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First HD4 Signal in This Area?

B

Barry

Tuning around tonight, I noticed that WVIP 93.5 just added an HD4 broadcast. It is currently simulcasting sister station WVOX AM, as does the HD2. The HD3 continues to carry Country Hits HD. Perhaps Tony Santiago can persuade them to put a dance format there ;).
I believe this is the first HD4 signal on an FM station in the New York area.
 
Correction: WVIP's HD2 is actually broadcasting the Music of Your Life adult standards music format.
As previously mentioned, HD3 carries Country Hits HD, and HD4 is a rebroadcast of sister station WVOX AM.
 
I don't see what the point of doing is when there are so few HD radios owned in the NYC area. It seems that the only HD radios on the market are ones manufactured by Insignia.

Bruce
 
From Bruce: >> 'I don't see what the point of doing is when there are so few HD radios owned in the NYC area. It seems that the only HD radios on the market are ones manufactured by Insignia.' <<

Hedge investment, pure and simple. The attempt at staying in the game is just like the stations that web-stream and offer badly-programmed spot breaks and transitions on another such investment.

Terrestrial is eroding. These broadcast management folks know it, and want to be ready on every non-terrestrial front. I'm not certain which actually came first -- the HD process or the streaming agenda. But doesn't it just seem that the terrestrial/HD expedition has been around twenty years longer?
 
Of course FM also had very few listeners for many years after the technology began. It turned out to be a decent investment for the broadcasters that set up the early FM stations.
As HD radio signals and content are gradually improving, I would not be surprised if it gradually gets included as standard in most car radios. The increased cost is insignificant on a new car, which generally costs upwards of $20,000. Many of the new GPS units are expected to use HD signals for traffic data, an additional inducement to include HD receivers in cars.
Naturally online and satellite radio are also becoming increasingly common in cars. But my guess is that there will be a place for over the air radio for many years to come. The fact that the signals remain absolutely free is still a powerful attraction.
But whether HD broadcasts become successful or not, I am enjoying the additional variety the side channels offer.
 
MusicRadioUSA said:
Question, do HD radios support 4 HD channels ? I thought they only support 3 HD channels.
Click to expand...
If there is a limit, it is very high, but we do have an absolute bandwidth limit of 96kb/s to be divided up any way, so a station could run a local traffic & weather channel and every high school game in the area, but they would all be telephone line quality. Add one decent quality music channel and you cut the number of voice channels in half. Drop the analogue FM, RDS, SCA, and stereo stuff and you double the bandwidth to 192kb/s.
Someone correct me if my math is less than accurate.
 
ai4i said:
MusicRadioUSA said:
Question, do HD radios support 4 HD channels ? I thought they only support 3 HD channels.
Click to expand...
If there is a limit, it is very high, but we do have an absolute bandwidth limit of 96kb/s to be divided up any way, so a station could run a local traffic & weather channel and every high school game in the area, but they would all be telephone line quality. Add one decent quality music channel and you cut the number of voice channels in half. Drop the analogue FM, RDS, SCA, and stereo stuff and you double the bandwidth to 192kb/s.
Someone correct me if my math is less than accurate.
Click to expand...

Sounds right --- I dont think there is a limit however past 4 you will have some pretty nasty sounding audio... 4 is pushing it..
 
You can use extended hybrid, if you dump the SCA and RDS... I think it is 112kb/s total.
 
Barry said:
Perhaps Tony Santiago can persuade them to put a dance format there ;).
Click to expand...

While I'd rather see such a station on standard FM, I'll take anything at this point! :) Get translators like DriveFX did for the Hudson Valley and we'll be alright :)
 
luperm said:
Maybe they're looking to lease it out (if they haven't done so already).
Click to expand...
Making money by leasing an HD subchannel may not yet be viable, as illustrated by the apparent failure of One Caribbean Radio, on WSKQ HD2.
My guess is that WVIP gets the Music of Your Life Programming on HD2 for free, in exchange for running their commercials.
 
Probably true on the MOYL feed. I always saw WVIP's subchannels as placeholders for leased services.
But, I suppose the same could be said for any HD2/3/4. There's always a price.
 
BTW, WVIP did lease an HD channel briefly. Gee Caribbean radio came and went on HD2 virtually unnoticed.
At least WVIP is trying the technology. Few if any other commercial suburban stations in this area have an HD2, let alone an HD3 and HD4.
A bold step they could take is to make one of rhe channels available for a year or two for free or a nominal amount to a local school or nonprofit organization. That could get them some good publicity, and interesting programming.
 
Are there any statistics on how many HD radios were sold either nationally or in the NYC area? I don't think any of the HD2 or HD3 stations in NYC ever picked up any numbers in the ratings.

Bruce
 
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