HD Radio false claims checklist

[vsa]

I happen to enjoy having these new formats available to me and I regularly listen to the HD 3 channel of one of our local stations. Is the programing compelling? I enjoy it, maybe you wouldn't, but that's what makes the world we live in, the world we live in. 

Please tell us about this particular HD3 station, its format, personalities, your TSL, etc. Perhaps someone might be moved to buy an HD radio if they find the description appealing.

I listen to WNYC's HD3. Usually turn it on about 8:30 and listen to it while I go to bed and again as I am waking up in the AM. What it is, is the WNYC AM audio which is audible here with a lot of interference on AM. They run NPR talk shows as well as a local NYC talk show, which airs while I am at work. With HD 3 typically being a mono feed there is no problem with a talk radio format being on the HD 3 channel. Before WCBS FM reverted to "oldies" on their HD1/analog channel, I used to listen to their HD 2 which not only included music unavailable elsewhere in the NY market but also a weekly countdown show. I'm not trying to convince anyone to purchase an HD radio. All I'll say is that I ws motivated enough to buy three HD radios and I've been contemplating replacing my kitchen Super Radio with the new Sony HD radio.

Not a bad use for an HD3. I can hear the mono mp3 and wma streams here in Los Angeles. Am I a DXer?  The mp3 version sounds better to me:

http://www.wnyc.org/stream/am.pls

If you live in a strong signal area, don't have broadband or don't want to listen on your computer or don't want to buy an Internet radio (wired or wi-fi), I can see how buying an HD radio is a reasonable option if you really enjoy the station.

At Fry's Electronics superstore last weekend, I saw three Sangean digital radios.

Sangean HDR-1 tabletop HD radio for $199.99
Sangean HDT-1X component HD radio for $249.99
Sangean WFR-20 tabletop wired and wi-fi Internet radio and media player for $279.00

I also saw the Roku Soundbridge Radio (analog AM/FM with wi-fi Internet radio and media player for $199.99

So there are some interesting digital choices for radio fans that don't even involve satellite radio.

 

 

[clouseau]

I happen to enjoy having these new formats available to me and I regularly listen to the HD 3 channel of one of our local stations. Is the programing compelling? I enjoy it, maybe you wouldn't, but that's what makes the world we live in, the world we live in.

Please tell us about this particular HD3 station, its format, personalities, your TSL, etc. Perhaps someone might be moved to buy an HD radio if they find the description appealing.

I listen to WNYC's HD3. Usually turn it on about 8:30 and listen to it while I go to bed and again as I am waking up in the AM. What it is, is the WNYC AM audio which is audible here with a lot of interference on AM. They run NPR talk shows as well as a local NYC talk show, which airs while I am at work. With HD 3 typically being a mono feed there is no problem with a talk radio format being on the HD 3 channel. Before WCBS FM reverted to "oldies" on their HD1/analog channel, I used to listen to their HD 2 which not only included music unavailable elsewhere in the NY market but also a weekly countdown show. I'm not trying to convince anyone to purchase an HD radio. All I'll say is that I ws motivated enough to buy three HD radios and I've been contemplating replacing my kitchen Super Radio with the new Sony HD radio.

Not a bad use for an HD3. I can hear the mono mp3 and wma streams here in Los Angeles. Am I a DXer? The mp3 version sounds better to me:

http://www.wnyc.org/stream/am.pls

If you live in a strong signal area, don't have broadband or don't want to listen on your computer or don't want to buy an Internet radio (wired or wi-fi), I can see how buying an HD radio is a reasonable option if you really enjoy the station.

At Fry's Electronics superstore last weekend, I saw three Sangean digital radios.

Sangean HDR-1 tabletop HD radio for $199.99
Sangean HDT-1X component HD radio for $249.99
Sangean WFR-20 tabletop wired and wi-fi Internet radio and media player for $279.00

I also saw the Roku Soundbridge Radio (analog AM/FM with wi-fi Internet radio and media player for $199.99

So there are some interesting digital choices for radio fans that don't even involve satellite radio.

VSA. Thanx for the intelligent discourse. It's good to be able to relate on a civil level.

