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HD Radio hot at CES, and in new cars from major manufacturers

M

Mike Walker

Guest
From today's "Inside Radio"

"Automakers expand HD Radio offerings.
Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lincoln and Volkswagen used opening day of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show to announce that they will build HD Radio into select models, leading iBiquity CEO Bob Struble to proclaim that “the HD Radio automotive rollout has reached critical mass.”


How many years ago was it that you guys declared "HD Radio is DOA!" And I replied, to much ridicule, that it'll be like FM stereo. A long, slow slog to mass-market acceptance.

The simple fact that it's been FOUR YEARS since we began having those conversations, and HD radio is still, slowly, building steam...says it all.

"HD Radio will never be in Ipods". Well there's an adapter for the Ipod Touch and Iphone that allows just that.

"HD Radio will never come in major brands". Read the above.

"HD Radio will NEVER be in a portable...and if it's in there, it won't work. Besides, it'll be too expensive". Seen the Insignia from Best Buy, now 39.99? Or how about the Zune HD?

"Radio Shack has seen the light...they won't be stocking any more HD Radios". Been to one lately?

Now what you guys said about AM HD resonated. It was actually based on fact. But the other points made by HD detractors through the years have, one by one, been proven false. Come to the light, my friends. It's not too late!
 
Ah, Mike. Still a true believer after all these years. (tambourine in hand) "You HD Radio naysayers, Repent!" I love it. :D
 
"Radio Shack has seen the light...they won't be stocking any more HD Radios". Been to one lately?"



Sure have - have YOU? Notice "Radio" will soon NOT be a part of their name?
 
What I noticed is that they embraced HD early, and still do. My local "Shack" has several HD models...despite the fact that the closest HD station is 50 miles away.

I noticed that it was Radio Shack that introduced the Gigaware HD Radio adapter for the Ipod Touch, and Iphone. This won't affect me, as I've always preferred mp3 players by Archos and Sandisk. But I'm certainly a minority.

I still haven't bought the Insignia. They were sold out for many months, and I really don't know if it would work well in my very rural location. But at 39.99 I'll almost certainly give in one of these days.

What "HD Detractors" fail to recognize is that years...and decades...are changing, and this technology you declared "DOA" continues to s l o w l y gain momentum.

The HD power increase will happen soon.

But radio is about programming, not technology. Honestly I've spend less time listening to HD the last year or so...since I got my first stand-alone internet Radio...a Revo Blik, followed by a Revo Pico portable internet radio, with a rechargable battery for my birthday in September. I listen more to them because I can find the programming I'm looking for. And because most of the stations that carry my radio show "Saving the 70s" (33 as of this month) are available on the 'net.

Does anyone have experience with the Insignia in a rural area (with lots of multipath?) If, as I've heard, it does a superb job of analog fm stereo reception (compared with other Walkman-sized portables), that would be enough.
 
radioskeptic said:
Hey, Mike, for a reality check, see "High Hopes for Zune HD Sales Fade with 2009"
( http://radiomagonline.com/digital_radio/high-hopes-zune-fade-0107/?smte=wl )

And this is from Radio Magazine -- a dependable cheerleader for Iniquity. (Specifically, it's from this morning's "Digital Radio Update").
Click to expand...

Not only is the Zune HD ranked a low 67 in Amazon's top 100 electronic devices but it is the ONLY HD Radio device on the list. What happened? Did consumers miss the memo that HD Radio is the hottest trend in electronics?

Only a Sony analog clock radio ranked worse at #84.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/ref=pd_ts_pg_3?ie=UTF8&pg=3
 
Nice try, Camine5, but since Amazon sells tens of thousands of electronic devices, anything in the top 100 is, by definition, a hit. Hell, there are probably 100 CATEGORIES of electronic devices these days.

Salespeople at Best Buy in Hickory say that the Insignia portable is VERY popular. One young guy said that after years, HD is finally taking off. In his words, not mine, "it's the first hit HD Radio product...and it is hot. We can't keep them in!"
 
Mike Walker said:
From today's "Inside Radio"

"Automakers expand HD Radio offerings.
Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lincoln and Volkswagen used opening day of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show to announce that they will build HD Radio into select models, leading iBiquity CEO Bob Struble to proclaim that “the HD Radio automotive rollout has reached critical mass.”
Click to expand...

Is anyone talking about this other than iBiquity's PR firm and a publication owned by an iBiquity investor?

BBC News apparently wasn't that impressed:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8445466.stm?ls

BTW, I'm somewhat concerned about the "wireless power battery charging" technology shown at 1:15 into the BBC report. I assume this system must operate well above 60 Hz to keep the size and weight of the coil small enough to fit into a phone. Does anyone know what frequency is used? If it's somewhere in the 100-500 kHz range, will harmonic radiation further pollute the medium-wave AM band?
 
Mike Walker said:
Nice try, Camine5, but since Amazon sells tens of thousands of electronic devices, anything in the top 100 is, by definition, a hit. Hell, there are probably 100 CATEGORIES of electronic devices these days.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, Mike, then why is Radio Magazine pulling such a long face with statements like, "the tepid figures posted to date seem particularly disappointing given the relatively positive reception the Zune HD received from the tech press just months ago."? I would think that they should be giddy with excitement, "Hooray, HD Radio is #67! We're cookin' now."

Instead the writer offers some lame excuse about MP3 players reaching a saturation point. The problem with that reasoning is that it fails to explain why Amazon ranked the iPod Touch #'s 2 and 3 in sales. Yes, the iPod Touch is something more than an MP3 player, but then so is the Zune HD.

