Innovate with Us! Share Product Ideas

[ebourlet]

How about a Firware update for the HD-1 that would add a way to control the tone ? Maybe a graphic equalizer function. This would allow it to work better with different music taste as well as headphones.

[John-INSG]

Hello ebourlet,

Welcome to Community@Insignia™!

I'll make sure that your idea is passed along.  While I'm uncertain that the functionality that you would like to add can be included in a firmware update, your feedback can certainly be taken into consideration for future product offerings.

Thank you for taking the time to share your enthusiasm for Insignia™.

Regards,
John
Insignia™ Support

[arthur505]

One obvious way to change equalization instead of a new control (which would require a re-design, or rewritten filter firmware) is to use better phones.  I don't use those included.  At work I have a nice set of JVCs that clip over the ears (the drivers are about 1 1/4").  Bass for classical or jazz is dramatically improved as is overall response.  

A fix (or workaround) I'd like to see has to do with using the HD-01  in Manhattan.  In the lower end of the spectrum, such 88.3 (WBGO, the best jazz station in the metro area), the enormous power of signals from the Empire State Building blasts through other signals.  In the HD radio I use at home (Samsung's component version), the case's all-metal shielding prevents this.  It's a common problem in a radio with a plastic case of any size.  Thin foil shielding filling the inside of the case might work but would be very difficult.  Cheaper and less likely to cause shorts or other complications would be a metallic spray.  But I'm getting way beyond my expertise!

A wonderful first effort at a truly portable HD Radio.  When you do the next versions, throw in DTV and a 3" screen on a slightly larger system.

Best,

arthur505

[3percentmilk]

Software items that may be able to be addressed in firmware

• The "presets" interface is clunky - It would be great if there could be an arbitrary number of presets, 10 is too few.  Especially with stations having multiple channels (HD1, HD2, HD3).  At the same time I wouldn't want to go through several "blank" entries (87.5) before I loop back to Preset 01.  It would be nice if it could just set up all the HD channels through the M menu with a "channel scan" feature like TV's have had for years. Also, it's hard to remember which preset I was setting in the first place, since you have to cycle through them - it would be nice to just have a full-screen list when dealing with presets (both setting and using).  This way you could delete an entry (hold P-), or add the current channel to that spot in the list (hold P+).
• Also with presets, whenever you use a manual tune (^ or v ), then go back to a preset, it always starts you back at preset 1.  This is annoying, it would better if it remembered the last preset you were at (4 for example) and if you hit P+ it would go to 5 and P- would go to 3.
• Volume - I primarily will use this with an 1/8" adapter to AUX IN on my home and car radios.  I have to set the volume to max (15) for it to be reasonably balanced with other inputs.  I read on the forum that another user complained the volume was low for headphones also.  Not sure if it's a hardware or software limit.  If it's software, perhaps you should make it go a bit higher (unless it starts clipping).

Ideas for version 2.0 of a portable HD radio tuner product 

• faster tuning - the primary station tuning isn't bad, but it takes several seconds before HD2, HD3, etc become available.
• move the usb charging jack to the top, so that it's on the same side as the headphone jack.  Like I mentioned above, I use it primarily with other radios, and if I'm charging it while using it, cables are all over the place.  having them on the same side would make it more manageable.  Also get rid of the charging port cover - it just gets in the way.  My blackberry doesn't have a cover on its usb port, and I keep in my pocket all the time, and haven't had a single usb problem in 2 years.
• create multiple packaging options.  I'll never use the arm strap.   Most mp3 players (ipod, etc) don't come with one, and if people want one, they buy it as an accessory.  So you could have a "barebones" package that is cheaper, and a "bundled" package.  I won't use the bundled earbuds either, since I already have a nice pair of philips noise-cancelling ones.
• optical out - newer Apple laptops have a really cool headphone jack that combines optical output with standard 1/8" stereo (analog electrical) out.  If you wanted to use the optical out, you would buy the special cable that has this new connector on 1 end, and a standard TOSLINK on the other.  Should be something that is enabled in the menu, since most people wouldn't use it all the time, and it would waste power if always on.  Since HD radio uses a proprietary digital encoding, the device would have to convert to digital PCM or similar standard.
• Digital "Guide" - kinda like HDTV's, where you can see what is on every channel (or at least your presets) before switching to it.  This will be more useful when all radio stations correctly output their "now playing" data.  Not sure if this is possible to query other channel data without tuning to it first.
• RAVO - like TiVO, but for Radio.  Put an SDHC card slot, and you can have instant recording, or time shifting. For instance if I like to listen to a certain radio show every morning, but I hate commercials, I could start recording when I wake up, then listen while commuting, but be able to fast forward through the commercials.  Not sure about the legalities surrounding recording live radio. (yes, anyone can still use a cassette recorder or a computer - but content owners fear digital formats for some reason).

that's it for now...

[gccradioscience]

I think in order to get this HD radio listenership out further, we need to create more HD radio products, even radios for the bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, and outside.    We need mp3 CD players with an HD radio tuner even if it's just the FM band or make it AM and FM.  We need boomboxes with mp3 CD playback, mp3 input with HD 

radio that runs on C batteries and rechargable battery via USB port.    The NS-HD01 is great, but people are demanding 

a portable radio with AM and FM bands.   For shortwave radio listeners,  we need to get some DRM/HD Radios out too 

with good coverage.  How bout some portable shower radios with HD?   I want to hear HD radio while taking a shower in the morning.    And for cassette lovers, a cassette walkman with HD would be good too.   Clock radios with HD.  Pocket HD radios with a speaker in the front like the 80's.   NS-HD01 does not have a speaker not even a small cell phone speaker.

[FixManTx]

I just got my NS-HD01 today and so far I would have to agree with some of the ideas presented above. The most noticeable is the lack of a way to control tone. At very least "bass" and "treble" controls if not an actual graphic equalizer with at least 5 bands would be very welcome. The fact that the firmware version is viewable suggests the unit is upgradeable, perhaps via the mini-USB cable included with the radio.

[FixManTx]

Just thought I would add a comment or 2 about this radio after having used it for nearly 2 years. On a couple of other threads on this forum we've been told there is not and will not be any firmware update for the NS-HD01, despite the presence of a mini-USB port. That is really a shame since there are a couple of issues that could be fixed via a firmware update, namely the glitchy tuning. When I use only the "PS+" and "PS-" buttons to change presets, everything is fine. If I am on a preset, then use the << or >> button to change to HD2 or HD3 of a preset, then press the PS+ or PS-, instead of going up or down to the next preset, it always goes back to preset station 1. Factory resets do not fix it. It is very annoying having to scroll through several stations presets to get to the one I want every time because the tuning is improperly designed and Insignia refuses to provide a firmware update.

 The other issue I have is the aforementioned lack of tone controls or equalizer. When I got this radio I had a nice pair of Koss earbuds that I used since the included earbuds are not very good, and the sound was pretty good. The Koss earbuds have since broken, and I'm having to use a different pair that don't have as much bass response and with no way to adjust for that on the NS-HD01 the sound isn't very good.

If it isn't obvious by now, I'm a bit disappointed. I really don't see myself buying anymore Insignia products if this is all the support they get once they're sold.