I too enjoy an HD 2. My routine regularly has me at night in Corpus Christi, TX. I enjoy KEDT-FM HD2 which is jazz. KEDT Analog itself, broadcasts a wide variety of NPR, Local classical and local Jazz. They do the best they can in South Texas. (Which AIN'T exactly the cultural center of the universe) Their HD 2 provides ME with the entertainment I listen to as I work or drive between the Studio/transmitter/lodging accomadations I utilize when there. Their jazz format all the time. I like it.

Could I get it on the net. Probably. Would they interupt my listening to tell me about a local problem? Nope. And a call to the CE at KEDT tells me they will let me know if there's a local situation I should be aware of.

Again, vsa, thanks for asking.

Clouseau

 

[vsa]

VSA. Thanx for the intelligent discourse. It's good to be able to relate on a civil level.

I too enjoy an HD 2. My routine regularly has me at night in Corpus Christi, TX. I enjoy KEDT-FM HD2 which is jazz. KEDT Analog itself, broadcasts a wide variety of NPR, Local classical and local Jazz. They do the best they can in South Texas. (Which AIN'T exactly the cultural center of the universe) Their HD 2 provides ME with the entertainment I listen to as I work or drive between the Studio/transmitter/lodging accomadations I utilize when there. Their jazz format all the time. I like it.

Could I get it on the net. Probably. Would they interupt my listening to tell me about a local problem? Nope. And a call to the CE at KEDT tells me they will let me know if there's a local situation I should be aware of.

Again, vsa, thanks for asking.

Clouseau

You're welcome. Is the jazz programming from WFMT's Jazz Satellite Network out of Chicago? I see absolutely no mention of any HD or HD2 station at the KEDT website. The analog FM appears to play jazz overnight on weeknights. It would be interesting to hear a full-time jazz station out of South Texas. Looks like HD radio is the ONLY way to get that programming, so I'm sure you're enjoying it when you can get the signal in your car.

Here in the Los Angeles area, we're blessed to have a great locally-based full time jazz station, KKJZ 88.1-FM.

http://www.jazzandblues.org

MP3 stream via Live365 at:

http://www.jazzandblues.org/programming/listen/links/?path=kkjz1.pls

Interesting LISTEN page:

http://www.jazzandblues.org/programming/listen/

Like KEDT, KKJZ's website has no mention of HD radio, but they do have a "mobile" page:

http://www.jazzandblues.org/mobile/web/

It states: "If you are able to access the internet on your mobile phone, type the address - mobile.jazzandblues.org - into your phone's internet browser and you will be taken to KJazz's mobile home page. What content can I get on my phone? Currently you can get KJazz's live stream, playlists, program schedule, host bios and contact information."

Curiously, KKJZ or KJazz is now being broadcast in Japan via satellite on channel 351 on Mobile Broadcasting Corporation.

http://www.mbco.co.jp/english/

We definitely live in a time of interesting changes.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

The original poster forgot these false claims:

"All AM radios are narrowband and therefore can't receive high fidelity"

"There is no adjacent channel interference because I've never heard it"

"I can get HD in my factory installed Ford radio at 80 miles out"

Let's forget the false claims, take a realistic look at what the system does and doesn't do - and what it will take to FIX IT! Then fix the darn thing. All the false claims (= lies) do nothing to enhance an advocate's credibility.

 

[dbdigital]

"But here's a thought. We know the general public is not interested in HD Radio and no amount of whining and government strong arming is going to change that."


And you know this how? For all of the "it's all boring programming" argument, the vast majority of citizens have voted with their pocket book and stuck with terrestrial radio. People certainly aren't flocking to satellite radio or internet broadcasters in great numbers. How do you suppose you will get privately held companies to agree to use their IBOC exciters, which they have paid for, for a purposes other than what they spent their monies on? Is the government going to come in an take control of these privately held broadcast devices? Do you own an HD radio? I happen to enjoy having these new formats available to me and I regularly listen to the HD 3 channel of one of our local stations. Is the programing compelling? I enjoy it, maybe you wouldn't, but that's what makes the world we live in, the world we live in.

Come on, R.F., we both know that one of the biggest complaints about the HD2/3 programming on most stations is that it is little more than an automated jukebox with only minimal (to none) investment for air and programming talent.

