HD Gets A Boost

[Scott Fybush]

At 05:05 PM 2/2/2006, R Trovato wrote:

>I didn't realize this...
>
>AM IBOC's can only use their HD channel to retransmit their primary analaog
>channel?
>
>They only have one HD channel to use?

True - and at a lower data rate than HD FM, too. An HD FM signal has 
96 kbps of data bandwidth, which can be divided up in a variety of 
ways, including using all 96K for maximum audio quality, multicasting 
with 48 on the main and 48 on the HD-2, 64/32, or even 48/32/16 to 
add a lower-fidelity HD-3 channel to the mix.

HD AM has just 32 kbps to play with, and that gets you just the one 
stereo pair. Yet another strike against the HD AM system...

s