HD Everything

Last year broadcast TV went digital as stations across the country shut down their analog transmitters as per law. Not everyone owned a digital TV set, so provisions were made that allowed everyone the opportunity to get a converter box that converts digital broadcasts into analog so that everyone could continue to watch their favorite TV shows. Eventually, everyone, at some point will own a TV set with a digital receiver. As the transition takes place among consumers, the opportunity for them to own High Definition TV sets as opposed to Standard Definition TV sets, is being made possible by falling prices for High Definition sets. And, at some point, all TV transmissions well be in High Definition and all TV sets will receive High Definition.

But, what about Radio? Today, more and more radio stations are broadcasting in HD. However, the HD in HD Radio doesn't stand for High Definition. While there is a digital signal being transmitted, the analog transmission is still being transmitted as well. Radio has not been mandated to cease analog transmissions. So, everyone will always be able to receive their favorite Radio stations without the need to purchase an HD Radio receiver. But when we talk of HD with regard to Radio, the HD stands for Hybrid Digital.

Hybrid Digital allows a Radio station to transmit a digital version of their analog signal as well a a second channel, which can be used as a separate stream of programing. This is what's known as muticasting. Stations may use their second channel to broadcast news and weather or they may offer a completely different genre of music from the one that's being broadcast on their main channel

Hybrid Digital Radio makes use of what is know as I.B.O.C. or In Band On Channel. This means that Your HD Radio receiver first tunes into the analog frequency, scans for the digital signal and then locks it in once it finds it. Most HD Radio receivers are capable of playing both the analog and digital broadcasts and there are many brands available for use in your car or home.

Some have said that HD Radio sound quality is not all that the great. The truth is, is that HD Radio sound quality is very good. What people are actually talking about is HD Radio coverage. All signals that are transmitted digitally are subject to environmental obstruction. The result in digital TV broadcasts is what's known as pixelation, where the picture breaks up into small cubes or freezes altogether. HD Radio can suffer from a similar problem. But, since HD Radio receivers can play both broadcast signals, if the HD drops out, the analog signal is always there as a backup.

Actually, in all honesty, as a songwriter, I don't listen to as much radio as maybe you might think. The reasons why are enough for a blog post all it's own. Suffice it to say, my opinion is that HD Radio has a lot to offer, especially if stations are willing to use their second broadcast channels to air commercial free music or news and information. I know that this may not always be economically feasible, but for those stations that do, there is a greater chance of increasing their listenership, which, I think would be great for everybody.