Few Americans use HD Radio

[IBOCRocks]

Of course, you are asking for features that I haven't heard many people asking about. I believe that for the average person, if it turns on, gets their station, and plays, it's a nice radio. Plus it pulls in HD. Bonus!

 

[Tom Wells]

I am listening to the Grand Ole Opry segements broadcast on AM 650 WSM Nashville.
I am in a basement in Chicago, and have a hi-fi radio here.
I am hearing every note clearly and distinctly despite thunderstorms far away giving some QRN.
The crispness is amazing for 500 miles.
And I admit some pretty deep fades tonight, there's one of 30 seconds...now they're back.
Also a couple of direct hits to WSM's tower causing brief droputs.

Today, that's my station. As I said, 50kw from 500 miles. How does the Sangean fare?

I have the Sangean ATS-803A and can't believe how much hiss the detector throws into even noiseless AM carriers.
Doesn't sound very good on the same WSM that's SO nice on the big Sony.
By far the noisiest radio (internally) that I own. Makes a nice zero-beat null xfer standard for my AM pt 15.
But not a nice radio, because it's anything but musical.

Consumers don't ask for these features because they don't know enough to ask for them after we have dumbed radios down for them.
We believe they are too stupid to tune a radio with such features while we believe they are smart enough to navigate multiple screen menus. At one time many more people understood these things, AND the standards reflected this.

It's funny how standards have been disregarded lately.

Of course, they're hard to maintain, but that's why they were a goal to shoot for.
People who couldn't make analog RF behave should never be given a chance to try to make something a whole lot more
difficult to work. Especially when the product proves just how much they don't understand the analog nature of
our physical universe.

 

[PhilJSmith67]

Today, that's my station. As I said, 50kw from 500 miles. How does the Sangean fare?

Mine is faring very well, right here, right now. It doesn't have a big ol' speaker like my 1939 Philco console, but the Sangean outperforms the Philco when it struggles through deep fades with phase-shift. The background noise is low and the audio response is on par with the Philco. The Philco has some 10kHz whistle that the Sangean does not have, but it can edge out the Sangean on high AF response. By the way, has WSM capped their audio bandwidth? A few other stations sound far richer on both receivers than WSM at the moment. 740 CHWO and 860 CJBC sound nice on both radios, with highs exceeding 8kHz. Perhaps WSM is running HD Radio during the day, and leaving the 5kHz brick wall on at night? I've tuned WSM in the early morning while ït was hanging around via skywave and based on the Eastern Daylight Time "daytime hours" found no hint of HD Radio, but it might have been too weak for the Sangean to sense.

 

[dbdigital]

While RF recovers from his apoplexy let's get back to the topic: few Americans use HD-R.

Yesterday I went into a brand new Circuit City store in Signal Hill shopping for a LCD TV. While there I wandered the aisles checking out all of their displays. They had several well-stocked ones including one for satellite radio which contained a wide range of units for home and car. But there was nothing for HD-Radio.

Next I went to a local Ken Crane's and, surprise!, they actually had a BA Recepter on display with an invitation to "Discover It!" Unfortunately, the invitation to discover it was a little hard to do since the Recepter was unplugged. I should also mention that I was the only customer who showed any interest in the radio. No one else even gave it a glance.

With poor (or no) showings like this, I don't know how anyone can think that HD-R is going to generate consumer excitement. You people who are HD-R boosters are wasting your precious time writing here. You need to be campaigning and whining to these retailers (not that I care).

db

Let's see where we are two years from now. If IBOC fails I still have an outstanding tuner for DXing and it was only $200 very reasonable dollars. If it's a success, then I guess you guys will have to find something else to complain about. Either way I win

Pretty expensive for just an AM/FM radio - no wonder, consumers are not biting. HD Radio offers little extra value for such expensive receivers. No reason for consumers to spend over $50 - AM/FM boom-boxes, with built-in CD players are good enough. I saw the picture of the Sangean, which is mostly hollow inside - another HD Radio ripoff.

Weren't you banned? Oh that's right, you like to brag about using fake email.

Anyway, consumers are biting. You can't refute that radios have been sold. Proof enough!

Yep, there will always be early adopters and gear heads who will buy anything new. I have a friend who has a still working DCC recorder and its digital audio does sound better than analog. But so what, it's dead as a format, a victim of consumer disinterest.

Technical problems aside, HD-Radio is the answer to a question no consumer has asked but the terrestrial radio industry certainly has, namely, "how do we compete with satellite radio, web-only broadcasters and iPods?" As such, HD-R satisfies an industry-only agenda. The poor consumer is being asked to support with their hard-earned dollars, what turns out to be, a radio industry obsession...competing with other media.

