If you listen to a lot of AM or FM radio and you care about sound quality,
HD Radio is a must. The sound quality is noticeably different, and the additional multicast programming is just icing on the cake.
Of course, it helps if you have some
HD Radio stations in your area -- which you probably do. As of August 1st, 2006, there were 964 AM and FM stations in 68 cities across the United States broadcasting in HD. While that might sound like a lot,
HD Radio represents less than 10% of the country's approximately 13,000 radio stations -- so there's room to grow.
Fortunately, you don't have to worry about
HD Radio making your current analog AM/FM radio obsolete. That's because
HD Radio stations transmit both digital and analog signals -- so even if you don't upgrade to
HD Radio, you'll still be able to receive a station's conventional AM or FM signal.
