HD Radio is dangerous

[EasyPeazy]

High Definition radio AKA HD Radio has been proven to cause cancer in laboratory mice, accelerate the effects of global warming, kick your dog, fill your unleaded tank with diesel, eat half of the last donut and put it back in the box, spread herpes, unplug your alarm clock and cause typically normal people to go into an all out panic on Radio-Info.

I have to say, I've been enjoying the many fine HD2 channels we have in Dallas. I like Jack's alter-ego "My HD" though I suspect they really don't play the requests submitted online. I also like the 90s format on The Bone's HD2. I don't really understand the mix on the KISS HD2, but it is interesting.

I am concerned though. Since buying my HD Radio, I've noticed my hair is starting to fall out.

Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms?

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Only by reading your post.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I find that it makes hearing the REAL stations between the stations more difficult - like the rock station on 102.7 from Abilene, or the rock station on 98.9 in Shreveport. Or the oldies station on 98.5, etc. Formats not available on HD-2. But they ARE available on satellite - and I could listen in my car. Makes me think!

 

[henry]

Not to sound picky but HD stands for "hybrid digital" not "high definition" since there is nothing high definition about HD Radio. I personally, can't wait to get an HD tuner and try it, but right now I'm mad that they are so expensive.

 

[MikeShannon914]

I kinda wonder if listening to the HD channels gives any extra business to satellite radio. So you're listening to some mediocre-sound-quality HD station, decide that you like the idea of hearing other formats that the regular stations don't provide (particularly if you're a smooth jazz or modern rock fan,) and you love the fact that most (if not all) HD stations are running commercial-free...so why not bite the $12.95 a month bullet and get full digital quality, no commercials, PLUS 60 or so formats to choose from?

Perhaps HD Radio should bill itself instead as "Satel-LIGHT"

I've had XM almost the entire time they've been operational, and haven't regretted it once. But I do split my listening time about 50/50 with terrestrial radio, peppered with some iPOD and cassettes and CDs. And once HD radios break the $100 price barrier, I might consider adding one to the mix.

ALSO...what was all this talk months ago about an "HD Radio Converter"? Can't find one anywhere for the life of me. Much like the old days of mounting a little FM converter under the dashboard to get KAFM, KNUS and KFWD in the early 70s, I'd be game to install something like that again...particularly if the price were, say, $50 or so? Remember the old contests when KNUS-99 would offer to "put FM in your car for $19"? They teamed with a local car audio shop to do the installs. Two holes and an antenna cord, and you're out the door in 10 minutes. CBS or CC could easily do tradeouts with an Earmark or a Best Buy and blow out HD converters + install for $49. The art of marketing and promotion, I'm afraid, is lost on today's Corporadio. HD will die a quick death if someone doesn't find a cheap, mass way to get the receivers into listeners' hands. And you can bet that the idea here is NOT to have those HD stations run commercial-free until the end of time.

HD = H)ardly D)iscounted,
H)ype: D)isappointment,
H)ighly D)emure,
H)yperbole D)istributed,
H)alf-hearted D)iversion,
H)igh and D)ry

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

HD =
Highly Dysfunctional
Heavy Disturbance
Hughly Delusional
Harmonized Distortion

 

[TheRover]

I kinda wonder if listening to the HD channels gives any extra business to satellite radio. So you're listening to some mediocre-sound-quality HD station, decide that you like the idea of hearing other formats that the regular stations don't provide (particularly if you're a smooth jazz or modern rock fan,) and you love the fact that most (if not all) HD stations are running commercial-free...so why not bite the $12.95 a month bullet and get full digital quality, no commercials, PLUS 60 or so formats to choose from?

So Mike.... satellite radio is "full digital quailty" ? ? ?

And I though satellite radio's digital signal was way compressed to get all of those stations in.....

I don't think that the sound quality of HD and Satellite delivers is the same.....

On sound quality, I beleive that HD has the edge...

I think maybe they should change satellite radio's moniker to CDS --- Compressed Digital Satellite Radio! !

 

[little1]

Think about this...

HD radio is now standard in BMW's...

How long before other car dealers start installing it, rather than satellite that costs their consumers month after month?