The exception to this is Public Radio which has made good use of its secondary channels and offers the best example of what FM HD Radio could be. But if you enjoy what you're hearing on these 'stations between stations', great.

No, as I've often indicated, I don't own an HD Radio. And unless the FCC mandates a hard cut of analog radio to digital, I won't be buying one anytime soon.

db

 

[R.F. Burns]

I'll put it this way to you. WLTW in NY is not much more than a jukebox with card reading personalities. They've fired all of the experienced air people and y'know what? They are now the most profitable radio station in the US. For years FM radio had a format called beautiful music which was little more than an automated music system. Much of what I've heard on XM is little more than a automated juke box. Again, if you are a country music fan the only way to hear it on over the air radio in NY is via a HD 2 channel. I don't understand why you would want to post on a radio board dedicated to HD radio when you not only don't have one but have no intention of ever buying one. What information of any real insite could you, a non user provide. This isn't meant as an insult but you don't see me going on the Sirrius board because I have never heard Sirrius radio and I have no intention of subscribing. I have had XM in my new car for awhile and while I now can say I have heard enough to make a fair judgement, I have no intention of continuing the service once my free period expires and so I don't comment on the XM board because there is little I can do to add anything to that board. That said, you aren't alone. This board is filled with non IBOC users with an agenda.

 

[vsa]

I'll put it this way to you. WLTW in NY is not much more than a jukebox with card reading personalities. They've fired all of the experienced air people and y'know what? They are now the most profitable radio station in the US. For years FM radio had a format called beautiful music which was little more than an automated music system. 

I was going to explain why what WLTW is doing is stupid, but I've decided to pass. Let companies like that commit a slow and certain suicide.

Much of what I've heard on XM is little more than a automated juke box. Again, if you are a country music fan the only way to hear it on over the air radio in NY is via a HD 2 channel. I don't understand why you would want to post on a radio board dedicated to HD radio when you not only don't have one but have no intention of ever buying one. What information of any real insite could you, a non user provide. This isn't meant as an insult but you don't see me going on the Sirrius board because I have never heard Sirrius radio and I have no intention of subscribing. I have had XM in my new car for awhile and while I now can say I have heard enough to make a fair judgement, I have no intention of continuing the service once my free period expires and so I don't comment on the XM board because there is little I can do to add anything to that board. That said, you aren't alone. This board is filled with non IBOC users with an agenda.

And you don't have an agenda?

If IBAC didn't trample on our radios, we'd leave you alone to wonder where everyone went. Since IBAC stations place sidebands on adjacent frequencies, I think they should have to pay for the use of those adjacent frequencies via an auction. And if you're going to allow IBAC operations, then I think new entrants should also be allowed to apply for new analog services that live within the new higher interference rules allowed for HD radio. Why should iBiquity customers be the only ones allowed to take advantage of the FCC's new liberally-lax interference rules?

We don't propose these things because we know what kind of havoc it would cause.

Do you see any non-customers angry with XM or Sirius? No, because they don't cause interference.

iBiquity promised one thing and delivered something else entirely. And we're not just disappointed. We're pi$#$#$ed!

 

[dbdigital]

I'll put it this way to you. WLTW in NY is not much more than a jukebox with card reading personalities. They've fired all of the experienced air people and y'know what? They are now the most profitable radio station in the US. For years FM radio had a format called beautiful music which was little more than an automated music system. Much of what I've heard on XM is little more than a automated juke box. Again, if you are a country music fan the only way to hear it on over the air radio in NY is via a HD 2 channel. I don't understand why you would want to post on a radio board dedicated to HD radio when you not only don't have one but have no intention of ever buying one. What information of any real insite could you, a non user provide. This isn't meant as an insult but you don't see me going on the Sirrius board because I have never heard Sirrius radio and I have no intention of subscribing. I have had XM in my new car for awhile and while I now can say I have heard enough to make a fair judgement, I have no intention of continuing the service once my free period expires and so I don't comment on the XM board because there is little I can do to add anything to that board. That said, you aren't alone. This board is filled with non IBOC users with an agenda.

