Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., today showcases the first AM/FM/CD player with built-in 10 GB hard disk drive for in-car use. The DEH-P90HDD features a MagicGate™ Memory Stick® player, an integrated Gracenote CDDB™ Database and Music Recognition Service, MP3 playback and is XM Satellite Radio ready.

The DEH-P90HDD's built-in 10GB hard disk can accommodate up to 200 CDs of music. Music can be "ripped" directly from the built-in CD player or over-the-air broadcasts at real-time speed. It can be transferred at two different bit rates (132kbps/105kbps) using ATRAC3 compression, which offers excellent replay clarity while maintaining small file sizes. A built-in MagicGate™ Memory Stick® player enables compatibility between Memory-Stick-ready computers, home audio systems, portable audio and the DEH-P90HDD.

The player offers the industry's first built-in Gracenote CDDB™ Music Recognition Service, which automatically provides information including the artist name, song title and CD title for each track that has been recorded to the hard drive. The Gracenote database currently includes more than 13 million songs. The database in the DEH-P90HDD can be updated through the Memory Stick player as new information is available.

"The DEH-P90HDD converges computer technology with car audio," said Michael Townsen, vice president of marketing for mobile entertainment at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "Consumers can now store their favorite albums in their cars without having to swap CDs in their CD player. Memory Stick makes the transportability of music much more convenient."

Music stored on the hard drive can be organized by creating up to six custom playlists or by using the playlists automatically generated by the DEH-P90HDD. This makes the unit extremely easy to use.

All major copyright protection standards are adhered to, including the Serial Copy Management System (SCMS) and the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI). The DEH-P90HDD employs "MagicGate" encryption and authorization technology, which prohibits unauthorized copying.

With its Soft Key operation, Pioneer's intuitive operating system makes navigation, selection and programming of music simple. A large 256 by 80 pixel display shows 3D images as well as multiple lines of text for quick visual identification of commonly-used features. Ease of use is advanced further with an extremely bright, easy-to-read Organic Electroluminescent (OEL) display, which offers: fast refresh rate for vivid three-dimensional images, wide viewing angle with high visibility under any brightness condition, a self-emitting device, OEL eliminates the need for back lighting, very low voltage requirements (<5 volts).

The DEH-P90HDD also features the following technologies: easy EQ, 13-band graphic equalizer, Auto EQ, Time Alignment, Pro Mode, MOSFET50 50 Watts x 4, Hi-Volt outputs (x3), Automatic Sound Levelizer, Steering Wheel Remote, Flap Face, Detachable Face Security

The DEH-P90HDD is available an estimated market price of $2,100.