HD Radio?

[rolnslo]

Do any of the GM cars offer HD Radio as part of the stock sound system?

I've got an aftermarket unit in my truck now with HD Radio and would hope that GM would include this as part of their stock sound system on the Camaro. I'd hate to have to mess up the look of the dash by installing an aftermarket system right after getting my new Camaro.

I'm all for HD Radio instead of XM since I'd rather not pay a subscription fee ever month just for clearer cruisin' tunes.

http://www.hdradio.com

[nitrokid]

I'd go for an HD option,but not XM radio.I would like the option to have Sirius instead of XM...and no they're not the same.

[Mindz]

They're working on a merger I hear, so who knows.

[Sierra]

Satellite be it sirius or xm is way better then HD. Id rather pay and hear minimal to no commercials then have it for free and hear all those commercials. I have both xm and sirius.

[Mindz]

I'd rather use my mp3's than pay. no commercials ever. =)

[GothamCamaro]

Originally Posted by Sierra

Satellite be it sirius or xm is way better then HD. Id rather pay and hear minimal to no commercials then have it for free and hear all those commercials. I have both xm and sirius.

Amen as I have Sirius and after the merger, we'll still be good. Also we have no real rock stations in my area so sirius saves me from tearing my hair out in traffic.

[PA FAST]

I love XM radio, but I hope the Camaro gets HD radio also. More choice is a good thing.

[TAG UR IT]

Not too fond of the satellite radio when it constantly goes out as you pass under a bridge. I mean, WTF is up with that????

[GothamCamaro]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

Not too fond of the satellite radio when it constantly goes out as you pass under a bridge. I mean, WTF is up with that????

Yeah it does that only if you're driving the speed limit, I make sure to zoom when under the bridge so not to miss my connection with the Sirius satellite. That will be no issue when I'm in my Camaro.

[PA FAST]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

Not too fond of the satellite radio when it constantly goes out as you pass under a bridge. I mean, WTF is up with that????

Well XM and Sirius receive their signal from a Satellite in orbit, if you put a solid object in-between the receiver and satellite the signal is going to drop off. I know cities have repeater stations for such events but they are not all over the country.

I been using XM for nearly 2 years now and the signal rarely drops, one time XM was having issues and I lost the signal for a few hours. Then sometimes when I drive in a heavily forested area it happens, but largely it works without a hitch. Much better than AM/FM, I never get any hissing or other channels coming in when I get too far from the stations transmitter. Plus the selection is much better.

[JEFF2010SSMANUAL]

I want HD radio mostly, but I guess I will pay for XM if it has it. I had XM in my 2007 Acura TL-S and loved it.

I just hate paying $12 a month. Thats like a thousand dollars worth of options.

[Muscle Master]

HD Radio is a sham, How the hell can you convert radio waves in to HD when can't convert radios waves, I'm puzzled and if it is true how does it sound compared to regular radio

[rolnslo]

Originally Posted by Muscle Master

HD Radio is a sham, How the hell can you convert radio waves in to HD when can't convert radios waves, I'm puzzled and if it is true how does it sound compared to regular radio

Before you call it a sham, I suggest you go understand the technology behind it.

HD, in this case, does not stand for High Definition, as in HDTV. It stands for "HD", as in it is just a marketing term. In reality, you could call it Hybrid Digital. The technology allows for radio stations to use something called In Band On Channel (IBOC) to simultaneously broadcast their standard analog radio signal, as well as a digital version of their analog signal, using the same frequency band. The digital conversion occurs at the source so the signal quality does not degrade while traveling through the air like analog radio signals do.

Depending on how much available room any given radio station has in its' assigned frequency band, they may be able to transmit 1-2 additional digital signals, in addition to their standard analog and digital versions. This sub-channel approach allows them to carry additional content beyond their regular programming, like having a classic rock station also transmitting an alternative rock substation and an 80's hits substation. Not to mention sending textual data such as traffic, stock info and song titles.

Do you really think that the quality of analog FM radio you get in your car is as clear as it was when it was sent to the FM transmitter from the station? Of course not, all the hissing, popping, and lack of dynamic range is caused as the radio waves travel through and around all the terrain between the tower and your car. With HD Radio, you get the digital version of the signal. Meaning, you get the same thing at your radio as was sent to the tower by the station. It's similar to streaming audio on the Internet...you'll get a encoded compressed digital stream that is then decoded by the receiving target.

Now, while their claims that FM will sound like CD quality audio are a bit exaggerated, it will have the clarity of CD (no hiss, popping, loss of dynamic range) but more like the quality of an MP3 encoded at 96kbps. They do use their own encoding paradigm that is based on perceptual quality (as the human ear would decifer the sound) and do not use a standard MP3, WMA, AAC, etc... encoding technology. Most people won't be able to tell the difference between a CD and an MP3 version at that compression level but audiophiles will be able to pick it apart and notice the slightly compressed dynamic range and slight loss in overall clarity. A typical FM signal would be similar to encoding an MP3 at 64kbps. At that level, a good portion of the population can tell there is a difference between the MP3 and the CD versions.

For me HD Radio is about the lack of analog signal loss during transmission combined with the ability to access the subchannels that stations can now broadcast. I'm well aware that Sirius/XM is a cleaner signal with more content but honestly, I'm not willing to pony up the $12.95/mo just to have to spend my hour long commute flipping through all 170+ stations trying to find a song I like.

[brantley847]

Regardless if "HD" is hybird digital ..it IS advertised with the ideal that the general public will think "OH its Hi-def radio!!, I need that". The fact of the matter is you pay 12 dollars a month for better quality, no commercials between my songs, and unlimited amounts of high quality sporting events as oppose to MAYBE one or two AM channels....and, I may be wrong, but don't you have to dish a bit of cash to get the receiver?

I have no problem ponying up 12 bucks...and from the look of vehicles around me the concept won't be dying soon... I can't listen to standard radio with 35 minutes of music and 25 minutes of commercials, when it just so happens that every single time I am in my car for a short period...it NEVER fails to fall on that 25 minutes. I will give up the two big macs a month...

With that said...I WILL agree with you that even sirius/xm is NOT comparable to CD quality, at least not in my personal experience. So that is something that sat/HD have stated, which neither have delivered for me..