HD Radio? Does anybody have one?

[Larkin]

I am quite a fan of this concept and really wish our country would embrace it. The FM sound quality is superb and the secondary information that can be passed to listeners goes far beyond the old RDS technology. Plus, those great side channels. I LOVE WOMC-HD2. Great music! Not to mention the sound of AM Stations placed on the secondary channels too. I see this as a winning situation for the listener and the station.

It seems to me the challenge for stations is to sell the time of course, and to make the product available to the listeners. Cars coming with HD Radios is critical of course, and while there are some very affordable pocket HD Radios (Like Eric Rhoads' Mighty Red), there needs to be some tabletop models so people can listen at home without having to plug in headphones. For now, HD2, HD3 channels are a real winner because there are hardly any commercials at this time. Some jocks are on, but I haven't heard too many, but Brandon Knoll does really well on WCSX HD-2.

Any thoughts? Does anyone listen to HD Radio habitually?

[Mike Austerman]

I do indeed have one here at the house. By far, my most-used HD-2 is the WWJ simulcast on 97.1 although I do like WOMC HD-2 as well. Probably the most maddening thing about them so far is that too many of 'em are still treated as an afterthought. There have been many times when my radio (I use it to wake up with) goes back to 97.1 analog in the morning because the HD isn't running. It's usually back at some point during the day, but by then I'm on to something else.

IMO CBS, Greater Media, and Crawford are making the best use of HD2 in Detroit. Citadel and Clear Channel really don't seem to care much at all about it.

Saw today that WGPR 107.5 filed a digital notification with the FCC.

[Jack Wolfman]

I was given one when WRIF and Greater Media started up their HD channels...but I have to admit, I hardly every use it...and with no real explaination as to why. I guess between my iPod, Sirius and Pandora...I really don't need another music outlet.

[Constant Listener]

How many car manufacturers, besides Ford, offer them anyway as an option? I see that being a key to acceptance, much like XM and Sirius got their foot in the door....

[Keystone Light]

I had an Insignia one for the house, didnt get used much and here in the Toledo area where everything is 15 years behind the times and got on a cleaning spree so it went on ebay.

[Jack Wolfman]

How many car manufacturers, besides Ford, offer them anyway as an option? I see that being a key to acceptance, much like XM and Sirius got their foot in the door....

I dpn't know if anyone else but Ford offers them...and they aren't cheap to buy (at least not the ones that I have seen). I think that is the major hold back. At least with Sirius/XM, the recievers we somewhat affordable.

[cromartie]

I think it's time has come and passed, to be frank.

The reception is limited. The formats are quite good, but CC found that the expense wasn't worth the benefit, at least from what I've read and heard. A lot of their staff cuts during '08 and '09 were people corporate had hired to program their HD2 channels.

I'll relate my own personal experience. The HD2 AAA format CC had in my market was fantastic. The music mix was very good, so much so that I considered getting an over the air receiver just so I could listen to it around the house. Just as I was about to make that purchase....the station switched formats to all Children.

Now, there is an AAA HD2 in my market (programmed by CBS, which stinks), but it isn't worth the extra expense. Between ooTunes (a Great app that let's me stream almost any station in North America through my iPhone) SXM and the over air stations in my market, HDRadio is a distant fourth or fifth, really.

[Audio]

Even the the most geeked supporters of HD radio are having doubts. They pretty much moved on to devolping internet formats.

I have an Accurian HD radio. Piece of junk. I have to reboot it, and it has frequent glitches (changes volume and tone automatically, and controls become unresponsive)

[jry]

2 at the house, 1 at the office.

Great idea, poorly executed.

[DDinTV]

I bought a new used car recently, and decided to replace the factory radio with an after-market model, mainly because I wanted an input for my iPod (the factory radio only had a CD player, and all of the FM transmitters I've tested are crap). I found a Sony HD receiver at Best Buy for the same price as receivers that were only "HD ready", so I bought it. The only HD signals available in Lansing at the moment are from WLNZ and WKAR-FM. I do like getting the Jazz & Blues on WLNZ-HD2, and being able to listen to WKAR-AM on WKAR-FM HD2. I'm not so impressed with the AM IBOC, though. I can receive WWJ-AM's HD feed on and off, and when it's on, it sounds tinny and slightly over-modulated (lots of hissy sssssssssss's). Other than that, it's just another radio. I wish more of the FM operators around here would use to increase programming variety, but I don't know if it would hold any financial advantage for the commercial stations. WITL was running HD at one time, and I had hoped that they would use it to launch a Classic Country format on the secondary channel, but it never came to fruition, and they've since dropped the HD feed.

[cromartie]

[i]all of the FM transmitters I've tested are crap[/i/

Two tips for this.

At some Pilot rest stops are a model by EZ-Blaster that are dual chargers/FM receivers. They tend to be stronger than other models that I find. I know there are several at the Pilot in Newport, MI and they may be old enough that they are pre-ruling strength.

Alternately, you can make a trip across the border to Canadian Tire and pick up any model on the shelf. I've had good luck with both in the past.

[DDinTV]

I do have a Line-X FM transmitter that I bought on EBay in 2003, and it works really well - much better than anything I can find today. I think it has a 100mw output. I know that now, you can only buy them from overseas. The only reason I don't use it in the car is because it goes through batteries pretty quickly, and knowing me, I would forget to turn the thing off, especially if I stashed it in the glove compartment.

[Larkin]

At my folks until tomorrow. I brought my mighty red and plugged it into the car stereo. Sounds and works great.

[RayQix]

How much and from Where?

[Larkin]

How much and from Where?

I don't think Mighty Red I is available anymore, but it was a virtual carbon copy of the Insignia:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... D8Q8gIwAw#

And, Eric is now selling Mighty Red II:
http://www.mightyredhd.com/mightyredhd/welcome.asp

It has Live Pause and Music Notes and other stuff, it looks really cool.

This weekend, I really enjoyed what I could hear. WYCD, WOMC and WMUZ actually use TWO different stations in addition to themselves. WWJ on the radio, is basically what WWJ would sound like on FM. It was really cool and I checked WWJ on the Mighty Red against the internet feed from my phone and you couldn't tell them apart. Same with The Ticket.

Also, interesting to say, last night, Michigan Hoops was on AM 950, but WWJ News was on WXYT HD-2, so people who get all twisted out of shape when they can't hear the news and weather (Hi Dad ) can use HD to get WWJ when they want it.

WOMC-HD2, as we've discussed before, is really really good! Easily my favorite side channel. WCSX and also WMGC have very nice side channels as well. WRIF has one, but that's not my cup of tea. Same with WYCD. All in all, to get a cheap radio is well worth it and listening in the car was also nice, but spotty which is to be expected on such a small radio inside a vehicle. I will make sure I take my little red friend with me everytime I come to town.