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Ibiquity wants your opinion

Betamax, particularly the earlier high-speed (non-LP) and broadcast versions, was and is indeed a superior video format compared with VHS. Zenith also marketed Betamax VCRs.

The demand for home VCRs 1976-1980 was enormous, quickly driving prices down and quality/features up.
Consumers were fascinated with the new practice of time-shifting TV programming and renting theatrical-release feature movies in the home. VCRs and microwave ovens were THE hot consumer items of the 1970s. Any attempted comparison of the advent of VCRs to the rollout of HD Radio is ridiculous.

The first Sony Betamax machines sold for about $1700 (in 1976 dollars.) Before the end of the decade cheesier VHS versions were selling for under $300. Untold millions of units were in use.
 
When the first VCR’s were introduced how many homes currently owned one? ZERO.
This is device that enabled people to time shift, record and save content
and play movies from home! This device was unheard of before and quickly became a must have gadget. Do you wonder why sales spiked, prices came down and competitors offered more models and choices.

When the ipod was first introduced how many homes currently owned one? ZERO.
This is a device that enabled people to carry 5000 songs in the palm of their hands.
Compared to tape, or a computer hard drive, the ipod was again unheard of and quickly became a must have item. Sound reproduction is better than anything else, and users could control content, download music and podcast’s from the web.
Do you wonder why sales spiked, prices came down and competitors offered more choices.

When iBiquity introduced their receivers how many homes currently owned radios?
MILLIONS. In the mind of consumers, this category has already been invented. This is a device that does the same things as AM/FM radio, and offers listeners similar programming already available on AM/FM. The only benefit HD radio offers listeners, is slightly, maybe better sound, depending on the perceptions of the users ears.

Is it any wonder why sales are dead in the water and consumers have no interest?
 
It seems like things are coming full circle. When the predecessor to Radio-Info came on line, I commented that HD was an answer to a question that consumers have never asked. I think that assessment is still valid.

Oh, and Savage, thanks for jogging my memory about Zenith. They indeed marketed a Sony OEM product under their own name. I still have a working Betamax, although it is rarely used. In its day, it was a hell of a machine. Mine could even do neat tricks like insert editing, and programmable editing points. Try that on a consumer VHS machine.
 
pocket-radio said:
Sound reproduction is better than anything else, and users could control content, download music and podcast’s from the web.
Do you wonder why sales spiked, prices came down and competitors offered more choices.
Click to expand...

Better sound reproduction? Ha! iPods are among the worst when it comes to sound reproduction. But who is going to know the difference, with those tiny in-ear buds they pass off as headphones?

And from my listening experiences, an even averagely-processed HD station sounds better than XM or Sirius. I remember though when XM was very competitive with their sound shaping... Before it was all shot to shit by adding all the sports channels.

(Sorry to nitpick/rant.)
 
Zach said:
pocket-radio said:
Sound reproduction is better than anything else, and users could control content, download music and podcast’s from the web.
Do you wonder why sales spiked, prices came down and competitors offered more choices.
Click to expand...

Better sound reproduction? Ha! iPods are among the worst when it comes to sound reproduction. But who is going to know the difference, with those tiny in-ear buds they pass off as headphones?

And from my listening experiences, an even averagely-processed HD station sounds better than XM or Sirius. I remember though when XM was very competitive with their sound shaping... Before it was all shot to shit by adding all the sports channels.

(Sorry to nitpick/rant.)
Click to expand...


Yes, the sound isn't that great with XM but you can't beat the content.
 
KB1OKL said:
Yes, the sound isn't that great with XM but you can't beat the content.
Click to expand...

That's true, at least until Uncle Mel has his way and merges the channel lineups. Which will happen next Wednesday, apparently. I'm trying to be an optimist, but know that Mel didn't exactly set terrestrial radio on fire with his "ways". :mad:
 
OT: Today is the last day on the air for most of the XM music staff - but they can't tell you that.
Now if the XM programmers would just program the HD1, HD2 and HD3 channels on FM, that would be sweet!
 
Yes, it would. I concur that XM has been cleverly and expertly programmed. If those programmers were to be pressed into service to do their magic with HD subs, I'm sure digital listeners living within about ten miles of the towers will be gratified.

(Disclaimer for HD fans: yes, i know....HD digital DOES go farther than ten miles - in some cases. Exaggeration was for humor and for effect. But OTOH: why again are they squeezing for a tenfold digital increase....?)
 
It just occurred to me that we haven't had the pleasure of one of Struble's columns in a while. The last one was in September.

