"Black Friday Special"

[700WLW]

"Black Friday Special"

"Thus, they are ramming HD down the throats of listeners who have to be splitting their sides when they read an ad like this."

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2006/11/black-friday-special.html

 

[hipporadio]

"Black Friday Special"

"Thus, they are ramming HD down the throats of listeners who have to be splitting their sides when they read an ad like this."

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2006/11/black-friday-special.html

700WLW... Thank you for that link!

During my ten years of radio station ownership, I discovered Jerry Del Colliano. He founded “Inside Radio” which was this industry’s BEST look at itself. Basically... [kids cover your eyes]—he is a well-hung STUD in radio! His understanding and vision of this industry is unprecedented. I guess I wish I lived in SoCal ONLY so I could attend his class. Of your many “Googles” on IBOC “700”—this one hits home!

Now 700WLW... Many of us appreciate your “cheerleader” approach to a criticism of the defective and destructive IBOC “technology”, but many of your posts here are simple cut ‘n pastes of anti-IBOC pages retrieved from Google. Hell, I can come up with a review of my Fruit-of-the-Loom underware from 1985 by a visit to Google! Problem is—it tends to lack “critique” and technical debate as opposed to a quickie "hit 'n run". So I wonder... Is your ONLY interest “DX” and hearing KSL in the north-DC ‘burbs as supporters of the Cartel often claim? Let's help you out here... With all due respect my un-met friend—that was over well before IBOC. It's NOT coming back, unless you fire up your broadband and listen on the net. I did last night, and enjoyed it way more than that peskey selective fading. I also listened to "Oldies 1360" WNNJ Newton, NJ (which has no prayer on DX) over my Verizon broadband connection! Let's deal with the really important stuff. There is a much greater point to be civilly discussed here. You enjoy AM—so do I—but not as much these days, and IBOC his little to do with it because it is not authorized for use at night.

I am opposed to the current HD Radio “scheme”, and I defend that position with a cogent presentation of technical facts and review. I advance those up front and in response to posts... I don’t “Google” to establish a hit ‘n run. We enjoy your links to technical matter elsewhere on the net, but could you PLEASE join the technical discussion with more than a mere sentence followed by the “cheesy” emoticon?

 

[700WLW]

You are very welcome... and thank you, for your technical feedback ! I just search Blogger (http://search.blogger.com), periodically for, "HD Radio", and it comes up with all this good stuff ! I suppose, you are right - there is nothing left to argue, but I didn't take you for being so righteous.

 

[hipporadio]

You are very welcome... and thank you, for your technical feedback ! I just search Blogger (http://search.blogger.com), periodically for, "HD Radio", and it comes up with all this good stuff !

GREAT! "700"... Can you please contribute some technical evaluation and argument? You may "try it out on me" if you wish at [email protected] I will answer your Emails... ALWAYS (right after I'm done walking Jackson--my beautiful Chocolate Lab). A good Lab IS "mans best friend"!

Now, I want to hear an "online" of "Oldies 1450--WHDL" Olean, N.Y.and their sister "The Pig @95.7" I can't find it... DAMN

Today's DX that is NOT 'cause they sign-off at sundown is www.ghtradio.com There's alot of local talk in AM drive, but they "kick" mid-days and afternoons... And they love to hear from net listeners! AWESOME quality stream--it's processed and IN STEREO! A 1kw daytimer with total class--God I love it!

Check it out... Cool station... And NO IBOC!

 

[byron]

For those reading into this post that would like more information on the $99 Black Friday price offering on this Accurian HD Radio, here are some more details on what is to be available.

• The Accurian HD Radio will actually be sold at the price of $124.99 in participating RadioShack stores/online during the period of 11/24-11/26.
• There will be a separate $25 rebate offering available only to those with receipts stating the purchase of the radio was made during the three day period.
• They're also knocking $9.00 off the regular $29.99 price for the 1-yr service plan that takes effect after the included 90-day warranty runs out.
• The 2-yr service plan will remain at the regular price of $39.95 for purchase during the three day period.

Byron

 

[hipporadio]

For those reading into this post that would like more information on the $99 Black Friday price offering on this Accurian HD Radio, here are some more details on what is to be available.

• The Accurian HD Radio will actually be sold at the price of $124.99 in participating RadioShack stores/online during the period of 11/24-11/26.
• There will be a separate $25 rebate offering available only to those with receipts stating the purchase of the radio was made during the three day period.
• They're also knocking $9.00 off the regular $29.99 price for the 1-yr service plan that takes effect after the included 90-day warranty runs out.
• The 2-yr service plan will remain at the regular price of $39.95 for purchase during the three day period.

