HD radio boosters like to say that HD Radio is to AM/FM as HDTV is to regular television. The reality is somewhat murkier, but we'll get to that.
The company iBiquity is the primary one behind HD Radio. The idea is to digitize formerly analog FM and AM broadcasts, which would theoretically make them less susceptible to interference and other problems. iBiquity claims that HD Radio makes AM sound as good as FM and FM sound as good as CD audio.
HD Radio also allows broadcasters to piggyback multiple channels (up to three) on the same band, so you could tune into FM 99.7 and get either rock, jazz, or all-Elmo-all-the-time, depending on which sideband you selected. And unlike satellite radio (a clear inspiration for HD Radio), HD is free, but it's also local. You won't get an HD signal any farther away than you will a regular AM or FM broadcast.
Surprisingly, HD Radio has many broadcasters using it nationally. About 1,000 stations, as a matter of fact. You probably never noticed this because they're all still broadcasting analog radio too. The HD broadcast can ride side by side with the original.
So, HD Radio sounds great on paper. Why have most people never even heard of it? HD Radio was approved way back in 2002... so why aren't we all listening to it? For starters, it's a hardware issue. Most people listen to radio in their cars, and few HD Radio-capable receivers are on the market. These are finally starting to trickle onto the market (at affordable prices), but this leads to another problem: No one really seems to care that much about audio quality on the radio. Do consumers really need to hear their morning zoo programming with better clarity? In a world of ubiquitous CD players and even iPod connectors in cars, high-def audio alternatives are easily found without having to upgrade equipment. Many users (and I'm not one of them) also complain that HD Radio doesn't really sound any better than regular FM anyway, so why bother? HD broadcasters don't receive subscription fees (as with satellite programming), so they don't push it either.
However, HD Radio promises future upgrades, too; promised 5.1 surround sound might be the killer feature that finally gets people onboard.
I'm not sure I've ever actually seen any HD Radio product on the market or even heard an HD Radio broadcast, but I know they're out there. (Tabletop HD Radios are finally out as well.) Have any of you readers jumped on the HD bandwagon? Let's hear your experiences in the comments section.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/5109;_ylt=AtVBsjKj4B9xr0BUnKCDjscSLpA5
