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HD Radio, a technology who's time may have come and gone.

P

pqgeorge

Like CBS Color, which was fully sanctioned by the FCC back in the 1950's, in it's current incarnation, HDRadio could wind up yet another footnote in broadcasting history. The problem is that IBOC is too costly for the smaller stations to implement both with installation costs and the exorbitant licenses fees that iBiquity is charging for use of the equipment. Today, the HDRadios are becoming harder to find at the normal consumer grade stores like Walmart, Radio Shack et.al.. And the radios that are "out-there", simply are not effective enough for the "average Joe" to use. Now the IBOC folks are begging for the FCC to allow for even more interference by having IBOC's FM injection level to go from 1% to 10%. What a nightmare in the making!! The system does not work, unless you're running a full-powered Class B or C FM'er. And even then, the coverage is pretty poor. Forget IBOC AM. The AM band was never intended to handle that kind of generated noise (a.k.a.- hiss), especially now with so many electronic noise generating devices are already out there on the market and in the home.

I would not be surprised if FMeXtra might be the next generation of digital FM radio. Unlike IBOC, it does not compromise the first and second adjacents. It uses the existing bandwidth currently used by SCA. It's easier to install, does not require license fees from iBiquity and any station (even the 10 and 100 watters) can enjoy the benefit of full digital broadcasting without "upsetting the neighbors".

IMHO, obviously the listening public has not warmed up to IBOC. Sadly, for radio, the public is finding other ways listen to music other than IBOC (HDRadio) like IPOD's, Internet stations, never mind the up and coming technologies like WiFi, cell-phones and others. HDRadio is too complex for the listening public to fathom. Ease of operation is the key (instant gratification). Without a streamlined platform (like a typical portable boombox or a walkman type receiver), the public will avoid it. And with lackluster performance (coverage-wise), it's barely getting out of the starting gate as a technology.

Believe it or not, I thought that originally HDRadio showed a lot of promise. I actually bought an HDRadio 4 years ago to see for myself. But as the years have elapsed, to me the technology seems to be pretty much caught dead in the water. Back to the old drawing board as they say.
 
Unfortunately, a handful of bullies are going to ram through this power increase so their own station can have the power, and we may be stuck with some die-hard stations and fans for decades, just like AM stereo. If you are unlucky enough to want to hear an adjacent near one of these spectrum hogs, you will be out of luck for years.
 
Or they could just turn off Iboc, not mess around with FM Extra, Just leave radio the way it is, I'm happy with it now.
 
As are 99.99% of radio listeners just like you, jras20.

Yeah, I know predictions are hazardous. But I'm pretty confident about this one. As regards HD-FM, I would predict that a perfunctory "comment period" will be observed by the Commission - because they have no choice. Irrespective of the outcome of that FCC feedback, the tenfold increase will get across-the-board approval. The NPR study and other negative comments will be ignored, just as were the danger alarms about HD-AM.

After which: HD Radio will continue to die on the vine. A handful of obstinate Alliance HD promoters will crank up the digital power, and in congested markets the results will be disastrous, a la HD-AM. Self-interference will erode existing analog audiences and blot out short-spaced adjacents in cases of recent move-ins and in nearby markets. Operating and utility costs will skyrocket.

If the interference problems don't deter widespread adoption, the costs will. Most sane operators (read: non-CBS, Crawford and Greater Media, today's leading HD Kool-Aid drinkers) will take a look at the costs of reject loads dissipating 90% of digital RF, beefier combiners or massive reconstruction of Tx sites - after which the CFOs will decisively snap the checkbook closed.

Then, I expect the coup d'etat: after the FCC ignores the interference complaints, as it has done to date in scores of unreported cases (and I happen to know this from a leading Washington DC law firm representing one of the industry's biggest radio groups) the first big-dollar interference lawsuits will hit. Named defendants will include the interfering station, iBiquity, whoever manufactured the offending HD exciter and other gear, the Alliance and the CE and GM of the interfering station as individuals.

After which the creaky, creeping, empty, obsolete and pointless HD train-to-nowhere will stop - permanently.

HD Radio. Dead technology walking. No, wait: crawling.

Hey, has anybody tried to actually buy an HD Radio lately? :D I mean...ANYwhere?? :D :D
 
Savage said:
Hey, has anybody tried to actually buy an HD Radio lately? :D I mean...ANYwhere?? :D :D
Click to expand...

HD Radios are getting scarcer and scarcer.

In the latest Radio World I was reading J.R. Russ' frustrating attempts at finding and demoing HD Radios at big box retailers in Philadelphia. In the end he asks, "How can broadcasters expect the public to get excited about HD Radio when it can't be uniformly heard everywhere? How can retailers sell the product if they don't stock it? How can manufacturers justify building the product if it doesn't sell for these reasons?"

