HD Radio

With HD Radio, we can enjoy higher quality of radio service and more information. It will finally replace the entire analogue AM/FM used by most users in the world.

iBiquity Digital Approves Intertek Hong Kong as HD Radio™ Certification Test Center

March 16, 2007 - iBiquity Digital Corporation, the sole developer of digital HD Radio™ technology, announced that it has approved Intertek Hong Kong as a certification test facility for HD Radio receivers. The test center has created a facility dedicated to testing HD Radio receivers.

What is HD Radio?

HD Radio- with its original name come from "Hybrid Digital" is a combination radio format with traditional analogue AM/FM radio and Digital audio with text data format.

HD Radio uses the same frequencies as AM and FM. With digital broadcasting, text data and one frequency multiple program (FM only, called multiplexing) functionality can be achieved. That is, higher sound quality, more information.

HD Radio uses In-band, on-channel transmission (IBOC). With IBOC, digital signals are packed at the side bands of its analogue channels. You may refer to the following figures to get a general spectral idea of what the analogue and digital would be arranged.

On the right, this is the HD Spectrum of FM and on the left, this is the spectrum of AM. The digital signals are transmitted by OFDM. This special kind of multiplexing allows minimum transmission loss due to reflection from buildings, fast fading and different interferences. Digital signal is packed on the side bands of the main analogue channel. This information includes digital audio, song title, and artists.

What is iBiquity?

iBiquity is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio system for the United States. It can operate on both AM band and FM band broadcasts either in a digital-only mode, or in a "hybrid" digital+analog mode. Most broadcasts for the foreseeable future will use the hybrid method, reportedly giving AM stations "FM quality" sound, while allowing FM stations to achieve "CD quality" audio or carry multiple audio programs. The technology is marketed under the term HD Radio. Note the "HD" in HD-Radio stands for "Hybrid Digital" not "High Definition" in more popular usage.

iBiquity delivers its technology to the public. Everyone who wish to broadcast or make receiver of HD Radio or usage of technology have to pay license fee to iBiquity. iBiquity uses the money to reinvest by improving technology, providing help and guidance to broadcaster and receiver manufacturers. Every HD Radio receiver on the market must have HD Radio certification. So, every manufacturer must be iBiquity known. 

What are the testing requirements?

Intertek Testing Services, as a partner of iBiquity Digital Corporation, provide testing and certification services on HD Radio Products. Every HD Radio has to fulfill iBiquity's requirements on performance. This is achieved by a certification process iBiquity developed. The outline of certification items include:

• Sensitivity
• Bit Error Rate testing
• Functional check
• Audio quality verification
• Blend alignment
• Acquisition time 

Intertek, with century of testing experience, is a major partner of iBiquity in certification testing services. We will also discuss with iBiquity for continuous improvement on the certification.

With its first facility in Hong Kong opened, Intertek is now able to conduct HD Radio Certification Testing with iBiquity's approval. Not only we provide HD Radio certification testing, but also a one-stop-shop service packages are available.

We are targeting at providing manufacturers a certification solution for their products.

Why HD Radio is the next hit?

IBiquity allows a market driven adoption from traditional radio to fully digital radio. It will finally replace the entire analogue AM/FM used by most users in the world.

There are lots of factors supporting this change:

• HD Radio is developed and proven to have high sound quality: FM like stereo AM and CD like sound in FM channels.
• HD Radio provides listeners with text information in supplement with audio, which is playing. This would widen the possibility of advertisement and other emergency services.
• Listeners only need to purchase a HD-Radio for listening to new channels. There is no need to join subscription plans and pay monthly.
• Using the same frequency as traditional AM/FM, HD Radio allows listener a smooth transformation to HD Radio. And broadcaster would not need to buy another frequency channel nor any new antenna and transmitter setup for a brand new radio broadcast system. What the broadcaster needed is to invest a HD Radio signal exciter, which can simply run together with the equipment in the radio station they already have.
• Multiplexing functionality allows radio stations to broadcast more than one program (up to 7 in today's technology) in a single frequency (FM only), which allows a more efficient use of digital channels.
• HD Radio is now having coverage of over 70% of the US territories. And their marketing plan is widening on all over the world. France, Brazil, Australia is activity interested in the project.
• There are now big manufacturers producing HD Radio, such as Boston Acoustics and Kenwood.
• And HD Radio is available in most retailer stores.

Why Intertek?

Intertek provides a full package of services. We provide more than a HD radio certification. Several service packages are available. This include:

• US: FCC+ETL+HD Cert.
• Canada: IC+cETL+HD Cert.
• Europe: EMC/ R&TTE Directives+ Safety+ HD Cert.
• Other Countries: Regional Regulatory Requirements+ HD Cert.

Moreover, to tailor make to our client need for a new certification testing, we provide you support during your development process. This include:

• Pre-certification Service
• Express to Shuttle Certification Service
• Walk-in Service
• Technical Support
• Follow-up your project with iBiquity

Intertek, with decades of experiences in testing and certification services, and the market leader with technical experts in our team.

Located in Hong Kong, we are favored from the effective custom service in the region and can act as a close link to the world manufacturer base in the Pearl River Delta. This could greatly shorten your time for development and make frequent traveling to our facility available.

We are trilingual. We can be a bridge between iBiquity office and manufacturers. This would minimize the unnecessary misunderstanding between parties.