No wonder HD-Radio is way down on the consumer list of 'must-haves', if it's on the list at all. As I've said before, unless iBiquity and the CE manufacturers are ready to give HD-R away and/or make it mandatory on all future AM/FM receivers, it will very likely end up just another electronic curiosity similar to DCC.

db

 

[radiopilot]

While RF recovers from his apoplexy let's get back to the topic: few Americans use HD-R.

Yesterday I went into a brand new Circuit City store in Signal Hill shopping for a LCD TV. While there I wandered the aisles checking out all of their displays. They had several well-stocked ones including one for satellite radio which contained a wide range of units for home and car. But there was nothing for HD-Radio.

Next I went to a local Ken Crane's and, surprise!, they actually had a BA Recepter on display with an invitation to "Discover It!" Unfortunately, the invitation to discover it was a little hard to do since the Recepter was unplugged. I should also mention that I was the only customer who showed any interest in the radio. No one else even gave it a glance.

With poor (or no) showings like this, I don't know how anyone can think that HD-R is going to generate consumer excitement. You people who are HD-R boosters are wasting your precious time writing here. You need to be campaigning and whining to these retailers (not that I care).

db

Let's see where we are two years from now. If IBOC fails I still have an outstanding tuner for DXing and it was only $200 very reasonable dollars. If it's a success, then I guess you guys will have to find something else to complain about. Either way I win

Pretty expensive for just an AM/FM radio - no wonder, consumers are not biting. HD Radio offers little extra value for such expensive receivers. No reason for consumers to spend over $50 - AM/FM boom-boxes, with built-in CD players are good enough. I saw the picture of the Sangean, which is mostly hollow inside - another HD Radio ripoff.

Weren't you banned? Oh that's right, you like to brag about using fake email.

Anyway, consumers are biting. You can't refute that radios have been sold. Proof enough!

Yep, there will always be early adopters and gear heads who will buy anything new. I have a friend who has a still working DCC recorder and its digital audio does sound better than analog. But so what, it's dead as a format, a victim of consumer disinterest.

Technical problems aside, HD-Radio is the answer to a question no consumer has asked but the terrestrial radio industry certainly has, namely, "how do we compete with satellite radio, web-only broadcasters and iPods?" As such, HD-R satisfies an industry-only agenda. The poor consumer is being asked to support with their hard-earned dollars, what turns out to be, a radio industry obsession...competing with other media.

No wonder HD-Radio is way down on the consumer list of 'must-haves', if it's on the list at all. As I've said before, unless iBiquity and the CE manufacturers are ready to give HD-R away and/or make it mandatory on all future AM/FM receivers, it will very likely end up just another electronic curiosity similar to DCC.

db

Not only that but they are looking to 'turn' a profit by trying out 'preliminary' tests on subscription based HD services to compete with satelite... Yep... it starts out with reading services or private channels, but then who knows... I not in that corporate board room making evil plans at Ibiquity.

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.4028.html

Radiopilot

 

[R.F. Burns]

While RF recovers from his apoplexy let's get back to the topic: few Americans use HD-R.

Yesterday I went into a brand new Circuit City store in Signal Hill shopping for a LCD TV. While there I wandered the aisles checking out all of their displays. They had several well-stocked ones including one for satellite radio which contained a wide range of units for home and car. But there was nothing for HD-Radio.

Next I went to a local Ken Crane's and, surprise!, they actually had a BA Recepter on display with an invitation to "Discover It!" Unfortunately, the invitation to discover it was a little hard to do since the Recepter was unplugged. I should also mention that I was the only customer who showed any interest in the radio. No one else even gave it a glance.

With poor (or no) showings like this, I don't know how anyone can think that HD-R is going to generate consumer excitement. You people who are HD-R boosters are wasting your precious time writing here. You need to be campaigning and whining to these retailers (not that I care).

db

Let's see where we are two years from now. If IBOC fails I still have an outstanding tuner for DXing and it was only $200 very reasonable dollars. If it's a success, then I guess you guys will have to find something else to complain about. Either way I win

Pretty expensive for just an AM/FM radio - no wonder, consumers are not biting. HD Radio offers little extra value for such expensive receivers. No reason for consumers to spend over $50 - AM/FM boom-boxes, with built-in CD players are good enough. I saw the picture of the Sangean, which is mostly hollow inside - another HD Radio ripoff.

Weren't you banned? Oh that's right, you like to brag about using fake email.

Anyway, consumers are biting. You can't refute that radios have been sold. Proof enough!

