Alpine Electronics Presents Full Line Of iPod Integration Digital Media Receivers

True iPod® car integration has gone from being a hopeful dream to an expected feature for many. For those consumers who still suffer from separation anxiety with their iPod every time they get in the car, new options for an unadulterated iPod experience on the road are available for 2008 from Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., the industry-leading manufacturer of automotive mobile media solutions. Alpine announced today its full line of second-generation in-dash iPod integration, with three Digital Media Receivers that provide seamless control of consumers’ favorite digital media sources.

Alpine iDA-X100

“Many consumers view their iPod as an extension of themselves, so it’s important that they have a full iPod experience wherever they go. With Alpine’s new iPod integration Digital Media Receivers, users can have the best-sounding iPod experience available on the road,” said Stephen Witt, vice president, marketing and product planning, Alpine Electronics.

Alpine’s new series of aftermarket Digital Media Receivers are designed to deliver a fully integrated iPod experience in the car and includes three models: iDA-X100, iDA-X200 and iDA-X300. Built on Alpine’s proprietary Ai-NET BUS platform, all three units include AM/FM and can connect to and control a variety of digital media sources and playback formats to build the perfect system. These options include: XM® or SIRIUS® satellite radio; HD Radio™; USB MP3/WMA players; USB mass storage devices; and Bluetooth® connectivity for hands free calling and streaming audio support. (Separate adapters and/or subscriptions required.)

The iDA-X100 Digital Media Receiver leads the family of dedicated iPod receivers. The 2.2-inch full-color TFT screen displays artist, album and track information. If the iPod displays album art, this also will be shown on the iDA-X100’s screen, along with multiple display options.

The iDA-X100 features a new double-action knob that is used to control virtually everything. The knob rotates to control volume or to find an Artist or Playlist. A push-in-and-turn motion is used to quickly scroll through large music libraries using Alpine’s Alphabet Search or Percentage Search features. Alphabet Search lets users scroll quickly through their playlists. Percentage Search takes the iPod’s music library and divides it evenly into six groups that are accessible through the six preset buttons on the head unit. This unique feature lets users jump to a section of their music library instead of individually scrolling through each file. For easy file navigation, a “Quick Search/Enter” button is built onto the knob, while a “Back” button is next to the knob.

The iDA-X100 is one of three 2008 Alpine units to feature iTunes® Tagging through its dedicated iTunes Tag button and the separate TUA-T550HD HD Radio™ Tuner. The pairing of HD Radio with iTunes Tagging provides a new way for consumers to easily discover and purchase music. Users can easily Tag songs from HD Radio stations that are broadcasting with metadata. Information about these Tagged songs is stored by the TUA-T550HD and transferred to the iPod. When the iPod is connected to the computer, iTunes automatically presents the songs in a new Tagged playlist so the user has the option to preview, buy and download the songs.

The iDA-X200 boasts a 2.2-inch two-color LCD with two-line display. This unit, along with the iDA-X100, can control USB MP3/WMA players with Microsoft Plays-From-Device capability. It also offers the double-action knob, Alphabet Search and Percentage Search features.

The iDA-X300 offers the best value in the line up. It has a 2.2-inch LCD with two-line display, red illumination and a large rotary encoder knob for controlling the unit. iPod playback is provided via Alpine’s Full Speed Connection™ for iPod through the supplied KCE-422i cable. The iDA-X100 can support USB mass storage devices and also offers the Percentage Search function.

iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod with color display, iPod with video and iPod nano can link to the iDA-X100 or iDA-X200 via a direct high-speed USB connection, resulting in fast data transfer, quick command response and superior iPod sound. For earlier-generation iPods, all three units retain Alpine’s Full Speed Connection for iPod capabilities through the supplied KCE-422i cable.

Pricing and Availability The iDA-X100 will be available at authorized Alpine dealers in February 2008 for a $400 SRI. The iDA-X200 will be available at authorized Alpine dealers in January 2008 for a $300 SRI. The iDA-X300 will be available at authorized Alpine dealers in January 2008 for a $200 SRI.

Editors’ Note: Please see attached for specifications.

Alpine 2008 iPod Integration Digital Media Receivers Specifications, Pricing and Availability