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Digital Radio/HD Radio/the future

I think he's just a guy with an opinion. Besides,we all know what can happen when a venture capitalist thinks that by virtue of his having lots of money, somehow his opinions and ideas regarding broadcasting hold some kind of special validity. Money can buy you lots of pretties, but it won't make you one damn bit smarter.<P ID="signature">______________
Leonard Lawrence</P>
 
> This guy http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/ is a venture capitalist
> with an investment in HD Radio. He posts quit a bit about
> radio's future as he sees it. I would love to hear some
> professionals' takes on this.
>
There are many issues that have not been addressed, which are very important for the adoption of the format, not the very least of which is the cost and availability of receivers. Try running down to your local Best Buy or other big box electronics shop and just try to purchase a receiver. Typically you’ll get a “deer-in-the-headlights stare” from the salesperson. Over the years, one of the reasons for the popularity of radio has been the low cost of AND availability receivers. What's going to happen when people are asked to start shelling out big bucks to buy a HD receiver? In my opinion, they will spend that same money for a new CD/MP3, iPod player or perhaps a satellite radio system where they can listen to their favorite music without putting up with commercials. I do not see people paying big bucks for a new HD radio. Only the elite aka the audio “tweaks” who like cute toys will buy IBOC receivers.

Sound quality is another issue. I have listened to the receivers and they still do not sound as clean as the current analog AM and FM broadcasts. The AM sounds bright and harsh, as if much of the audio harmonics were chopped off. The FM is somewhat brighter, but one can still hear a seashell whooshing. It also sounded harsh with so many audio harmonics cut out. My question, why bother.
 
On paper FM radio and even AM radio for that matter has pretty darn good audio when played on a decent radio, but you'd never know it because the stations pump up the compression so high it makes everything so loud it sounds like everyone is eating the microphones anyway, especially the CHR stations. So to me it wouldn't matter if they were all broadcasting dolby digital surround sound, they are still going to get into a contest to see who can out blast the other station. HD radio reminds me a lot of AM stereo. I thought it sounded really great but I could count on one hand how many people I know that even knew it even existed much less had ever heard it. Besides, finding an AM stereo radio was like finding a needle in a haystack. Nobody sold them. And shortly after I bought a stereo AM radio, my favorite AM station dropped the rock and roll and started simulcasting an FM station. the other two stations went to talk radio and all sports which was mono anyway.

What the radio stations need to realize is that the reason people buy satelite radios and mp3 is not because radio sucks. Its because radio STATIONS suck.
 
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