For one thing, any good discussion board needs a yin and yang, boosters and detractors to make it interesting. Without that you end up with something resembling the "other board", boring, flat, lifeless and little used. There's an abundance of affability but not much else going on (although their engineering discussions can be good at times).

As for adding anything to the discussion, I would say our value was about equal. And like a bad cold, I probably will hang around for a while. Thanks for your concern.

db

 

[IBOO]

Just for starters, here ar just a few of HD Radio's false claims.

CD-quality sound
No. HD radio uses a lossy codec.

Crystal-clear reception
No. HD Radio uses spectral band replication. It is not High Fidelity.

No station drop-off
No. HD Radio signals regularly drop off, rebuffer, and are not robust. HD Radio coverage is frequently less then half that of analog.

No static, hiss or audio distortion
No. HD Radio is not immune to static from storms, electrical interference, and creates additional hiss, interference and distortion to analog reception.

All digital, all the time
No. HD Radio requently drops out or switches back to analog.

No hiss, distortion or station drop off
No. HD Radio causes hiss, distortion, and station drop off.

 

[IBOO]

Message received this week from industry veteran with personal evaluation...



"Yes, _ _ _ _ is running the IBOC "HD" radio, but they're being practical about it.

The IBOC signal does not do anyone any good who is outside of a twenty mile

radius of the transmitter, at night!

During the daytime, the IBOC does serve the primary listener's in _______,

but outside of ______ it's useless. Sidebands from adjacent stations

usually corrupt the data stream, and most radios cannot recover the data.

It's a mess, to say the least. Using a decent radio, and a fully tuned and

phased vertical system pointed at Chicago from this location has done

nothing to receive the so called benefits of IBOC "HD" AM radio. At best,

even with ___ being the now dominant signal on the band, it cannot

keep the data stream intact for the 100+ miles. All it's able to provide

is the call letters of the station, and that's it.

Once in a great while, ___ will manage to get through, and the audio is

very thin. The resonant bass that we enjoy on an AM signal is missing.

It's very frequency limited.

FM, with the sub-bands may work ok. However, again, a strong signal is

required. Milwaukee stations do open up the HD receiver, but not without

a well engineered antenna system. We're about 60 miles from the Milwaukee

transmitters. Madison manages to open up on most all the stations that are

using the system, but few are using additional channels. Again, the audio is

"thin", for lack of a better description.

Any noise that enters the system immediately renders the data useless, on both

AM and FM. (Mostly on AM).

So, as a result, it winds up trashing up the AM BCB at night, from the stations that

have gone ahead with the FCC's permission to run 24/7. I don't know what it will

take to "clear" the bands of this nuisance, a huge petition to the FCC might help.

Lastly, I've studied the HD signals at many different times of the day and at night.

I've yet to have any station open up the HD decoders at night, to a usable state,

and that includes the Madison stations 20 miles away.

Many do a very nice job with night time reception under normal circumstances.

Just not able to open the HD decoders. Once in awhile, you will get the call signs

from Madison.

So, it's safe to say the only people the "IBOC" "HD" system is benefiting is those

within the city limits of Madison, Milwaukee, or any city using such a system.

"It's a mess", kind of sums it up!"


Comment from post-er

Why not save the AM band. Xs and boomers still have a love affair. Everybody else has left town. At least one clear 1A has the buzz on, but never, never a mention of anything to do with HD radio, and its nighttime coverage severely impacted. If you're above 40, you're no longer welcome at most dial positions. And, they have big disposable income.

 

[JohnnyElectron]

Like you said IBOO, us boomers have the money to buy the new HD sets, but you gotta put something on the air to get us to spend the bucks. I really think putting beautiful music and other niche formats on the HD2 is the way to go to get folks to buy the radios. HD-AM seems so distance limited that it isn't worth the swath of noise on the sidebands, and then some, so there is a good use for HD3 channels. BUT, can they load up the FMs without killer sidebands as well?

 

[IBOO]

Your view is correct, but, HDRadio, AM and FM will fail. The technology is severely flawed. Almost nobody is buying HD radios.
I'm a good example of one who has the fortune of an AM/FM radio that's probably a dozen years old. Audio quality is outstanding. AM sounds good. FM is excellent. If you go out and buy a HDRadio, be sure you can return it. I believe you will be disappointed either in the overall quality and ease of reception, or the HD 2, etc content, or both.

