Technological advancement is an ongoing process launching us into the future. With the evolution of technology comes the evolution of ones understanding of technology. As more people understand technology, more products in the technological field are created for the everyday user. Simplicity and practicality of use is the focus for endorsement in the mainstream market. Music, Gaming, Computers and Television is what the majority of the technological enhancements for society are focused on. With the onset of technological advancements and the publics interest in technology comes the era of High Definition (HD) digital broadcasting. High Definition digital broadcasting is the new wave of broadcasting, overtaking the analog world. With the evolution of the digital world comes the evolution of advanced functionality within digital equipment. The progression of the newly developed HD Digital Radio is the base system for which I would like to see the advancements occur that have evolved for other digital equipment. High Definition TV’s hit the market like an earthquake. To watch a High Definition TV properly a person needs an HD digital cable receiver. As digital cable utilizing HD receivers came about the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) was born. The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is a device that records video in a digital format to a disk drive or other memory medium within a device. The term includes stand-alone set-top boxes, portable media players (PMP) and software for personal computers which enables video capture and playback to and from disk. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_video_recorder) The progression of the standard analog TV evolved into the High Definition digital and recordable TV. With the evolution of radio now following stride and developing the HD digital radio it is only a matter of time before the user can digitally radio record (DRR) the standard car radio.

The car radio as with the television has now evolved to a digital receiver vice analog. HD radio is the most significant technological advancement in radio broadcasting since the introduction of the FM stereo more than 50 years ago. HD Radio technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally – a tremendous technological leap from the analog broadcasts of the past. (http://www.hdradio.com/what_is_hd_digital_radio.php). HD Radio sends more information over the same radio frequency by digitizing the signal. An HD radio receiver zeroes in directly on the digital transmission eliminating interference and signal reflections off of structures. The result is clear sound without any static, popping or hissing. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hd-radio.htm

With the onset of digital radio upon us, I believe that the progression of the radio will allow a person to do the exact same thing that is done with a DVR, the ability to digitally record. The Digital Radio Recorder (DRR) will serve the same functionality that the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) does for your HDTV, but for your car radio. When compared to what is involved in putting Digital Video Recording devices together, developing a digital radio recorder (DRR) would seem to be a fairly simple process. The DRR will have several functions providing a unique and new experience for the common driver.

The main function of the DRR will be the recording process. The DRR will allow a user to continuously record the contents of radio programs in real time. This allows for users to never miss their favorite radio program such as morning shows, favorite radio personalities, sporting events, political addresses and so on. This functionality provides the driver with the option of listening to audio that occurred in the past during a separate commute. Instead of listening to the same old CD on your way home from work, the user can now listen to the recorded “Mikey Morning Show” that aired during your morning commute for example.

Another function of the DRR will be the ability to “Time Shift” which is the capability to rewind, pause and fast forward. For example, the user will have the ability to rewind the current traffic updates given on the radio if missed. Any information broadcasted over live radio will be able to be paused, rewound and then fast forwarded after doing so, bringing the user back to the live broadcast.

An HD Radio receiver can display text data that is sent alongside the audio signal. This could take the form of artist and song information about the music being played or sports, weather or stock updates.

onto a solid state memory and then transfer selected portions to a cassette tape or recordable compact disk..

A second optional AM/FM tuner allows the user to listen to one program while recording another program onto the solid state memory. Extended recording capability is provided.

Fast forward through commercials

Record songs, talk shows, ball game etc

You can burn CD’s directly from your recorded radio

You can update your MP3 player by converting the songs to an MP3 file and placing it on your device directly from your radio

You have a guide of upcoming programs, playlists, so that you can record I advance

Since HD Radio is a free broadcast, all you have to do is get a new HD Radio receiver for your home or car

You can access all of your recorded music as if you were pulling it from a playlist on an Ipod

You can pause, rewind, fast forward just like your DVR

You can set recordings….mikey show…etc.

You can delete just like your DVR

• FM stations now with CD-quality sound

• AM stations now with FM-quality sound

• Crystal-clear reception with no audio distortion

It is portable, you can plug and play to a home stereo system

Ever wished you could get the same quality of sound from your radio as you do from your CD? Or that your radio signal didn’t fade out just when you wanted to listen to the game? Now you can. Get the kind of sound that was previously reserved for your HDTV, CD system or MP3 player. Get it on your radio. And get it for free!

