Category: Broadcaster's Lounge
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with hi def radio? HD radio is a system where radio stations can use different audio channels to program different types of music or programming. It's pretty big here in the Seattle area. I think it's the radio industry's answer to satellite radio. Anyhow, I wanted to ask for a hi def receiver for Christmas, and I'm clueless about accessibility. What better place to post a query than here, I thought? Any help greatly appreciated!
Is this similar to the DAB systems in the UK? I've only read about it.
Not sure about what's in the UK, but my sense is that it probably is.
I haven't totally studied this, but from what I understand, it's a digital signal, but it's carried along with the standard AM or FM signal. I think the DAB system in England uses a totally different band, but I may be wrong. Anyhow, I, too, would love to go to some store and give an HD radio a test drive and see how it sounds. It's a shame hte price is so high, else I'd snap one up. I just hope it doesn't become another failure like AM stereo did years ago. I was lucky to ahve a little Sony SRF-42 radio so I could experience the last bits of AM stereo back in the mid-nineties.
Hey all,
I recieved an HD radio for Christmas. It has a digital display that tells you the time and frequency of the radio station. If the station is in HD, the display will show the station's call letters and the song that is currently playing.
The radio has great sound but the HD signal can be a bit spotty but hey say that they are working on it.
If you want to learn more about HD radio, go to www.hdradio.com
1. HD Radio is in fact broadcasted along the anolog signal. It broadcasts the right channel on the Adjacent frequency (92.7), and the left channel on the Adjacent frequency (92.3) to the standard signal.
For example 92.5 WXTU (Philadelphia, PA) is country, and broadcasts its digital signal on 92.7 and 92.3 MHZ for the primary HD channel. Now I do not know how secondary (HD2) and third channel (HD3) signals are broadcasted along the anolog spectrum.
2. In the UK, DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is broadcasted at a much higher signal then anolog broadcast. I want to say its 2GHZ, or 3gHZ, but don't hold me to this.
John
And to answer yet one more question. of corse its the answer to sattellight radio according to companies such as Clear Channel, Next Media, etc. Just how it will all do remains to be seen.
John
So, do we still get sound that has the piss compressed out of it?
Sounds like the real question still is, how accessible are the displays?
From what I've heard so far, it sounds like they may not be very accessible. If you need to read the display to tune the station then, to my mind, that is not accessible.
No matter how cool the technology is, if I can't use it, then it's not cool at all. <grin>.
Bob
Don't waste your money. Decent music can be found for free on the internet, or at the least with XM radio. HD radio,
1) Is overpriced for the quality.
2) Reception is spotty.
3) continues to offer a rather bland selection of music compared to alternative sources.
Sure, you might find something decent on HD; but with the overpriced content, and the fact that most of the stations are just another offset of Clear Channel, why bother?
The displays do not need to be used in order to tune in the station. I can't think they have gone all touch screen with the units.
John