Byron

As I said in another post... "I wonder how long that will stay on the shelves at the Shack"... Doesn't seem to have lasted on those shelves very long before the price was cut in half (assuming the IBOC rebate is honored). Net feedback on the Accurian has NOT fared much better than the reviews of Boston Acoustics' HD Receptor. 'Seems EVERY HD radio to date is a reception bust. NO apparent increase in FM quality when (and IF) the HD signal can be snagged... AM quality that sounds like 1997 RealAudio on a 33k dial-up IF it can be decoded 30-miles from a 50kw AM... MY--this is so "fab"!

"defective"--YES

"destructive"--That's already been proven... Just ask Cubs fans trying to follow their game in N Central Indiana on 720 WGN during the day...

As Sonny and Cher sang way back in '67 "The Beat Goes On"... is I-B's heart still beating?

 

[Tom Wells]

Well, the cars keep a-goin faster all the time....

I appreciate the work someone has done to post links. I can critique the wasteful application and technology, but would never come up with links from industry insiders who speak in words the office staff uses.

And free is too much for something that breaks the backbone of America's radio.

 

[hipporadio]

Well, the cars keep a-goin faster all the time....

I appreciate the work someone has done to post links. I can critique the wasteful application and technology, but would never come up with links from industry insiders who speak in words the office staff uses.

And free is too much for something that breaks the backbone of America's radio.

Man, that seems like a cool song lyric Tom... I'm singing with you guys... It's cool to get new info... Let's process, and listen to radio near 'n far... "700" keeps on kickin it... We really like it... Gives us something to comment on--but please add something--ahhh--'like your valauble personal opinion!

This is one of the ONLY forums where discussion that challenges the current digital radio technology can exist... I have visited other sites--seems the "mod-men" are on the CC and Cartel payroll... Let's keep it good here guys--put our BEST technical foot forward... The FACTS are on our side--let's be COOL--AND INFORMED--and inform others!

IBOC is defective and destructive... NO ONE here or in Email has attempted to make a good argument to me to the contrary... They seem to run away while they blather "You just don't like corperate broadcasting". Give me a break! OK, are we to like a defective and destructive system of digital broadcasting just 'cause your masters at CC, who have wasted their stockholders' money on it--say "it's fine"... NOT! WHY are your pals at Radio Shack are already slashing prices on recievers 'cause they are "deaf" and customers don't want them.

Keep it real fellas, 'n we will win the debate!

 

[hipporadio]

"Black Friday" has arrived... 'Hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving

Today is (was) $99 HD Radio day at The Shack. A quick stop at two RS stores near busy retail centers on the north side of Cincinnati revealed NO ACCURIAN HD RADIOS on the shelves--and NO... They didn't sell out by 9AM. RS will "get you one within a week of so" and honor the special price. At one location I asked an associate to call and check other stores for availability. I returned a half-hour later to be informed that it was a "no can find" at several area stores and the "rain check" offer was repeated.

I did not hear this advertised in numerous RS commercials...

The Accurians seem to be in hiding... But so are most of the IBOC signals when one tries to tune them in on current HD radio sets!

 

[700WLW]

"Black Friday" has arrived... 'Hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving

Today is (was) $99 HD Radio day at The Shack. A quick stop at two RS stores near busy retail centers on the north side of Cincinnati revealed NO ACCURIAN HD RADIOS on the shelves--and NO... They didn't sell out by 9AM. RS will "get you one within a week of so" and honor the special price. At one location I asked an associate to call and check other stores for availability. I returned a half-hour later to be informed that it was a "no can find" at several area stores and the "rain check" offer was repeated.

I did not hear this advertised in numerous RS commercials...

The Accurians seem to be in hiding... But so are most of the IBOC signals when one tries to tune them in on current HD radio sets!

Remember, I am ignorant, when it comes to technical discussions about HD Radio/IBOC ! I have read, that the Accurian HD has only 2" speakers, all this for over $100 ! I was looking into trying out the Sony ICF-S10MK2 - a rather impressive AM Dx'er for $10, and it has a 2 1/4" speaker (my RS radio is a bit too large to carry around) !

http://www.radiointel.com/review-sonys10mk2.htm

 

[hipporadio]

Remember, I am ignorant, when it comes to technical discussions about HD Radio/IBOC ! I have read, that the Accurian HD has only 2" speakers, all this for over $100 ! I was looking into trying out the Sony ICF-S10MK2 - a rather impressive AM Dx'er for $10, and it has a 2 1/4" speaker (my RS radio is a bit too large to carry around) !

http://www.radiointel.com/review-sonys10mk2.htm

700... May I heartily suggest...

http://www.amazon.com/Sangean-DT200...id=1164412226/ref=sr_11_1/002-9044050-9279250

or this model...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000066R6M/ref=pd_cp_e_title/002-9044050-9279250

This Sangean 200 "pocket radio" features selectable use of a small speaker, but produces VERY GOOD audio thru its included earbuds.

