FCC report/order on IBOC

[dbdigital]

I'm sure many of you are pouring over the FCC's 2nd report and order on DAB.

The report can be both fascinating and sleep-inducing. But I did find these comments on digital AM of interest:

"As explained above, theIBOC DAB system provides radio stationswith new flexibility
and capabilities. First and foremost, it allows FM broadcasters to scale their audio quality from 96 kbps
downward in 1 kbps or smaller increments. Any reduction below 96 kbps frees capacity that can be
devoted to otherservices. The AM system offers two levels of audio quality. The “core” AM carriers
provide 20 kbps of robust monophonic sound. The “enhanced” layer adds an additional 16 kbps of
digital carriers and enables full stereo sound. The AM system design allows broadcasters to devote the
full 36 kbps to a single audio signalor, in the future, select only the 20 kbps core mode for audio and
devote the remaining 16 kbps enhanced carriers for other services."

And:

"As AM IBOC operation develops, iBiquity plans to
introduce the option to split the digital AM bitstream into two channels. In order to provide multiple
digital programming streams, a radio stationmustreduce the audio bit rate of its main channel broadcasts
or use the extended hybrid mode to obtain additional capacity that can bedevoted to a lower bit rate
supplemental audio channel. Testing conducted by NPRestablished the viability of this functionality and
also demonstrated that the supplemental channel will have coverage equivalent to the coverage of the
main channel audio signal.56 Due in part to IBOC system design constraints, however, any supplemental
audio services will not be able to take advantage of the blend function available to the main channel
audio. The blend function enhances rapid tuning for the main channel digital signal and provides an
analogbackup signal in the event the main channel audio signal is lost. Therefore, any supplemental
channel will require several seconds for tuning and will experience muting of the audio in the event of
signal loss."

I'm not sure how they're going to squeeze all of this into 10 kHz and keep an acceptable level of audio quality but it is interesting to see what the FCC envisions for the future of AM.

db

 

[Tom Wells]

The audio quality of HD AM is already deplorable, and any suggestion of dividing the bitstream shows that these people still don't get it.
How aout less "quick uptake" and provide a full measure of audio quality once linked?

I bet that option was not explored fully, or it did not provide enough robustness.
So we're supposed to expect even more garbled HD AM audio in the future.
I'll make a note of it.

 

[PocketRadio]

"FCC Finalizes IBOC HD Radio Rules at Open Meeting"

"Refrains from imposing a mandatory conversion schedule for radio stations to commence digital broadcast operations."

http://news.****************/cgi-bin/$rol.exe/headline_id=b9934

Yup, the marketplace will decide the fate of HD/IBOC, not that consumers would care.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

Analog AM quality is already compromised when IBOC is turned on. I'm just glad WSB has their IBOC on a sister FM.

 

[PocketRadio]

"FCC Issues Rules on Digital Radio - With Some Surprises that Could Eventually Impact Analog Operations"

http://tinyurl.com/yp6plk

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I'm sure many of you are pouring over the FCC's 2nd report and order on DAB.

The report can be both fascinating and sleep-inducing. But I did find these comments on digital AM of interest:

"As explained above, theIBOC DAB system provides radio stationswith new flexibility
and capabilities. First and foremost, it allows FM broadcasters to scale their audio quality from 96 kbps
downward in 1 kbps or smaller increments. Any reduction below 96 kbps frees capacity that can be
devoted to otherservices. The AM system offers two levels of audio quality. The “core” AM carriers
provide 20 kbps of robust monophonic sound. The “enhanced” layer adds an additional 16 kbps of
digital carriers and enables full stereo sound. The AM system design allows broadcasters to devote the
full 36 kbps to a single audio signalor, in the future, select only the 20 kbps core mode for audio and
devote the remaining 16 kbps enhanced carriers for other services."

And:

"As AM IBOC operation develops, iBiquity plans to
introduce the option to split the digital AM bitstream into two channels. In order to provide multiple
digital programming streams, a radio stationmustreduce the audio bit rate of its main channel broadcasts
or use the extended hybrid mode to obtain additional capacity that can bedevoted to a lower bit rate
supplemental audio channel. Testing conducted by NPRestablished the viability of this functionality and
also demonstrated that the supplemental channel will have coverage equivalent to the coverage of the
main channel audio signal.56 Due in part to IBOC system design constraints, however, any supplemental
audio services will not be able to take advantage of the blend function available to the main channel
audio. The blend function enhances rapid tuning for the main channel digital signal and provides an
analogbackup signal in the event the main channel audio signal is lost. Therefore, any supplemental
channel will require several seconds for tuning and will experience muting of the audio in the event of
signal loss."