AM's content is the issue. WLW in Cincinnati is a 50-KW flamethrower that is news, talk, and sports. In other words, except for bumpers, there is no music. In talk, a large % of their programming is literally telephone quality. They are again number one in the market, and have been for 8 successive years. AM will probably be ok if they drop this IBOC, HDRadio idea and concentrate on the market really available to them.

But, there's another problem. What with all the competing platforms, AM is losing ground to anybody below about 35. Booms and Xers know and grew up with AM. Except for several outstanding full-service outlets, AM is failing itself by not promoting hard.
AM and FM have never known a competitive landscape such as we see now. Niching is a marvelous concept. This is what most of the industry seems not to know what to do about. Radio has reinvented itself for almost a hundred years now. But, like the candle maker, they now have Edison's magic incandescent lamp to deal with. Uh-oh.

This new generation wants the music it wants, when it wants it. They like to be in control and typically abhor passive listening such as you and I are used to and in love with, such as AM and FM.

I just hope the chairs on the Titanic's deck don't get re-arranged, again. We need a leader and a visionary, or Broadcast radio will go so low, it'll eventually be gone with the wind and a fond memory.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Your view is correct, but, HDRadio, AM and FM will fail. The technology is severely flawed. Almost nobody is buying HD radios.

To be perfectly fair ----

The technology "works" on FM if you are somewhere between 35 and 50 miles or closer to the station. This is fairly close, milage wise, to the range you would get with perfect stereo imaging. After that, you are going over the event horizon in little local dips, behind buildings, etc. - analog stereo will blend, etc. So - HD-1 is the premium tier of reception when you are close enough to the station, with analog stereo probably going between 80 and 90 miles, and mono out to 130 to 140 under really good conditions - a tall stick and 100 kW. When you think about it - a graceful degradation from ideal to nothing. It is annoying if you like the HD-2 format better than the HD-1 format, because it will go with no analog backup.

If I were an FM station, I would consider buying a local AM outlet, and programming it with my HD-2 feed - in C-Quam stereo which HD radios can receive - and promoting it heavily as the "backup signal" for the HD-2 stream. Listeners more than that critical distance for HD could then take advantage of the backup if they are out of range or travel out of range. Of course, this assumes you want to advertise on the HD-2 station.

As far as AM, I don't see any alternative to C-Quam at night. I have yet to get HD-AM to work at night for more than a few seconds - and that is call letters only. NO true HD audio. But - if HD shuts down at sunset, C-Quam could come on and closely match the audio quality of HD. Since HD radios already do, or can easily be modified to receive HD, it is almost a no-brainer. A fallback plan. Especially since AM HD is so susceptible to adjacent channel analog. I have yet to hear any HD advocate be really open and honest about how much their HD coverage shrinks at night, but it must be dramatic. If it is cutting into their central coverage area, they would be well advised to think about a backup like C-Quam that will still sound really good, and instantly give them back their coverage (provided nobody else is running HD sidebands on their adjacents). C-Quam works over 1000 miles at night, I've heard it and it sounds great. Certainly it would be robust enough to cover a whole metro area regardless of what was on adjacent frequencies. The WLW WOR WGN mess fixed, along with many others. True, it would have been nice to have digital at night, but - it doesn't seem to work. Time for a backup.

I have never been an HD "opponent". I have only opposed HD interference. Digital can be a good thing, and if the system were better, there wouldn't be these problems. But we are stuck with it, just like we were stuck with C-Quam instead of Kahn. Kahn worked with two radios, each tuned to a different sideband. Talk about backwards compatibility! But that is water way under the bridge, nighttime HD is our headache now. Short of allocating a portion of the AM band, or allocating a new band for AM digital - C-Quam seems like an intelligent nighttime fallback that can implemented with a minimum of grief by broadcasters and receiver makers alike.

 

[Play Freebird]

To be perfectly fair ----

The technology "works" on FM if you are somewhere between 35 and 50 miles or closer to the station. This is fairly close, milage wise, to the range you would get with perfect stereo imaging. After that, you are going over the event horizon in little local dips, behind buildings, etc. - analog stereo will blend, etc.

