The hottest new thing in sound is called HD Radio technology. And what it does for radio is the same thing that HDTV does for TV it makes it light years better! In fact, when you listen to HD AM radio, you'll think you're listening to FM. And when you listen to FM, you'll think you're listening to a CD.

Why more is better

In HD Radio tecnology, compressed digital signals can be subdivided. This allows a station to multi-cast. meaning it could broadcast two or more programs at the same time. So, its listeners might be able to choose between a sports program and easy listening music on the same station at the same time.

This gets exciting because it will allow stations to do more niche broadcasting, just as cable as brought niche channels to television.

For example, the radio station youve always tuned to for classic rock, might subdivide into classic rock, and reggae, or classic rock and old school hip-hop.

Naturally, you would be able to hear these stations only if you have an HD Radio technology receiver. If you don't, you'll still hear the same AM or FM station you're used to.

How it works

HD Radio technology works much like traditional analog transmissions (AM and FM are both analog signals).

The difference is that the station broadcasting HD Radio technology transmits an extra digital radio signal, along with its normal analog signal. It can also broadcast a third signal for text data.

Your radio receiver receives the signal just as it does an AM or FM signal. If you have a HD Radio receiver, it will decompress and translate the signal and viola! You get bright, clean, near-CD quality.