Yep, there will always be early adopters and gear heads who will buy anything new. I have a friend who has a still working DCC recorder and its digital audio does sound better than analog. But so what, it's dead as a format, a victim of consumer disinterest.

Technical problems aside, HD-Radio is the answer to a question no consumer has asked but the terrestrial radio industry certainly has, namely, "how do we compete with satellite radio, web-only broadcasters and iPods?" As such, HD-R satisfies an industry-only agenda. The poor consumer is being asked to support with their hard-earned dollars, what turns out to be, a radio industry obsession...competing with other media.

No wonder HD-Radio is way down on the consumer list of 'must-haves', if it's on the list at all. As I've said before, unless iBiquity and the CE manufacturers are ready to give HD-R away and/or make it mandatory on all future AM/FM receivers, it will very likely end up just another electronic curiosity similar to DCC.

db

Not only that but they are looking to 'turn' a profit by trying out 'preliminary' tests on subscription based HD services to compete with satelite... Yep... it starts out with reading services or private channels, but then who knows... I not in that corporate board room making evil plans at Ibiquity.

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.4028.html

Radiopilot

Why would they want to copy XM & Sirius, two failed companies who must merge to stay in business.

 

[radiopilot]

While RF recovers from his apoplexy let's get back to the topic: few Americans use HD-R.

Yesterday I went into a brand new Circuit City store in Signal Hill shopping for a LCD TV. While there I wandered the aisles checking out all of their displays. They had several well-stocked ones including one for satellite radio which contained a wide range of units for home and car. But there was nothing for HD-Radio.

Next I went to a local Ken Crane's and, surprise!, they actually had a BA Recepter on display with an invitation to "Discover It!" Unfortunately, the invitation to discover it was a little hard to do since the Recepter was unplugged. I should also mention that I was the only customer who showed any interest in the radio. No one else even gave it a glance.

With poor (or no) showings like this, I don't know how anyone can think that HD-R is going to generate consumer excitement. You people who are HD-R boosters are wasting your precious time writing here. You need to be campaigning and whining to these retailers (not that I care).

db

Let's see where we are two years from now. If IBOC fails I still have an outstanding tuner for DXing and it was only $200 very reasonable dollars. If it's a success, then I guess you guys will have to find something else to complain about. Either way I win

Pretty expensive for just an AM/FM radio - no wonder, consumers are not biting. HD Radio offers little extra value for such expensive receivers. No reason for consumers to spend over $50 - AM/FM boom-boxes, with built-in CD players are good enough. I saw the picture of the Sangean, which is mostly hollow inside - another HD Radio ripoff.

Weren't you banned? Oh that's right, you like to brag about using fake email.

Anyway, consumers are biting. You can't refute that radios have been sold. Proof enough!

Yep, there will always be early adopters and gear heads who will buy anything new. I have a friend who has a still working DCC recorder and its digital audio does sound better than analog. But so what, it's dead as a format, a victim of consumer disinterest.

Technical problems aside, HD-Radio is the answer to a question no consumer has asked but the terrestrial radio industry certainly has, namely, "how do we compete with satellite radio, web-only broadcasters and iPods?" As such, HD-R satisfies an industry-only agenda. The poor consumer is being asked to support with their hard-earned dollars, what turns out to be, a radio industry obsession...competing with other media.

No wonder HD-Radio is way down on the consumer list of 'must-haves', if it's on the list at all. As I've said before, unless iBiquity and the CE manufacturers are ready to give HD-R away and/or make it mandatory on all future AM/FM receivers, it will very likely end up just another electronic curiosity similar to DCC.

db

Not only that but they are looking to 'turn' a profit by trying out 'preliminary' tests on subscription based HD services to compete with satelite... Yep... it starts out with reading services or private channels, but then who knows... I not in that corporate board room making evil plans at Ibiquity.

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.4028.html

Radiopilot

Why would they want to copy XM & Sirius, two failed companies who must merge to stay in business.

I see that you probably didn't read the article... but here is an excerpt:

"Early opinions were mixed on this question. Several sources pointed to the precedent of terrestrial TV stations offering pay services on some of their multiple digital channels.

Others feel the issue does raise policy questions, given the high value of spectrum. “The question is how do you tax that,” one source said.

Ibiquity Senior Vice President/General Counsel Al Shuldiner said the company hasn’t discussed the concept with the commission because the technology is still under development but that it has regular discussions with FCC staff.

“I’m sure when conditional access becomes available, we’ll be available to come up with the right solutions. I’m not sure what concerns they’ll have … (however) we’ll be ready to help work through that with them.”

Figure it out for yourself...

Radiopilot