Jason Unger
04-20-07, 10:00 AM
What Is HD Radio?
by Jason Knott
Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" is still credited as the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public. The mass hysteria created from the CBS Mercury Theater program catapulted Welles to fame. To this day, it is probably the most successful radio broadcast in history.
Nearly 80 years later, another great radio marketing gimmick is also misleading the public -- HD Radio -- and it might just become the most successful radio format in history. What does the "HD" in HD Radio stand for? The assumption, of course, is that it stands for "high definition," an acronym that has become ubiquitous in the electronics industry.
http://www.cepro.com/asset/7778.jpg (http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18312.html)
In fact, the "HD" abbreviation in HD Radio has never been officially articulated; the technology is not high definition, but rather CD-quality broadcasts ranging between 32 kbps and 64 kbps.
In truth, the "HD" in HD Radio doesn't stand for anything. The technology's Web site makes a point of inserting the term "digital" into several phrases, with references to "HD Digital Radio," but consumers are left to ponder the exact meaning of the abbreviation "HD."
Don't get me wrong. I am not attacking anybody here … I think it's brilliant marketing. Manufacturers like Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, Niles and JVC are taking advantage of this public assumption of the meaning of the acronym.
It's not incorrect. It's not wrong. It's just misleading.
For more on HD Radio, including what the HD might actually stand for, check out
http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18312.html
by Jason Knott
Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" is still credited as the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public. The mass hysteria created from the CBS Mercury Theater program catapulted Welles to fame. To this day, it is probably the most successful radio broadcast in history.
Nearly 80 years later, another great radio marketing gimmick is also misleading the public -- HD Radio -- and it might just become the most successful radio format in history. What does the "HD" in HD Radio stand for? The assumption, of course, is that it stands for "high definition," an acronym that has become ubiquitous in the electronics industry.
http://www.cepro.com/asset/7778.jpg (http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18312.html)
In fact, the "HD" abbreviation in HD Radio has never been officially articulated; the technology is not high definition, but rather CD-quality broadcasts ranging between 32 kbps and 64 kbps.
In truth, the "HD" in HD Radio doesn't stand for anything. The technology's Web site makes a point of inserting the term "digital" into several phrases, with references to "HD Digital Radio," but consumers are left to ponder the exact meaning of the abbreviation "HD."
Don't get me wrong. I am not attacking anybody here … I think it's brilliant marketing. Manufacturers like Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, Niles and JVC are taking advantage of this public assumption of the meaning of the acronym.
It's not incorrect. It's not wrong. It's just misleading.
For more on HD Radio, including what the HD might actually stand for, check out
http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18312.html