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What is HD Radio™ Technology?

More Music. More Stations. More Features. Digital Sound. No Subscription.

What is HD Radio Broadcasting?

One of the most popular features of HD Radio Technology is the extra channels that you receive when you listen to HD Radio broadcasts. These extra channels are called HD2/HD3 Channels, and are located on the FM dial, adjacent to your long-time favorite stations. Your local radio stations are inventing all kinds of unique and fun to listen to HD2/HD3s Channels – everything from deep cuts, to classical, to new music formats, to in-language programming and hosts of other creative stuff.

Find the HD2/HD3
channels in your city.

Zune

HD2/HD3 Channels are located on the FM dial of HD Radio receivers, like this Zune HD, adjacent to traditional stations.

It’s All Free!!

No subscription or additional fees. You will need an HD Radio enabled receiver. Find one here.

Note: HD Radio products receive ALL broadcast radio transmissions, whether they are HD Radio digital signals or traditional analog.

All you need is a new radio

You will need an HD Radio receiver. HD Radio receivers are available in many forms for car, portable and the home. You can select HD Radio receivers from 17 different automakers as factory installed radios and from leading consumer electronics brands at more than 14,000 retail stores across the country. Prices start at $39.

See all the New Cars with HD Radio receivers and HD Radio products available at retail in the Buyer’s Guide.

Why upgrade your radio? More music. More features.

Traditionally, broadcast radio is analog. HD Radio Technology converts the traditional analog radio broadcast to digital and provides advanced audio and data features that enhance your listening experience.

When you shop for an HD Radio receiver, you can determine which of these advanced audio and data features are offered by looking for the feature keys on the packaging.

Click the features on the list for more info.

This HD Radio receiver enables
Program Service Data HD2/HD3 Digital Sound iTunes Tagging Artist Experience Live Pause Bookmark Traffic

Program Service Data provides song title, artist name, station ID, HD2/HD3 Channel Guide, and other relevant data streams.

Feature Psd

Here is PSD as displayed on the 2012 Ford Focus, which is available equipped with HD Radio Technology.

Feature Hd2hd3

Adjacent to traditional, main stations are HD2/HD3 Channels which provide new, original content and deep cuts into traditional genres. You will discover all kinds of new, original programming on the HD2/HD3 channels in your market.

Here is WHFS 94.7-HD2, as seen on the Zune HD portable radio player.

Feature Digital

HD Radio broadcasting delivers CD-like Digital Sound quality, eliminating the static that can occur when listening to analog radio.

iTunes® Tagging provides you a simple way to capture songs you hear on the radio for future purchase. You simply push the “TAG” button on your HD Radio receiver. Songs that you tag appear on your personal iTunes account in a list called “Tagged Songs.”

     

Artist Experience is a new feature whereby on your radio display you will see fun images related to the broadcast. For example, album cover art or special station announcements, or in-studio photos of your favorite DJs.

Enables listeners to Pause Live broadcasts for playback at a later time.

     

The Bookmark feature allows you to save some information that you’ve heard and want to remember. This can be a song or advertisement or some other information.

HD Radio-enabled real-time Traffic is delivered dramatically faster and with more useful data than other available sources.

How does it work?

Basically, digital radio works the same as conventional radio. There’s a signal on one end and a receiver on the other. But there are a few key differences.

  1. Instead of sending out one analog signal, stations send out a bundled signal – both analog and digital. Because it is digital, textual data such as traffic, stock info and song titles can be sent out, as well.
  2. The digital signal layer is compressed.
  3. The combined analog and digital signals are transmitted.
  4. Inevitably, radio signals bounce off objects, causing what is called multipath distortions. This is what causes the static in conventional radio receivers. HD Radio receivers are designed to sort through reflected signals, reducing static, hiss, pops and fades.
  5. When the HD Radio broadcast signal reaches you, it arrives in a crystal clear, static free format that will amaze you and includes a wide array of data that appears on your radio display as useful text and/or images.

How does it sound?

Listen to the demo or see to what listeners have to say about the difference between regular radio and HD Radio quality.

Get the kind of sound that was previously reserved for your HDTV, CD system or MP3 player—from your radio.

Note: This is just a simulation. Try out the real deal at the electronics store of your choice.