In the end, the writer licks the wounded paws of HD Radio boosters with this statement, "Don't pin your hopes to a platform. Platforms don't deliver an audience -- content does." Now, haven't we been saying that all along?

c5
 
Play Freebird I'm also concerned about interference from wireless battery charging technology.

Maybe I'm an idiot (ok, no maybe about it), but what exactly is the advantage? Rather than a smal pocket sized device for charging (a traditional "wall-wart"), you have this big, ugly, "charging pad". Who thinks that's more convenient?

As Ed Schultz might say "That's Psycho Talk!"

At least the equally brilliant idea of broadband over powerlines didn't gain much traction. Is it actually available anywhere these days?
 
Mike Walker said:
Play Freebird I'm also concerned about interference from wireless battery charging technology.

Maybe I'm an idiot (ok, no maybe about it), but what exactly is the advantage? Rather than a smal pocket sized device for charging (a traditional "wall-wart"), you have this big, ugly, "charging pad". Who thinks that's more convenient?

As Ed Schultz might say "That's Psycho Talk!"

At least the equally brilliant idea of broadband over powerlines didn't gain much traction. Is it actually available anywhere these days?
Click to expand...

I dunno, every time I plug my iPod or cellphone in to charge it using its special connector I sorta cringe. That's one less mating cycle on that probably Chinese-made plug. I'd rather just treat it like my cordless toothbrush and drop it in its holder. Of course, who would want to plug in a toothbrush when it's wet, that is one big advantage for wireless charging.

Yes, I do worry about EMI from the charger, but I'd think the contribution from the switching supply itself would be greater than the wireless transformer. And probably pales in comparison to CFL and the new LED lamps.
 
Mike Walker said:
Play Freebird I'm also concerned about interference from wireless battery charging technology.

Maybe I'm an idiot (ok, no maybe about it), but what exactly is the advantage? Rather than a smal pocket sized device for charging (a traditional "wall-wart"), you have this big, ugly, "charging pad". Who thinks that's more convenient?
Click to expand...

Another "advantage" of wireless charging (besides avoiding connector wear-and-tear) could be an attempt at wider compatibility -- if we can get all manufacturers to agree on a standard. Rather than having a bunch of different connectors and charging voltages, any phone (or PDA, MP3 player, etc.) would be able to draw power from the pad. This would also make public charging stations practical in places like airports. It might also be possible to modulate the waveform and download information to the device as it charges.

If it weren't for interference potential, I would say it's a great idea.
 
Play Freebird said:
Mike Walker said:
From today's "Inside Radio"

"Automakers expand HD Radio offerings.
Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lincoln and Volkswagen used opening day of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show to announce that they will build HD Radio into select models, leading iBiquity CEO Bob Struble to proclaim that “the HD Radio automotive rollout has reached critical mass.”
Click to expand...

Is anyone talking about this other than iBiquity's PR firm and a publication owned by an iBiquity investor?

BBC News apparently wasn't that impressed:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8445466.stm?ls

BTW, I'm somewhat concerned about the "wireless power battery charging" technology shown at 1:15 into the BBC report. I assume this system must operate well above 60 Hz to keep the size and weight of the coil small enough to fit into a phone. Does anyone know what frequency is used? If it's somewhere in the 100-500 kHz range, will harmonic radiation further pollute the medium-wave AM band?
Click to expand...


Of course, you know it'll pollute the RF spectrum. Tesla's plans for transmitting electrical power via the "ether" did not leave room for "radio" to exist.
 
Ken Tucky said:
"...and it is hot."

Actually, truer words we're never spoken! They run so damned hot you can't hold 'em for long!
Click to expand...

You've never used one of the Insignia portables, have you? I get about six hours of battery life on mine, completely cold to the touch.

Let's at least try to be somewhat factual here. The power-consumption and heat issue, while a very real problem in early generations of radios, is not an issue with the latest chipsets.
 
Scott Fybush said:
Ken Tucky said:
"...and it is hot."

Actually, truer words we're never spoken! They run so damned hot you can't hold 'em for long!
Click to expand...

You've never used one of the Insignia portables, have you? I get about six hours of battery life on mine, completely cold to the touch.

Let's at least try to be somewhat factual here. The power-consumption and heat issue, while a very real problem in early generations of radios, is not an issue with the latest chipsets.
Click to expand...

Agreed! I have one and it never gets hot. What it DOES do (that's annoying) is totally lose its charge if left unused for a couple of weeks.
 
We should ask our friend Scott what will replace the towers in his annual calendar in a future time when Internet radio becomes dominant... pictures of the Google campus? Photos of Internet pioneers like Tim Berners-Lee? Bill Gates? Linus Torvalds? ;D
 
audioguy said:
We should ask our friend Scott what will replace the towers in his annual calendar in a future time when Internet radio becomes dominant... pictures of the Google campus? Photos of Internet pioneers like Tim Berners-Lee? Bill Gates? Linus Torvalds? ;D
Click to expand...

It's been many years since the iron horses rode the rails, and yet there are still plenty of calendars out there featuring steam engines and other rail-fannery. So I'm cautiously optimistic that there will be a niche market for a Tower Site Calendar even after the tower sites are gone.

Otherwise, the whole thing will be filled with pictures of people's wi-fi routers and access points. I'm sure THAT will be a best-seller...
 
I've always counseled Scottso that he should revise his Tower Calendar to "Bodacious Babes and Tall Towers." Think Adrianna Lima in a Vicky's Secret string bikini sitting on a Kintronic ATU.

You ALWAYS want to have a backup. :D ;)
 
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