skierxx5556

iTrader: (12)

What exactly is HD radio is it like satalite or something else? And why are the tuners so damn expensive?

clive

So-called HD radio is a scam by the radio marketing people.
Truth is, radio is running terrified of the fact that the new youth generation is walking around listening to iPods. And also, radio really really sucks. Nowadays a computer plays the tracks while a single dj 'voicetracks' a few hundred stations or so, all at once.
The reason why radio is dead is that it's a 'serial' medium. You have no choice over what comes along. It's serial access. The iPod is parallel access. Under your control. With your tunes not theirs.
And so they dreamed up a way of fitting more channels into the same space. HD actually means 'high density' radio.
And to do this, all existing FM and AM radios are fast becoming obsolete. Soon, all they will pick up will be an aggravating buzz.
As usual, the US method of doing it has to guarantee that some evil empire or other gets rich. And in this particular case it is a corporation that sold a mess of pottage to the FCC courtesy of senators such as Rick Santorum.
Radio isn't dead yet, but it sure smells funny.

kpr10is

iTrader: (9)

In layman's terms though, its FM radio that is near cd quality, and with the HD Radio tuner box, you don't have to pay any monthly fees the way you would satellite radio.