Yep. I completed installation of a new HD transmitter Saturday afternoon at a 7 kW/ 700 ft HAAT facility. This was a contract job for a non-comm broadcaster which offers excellent programming on both the HD-1 and HD-2 channels. In fact, the HD-2, which began three years ago as webcast-only, is staffed much of the time; the jocks take requests, do remotes, etc.

On the drive home, I noticed the digital coverage was solid to about 15 miles from the site, then I drove behind a hill and the dropouts began. Of course, HD-1 can blend to analog, so this isn't a big deal on the main channel that pays the bills -- but the HD-2 simply mutes until the terrain obstruction is passed and signal quality improves.

If I were an FM station, I would consider buying a local AM outlet, and programming it with my HD-2 feed - in C-Quam stereo which HD radios can receive - and promoting it heavily as the "backup signal" for the HD-2 stream. Listeners more than that critical distance for HD could then take advantage of the backup if they are out of range or travel out of range. Of course, this assumes you want to advertise on the HD-2 station.

Very good idea. KYW does this in Philadelphia (simulcast on WYSP HD-2) which makes sense as 1060 AM has poor coverage to the northeast. The two signals tend to complement each other.

This would work even better if the radio would automatically switch to the best feed at any given time, but the people in charge of designing the HD Radio system decided against inclusion of this feature, probably because it would draw attention to the poor coverage issues.

 

[fybush]

If I were an FM station, I would consider buying a local AM outlet, and programming it with my HD-2 feed - in C-Quam stereo which HD radios can receive - and promoting it heavily as the "backup signal" for the HD-2 stream. Listeners more than that critical distance for HD could then take advantage of the backup if they are out of range or travel out of range. Of course, this assumes you want to advertise on the HD-2 station.

It would be nice if we all lived in north Texas, where the land is flat and the ground conductivity is amazing. There aren't too many other parts of the country where your typical local AM will carry significantly farther than its FM sister, especially at night. Up here in my crowded northeastern market, any of the class B FMs in town cover much more population - even within the 70 dBu contour where HD-2 is reliable - than all but one of the AMs, and that one's the class A clear channel that's far too valuable to waste on an HD2 simulcast.

 

[wgliradio]

However, HD Radio does provide a digital delivery pipe (for that matter so does FMeXtra). Why not redirect the focus from providing more of the boring same audio programming on additional channels to a delivery system that provides VoIP and internet traffic in addition to analog radio?

Imagine iBiquity joining forces with Vonage, Samsung and broadcasters of all sizes to build an infrastructure that would rival telecommunications companies using IBOC technology. Broadcasters would become a utility as their HD2 and 3 channels get leased by new telephone start ups (or some provider like Earthlink which failed to create its own network), in addition to being an entertainment conduit. The value of broadcast properties, particularly FM stations, would rise significantly.

IBiquity, in concert with Samsung, could design and build some very interesting handheld convergence products using this technology; products that might resonate with the public instead of the same old, same old in a digital package.

I think it's something the industry should seriously consider. After all, most of the pieces for this type of service are already in place it just needs a cohesive vision and plan to make it happen. And let's face it, as it stands now, HD Radio is just so much wasted spectrum if the public isn't buying it.

db

This is a very interesting idea and a much better use for spectrum... and more profitable than any HD stream will be in the forseeable future..

Broadcasters hoping to build the next frontier could actually have a stake in the game, and the HD radio can set next to the Channel 1 sets and the Kahn AM Stereo receiver. The next big thing is the portable device that can do anything, from listening to the radio over broadband, internet, email, music, video, pictures, phone... all in one device in that docks at home, in the car and at work.

Radio has wasted too much time with HD when it should have been worrying about putting money into programming, securing its content for internet broadcast and ensuring its content is available to those who use cell phones. Radio stations should be offering exclusive A list content on the net for download to phones etc. Habits should be made today for listening on the net. I can guarentee you there is not one 16 year old girl sitting at home listening to that awesome new song on an HD2 stream on a new radio her dad has purchased for her (as the HD spots imply). But this same girl is on Myspace, Facebook and Youtube. Where are the stations?