THE BEST AM and FM/FM Stereo RECEPTION I have EVER seen on a "Walkman-style" radio. I've owned one for 2.5 years and it's holding up well. Decent battery life also.

The 210 is reported to offer equal AM reception (but a bit less sensitive on FM)

But sorry... It's a tad more than ten bucks!

 

[700WLW]

"Highly Disappointing"

http://www.pmsimon.com/archives/week_2006_11_19.html#001606

 

[hipporadio]

"Highly Disappointing"

http://www.pmsimon.com/archives/week_2006_11_19.html#001606

OH MY... I think I hear some freshly-cracked eggs hitting a big 'ole iron skillet full of hot grease... Waiting to be righteously fried

I had similar observations on the much more "classy" (and costly) Boston Acoustics "Receptor HD".

Glad I COULDN'T FIND the Accurian at ANY Cincinnati Radio Shack yesterday... I may have been "tempted"

 

[Tom Wells]

I'm not happy with the looks of almost anything new, which all scream "unserviceability!" at me.
The "need" for alphanumeric data screens on radios seem wrong.
This function should be outboard due to data line and display noise which usually injects into weak signals. I'm sure the LCD screen used on the HD tabletops does not generate noise.
I still like to keep my radios and computers as completely seperate things except for RI.

I loved the Highly Disappointing link, and find the most important observation was regarding the AM dropouts.
If you've ever noted phase cancellation spots in city-field AM signals while driving, what sounds weird to your ear is the same
degradation occuring to the HD sidebands. And while the audio is weird for a few seconds, your brain can process it, and life goes on.
The HD processing only has a certain tolerance in checksums. Too many bad packets and we go analog.
HD AM is like a toy-robot walking, but without enough balance to walk by all by itself unless on the flattest of floors.
Real robots have developed a host of things to address the real world terrain and remain in a "controlled mode".

The engineers, lacking experience in things analog, ran computer models to support their proposed mode.
These models are sadly limited due to limited input and unknown factors always present, and assumptions made to simplify them.
One of things not fully understood by ibiquity was the time-phase distortions in MW even in the near field.
Evidently none of them know why all the 50 kw sticks are 10-30 miles outside the downtown.
At one time the big stations put the antenna downtown.
But power increases brought new problems.
Major RF losses into steel everywhere, and a nightmare of semicondicting detectors in building structure.
There were intermodulations aplenty, and a streetcar would go by, upsetting local loading into your antenna,
and you'd have to re-tune your output. You'd have to retune a lot for no apparent reason at all.
So they moved the antenna out where we see them now. Unfortunately, the signal received back in downtown is "funny",
depending on local ground conductivity. Even then the steel of buildings absorb and warp fields.


For the problems the noted in this home-based example, I will presume the mountainous terrain and geography provides
lots of field distortions and funny nulls. Re-aiming the radio critically to the desired station should work, but I'd think he'd tried that.
We don't hear about the type of structure he is in, and if a significant portion in steel-framed, or aluminum sided or whatnot.

I'd like to propose the first pro-analog slogan.

"Keep the processing in your brain."

 

[700WLW]

"... I loved the Highly Disappointing link..."

Does that mean, I can still post links to articles ?

 

[SUPERCASTER]

"Highly Disappointing"

http://www.pmsimon.com/archives/week_2006_11_19.html#001606

Despite all the wild, overblown, advertising hype, unabashed lobbying, politics, personal attacks, and outright, blatant, consumer fraud, hybrid HD Radio still has a long way to go to catch up to good analog AM quality, clarity, and signal coverage, even with HD FM.
If you can't get HD, or it sputters, switches, and rebuffers all the time, needs extra antennas, costs a bundle, the average consumer will not warm up to this defective new HD radio system.
"Free", "CD quality" and the rest of the HD radio claims, are just plain false, and total fabrications to sell a defective product.
It's a "Black Friday" for broadcasting.
After the HD Radio fiasco becomes widely known, why would anyone, ever believe anything they hear on the air again?
Even Thanksgiving can not make this turkey fly.

 

[dbdigital]

"Black Friday Special"

"Thus, they are ramming HD down the throats of listeners who have to be splitting their sides when they read an ad like this."

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2006/11/black-friday-special.html

In today's OC Register radio column there is an item about a guy who went into Radio Shack's Glendale (CA) store to check out the Accurian HD Radio. He found one and asked for a demonstration. Here is his description:

"After searching the band very carefully, we found only one (HD2 stream) - KROQ. This was on a Friday evening about 5 PM. When are the other 'extra' stations broadcasting?"

