Ford Escape: Audio System / Digital Radio

What Is Digital Radio

HD Radio™ technology is the digital evolution of analog AM/FM radio.

For additional information, visit www.HDRadio.com.

HD Radio Technology is manufactured under license from iBiquity Digital Corporation and foreign patents. HD Radio and the HD and HD Radio logos are proprietary trademarks of DTS. The vehicle manufacturer and DTS are not responsible for the content sent using HD Radio technology. Content may be changed, added or deleted at any time at the station owner's discretion.

How Does Digital Radio Work

Your system has a special receiver that allows it to receive digital broadcasts in addition to analog broadcasts.

HD1 signifies the main programming status and is available in both analog and digital broadcasts. Other multicast stations are only available digitally and could contain new or different content.

Note: When the system first receives an HD1 station, it plays the station in the analog version until it verifies the station is an HD Radio station. Then it shifts to the digital version.

Note: There is an audio mute delay when switching to an HD2 or HD3 station because the system has to reacquire and decode the digital signal.

Digital Radio Limitations

If you are outside the reception area, the system could not work.

If you are on the fringe of the reception area, the station could mute due to weak signal strength.

Note: If you are listening to HD1, the system changes back to the analog broadcast until the digital broadcast is available again. If you are listening to any other multicast channels, the station mutes and stays muted unless it is able to connect to the digital signal again.

Depending on the station quality, you could hear a slight sound change when the station changes between analog and digital audio.

You cannot access a saved HD station if your vehicle is outside the station’s reception area.

Switching Digital Radio Reception On and Off

1. Access the vehicle drawer on the touchscreen.
2. Press SETTINGS.
3. Press Radio.
4. Switch HD Radio on or off.

Digital Radio Indicators

HD Radio Indicator

The indicator appears when HD Radio is on and you tune to a station broadcasting HD Radio technology.

The color of the indicator changes to indicate the system status.

Gray indicates the system is acquiring a digital station.

Orange indicates digital audio is playing.

Multicast Indicator

The multicast indicator appears if the current station is broadcasting multiple digital broadcasts. The highlighted numbers indicate additional digital channels available.

Note: For stations that have more than one HD multicast, the HD indicator and radio text appears as a button. Press the button to cycle through all of the HD stations on that specific frequency.