HD RADIO
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HD RADIO
My new A6 has HD radio, which would normally be a good thing. However . . . I like to listen to the local Public Broadcasting Stations, and, while they "try" to broadcast in HD, their signal is weak and of variable strength. This causes my car's radio to bounce in and out of HD mode (HD requires a certain signal strength in order to function,) and the sound to vary wildly in volume and tone. It would be GREAT to be able to disable HD mode, either through a setting in the car, through a VAG COM adjustment, or even snipping a wire. Does anyone know how to disable HD radio?
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From: Boston, MA
My new A6 has HD radio, which would normally be a good thing. However . . . I like to listen to the local Public Broadcasting Stations, and, while they "try" to broadcast in HD, their signal is weak and of variable strength. This causes my car's radio to bounce in and out of HD mode (HD requires a certain signal strength in order to function,) and the sound to vary wildly in volume and tone. It would be GREAT to be able to disable HD mode, either through a setting in the car, through a VAG COM adjustment, or even snipping a wire. Does anyone know how to disable HD radio?
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You don't want it... it's more of an issue than anything else. I was an early user (Radio Geek), and well the fading in-and-out is a major problem. The AM band use has been a failure... My local AM station KFBK (A MONSTER Clear Channel AM station) gave up and is now using one of it's FM stations for it's HD Radio. Other HD Stations have been stutting down their HD signals. I have a JVC HD Radio in one of my other cars... and it is annying, always looking to switch it off. I had an HD Table Radio that couldn't have the HD turned off... I ended up dumping it. The issue is when it "fades", you get a double, and it likes to fade like every 10 seconds... so you hear "Coming up next", then "Coming up next"... then it fades out, and you miss what was coming up next =-(.
Basically XM or Sirius is the better choice... it at least works.
Basically XM or Sirius is the better choice... it at least works.
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The station using HD Radio is responsible for two critical technical things:
1) Their analog and digital signals need to be level-aligned so there is no change in loudness when the digital signal drops out to analog or vice-versa. If there's a noticeable change in loudness, the station is to blame.
2) Their analog and digital signals must be time-aligned so they are exactly in sync with each other. If you hear skipping or repeating when the signal drops from digital to analog or vice-versa, the station is to blame.
Unfortunately many stations do not even have full-time engineers any more, let alone pay any attention to these important details. The listeners hear these problems and think it's endemic to HD Radio. It isn't, if the broadcaster is doing what they're supposed to do.
1) Their analog and digital signals need to be level-aligned so there is no change in loudness when the digital signal drops out to analog or vice-versa. If there's a noticeable change in loudness, the station is to blame.
2) Their analog and digital signals must be time-aligned so they are exactly in sync with each other. If you hear skipping or repeating when the signal drops from digital to analog or vice-versa, the station is to blame.
Unfortunately many stations do not even have full-time engineers any more, let alone pay any attention to these important details. The listeners hear these problems and think it's endemic to HD Radio. It isn't, if the broadcaster is doing what they're supposed to do.
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The station using HD Radio is responsible for two critical technical things:
1) Their analog and digital signals need to be level-aligned so there is no change in loudness when the digital signal drops out to analog or vice-versa. If there's a noticeable change in loudness, the station is to blame.
2) Their analog and digital signals must be time-aligned so they are exactly in sync with each other. If you hear skipping or repeating when the signal drops from digital to analog or vice-versa, the station is to blame.
Unfortunately many stations do not even have full-time engineers any more, let alone pay any attention to these important details. The listeners hear these problems and think it's endemic to HD Radio. It isn't, if the broadcaster is doing what they're supposed to do.
1) Their analog and digital signals need to be level-aligned so there is no change in loudness when the digital signal drops out to analog or vice-versa. If there's a noticeable change in loudness, the station is to blame.
2) Their analog and digital signals must be time-aligned so they are exactly in sync with each other. If you hear skipping or repeating when the signal drops from digital to analog or vice-versa, the station is to blame.
Unfortunately many stations do not even have full-time engineers any more, let alone pay any attention to these important details. The listeners hear these problems and think it's endemic to HD Radio. It isn't, if the broadcaster is doing what they're supposed to do.
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If ibiquity can't train the stations (I gave an example of big stations with issues) then it's a failure. I notice VW has pulled HD Radio support in it's latest cars... I'm guessing others will follow. Right now I yanked my JVC, and my TEAC HDRADIO died. so I'm done... It was a interesting idea, but it's poor implementation is going to kill it. Sounds like most broadcasters rather just podcast (at horrible bit rates) than do HDRadio correctly. (IE: ClearChannel's IHeartRadio)
Supposedly the next generation of HD Radio receiver chipsets will be able to do time and level alignment between analog & digital internally. It won't matter if the station is a little off. It might be too late though. The system never should have been rolled out with that glaring problem.
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