 

[little1]

And as for 60 channels- I've seen research that leads me to believe that most Xm and Sirius listeners listen to a handful of the available stations...

IOW, the 'rock' listener isn't checking out the country or urban or latin stations, just the few rock stations that fit their profile...

So why yeah, it SOUNDS cool to have 60+ stations, the vast majority of people don't listen to them all...

 

[EasyPeazy]

I kinda wonder if listening to the HD channels gives any extra business to satellite radio. So you're listening to some mediocre-sound-quality HD station, decide that you like the idea of hearing other formats that the regular stations don't provide (particularly if you're a smooth jazz or modern rock fan,) and you love the fact that most (if not all) HD stations are running commercial-free...so why not bite the $12.95 a month bullet and get full digital quality, no commercials, PLUS 60 or so formats to choose from?

So Mike.... satellite radio is "full digital quailty" ? ? ?

And I though satellite radio's digital signal was way compressed to get all of those stations in.....

I don't think that the sound quality of HD and Satellite delivers is the same.....

On sound quality, I beleive that HD has the edge...

I think maybe they should change satellite radio's moniker to CDS --- Compressed Digital Satellite Radio! !

FM HD Radio does sound much better than satellite at 48k. Personally, I don't notice artifacts on 48k HD channels at all.

To me anyway, AM HD sounds like most channels on XM in terms of artifacts.

Of course, I actually own an HD Radio and listen to it - unlike most people that bash it here. I've read way too many threads where it's clear the people who are bashing HD have never heard or used an HD Radio.

They'll probably be embarassed when they finally do experience it and learn just how wrong they were. Your observation about HD vs. satellite sound quality is a great example. It's apparent that you've used both.

Other people posting here - not so much.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Little 1 : Everyone doesn't listen to all the radio stations in DFW,like satellite only a handful.

On what sounds better, it depends upon your receiver,equipment and environment. I find on what equipment I have,etc. XM sounds great.

 

[little1]

My point was people aren't marketing radio by talking about how many channels it can pick up- because 'everybody' knows what stations they're likely to listen to...

And that's the problem with marketing XM/Sirius as they do...Sureit sounds great to have 60 stations, but when you realize you're paying 13 bucks a month to listen to the same 2 or 3, is it still worth it?

 

[Robert Bass]

FM HD Radio does sound much better than satellite at 48k. Personally, I don't notice artifacts on 48k HD channels at all.

To me anyway, AM HD sounds like most channels on XM in terms of artifacts.

Of course, I actually own an HD Radio and listen to it - unlike most people that bash it here. I've read way too many threads where it's clear the people who are bashing HD have never heard or used an HD Radio.

They'll probably be embarassed when they finally do experience it and learn just how wrong they were. Your observation about HD vs. satellite sound quality is a great example. It's apparent that you've used both.

Other people posting here - not so much.

1. AM HD has adjacant channel noise.

2. The sound quality of both Sat and HD is determined by how good the soirce material is and how much processing both mediums use in their respective air chains.

E

 

[EasyPeazy]

1. AM HD has adjacant channel noise.

2. The sound quality of both Sat and HD is determined by how good the soirce material is and how much processing both mediums use in their respective air chains.

AM HD has adjacent channel noise? On the digital signal? No way.

Sound quality is determined by how much much data is being sent through. The higher the bitrate and the better the codec, the better it's going to sound. That's what's wrong with satellite sound quality - too many channels and not enough bandwidth for all of them.

Processing plays a part, but in terms of sound quality (not sound character) bitrate is much more important.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Good Points easy.

Little 1..Yes,it is worth it. #Why? I can actually listen to what "I want" to hear,without a 8-9 min spot sweep every 15 min.,music that the "over researched" station that supposedly caters to me won't play,announcers who sound more exciting than a liner reader or having someone read from "Entertainment Weekly" or what was on the E! channel. I can hear traffic when I want, the weather forecast plus News. Yes it is worth it.