Positive first impressions of any new technology are crucial if it is to be accepted by the public and HD Radio just blew it for this first time shopper.

By contrast there is another wonderful item about former KKGO morning host, Brad Chambers, who is bringing Adult Standards to the web with www.MartiniInTheMorning.com.

Chambers, who is a strong supporter of web radio, wrote this:

"...there are new WiFi radios on the market...tabletop radios, alarm-clock radios and even receivers you can plug in to your home entertainment system. We listen on speakers in our backyard and the computer isn't even turned on. We have info on the WiFi radios on our Web site."

So the word is getting out in the mainstream press about a technology far more exciting than HD Radio.

db

 

[hipporadio]

Positive first impressions of any new technology are crucial if it is to be accepted by the public and HD Radio just blew it for this first time shopper.

By contrast there is another wonderful item about former KKGO morning host, Brad Chambers, who is bringing Adult Standards to the web with www.MartiniInTheMorning.com. Chambers, who is a strong supporter of web radio, wrote this:

"...there are new WiFi radios on the market...tabletop radios, alarm-clock radios and even receivers you can plug in to your home entertainment system..."

So the word is getting out in the mainstream press about a technology far more exciting than HD Radio.

I recently thumbed thru a foot-high stack of holiday-edition “enthusiasts” catalogs (Herrington, FrontGate, Audio Advisor, Brookstone, etc). I found all featuring a WiFi-enabled “internet radio”—NONE offered an HD radio for sale! I’m excited about the IP audio technology, but considering the typical “early adopter” concerns—I’m not sure I’d buy one—yet. Interesting, when you consider how very much Chuck Herrington LOVES traditional radio—I’ve counted over a dozen in his various catalogs.

dbdigital: My 70-year-old parents will thank you for the Brad Chambers adult standards link. The geniuses in corporate radio recently decided that “The Rat Pack” has run out of time on older and very affluent Hilton Head Island in South Carolina... So they blew up 107.9 WLOW and duplicated an already-present 70s Disco station. No “Frank” for HHI—but plenty of “Le Freak” :

 

[700WLW]

This weekend's Washington Post Christmas fliers also advertised WiFi-enabled radios, but still no HD Radios. Even RS, Best Buy, and Circuit City did not mention HD Radio.

 

[clouseau]

Re: "Black Friday Special" and "WIFI radios"

Ok now I'm pretty close to the last guy you will ever see sticking up for IBOC, but there are a lot more stand alone "HD" radios available than stand alone WIFI radios.

Let's look at the comparison.

In the home or work.

HD available? - Yes in larger markets. Minimum amount spent to receive it. $174.99 after rebate at Radio Shack (If available) or 174.99 including shipping at Radioshack.com. Not very well promoted, but widely avaialable from a well known dealer network. Fact is, if you look they're pretty easy to get from a readily available source.

WIFI Ip available - Yes if you have a wireless router and a broadband connection. Broadband is probably more widely available than HD radio signals, But WIFI? I'm not real sure there. Cheapest "Radio" I've seen is $299 Inc. shipping. That's the A-E. This english unit does run on 110V AC, however uses a directory service from http://reciva.com . This site appears to be down. If so, does the product even work with a directory? Also don't forget the wireless router. Add one for $59.95 if you don't have one. (And be a partial geek to get it to work.) Conversely, you can get IP radio on your computer with everything you have. Not real portable, but still gettable.

How about in the car. They tell me HD radios are available as aftermarket in cars. I've never seen one, but read about those who have them. I'm sure Crutchfield has them, but in fairness "Crutchfield isn't Radio SHack" when it comes to being everywhere. I would put them closer to "Hard to find" than Radio Shack. Still if you want it, it's out there. I'd give HD a big advantage over IP RADIO in the car. Although I can use my Sprint card, mp3 transmitter and FM radio to hear Internet in the car. That's $60 a month for the Sprint card, $1200 worth of computer and stuff and it still doesn't work in the country. I'm thinking you still have to give the edge to HD in the car.

Let's face it. IBOC is bad technology that the existing broadcasters love because they get "Extra channels". TV got extra channels. Cable got extra channels. IP radio got LOTS of extra channels. And now AM & FM want extra channels. (OK AM doesn't get any, but they get better sound.)

The whole thing should have gone with a variation of Eureka 147 or a giant "regional data stream capable of handling several hundred streams at the same time. But the Big FM's didin't want to give parity to the small FM's and AM's and the Smaller FM's and AM's didn't want parity with the internet guys and no one wanted to let their AIR PRODUCT be their soldier in the war for the cash!!