When I first heard about HD Radio, I thought it was some new advanced method of sending high quality 5.1 Surround Sound audio, FREE over the air… I was right except for the 5.1 Surround Sound part. HD Radio is a new technology that enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally while also providing RDS (Radio Data Services). The digital broadcasts provide improved audio quality and reception making signal fading, static, hisses and pops are a thing of the past. Data services such as displayed song and artist information, weather and traffic alerts can provide useful information at a glance. The best thing going for HD Radio, unlike XM Radio, is that it’s all FREE… that’s not counting the $999 it will cost you for a Panasonic CQ-CB9900U HD Radio ready tuner. Panasonic, Kenwood, JVC and a few other manufacturers will also be releasing HD Radio products soon, hopefully bringing the cost down.