WHAT IS HD RADIO BROADCASTING?
HD Radio broadcasting is dramatically higher quality audio, far more programming choice and compelling new wireless data services brought to you by your local AM and FM radio stations. No more static, hiss, pops or fades.
Today, thousands of radio stations are upgrading their broadcast technology; hundreds are currently broadcasting with digital HD Radio technology, with many also offering new HD2 multicast channels. Your favorite station remains in the same place on the radio dial, but when you have a new digital HD Radio receiver, your AM sound like FM and FM sounds like CDs. In addition, the wireless data feature enables text information – titles, artists, weather or traffic alerts – to be broadcast directly to your receiver’s display screen. And, FM HD Radio stations are starting to “multicast,” offering more than one stream. Simultaneously, one station can offer several audio channels as well as on-screen data. A station can run one channel of music and one of news, or two different music formats. Or run three completely different music formats in three different languages. And much, much more.
Approved by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2002 as the only system for digital AM and FM broadcasting in the U.S., HD Radio technology is developed and licensed by iBiquity Digital Corporation and supported by the leaders of the broadcasting, consumer electronics and automotive industries.
To upgrade your car radio, look for HD Radio products from Eclipse, JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic and Sanyo. Yamaha and Boston Acoustics offer home radios. Many more manufacturers are coming to market next year, including Alpine, Polk and Radiosophy.
Today’s HD Radio technology features include:
- FM Multicasting – the ability to broadcast multiple program streams over a single FM frequency (e.g. 97.7-1, 97.7-2, etc.)
- Static-free, crystal-clear reception
- FM sounds as sensational as CDs
- AM sounds as rich as analog FM stereo
- A variety of “data services,” including text-based information – artist name, song title, weather alerts, school closings, etc. scrolled across your receiver display.
- Digital broadcasts in the same frequencies as analog broadcasts; listeners do not need to learn a new station number and today’s stations remain at their current place on the dial
- Local content
- Free
And this is just the beginning. New and innovative features are under development including:
- Real-time traffic reports broadcast by local stations and visually displayed on a vehicle’s navigation system
- Surround Sound
- Store-and-Replay – Will allow listeners to rewind a song they just heard or record an entire program to play back at a more convenient listening time
- On Demand Capabilities – Will give listeners instant access to news and information
- “Buy” button – Will turn the radio into an interactive device for e-commerce, allowing for instant purchases of everything from concert tickets to advertised products.
HD Radio broadcasting is transforming the radio experience in ways never thought possible. For more information, visit www.HDRadio.com.
