Car Audio: New mobile receiver from Dual

There is supposed to be more and more Microsoft in your car. Be careful. This one supports MP3 players but no Apple iPod. How can this be successful?

Microsoft takes another step into your car's dashboard with the first car radio that works with PlaysForSure players, the Dual XDMR7710, shipping in July. This $250 (street) unit and two siblings from Dual will be the first car radios that connect to most portable music players (except, of course, Apple's) and stream content from the player, including subscription-music-service downloads.

The XDMR7710, the flagship of the line, has a motorized faceplate that drops down to reveal a large LCD. It tunes in AM/FM, plays MP3 and WMA CDs, hooks up to XM Satellite Radio (via an optional external device), and has a line-in jack.
Most important, though, by adding a $100 external USB adapter to the EAUSB20, users can plug in any current or recent music player using a standard USB 2.0 cable. The connector recharges the player, and transfers track and artist information along with the music.
In our brief demo, Dual showed us MP3 downloads and subscription-service music streaming to the head unit from an iRiver and a Philips player; both players were controllable by the head unit. The XDMR7710 and its siblings can sort and select music by artist, album, genre, or playlist.
The PlaysForSure certification is a Microsoft guarantee that any two PlaysForSure devices can communicate with each other and play music, including monthly-subscription-service downloads and protected-content song downloads. Nearly every music player currently made is PFS-compatible, with the exception of Apple iPods. A short-term solution, included in the Dual radios, is a separate line-in jack that accepts music from iPods but doesn't let the radio head unit control the iPod. Dual's product manager, Rob Sutton, said Dual hopes to have an iPod solution in the future, but he wasn't able to provide details.
Two cheaper models, the XDMP680 and the XDMR6850 (prices not yet set), will have the same functionality, but the faceplates aren't motorized; they are removable for theft protection. These may be better for cars in which the drop-down faceplate would obscure some of the console controls.
All three radios use the standard single-DIN cutout, about 2 by 7 inches, that works on virtually every removable car radio. Each has small (not tiny) buttons, as is the annoying norm for virtually every replacement car radio currently offered.

Related news: Foursprung, P4MR, car audio, MP3, WMA, satellite radio

Source: TechnoRide

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