HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

[BOBBY.B]

HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

Though not the 10 dB increase that’s currently requested at the Commission, but 6 dB – for now. The technology developer submits testing it did in Boston with Greater Media stations like AC WMJX (106.7), and says it “demonstrates the 6dB increase in power provides FM broadcasters with a significant improvement in coverage.“ But chances are the Commission will withhold approval until it sees the results of a second set of field tests conducted by National Public Radio. The first group, conducted around Pittsburgh, showed the potential for interference if a 10 dB hike were allowed. HD Radio operators say the current power levels are insufficient to give many potential set-buyers a good signal, even in the retail store. I LIVE IN ROLLING MEADOWS AND WHEN I GO INTO THE CITY THE SOUND OF HD RADIO IS WORTH HAVING ONE. I MEAN THE HD2 & HD3 CHANELS. HAVE A GREAT DAY BOBBY.

 

[radioman148]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

Though not the 10 dB increase that’s currently requested at the Commission, but 6 dB – for now. The technology developer submits testing it did in Boston with Greater Media stations like AC WMJX (106.7), and says it “demonstrates the 6dB increase in power provides FM broadcasters with a significant improvement in coverage.“ But chances are the Commission will withhold approval until it sees the results of a second set of field tests conducted by National Public Radio. The first group, conducted around Pittsburgh, showed the potential for interference if a 10 dB hike were allowed. HD Radio operators say the current power levels are insufficient to give many potential set-buyers a good signal, even in the retail store. I LIVE IN ROLLING MEADOWS AND WHEN I GO INTO THE CITY THE SOUND OF HD RADIO IS WORTH HAVING ONE. I MEAN THE HD2 & HD3 CHANELS. HAVE A GREAT DAY BOBBY.

My HD radio is sitting in a closet collecting dust. HD is a waste IMO.

 

[BRNout]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

My HD radio is sitting in a closet collecting dust. HD is a waste IMO.

Mine is on a table being used mainly as a CD player for the kids. Nobody uses the HD radio part anymore. Agree with you on this radioman.

However, Ibiquity isn't willing to go away that easily and now wants to screw up the FM band as they have done to AM. Can you imagine the sideband interference to first adjacents located on the fringes of the Chicago market? How Chicago and Milwaukee FMs would sound in a place like Waukegan or Gurnee with a 10 fold increase? A disaster waiting to happen.

 

[stormy01]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

I'm not buying any HD equipment until I hear it's reliable - so much for being a "first adopter" - I want something that works!

"Let the complaining begin" (and will that complaining ever be loud - like when your taxes shoot to the moon - coming soon to your paycheck)

 

[cyberdad]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

My daughter lives in London and has an HD radio. She actually won it in a call-in contest from the BBC. Works great, easy to use, sounds good....but not appreciably better (if at all) than standard FM. Of course, it's a different HD system over there.

She was pretty enthusiastic when she got the radio at the beginning of last year, but now...just like her cyber-dad...most of her listening is on her computer or iPhone. She mainly listens to radio on her commute to/from work, and it's primarily WBEZ and/or The Drive. The British HD receiver obviously can't help her with those two, and now it pretty much just collects dust!

 

[radioman148]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

My daughter lives in London and has an HD radio. She actually won it in a call-in contest from the BBC. Works great, easy to use, sounds good....but not appreciably better (if at all) than standard FM. Of course, it's a different HD system over there.

She was pretty enthusiastic when she got the radio at the beginning of last year, but now...just like her cyber-dad...most of her listening is on her computer or iPhone. She mainly listens to radio on her commute to/from work, and it's primarily WBEZ and/or The Drive. The British HD receiver obviously can't help her with those two, and now it pretty much just collects dust!

I'm guessing she doesn't care for British radio very much if she's listening to Chicago.

 

[BRNout]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

A matter of taste, I guess. Personally, I prefer their CHR's to ours - Capital is great, for example, and I've spent many an hour over here listening to them. In some ways, the energy level on those stations harken back to our Hot Hits CHRs of the 1980s. Their AC's seem brighter too. And they have excellent jocks ("presenters") that are as good as America's best.

Then again, if you like political talk, oldies or rock - you're probably better off streaming from Chicago. Depends what you like I suppose.

The British DAB system is on a different band and doesn't adversely affect MW or FM signals there. However, I've noticed that the number of stations offered on DAB has been slowly waning a bit. And the sound quality isn't any better than FM. Most stations don't sound any better than a typical internet stream. I was interested in it because they offered some unique formats like Virgin Groove (an old school R&B/dance format). Well it's gone now, along with several others. You do get national coverage of certain popular stations like hot AC Heart FM - which is a plus if you live up north where it's not offered on FM.