All good questions. My own question would be, "given that sales of HDTVs, a product most everyone knows about and wants, is slowing down due to the economy, why would retailers even want to stock HD Radios at all, a product few people know about or desire?" It seems retailers are asking that question and are responding accordingly.

In the same issue of RW Skip Pizzi observes that, “It’s now no longer a question of if, but rather when, the wireless Internet will have measurable impact on radio listening...It is therefore to a broadcasters’ advantage to play along rather than fight." He says that broadcasters should not wait for FM receivers to come to phones, but instead to get into mobile devices via 3G/4G.

So for the older listener, their current analog radio is serving them well. For younger and future listeners their phones or an iPod Touch-like device will become their radio.

In either case, HD Radio is irrelevant.

C5
 
Drat. Thought I had edited thoroughly. I meant "coup de grace," not coup d'etat. (Unless Bob Struble is stepping down and being replaced by Hugo Chavez. Which, when you think about it, isn't really much more far-fetched than anything else that's happened in the Surreal Parallel Universe of HD Radio.)

To Mr. Russ' rhetorical questions quoted by Carmine5 I would add:

How can broadcasters expect the public to get excited about HD Radio when the system doesn't work reliably and effortlessly for all but those with technical expertise (and often, not even then)? Why would they invest a considerable initial outlay plus steeply increased recurring costs (including monopolistic licensing) for a system with practically no prospect for ROI?

How can retailers be expected to sell a product with a product-return rate approaching the rate of initial sale (see above)? Why would they bother trying to sell an overpriced product for which there is practically no demand?

How can manufacturers be expected to build products where the extortionate per-processor license cost far exceeds the final product's overall margin?

And to the idiocy-addled NAB and Alliance "management," so to speak.....so: HOW MANY angels can dance on the head of a pin?? ::)
 
“In the latest Radio World I was reading J.R. Russ' frustrating attempts at finding and demo HD Radios at big box retailers in Philadelphia.”

I felt the same frustrating experience in Jacksonville FL.
I traveled between 4 big electronics stores searching for just one HD receiver to evaluate, play with and maybe purchase too. My mission failed. The sales types bailey knew what I was talking about. And totally forget the idea of finding an actual working radio.

Conversely, 60 miles south in Palm Coast, at my local Wal-Mart store I experienced no issues listening to Boston traffic info on an actual live working xm satellite radio.

An owner of a small car audio store told me, her customers aren’t asking for HD radio.
And these are people who appreciate good sounding audio and would who represent the next generation of radio listeners. She said there’s more demand for USB enabled receivers.
 
I liked the idea of having a dance station free on the air waves, but the reception was very poor! I mostly podcast my dance music now or listen online. I can get a good FM stereo signal from my place 84 miles from Houston with just a dipole antenna, HD was very spotty or un listen able.
I guess one good thing they make pretty good clocks :)
 
Another reason HD Radio isn't ap appealing aside from all those things mentioned, is that they are run like a Jukebox without personallity (Those that do not simalcast news).
John
Bensalem, PA
 
John Holcomb II said:
Another reason HD Radio isn't ap appealing aside from all those things mentioned, is that they are run like a Jukebox without personallity (Those that do not simalcast news).
John
Bensalem, PA
Click to expand...

Every HD-2 channel I've heard (which isn't many as they usually broadcasting silence) has been really bad.
 
"they are run like a Jukebox without personallity"

Thank you for saying that.

Their slogans might be:

HD radio, a computer in closet
Playing our music in the closet
The best generic radio
 
I was originally supportive of HD (HD-2) on FM because it offered me a genre of music that was not available. After 2 years now of jukebox programming without personalities, it got to the point where I don't even listen anymore. I could understand when initially starting up, utilizing this type of format, but it seemed there was no effort to make the programming a truly viable one. Why would anyone be attracted to this type of programming when you can be more selective, and get it through your Ipod? I might add, I am just a radio listner, and have no ties to engineering aspect or radio station doings. While I had no trouble with reception in my office, what would drive the average listener to want this type of jukebox format, escpecially with a background concern of reception issues? I would have loved to see the HD on FM workout, but I think it was very poorly handled.
Just my two cents. JohnEB
 
Anyone knows I'm a radio geek. I'd love to test it and would even go and get a tuner knowing the reception issues. But ware I'm not willing to get a tuner, is knowing that there is no personallity at all. There is no reason for anyone to bother as a listener getting this. Most don't have outdoor rotaters like I do. Jukebox radio = Winamp with crossfader installed and a compressor/limitor. You can do your own IBOC at home!
Simple, really.
1. Find a vakent frequency on your FM dial.
2. Buy yourself an FM transmitter.
3. Load up your Winamp with crossfading and a compressor.
4. Plug in your FM transmitter to the output of the sound card and broadcast said audio.
5. Drive down the street with your FM tuner tuned to the frequency that you are broadcasting at, and wait as the station fades away. Notice there is no jocks.
That is about the evquivalent of IBOC programming.
lol
John
Bensalem, PA
 
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