I'm not sure how they're going to squeeze all of this into 10 kHz and keep an acceptable level of audio quality but it is interesting to see what the FCC envisions for the future of AM.

db

Can you say highschool sports, especially in small market (some day)? The obvious thing everyone is missing IMHO is there needs to be a way to set a "flag" to the recievers somehow in the system so that the analog and the digital can operate totally independant for such activities. Having the analog run the local ball game and the digital run the away game on your local-yocal AM station would a VERY good reason for smaller AM's to invest in IBUz.

 

[clouseau]

Can you say highschool sports, especially in small market (some day)? The obvious thing everyone is missing IMHO is there needs to be a way to set a "flag" to the recievers somehow in the system so that the analog and the digital can operate totally independant for such activities. Having the analog run the local ball game and the digital run the away game on your local-yocal AM station would a VERY good reason for smaller AM's to invest in IBUz.

I would agree the ability to "seperate Main and Secondary would be a good feature.

Clouseau

 

[Mike Walker]

I totally disagree. I don't think analog should EVER not be duplicated on HD1. Not ever.

Even optimistically it will be MANY YEARS before the majority of people are listening digitally. To put the "main program" on HD, and some minority stuff like high school football on analog is the tail wagging the dog, for God's sake. I'm an HD fan, but every AM HD listener in the US could probably fit in a good sized room. We're at the VERY beginning for HD.

If I had an am/fm combo, or a cluster, I'd fill up those HD2 and HD3 channels with the audio from my AM stations, and postpone an AM HD conversion for a while.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

The obvious thing everyone is missing IMHO is there needs to be a way to set a "flag" to the recievers somehow in the system so that the analog and the digital can operate totally independant for such activities. Having the analog run the local ball game and the digital run the away game on your local-yocal AM station would a VERY good reason for smaller AM's to invest in IBUz.

Read the R&O. It's not allowed on AM under the new rules. The digital signal on AM, and at least one digital signal on FM, must carry identical programming to the main analog channel.

 

[dbdigital]

A few points that were not mention in my first post but are in the R&O is the FCC shooting down any testing of Eureka-147 (#110), showing no concern whatever for iBiquity's monopoly (as patent holder) for the DAB system U.S. broadcasters will be using (#101, 107) and dismissing Leonard Kahn's petition to test his system for AM (#112). Apparently he filed too late.

So that just about clears the deck. America get ready for IBOC. We've got it whether we want it or not.

db

 

[clouseau]

.....
So that just about clears the deck. America get ready for IBOC. We've got it whether we want it or not.

This has been my take since the middle of last year. Like it or not... we got it.

Now to find out if we can do anything with it.

Clouseau

 

[SUPERCASTER]

.....
So that just about clears the deck. America get ready for IBOC. We've got it whether we want it or not.

This has been my take since the middle of last year. Like it or not... we got it.

Now to find out if we can do anything with it.

Clouseau

Like it or not... we got it.

Sounds like a social disease, so my take on it would be:
Now let's find out how to get rid of it!

 

[clouseau]

This has been my take since the middle of last year. Like it or not... we got it.

Now to find out if we can do anything with it.

Clouseau

Like it or not... we got it.

Sounds like a social disease, so my take on it would be:
Now let's find out how to get rid of it!

Interesting take. But not original... last time I heard it???

Was it...

"No man shall posess another... (Circa 1865),,,

Sounds like a social disease, so my take on it would be:
Now let's find out how to get rid of it!

Or was it the whole "Women need to vote" thing?....

Sounds like a social disease, so my take on it would be:
Now let's find out how to get rid of it!

or was it the "Without regard to race creed color or national origin" thing?

Sounds like a social disease, so my take on it would be:
Now let's find out how to get rid of it!

Or maybe we misunderstood you???

Surely you can elaborate???

Clouseau

 

[Ray22]

The R&O refers to "main" HD channel must simulcast analog program. The actual rules leave out the "main" channel reference, and simply say "one of the HD channels" must simulcast. Interesting what that means in the future. If receivers come out that can be manually forced to analog or HD...

The R&O mention quite a lot about conditional (subscription) (CA) use and that is surprising since it has only recently been mentioned as a HD feature, and no receivers are currently out in the marketplace that use this option.
HD-2, and HD-3 channels must be ID'ed, but that can be by radio "text display" or audio.

The splitting of AM HD channels to provide a "separate program" is also new news and is NOT a feature of ANY HD receiver currently being sold.