As the DAB signals are all sited on adequately powered, regional multiplex transmitters, reception of DAB versus FM is highly dependent on where you live or are. They're in different locations than the FM transmitters. Some folks claim better reception via DAB than FM - I'd imagine that's the case if you live near a nice new mux tx tower. However, the majority still do better with FM.

Now they're talking about adopting Europe's DAB+, so even their vastly superior digital system has plenty of bugs.

 

[cyberdad]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

I'm guessing she doesn't care for British radio very much if she's listening to Chicago.

Actually, she does like some of it. I think BBC radio one, BBC three, and one or two others. Mostly on the weekends, I think. The two Chicago stations....along with 'XRT....are more her connection with home. As is having the Chicago Tribune as home page on her web browser.

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!

We get the flip side when she comes home and brings along her significant other. He's usually streaming either BBC1 or "The Edge" through the stereo when he's here. But he also likes 'XRT.

 

[radioman148]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

Actually I often listen to Capital & Capital Gold. Also I like Radio 2.
They do some very good radio over there.

 

[oldhack1965]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

I don't know why they call it "HD" radio. HD is a television term because of the difference in pixels and aspect ratio. The only difference is between analog and digital transmission radio is...just that. One is analog, the other is Digital. There is no "HD" radio so I wish they would stop advertising it as such.

Also, I hope we stay ANALOG in radio....Digital transmission is more susceptible to interference and it doesn't travel as far. I live in Michigan City, IN and I could pick up ALL the analog TV signals just fine. Now that it's Digital I've had to buy a different antenna and an amplifier just to get the S/N ratio to an acceptable level for the digital signal. Analog was MUCH MUCH more tolerant.

 

[stormy01]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

"They" (Iniquity & Broadcasters) couldn't figure out another/better name for their Hybrid Digital system, so it became "HD" Radio. Unfortunately, it's not High Definition sound if it sounds worse than an internet stream... By the way, I like many of the overseas streams as well from the UK, France, Japan and Australia to name a few - "broadcasters" - listen in and take good notes, many of us are listening elsewhere because, quite frankly, it's better... like foreign made cars... they're better.

 

[BRNout]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

I'm guessing she doesn't care for British radio very much if she's listening to Chicago.

Actually, she does like some of it. I think BBC radio one, BBC three, and one or two others. Mostly on the weekends, I think. The two Chicago stations....along with 'XRT....are more her connection with home. As is having the Chicago Tribune as home page on her web browser.

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!

We get the flip side when she comes home and brings along her significant other. He's usually streaming either BBC1 or "The Edge" through the stereo when he's here. But he also likes 'XRT.

But you don't need the DAB for BBC1 or BBC3. If anything, the FM signals are high-powered and with top-notch audio that almost certainly exceeds anything you can stream digitally. You do need DAB once you get to the BBC specialty formats beyond BBC4 though.

Agree with Radioman on BBC 2 (basically a rock/AC with lots of public service) and that Capital Gold is good....but prefer our WLS-FM and a lot of other US oldies stations overall.

I totally agree with cyber-daughter about the TV over there. Unless you have a dish with a full compliment of cable channels, basic TV is grim. And the licence fee is an abomination that we would never have tolerated over here. They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

 

[stormy01]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!
They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

So the license is about $176/year - is this per TV receiver? Add to that if you want satellite or cable. Ouch.

 

[BRNout]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

Actually, I believe it's one licence per household and there's a different fee for color TV versus black and white (I kid you not). Black and white is about 1/3 of the color licence fee. But if memory serves, it's more like 145 pounds now (over $200). It keeps going up.

 

[radioman148]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

I'm guessing she doesn't care for British radio very much if she's listening to Chicago.

Actually, she does like some of it. I think BBC radio one, BBC three, and one or two others. Mostly on the weekends, I think. The two Chicago stations....along with 'XRT....are more her connection with home. As is having the Chicago Tribune as home page on her web browser.

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!

We get the flip side when she comes home and brings along her significant other. He's usually streaming either BBC1 or "The Edge" through the stereo when he's here. But he also likes 'XRT.

But you don't need the DAB for BBC1 or BBC3. If anything, the FM signals are high-powered and with top-notch audio that almost certainly exceeds anything you can stream digitally. You do need DAB once you get to the BBC specialty formats beyond BBC4 though.

Agree with Radioman on BBC 2 (basically a rock/AC with lots of public service) and that Capital Gold is good....but prefer our WLS-FM and a lot of other US oldies stations overall.

