Have you heard one of your local stations state it was “now broadcasting in crystal-clear HD radio,” and wondered what the heck is HD radio?

The simple answer is that HD broadcasting is digital radio, vs. the broadcasting you are hearing now, which is analog. Analog broadcasting is like an old tried and true friend that’s been around almost forever and is probably an integral part of your life. In comparison, digital broadcasting is the new kid on the block — a new technology that does for broadcasting what high definition does for television. It takes the same programming, and just makes it one heckuva lot better.

Reason number one: Once you hear it you won’t want to go back

HD broadcasting sounds so much superior than conventional radio, it’s like the difference between a 1948 Hudson Hornet and one of today’s Lexus LX-400s. Listening to AM broadcasting broadcast in digital HD is so clear and static-free you might think you’re listening to FM radio. And FM broadcasting broadcast in HD is so superior to normal FM, you might think you’re listening to a CD. I have personally tested several different HD radios and can tell you from first-hand experience that once you have heard your favorite stations in HD, you just won’t want to go back to conventional radio.

Reason number two: Those neat. “hidden” stations

When you listen to conventional, analog radio, you’re missing a lot. That’s because, in between those stations are probably other stations that you can’t hear it unless you have an HD radio. Because HD broadcasting is digital, it grants broadcasters to pack several different channels on the same frequency. In fact, I have heard that broadcasters could literally sandwich eight different channels of programming on the same frequency. While this might be true in theory, as of today, HD broadcasters are adding only a second or HD2 channel. There are two interesting things about these HD2 channels. First, most are commercial free. That’s right, commercial free. You can listen to one of the stations all day and never hear a broadcasting spot. Second, most broadcasters with HD2 channels are using them for different, and in some cases, experimental programming. For example, we have a station here that broadcasts simple listening music on its primary or HD1 channel and all blues on its HD2 channel.

Reason number three: It’s broadcasting that can send you messages

When stations broadcast in HD – or digital broadcasting – they are also sending you text messages. Today, these messages consist mostly of station call letters and frequency, and the artist’s study and song title. However, this is just the beginning. In the not-so-far future, stations will be using this capability to send weather updates and alerts, traffic updates, and who knows what. I saw recently that an HD broadcasting had been demonstrated that does scrolling text messages, much like shut captioning. This could make something like speak radio, completely accessible to the hearing impaired. And there are probably a dozen other uses for this texting capability that haven’t yet been announced.

I saw one estimate recently that by the year 2012, there will be 30 million HD radios in use, and I believe it. HD broadcasting is the wave of the future, and there is no superior time than now to purchase and HD broadcasting and ride that wave.