wondered sometimes why radios sold in other countries such as Europe, tend to have RDS (radio data system) display capability more commonly than those sold here in the US?
It seems like most of ours with this capablity are factory car stereos. I don't see as many household radios or portables with this.

My previous car (2001 Chevrolet Malibu) had this feature. It would display the song title/artist or station name on its green display. It could also search by music type or find a station with a traffic report.

My current car (2016 Ford Taurus) can do those things as well. At least, I know it displays the information, I assume it could search for traffic reports or by music type, but I never tried it. That one can also display CD text for MP3 enabled CDs, however the other car could not. Of course it also shows song and artist in Sirius mode as well as cover art (when I still had the subscription, that is, I did not renew any of it).

The only household unit I have that is capable of RDS is a GE Slim Spacemaker undercabinet radio I have. It scrolls the information and it can also search by type. It does not display CD information though. I believe this was the only GE model that was capable of that, it was made in 2006, I believe the GE Spacemaker line was discontinued in very late 2007 or during 2008 or so.

I've seen several Sangean atomic alarm clock radios have RDS also, and I saw a new stereo tuner on eBay the other day with it, but I forget the brand. I think RCA may have made a CD alarm clock that could display RDS data, but I haven't been able to confirm whether it does, regardless that model is discontinued.

[fancollector12]

Most cars have the RDS, but RDS was developed in Europe, I believe. The first vehicle we ever had with RDS as an '02 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ, which had the AM/FM/Cassette/CD radio and had 'RDS' printed on the tape deck door. At the time we bought the Jeep, no stations here were broadcasting RDS info, but a year or two after we got the Jeep, stations started with RDS.

Even my Bose Wave Radio IV has RDS (even when Bose offered it on older Waves in other countries, they didn't offer it in the U.S., and only with the latest-generation Waves did they start to offer it here). There's also HD Radio, which my dad's and mom's vehicles both have (and I installed an aftermarket Kenwood head unit in my older Jeep, and it has it as well). The HD Radio seemed great at first, but it cuts in and out at times while it digitally "buffers". Some stations here have HD Radio, some stations don't. Many car manufacturers are beginning to not offer it unless you pay for the highest-end audio system they offer in a vehicle (and maybe some manufacturers not even then). And let's not forget SiriusXM Satellite Radio, which requires text info as well. It IS cool because (at least on radios with a color display and/or touchscreen), sometimes with the text information on FM radio stations (whether HD Radio stations or not) and on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, you get the picture of an album/artist and/or the station logo, which is cool to see.

[Cole D]

I thought I had seen some of the Bose Waves with RDS, now I know!

My Taurus has HD radio as well, it has the Sony sound system so maybe just ones with that have it. There's only one or two stations around here that are HD though. I don't recall ever seeing any pictures show up on FM or HD stations, I've only seen them on XM. Maybe none of the stations here have that feature in use though.

[Cole D]

I got a Sony one awhile back from a thrift store that has HD Radio and also RDS. Kind of a rectangular unit with a wood housing.