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New Point-to-Mass (terrestrial broadcasting) Technologies

kfbkfb

kfbkfb

The Internet wasn't designed for streaming

The "AM"' band is too noisy

The "FM" band is (pretty much) full (except rural areas)

HD radio isn't catching on (and not used Worldwide)

What's on the horizon for terrestrial broadcasting technologies
(utilizing what has been learned about terrestrial Digital TV
broadcasting [multipath rejection, single frequency networks etc.])?


Kirk Bayne
 
IPv6 multicast with UDP packets in lieu of TCP over the Internet can mimic the "one to many" model of broadcasting. But for the most part people are now preferring the "serve me what I want" method of delivery. So it hasn't really caught on.

Dave B.
 
Miss Tuned said:
Doesn't most of Europe use DAB (multiplex signals, an SFN broadcasting multiple stations)?
Click to expand...
No. Most of Europe has some DAB in use, but it hasn't caught on the same way FM did. Even in Norway, where the national networks were taken off FM and moved to DAB, there is a lot of FM use. Same in the UK.
 
kfbkfb said:
The Internet wasn't designed for streaming

The "AM"' band is too noisy

The "FM" band is (pretty much) full (except rural areas)

HD radio isn't catching on (and not used Worldwide)

What's on the horizon for terrestrial broadcasting technologies
(utilizing what has been learned about terrestrial Digital TV
broadcasting [multipath rejection, single frequency networks etc.])?
Click to expand...
The FM band is fine, even though it is 'full'. If you look at ratings, the 'full' nature of the band really is of little consequence. Most listeners gravitate to a handful of top rated stations, so FM is still healthy. HD FM doesn't make money, so some stations are taking it down. Others apparently have arrangements with specialty channels, and HD FM apparently justifies its cost, just as SCA did before HD was around.

Even though the Internet wasn't apparently designed for streaming, millions of people listen to music on the Internet, and streaming is immensely popular, so I think eventually it will take over where FM, AM and even satellite left off.
 
A couple of things coalesced into my question:

My FM spacing question (BBC 1, for example, several high power FMs, some local lower power FMs) for (UK) National coverage
and
Several threads here about the major (USA) Station owners centralizing music content/programming for National distribution
and
SFN capability of DAB/DAB+

Perhaps (USA) National SFNs (USAized DAB+ ?) could be set up for each major type of music (the problem is how to present local news/weather/EAS).


Kirk Bayne
 
My observations...........

I've been an avid FM listener for a long time (home and car), but have started to turn away from it lately. Were I live it is frustrating. The audio quality of many stations has really degraded because engineers are not keeping them operating properly. Some of them will go for weeks with messed up audio.

Because of the AM revitalization a bunch of translators have come up and they are causing interference issues.

With Covid the amount of commercials has gone way up (more lower paying clients so they run more adds). One of my favorite stations used to be commercial free from 9am to noon. Now they have the "two minute promise", meaning they never break for more than two minutes. Well they do that after only 2-3 songs. Can't listen to them anymore.

I've had SiriusXM for a long time too, but the audio over the broadcast is really terrible. With their limited bandwidth they've chosen many channels over quality. But I just recently started using SiriusXM streaming and it's actually pretty good quality on the best quality setting. That's mainly what I'm listening to now.

I listened to DAB and DAB+ when I was in the UK for a while a few years ago. It's a pretty cool technology, but suffers from the same issue where they have chosen many channels over good audio quality, although not nearly as bad as SiriusXM. I've read that many people have complained about the same thing in the UK and at least some people prefer the sound of analog FM over DAB.
 
These days, I prefer streaming on my computer and my Android over the current crop of radio stations. The only terrestrial stations I listen to are WERS-FM and WROL-AM. I can't get their translator stations.
 
DavidEduardo said:
Canada attempted it, but it failed. It seems to work best (and maybe only) where government run stations impose the rules due to their dominant positions.
Click to expand...
Canada used the L-Band version of DAB, operating between 1452 and 1492 MHz. Receivers were expensive and hard to find, but the biggest complaint was that the service simply simulcast existing AM and FM stations...without any unique content. As such it quickly fizzled.

European DAB seems to be concentrated in the 200 to 225 MHz region, with receivers easier to purchase.
 
FM_Listener said:
My observations...........

I've been an avid FM listener for a long time (home and car), but have started to turn away from it lately. Were I live it is frustrating. The audio quality of many stations has really degraded because engineers are not keeping them operating properly. Some of them will go for weeks with messed up audio."
Click to expand...
Don't necessarily blame the engineers...many stations don't have one. Contract engineers can't monitor every station constantly, and can only do what the stations are willing to pay for.
Try calling a station to let them know they have a problem, and you'll need to pack a lunch. It can take days to even find a working number.
 
kenglish....with some stations, you'll need to pack more than a lunch --- camping out at the local food pantry may not help in some cases!!!
Our local LPFM station is pretty much automated......and, as a rule, the office is NOT staffed.
BUT.....our answering machine DOES provide an email address to contact a staff member if a problem arises.
As the station's standby engineer, I DO monitor the station and can access the system via internet to check on problems with either the transmitter or automation.
Although small, we strive to stay on top of things technical...Several of the larger commercial FMs in this area, I dare say, cannot say the same thing....!:(
 
I've called and emailed several times in the past, just 2-weeks ago for one of the big commercial stations, and I'm giving up on that. I can more easily talk to a brick wall and get the same results. Just moving on if a station is messed up now. Maybe check back in a month.
 
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