 

[TheLaffer]

I kinda wonder if listening to the HD channels gives any extra business to satellite radio. So you're listening to some mediocre-sound-quality HD station, decide that you like the idea of hearing other formats that the regular stations don't provide (particularly if you're a smooth jazz or modern rock fan,) and you love the fact that most (if not all) HD stations are running commercial-free...so why not bite the $12.95 a month bullet and get full digital quality, no commercials, PLUS 60 or so formats to choose from?

So Mike.... satellite radio is "full digital quailty" ? ? ?

And I though satellite radio's digital signal was way compressed to get all of those stations in.....

I don't think that the sound quality of HD and Satellite delivers is the same.....

On sound quality, I beleive that HD has the edge...

I think maybe they should change satellite radio's moniker to CDS --- Compressed Digital Satellite Radio! !

FM HD Radio does sound much better than satellite at 48k. Personally, I don't notice artifacts on 48k HD channels at all.

To me anyway, AM HD sounds like most channels on XM in terms of artifacts.

Of course, I actually own an HD Radio and listen to it - unlike most people that bash it here. I've read way too many threads where it's clear the people who are bashing HD have never heard or used an HD Radio.

They'll probably be embarassed when they finally do experience it and learn just how wrong they were. Your observation about HD vs. satellite sound quality is a great example. It's apparent that you've used both.

Other people posting here - not so much.

As long as i go to radio shack and other outlets and have to put an outdoor antenna up to get a signal i don't see HD doing all that well. I still maintain it's all going to "Streaming" on the internet. Wifi will be incredible in 5 years.

 

[Robert Bass]

AM HD has adjacent channel noise? On the digital signal? No way.
is much more important.

On the analog side, adjacant channel noise on the AM band is very much a problem.

Since HD for terrestrial radio isn't a mandatory change, this will remain a problem, so long as Ibiquity's HD technology remaains the standard.

R

 

[Robert Bass]

2. The sound quality of both Sat and HD is determined by how good the soirce material is and how much processing both mediums use in their respective air chains.

[/quote]

You overlooked something. If stations use 128 K MP3’s or lower for their HD channels that will affect sound quality.

R

 

[EasyPeazy]

2. The sound quality of both Sat and HD is determined by how good the soirce material is and how much processing both mediums use in their respective air chains.

You overlooked something. If stations use 128 K MP3’s or lower for their HD channels that will affect sound quality.

R[/quote]

Yeah, they would really sound bad if people used 64K MP3s too. If anyone is actually using 128K MP3s for songs - even on non-HD stations - someone should really have a chat with them. If they're using 128K MP3s for songs and they have a lossy, compressed STL someone should kick them.

For people in the know, it's pretty much a given that you use uncompressed, linear WAV files for HD Radio.

 

[MikeShannon914]

I'll concede a couple of points from the earlier challenges to my email. I haven't spent any appreciable time listening to HD. I would LOVE to, however, if I knew anyone who could afford such a unit (or thought a $400 investment in one made sense,) or could find one in a retail setting that actualy worked properly. I was merely regurgitating what others have said over time, that the sound quality is not on par with terrestrial stations, or with satellite. I'm perfectly happy with the satellite sound (although my little FM modulator leaves MUCH to be desired...my old XM unit was hard-wired and did a much better job. I use the cassette adapter instead, but that's still not much better.) Also, I can't see corporations resisting the urge to compress everything they can, even if it wrecks the on-air sound. Listen to the substandard, overcompressed crap on the terrestrial FM stations here already!

And my view of satellite radio's merits are my own opinion. I happen to like it, and no, I don't sample a whole lot of it; I mainly stick to about 10 stations. I think if the navigation part was easier, I'd try out some other channels. Fumbling with 10 presets while driving is bad enough. Perhaps an iPOD-type flip-through control with the title and artist beamed onto the inside of the windshield would be better...I dunno. It's just too many channels to deal with a "scan" feature.

I still stand by my point that HD will go nowhere if the corporations and local stations don't find a cost-effective way to put receivers in people's hands. The car problem is an easy one to deal with...finish development of an HD converter. Next up will be putting it into portable radios. That's where satellite can't compete very well (although a new radio just came out that uses Wi-Fi to pull in internet radio "signals." That's still not the same as taking your portable jambox to the beach.)