5 common problems with HD radio that you should be aware of

In-car entertainment has become more of a necessity these days rather than complementary devices. Most vehicle owners these days see in-car entertainment elements to be as important as other vital elements in a car.

When it comes to this topic, there is no solid reference on what specific devices should be included in an in-car entertainment system.

This is because it’s all a matter of personal preference. Whether you’re into quiet trips, high-tech systems, or the HD radio between, the choice is up to you.

There are also other concerns that could hinder getting the ultimate HD radio experience

You read that, right! You won’t need to go with the flow if high-tech infotainment systems aren’t your thing. If you’re the type who’s fascinated with the good old habit of listening to the radio, that’s fine.

You can stick with the classic radio, but you can also kick up the quality a bit and enjoy your HD radio. Though these may sound tempting for those who like the idea, it also comes with its fair share of problems.

Increasing technological advancements are the usual cause of these problems. Asides from that, there are also other concerns that could hinder getting the ultimate HD radio experience. Let's check out with Philkotse.com.

1. People are slow in accepting the concept of HD radio

The presence of HD radios has been detected long ago. But for some reason, a lot of people still choose to listen to traditional analog broadcasts.

An estimate of one out of every three cars that were manufactured in the year 2013 had an HD radio tuner. By the year 2018, the fraction of HD radio-equipped cars and cars that didn’t have it was one to one. But there are still older vehicles that don’t have this feature.

The presence of HD radios has been detected long ago

Even with car owners having access to HD radio, some still choose to use other forms of entertainment. While some go for AUX, there are people who prefer internet-based solutions instead of Spotify and Pandora. Asides from that, if you’re not in an area where there is good HD radio coverage, this will pretty much be useless.

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2. Original equipment manufacturers may abandon HD radio

OEM companies usually vie for the attention of potential clients in the market. This is why you will usually see different OEM companies manufacturing the same particular gadget.

Products from different manufacturers may even have more features that others don’t. This is because different manufacturers have different opinions on which products customers will buy. But when it comes to HD radio, the future looks dim.

Sometime in the 2010s, there were automakers who were believed to commit to removing the AM/FM radios from their units. These automakers allegedly planned to replace the classic units with HD radios by the year 2014.

Sometime in the 2010s, there were automakers who were believed to commit to removing the AM/FM radios from their units

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But for some reason, this never became a thing in the industry. However, the radio industry is said to be working along with the biggest automakers.

Their goal is to keep these radio tuners still present in OEM stereos in cars. The problem is if these automakers decided they want to ditch the idea, that might be the end for HD radio.

iBiquity, the company that holds the trademark for the HD radio, is also concerned with the matter.

3. People don’t know what HD radio is

Truth be told, a lot of the car owners out there that have vehicles with this feature don’t know what HD radio is.

A lot of people nowadays are so used to internet-based systems and whatnot that they don’t even bother with learning HD radios. Although we really can’t blame people for being too busy or uninterested, this poses a threat to the existence of HD radios.

Some vehicle owners can confuse HD radios with satellite radios, which is a very different form of media. From the moment that the technology for HD radio was installed in radio stations, people’s interest never went higher than eight percent.

A lot of the car owners out there that have vehicles with this feature don’t know what HD radio is

This number never moved or budge even after the HD radios were actually in cars available to the market. If you think about it, this is dismaying news.

Thanks to entertainment-focused innovations, the use of HD radios is neglected. Classic radios, on the other hand, continue to be used despite the internet-based competitors.

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4. No one has even asked for the invention of the HD radio

As harsh as this may sound, no one even asked for HD radios to be invented in the first place. It’s safe to say that the HD radio concept happened without the makers considering if there’s an audience that wanted it.

On the upside, we can’t really blame them. There are entrepreneurs and innovators who beg to differ, however. Some geniuses manage to layout and produce their ideas without an initial audience for it but end up successful anyway.

This is usually rare and happens mostly in the tech industry. But obviously, this is not what happened in the case of the HD radio.

As harsh as this may sound, no one even asked for HD radios to be invented in the first place

Although it was a brave move for the makers, it surely didn’t pan out as well as they wanted it to. While HD Radio is unappreciated, it is indeed a very interesting piece of technology.

If you’ve got the time to learn the HD radio in your car, just go ahead. This technology will be better appreciated if you have 1) an HD radio tuner and 2) you’re located somewhere with HD radio stations.

If you are missing out on even just one of those two, there are still other in-car entertainment systems. Although it may be interesting, HD radio is not worth losing sleepover.

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5. HD broadcast may interfere with any adjacent stations

The way that HD radio works is by having radio stations send out original broadcast but with digital sidebands. These two sidebands are at the top and bottom of the allotted frequency.

If there is enough power supplied to these sidebands, it can run into the nearest channels. These could be channels that are above or below the particular radio station with HD broadcast.

The way that HD radio works is by having radio stations send out original broadcast but with digital sidebands