HD Radio delivers digital radio absolutely free to your HD Receiver. Plus a feature rich experience.

HD Radio is truly the next big thing for radio as we know it. It’s still broadcasted like standard AM/FM stations are, however HD Radio utilizes a specialized method of transmission allowing a local radio station to not only broadcast their standard AM/FM station, but also to send DATA and subsequently multi-casting, which is broadcasting of multiple stations on one frequency. (HD Radio ads commonly refer to this as discovering “the stations between the stations” and multi-cast broadcasts are accessed by selecting “HD1, HD2, HD3, and so one” when tuning to a station broadcasting in HD and having a receiver with the chipset to receive the stations.

HD radio made its debut in 2002, however it wasn’t referred to as HD Radio back then. At that time it was simply a method for station owners to transmit station, artist and title information to the users radio.

HD Radio delivers digital radio coverage to over 90% of the US with over 1900 stations free of charge.

In vehicles this 1st came to light in the form of RDS (Radio Data Service) showing information about broadcast from the station. HD radio is currently in use by over 1900 stations and covers almost 90% of the US today.

When using an HD receiver on non HD Channels most users often notice a much better clarity even on normal AM/FM stations. This is because of the specialized chipset by iBiquity (parent of HD radio as we know it in north america). The background / white noise commonly found on AM stations disappear when using an HD receiver. FM stations come in from further distances than without an HD Radio. And then of course the multi-cast gives you a much wider listening selection.

The best part about HD Radio is all of these extra services / features and better quality is FREE OF CHARGE!

Only requiring that you have a radio capable of receiving the HD radio signal. HD Radio is commonly referred to as ‘digital radio’ or ‘high definition radio’ because of the startling difference between the listening experience of HD Radio versus standard broadcasting. 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 asking one of the knowledgeable sales and install techs here at Alarms, ETC.

Some of the key features of HD Radio are:

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

  HD RADIO KEY FEATURES

• HD2/HD3 – 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.
• Digital Sound – 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 – 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.
• Live Traffic Updates – HD Radio-enabled real-time Traffic is delivered dramatically faster and with more useful data than other available sources.
• Live Pause – Enables listeners to Pause Live broadcasts for playback at a later time.
• 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 Addon Receiver works with existing Factory & Aftermarket Receivers

You can add HD Radio to any receiver in the form of an add-on unit, however to get the full HD RADIO experience, it’s best to install a brand new system with the HD RADIO chipset built-in. This will give you the most feature packed, flawless experience possible.

A wide  range of quality car radio manufacturers make radio with HD Radio built-in, including: Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, Pioneer, Sony and more. The costs of a brand new quality HD Radio is on average only $20 more than it’s non HD Radio equivalent. So, when upgrading your new stereo it only makes sense to get one that has HD Radio built-in or at the very least get the add-on. You’ll save up to $160 annually compared to satellite radio subscriptions fees.

Still not sure if HD Radio is right for you? No problem. Stop by one of our stores and have one of our knowledgeable sales / install staff members give you a live demonstration on our display. Unlike our competitors, we understand that new technology can be scary, so we make trying it out before you buy it as easy as possible. We want to make sure you are comfortable with your purchase both before and after you buy it. Stop on by, we’re here to help! And we’re sure that once you try HD Radio and experience its stunning crispness, you’ll never be able to listen to regular radio again!