The people who have invested in this tech and are managing the rollout are too many floors up in the office building and too out of touch with reality. Either that, or they are just going to plow thru the fog until they fall off the cliff.

 

[Chuck]

The next big thing is the portable device that can do anything, from listening to the radio over broadband, internet, email, music, video, pictures, phone... all in one device in that docks at home, in the car and at work.

I think you have defined what the public is looking for, and more importantly, what they will actually buy.

Admittedly, I'm a gadget freak. Perhaps I am more so than most people. My briefcase is littered with more than a half dozed devices, most of which could be merged together. On business trips, I normally carry a laptop computer, a PDA, a cell phone, an EVDO wireless access card, an ipod, a digital camera, a small FM radio, a 12 volt to 110 volt converter and some noise canceling headphones. Because I also operate a radio station on a daily basis, I carry a microphone and an audio to USB interface device. Sometimes I even carry around a handheld digital audio recorder. Add to that all the cables, chargers and accessories, and this stuff gets really heavy. Making a mad dash through O'Hare or DFW airport with it is no fun. It's heavy enough that I recently purchased a briefcase with wheels. I guess I'm getting old.

My point is, if I could replace all this with one or two compact devices that were easy to carry around, then I'd be a happy camper. I think a lot of other people would agree. For better or worse, I've already determined that I need these devices with me when I'm away from home, and I'm willing to pay for them. If HD or Internet radio comes along for the ride, then fine. On the other hand, if it wasn't there, it would not prohibit me from buying a device that met my other needs. Given the way that most current technology works, it would be hard (but not impossible) to exclude Internet radio from these devices. HD is another story. That’s going to take some work that I just don’t see anyone doing right now.

 

[dbdigital]

However, HD Radio does provide a digital delivery pipe (for that matter so does FMeXtra). Why not redirect the focus from providing more of the boring same audio programming on additional channels to a delivery system that provides VoIP and internet traffic in addition to analog radio?

Imagine iBiquity joining forces with Vonage, Samsung and broadcasters of all sizes to build an infrastructure that would rival telecommunications companies using IBOC technology. Broadcasters would become a utility as their HD2 and 3 channels get leased by new telephone start ups (or some provider like Earthlink which failed to create its own network), in addition to being an entertainment conduit. The value of broadcast properties, particularly FM stations, would rise significantly.

IBiquity, in concert with Samsung, could design and build some very interesting handheld convergence products using this technology; products that might resonate with the public instead of the same old, same old in a digital package.

I think it's something the industry should seriously consider. After all, most of the pieces for this type of service are already in place it just needs a cohesive vision and plan to make it happen. And let's face it, as it stands now, HD Radio is just so much wasted spectrum if the public isn't buying it.

db

This is a very interesting idea and a much better use for spectrum... and more profitable than any HD stream will be in the forseeable future..

Broadcasters hoping to build the next frontier could actually have a stake in the game, and the HD radio can set next to the Channel 1 sets and the Kahn AM Stereo receiver. The next big thing is the portable device that can do anything, from listening to the radio over broadband, internet, email, music, video, pictures, phone... all in one device in that docks at home, in the car and at work.

Radio has wasted too much time with HD when it should have been worrying about putting money into programming, securing its content for internet broadcast and ensuring its content is available to those who use cell phones. Radio stations should be offering exclusive A list content on the net for download to phones etc. Habits should be made today for listening on the net. I can guarentee you there is not one 16 year old girl sitting at home listening to that awesome new song on an HD2 stream on a new radio her dad has purchased for her (as the HD spots imply). But this same girl is on Myspace, Facebook and Youtube. Where are the stations?

The people who have invested in this tech and are managing the rollout are too many floors up in the office building and too out of touch with reality. Either that, or they are just going to plow thru the fog until they fall off the cliff.

Thanks. The point I was trying to make is that iBiquity should have thought bigger than it did...and should be thinking bigger than it is.

As it stands, they're doing a disservice to broadcasters (never mind the public) by trying to sell them a technology that will not make them players of the future.

As you pointed out, broadcasters need to be where listeners "live." If it's radio, fine. But if it's Facebook and YouTube on wireless device, then that's where they need to be too and with content more compelling than what they're offering if they plan on capturing the coveted under-40 crowd.

db