I totally agree with cyber-daughter about the TV over there. Unless you have a dish with a full compliment of cable channels, basic TV is grim. And the licence fee is an abomination that we would never have tolerated over here. They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

I've had the opportunity to watch over the air TV in the UK and it's terrible at best.
I can't imagine anyone actually paying for that.

 

[stormy01]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

I know that in the past the OFCOM (roughly the the UK equivalent of the FCC here in the US) license enforcement officers could pick up the local oscillator and whatever RF the TV emits as a by-product of being a receiver by using highly sensitive receiving equipment in their vehicles some distance outside a residence, but is this also true of LCD, LED and Plasma monitors that these devices also emit RF that can be picked up by OFCOM?

 

[cyberdad]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!
They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

So the license is about $176/year - is this per TV receiver? Add to that if you want satellite or cable. Ouch.

She and her BF have one little anaolog TV....with a cable package that brings in about 150 channels, including a couple dozen from the U.S. Last I heard 109 pounds was what they were paying for the TV licence. Not sure about the cable, but the number 24 pounds sticks in my mind (around $40). I don't think they're paying for premium movie or sports channels, although I do know they bought North American Sports Network for a month or two during Cubs, Sox, & Bears playoff runs. Not sure if cyberdaughter converted "her bloke" to becoming a Chicago sports fan. But I did observe him having an Old Style the last time he was here!

 

[radioman148]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

What she doesn't care for is most of what's on British TV.....not to mention the 109 pounds for the licence fee!
They actually have licence enforcement officers drive around neighbourhoods looking for violators too!

So the license is about $176/year - is this per TV receiver? Add to that if you want satellite or cable. Ouch.

She and her BF have one little anaolog TV....with a cable package that brings in about 150 channels, including a couple dozen from the U.S. Last I heard 109 pounds was what they were paying for the TV licence. Not sure about the cable, but the number 24 pounds sticks in my mind (around $40). I don't think they're paying for premium movie or sports channels, although I do know they bought North American Sports Network for a month or two during Cubs, Sox, & Bears playoff runs. Not sure if cyberdaughter converted "her bloke" to becoming a Chicago sports fan. But I did observe him having an Old Style the last time he was here!

Can you actually watch any American sports teams over there if you pay?
For example if I were a White Sox fan could I get their games on TV over there?

 

[BRNout]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

North American Sports Network, which is now called ESPN America, shows a selection of games from the US. It's probably a lot like the ESPN feed that I used to watch in Latin America, which had rights to some NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA games. And the Super Bowl (with different, boring, announcers and no great ads!). You would probably see the White Sox now and then, but that's about it. You're not going to be able to buy a dish sports package over there with the regional channels like CSN or YES or NESN. Nor would you even be within their satellite coverage footprint. So you could not get ALL the games, just some once in a while.

Since there's been a bit of disagreement here about what the licence fee is, I googled it. To quote the BBC's website:

The annual cost of a colour TV licence (set by the Government) is currently £142.50. That works out at less than £12 per month - about 39p per day for each household.

A black and white TV licence is £48.

The licence (whether colour or black and white) is free if you are 75 or over, and half-price if you are registered blind, although you still need to apply.

Date from Colour licence Black and white licence
1 April 2009 £142.50 £48.00
1 April 2010 £145.50 £49.00
1 April 2011 £148.50 £50.00
1 April 2012* £148.50-£151.50 £50.00-£51.00

*There will be an increase in the sixth year of between 0% and 2%, but a firm decision will be taken as part of the next funding settlement.

If you have cable or dish, that cost is on top of the licence fee. I had a friend who was over there for 6 months. He bought a TV and paid cash for it. He also managed to get the salesman not to write down his information on the form (as that goes to the gov't). And, even with all that, he admitted to sweating it out a bit for not paying the fee - though he did get away with it. That was back when the pound was running $2.04 or so. My wife's aunt now gets the 75+ freebie, though she had to pay the colour fee before. Took her until sometime in the 90s to get a colour TV as a result!

By the way, cyberdad, what is your cyberdaughter doing torturing her chappy with Old Style?!?

It's a diplomatic incident in the making!! That stuff is awful to me and it must be positively dreadful to someone used to the likes of Youngs, Tetley's and John Smiths!!! Leinenkugel's is a far better basic beer - though still a very pale shadow of any great British ale.

 

[softmachine]

Re: HD RADIO AND MORE POWER????

How about a computer tuner card and a large monitor? Is that still fee-able?