• CD-quality sound

• Crystal-clear reception

• No station drop-off

• No static, hiss or audio distortion

An automobile recorder, comprising: a. a conventional automobile radio electronics circuit; b. a conventional cassette recorder connected directly to receive the analog output of said radio electronics circuit; c. an analog to digital converter in parallel with said cassette recorder directly connected to receive the analog output of said radio electronics circuit and has as its output a digitized version of said analog input, said analog to digital converter being normally blocked from receiving said radio circuit output; d. a random access memory that stores said digitized version for later recording by said cassette recorder without time delay, wherein the input to said random access memory is the output of said analog to digital converter; e. a digital to analog converter whose input is the digitized output of said random access memory, wherein said digital to analog converter has as its output the restored analog output of said automobile radio electronics circuit such that said analog output may be recorded onto said conventional cassette recorder at a later time; f. a microcontroller to unblock said analog to digital converter to receive the analog output of said electronics circuit and to order and operate said conventional automobile radio electronics circuit, said conventional cassette recorder, said analog to digital converter, said random access memory, and said digital to analog converter, according to program instructions; g. a read only memory that permanently stores said program instructions; and, h. means comprising a multiplicity of controls under the control of a user that changeably enters said program instructions and initiates said microcontroller to unblock said analog to digital converter to permit recording by said cassette recorder the digitized version of the output of said radio circuit at a later time selected by said user. 2. An automobile recorder, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a clock and minute indicator that displays time and date and is connected to said conventional automobile radio electronics circuit such that said clock and minute circuit is used to program the start and stop times of a recording. 3. An automobile recorder, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a microphone input and a microphone switch whereby a microphone can be used as a recording information source. 4. An automobile recorder, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a self-contained security alarm circuit. 5. An automobile recorder, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a compact disk player. 6. An automobile recorder, as recited in claim 1, further comprising a compact disks recorder, whereby the output of said conventional auto radio electronics circuit can be recorded onto a compact disk.

Griffin Technology and radio SHARK
But in 2004, Griffin Technology introduced their Radio SHARK, a digital radio recorder which not only turned any Mac of PC into an AM/FM receiver; it enabled the listener to record the radio broadcasts in real time.
Like TiVo, the Radio SHARK digital radio recorder had a time-shift recording feature which would let the user pause during a live broadcast to return to an earlier segment and catch up if they had been interrupted, and it also let people schedule recording for a later time.
But the Radio SHARK digital recorder did not merely record; it had a station preset function which could lock in the user’s favorite stations with a mouse click; and it allowed easy scanning and tuning of new stations.
The radio SHARK digital radio recorder connected to the PC through its USB port, from which it was powered, and looked like the shark’s dorsal fin for which it was named. The fin was the digital radio recorder’s antenna and could simply be moved around to provide the best reception. And any broadcast saved on the radio Shark digital radio recorder could be transferred to an iPod or audio interchange file compatible MP for later listening.
Radio SHARK 2
The radio SHARK digital radio recorder developed a following, so Griffin Technology continued to develop the concept, and discontinued it in late 2006 in favor of the radio SHARK 2 digital radio recorder. The radio SHARK 2’s improvements include a USB extension cable, allowing the receiver to be placed up to eight feet from the PC; an more powerful radio receiver chip; an on-screen tuner which closely mirrors a traditional radio dial; and the addition of Internet radio to the AM/FM menu. Internet radio opens up your digital radio recorder possibilities to international broadcasting.
The radio Shark2 digital radio recorder also has software which provides users with all the instructions they need to master time-shift recording, station selection and tuning, and optional antenna extension for those who live in poor reception areas. And, at 49.95, sown from the $69.95 of the original radio SHARK digital radio receiver, it is very attractively priced!
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New devices to record any radio program, convert it into a digital format for listening or upload onto a PC:

Like TiVo, the audio recorders will let customers fast-forward over commercials -- although this isn't a feature the industry is actively promoting.

"What you do with it is your own doing and there's nothing we can do to stop you," said Bob Fullerton, director of marketing for one of the manufacturers, PoGo Products. "But the main use is not to skip commercials, but to record your favorite talk-radio show or the ball game you're going to miss because you are at work."

Fullerton's company has been taking orders for the Radio YourWay AM/FM recorder, which costs $150. It's a palm-sized device that weighs 2.8 ounces and will arrive in computer stores later this month. The device is primarily a radio and program recorder that converts files into a digital format, Fullerton said. Secondly, it's an MP3 player, he said.

Digital Innovations, another manufacturer, plans to release an updated version of its Neuros MP3 digital audio recorder in September.

While the current version of Neuros can record music on FM stations in real time, the upgrade will include a timer to record programs at any time. [Wired]

These devices record digitally, but the content is still analog.

Some radio broadcasters plan to offer digital programming by using technology developed by a private company called iBiquity Digital. iBiquity's high-definition radio technology enables broadcasters to use their current spectrum to offer both analog and digital signals. If a broadcaster were to adopt this technology, listeners would be able to hear a higher-quality digital signal if their radios were equipped to receive signals in the HD radio format.

But as an iBiquity spokesman pointed out, HD radio was not approved by the FCC until October of last year, so hardly any radio stations are equipped to emit digital signals today. Adopting the technology is also purely voluntary, so there is no assurance that radio broadcasters will offer digital programming at all.

So far, iBiquity has signed up 130 radio stations that will use the technology, although the company doesn't expect a significant product rollout until the end of this year.

"There's always going to be that lag between licensing and starting to turn on the digital signals," said Joe D'Angelo, director of business development for wireless data services