HD Radio vs Satellite Radio
Radio is one of the oldest methods of getting news and entertainment. But it is the one that took the longest to move to the digital age. Satellite and HD radio are two options that are now gradually replacing the standard analog AM/FM radio that we have right now. HD radio is simply an upgrade to analog radio and uses the same frequencies and facilities but with some modifications. Satellite radio reinvents the concept of radio by transmitting from orbiting satellites. The first and very major difference that springs from this is in the coverage of their signals. HD radio is limited to more or less the same range as traditional radio stations because they are still transmitting from ground towers. Satellite radio can cover the entire continent with just a couple of satellites.
Satellite radio comes at a price as you would need to subscribe in order to get the stream. HD radio is free as it follows the same business model as the standard radio station. Their income comes from the advertisements that are regularly being broadcasted. Although not all stations in Satellite radio are commercial free, a lot are. But for both, you would need to purchase a new radio as you cannot use an AM/FM radio to receive digital signals. These are not also compatible with each other, therefore you cannot use an HD radio receiver for Satellite radio and vice versa.
A problem that is unavoidable with satellite radio is when the signal drops off. Because satellite radio has no other means of getting the signal through, intermittent service is not unlikely especially in bad weather. HD radio receives both digital and analog radio stations and most stations have the first HD channel synced to their analog broadcast. And when the HD signal drops off, the receiver automatically switches to the analog signal for an uninterrupted service. Some radio stations that have HD are also adding alternative channels that users can opt to in case they do not like what is being played on the first channel.
Summary:
1.HD Radio uses terrestrial towers to transmit the signals while Satellite Radio uses an orbiting satellite
2.HD Radio is free while Satellite Radio is on a subscription basis
3.HD Radio has a lot of commercials while Satellite radio only has a few
4.Satellite radio does not have any back-up in case the signal is lost while HD radio can still revert to the analog signal