A New Radio Technology: HD Radio

HD Radio – Clearer Radio For Free

HD radio makes FM radio sound like CD and AM sound like FM, and offers what the HD Radio Web site calls “crystal-clear reception with no audio distortion.” The biggest benefit compared to satellite radio is it’s free. And like satellite radio, it offers alternative content that’s largely commercial-free by allowing a station to “multicast” separate programming on an adjacent sub-frequency that only an HD Radio can tune in. Another benefit to HD radio is it supplies detailed artist and song title listings, as well as info on traffic, weather, sports, stocks, emergencies and more. Although HD Radio has been around since 2005, it has yet to achieve mainstream status.

So how do you get HD Radio?  It was first available as an aftermarket product, but more recently automakers are beginning to offer it factory installed. For example, Jaguar offers HD Radio as standard in the 2009 XF and XK and will make it standard in all 2010 models. The bottom line with HD Radio is it is a free source of higher quality sound compared to traditional radio. HD Digital radio receivers are able to smooth out the sound signals to deliver crystal-clear reception. One factor that is keeping HD from becoming mainstream is that the service is not available everywhere, particularly in rural areas. While 1,800 radio stations have signed up so far, the signals from HD Radio stations in urban areas only extend about a maximum of 50 miles.