10 Audio
Radio functions
10
260
HD Radio™reception (U.S.
models only)
1
Introduction
Display when the radio is receiving an HD Radio
broadcast
HD radio is a brand name registered by the
Ibiquity digital corporation
2
. They are the
developer of a broadcasting technology
called IBOC or In Band On Channel, which
refers to the method of transmitting a digital
radio broadcast signal centered on the same
frequency as the AM or FM station's present
frequency.
The IBOC system is referred to as a "hybrid"
since it is both analogue and digital. During
hybrid operation, receivers still continue to
receive the analogue (non-digital) signal. HD
radio receivers incorporate both modes of
reception, where the receiver will automati-
cally switch to the analogue signal if the digi-
tal signal cannot be decoded or is lost by the
receiver. When you have tuned to an HD
Radio station, the
symbol will appear in
the audio system display.
More information about HD radio and IBOC
can be found on Ibiquity's website,
www.hdradio.com and www.ibiquity.com.
Benefits of digital broadcasting
•
Better sound (FM sounds near CD quality
and AM as analogue FM).
•
Some FM frequencies offer a greater
number of listening choices through “mul-
ticasting” (consisting of a frequency's
main channel and any sub-channels that
may also be available on that particular
frequency. See also the section "Sub-
channels" below).
•
When receiving a digital signal there is no
multipath disturbance or hisses/pops/
crackling due to outside influences.
How HD broadcasting works
HD Radio works similarly to conventional
radio and broadcasts of this type are availa-
ble in many areas of the United States. How-
ever, there are a few key differences:
•
Instead of transmitting one analogue sig-
nal, stations send out a bundled signal –
both analogue and digital.
•
An HD radio receiver can receive both
digital and analogue broadcasts.
Depending on the terrain and location of
the vehicle (which will influence the signal
strength), the receiver will determine
which signal to receive.
Limitations
•
Main channel vs. sub-channels (FM
only): The main channel is the only chan-
nel that can receive in hybrid mode (both
digital and analogue). If a frequency has
sub-channels, they are broadcast in digi-
tal mode only. The main FM channel will
be displayed as, for example, 93.9 WNYC
(Volvo uses the symbol > to indicate there
are sub-channels available) The sub-FM
1
HD Radio(TM) technology is manufactured under license from iBiquity Digital Corp. U.S. and Foreign Patents. HD Radio(TM) and the HD and HD Radio logos are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity
Digital Corp. HD Radio(TM) is only available in vehicles not equipped with the optional integrated CD changer.
2
HD Radio (TM) technology is manufactured under license from iBiquity Digital Corp. U.S. and Foreign Patents. HD Radio(TM) and the HD and HD Radio logos are proprietary trademarks of
iBiquity Digital Corp.