Can it be that Struble is a) too busy trying to stem the tide of red ink, b) hitting up the banks and anyone else for more money (government next), c) realizing that you can't defend the indefensible, d) realizing that with every column he's written, he's giving pundits and critics more rope to hang him and his company with?

C5
 
Or (e) - getting fitted for a pastel blue smock as a Wal-Mart greeter. :D

"Hey there little girl....would you like a nice smiley-face sticker, or...how about a nice HD Radio from this massive pile of NOS unsold radios behind me??

"Oh, you'd prefer the sticker?? Well.......okay......."
 
Savage said:
Or (e) - getting fitted for a pastel blue smock as a Wal-Mart greeter. :D

"Hey there little girl....would you like a nice smiley-face sticker, or...how about a nice HD Radio from this massive pile of NOS unsold radios behind me??

"Oh, you'd prefer the sticker?? Well.......okay......."
Click to expand...

Ha Ha! Not a bad idea. Hey, if he's so gung-ho on HD Radio send him out to the battle front (or rather the front retail counter) and try to sell this stuff.

I guarantee that Struble's biggest innovation in selling HD Radios on a retail level, will be a sign that says, "All Sales Final" (well hidden, of course).

C5
 
Carmine5 said:
It just occurred to me that we haven't had the pleasure of one of Struble's columns in a while. The last one was in September.

Can it be that Struble is a) too busy trying to stem the tide of red ink, b) hitting up the banks and anyone else for more money (government next), c) realizing that you can't defend the indefensible, d) realizing that with every column he's written, he's giving pundits and critics more rope to hang him and his company with?
Click to expand...

Or he has simply run out of material. His previous columns were centered on a discussion of all of the money sunk into HD Radio transmitting equipment by large groups, all the free (but embarrassingly ineffective) spots run by the HD Alliance, and the deals supposedly made with auto manufacturers, chip suppliers, etc. The basic premise: "Companies have spent hundreds of millions on this stuff, so it must be good."

What I don't recall reading were any comments he had received from "real people" confirming that HD Radio is worth the "investment". If listeners were truly impressed with his system, you would probably see a level of enthusiasm similar to that of color TV when it first rolled out. But so few people (other than a dwindling number in the business) seem to care about this thing that he can't cite any instances of genuine excitement.
 
Look for the "tells," in poker parlance, in all the iBiquity nonsense.

First, they "projected" sales levels (which failed to materialize. Call it "lying in advance.")
Then, when that didn't work, they tried the old comparison-with-last-year ploy. Which instantly failed because you don't impress people with "THREE HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE IN RECEIVER SALES!" when it can be demonstrated that 300% of 24 radios is 72 radios. Then it was "number of new HD products debuted" at the NAB or CES or whatever. When that got shot down with the obvious truism, the only receiver figures that matter are actual RETAIL SALES, iBiquity retreated to a ludicrous "number of SKUs of HD radio products," a benchmark I've frankly never heard of before the wonders of IBOC.

To this date, notwithstanding scores of insistent demands that iBiquity release credible receiver sales data, the closest we've come is a vague claim of 330,000 sales through some point, plus a new flavor of umlaut, namely: "HD chipsets shipped." Obviously sales really suck or they would be gladly released.

Another "tell" - the boastful public releases about station installs. Remember when there were full-page ads in the "HD Radio" section of RW with tallies of stations licensed and installed? That has stopped....in all likelihood, because installations have stopped. Something like 1500 of 13,000 USA FM stations are on-air with HD - AM-HD stations represented by a casual show of hands. McLarnon's site last had a whopping 82 out of 4700 operating AMs with HD on 24-7, virtually unchanged from 15 months ago.

"And the LIES......just keep on comin'......"

When, oh when, are the heads going to start rolling about this debacle? I just can't wait to start sending out congratulatory e-mails as they get fired.
 
Savage said:
Look for the "tells," in poker parlance, in all the iBiquity nonsense.
McLarnon's site last had a whopping 82 out of 4700 operating AMs with HD on 24-7, virtually unchanged from 15 months ago.

"And the LIES......just keep on comin'......"

When, oh when, are the heads going to start rolling about this debacle? I just can't wait to start sending out congratulatory e-mails as they get fired.
Click to expand...

82 out of 4700 AMer's? Here in MA at night with all the hash they spread all over the dial like manure on a field it sounds like we get all of them at once, but... I have a 400' LW antenna hooked to my Sony right now and it still won't pick up anything in IBOC on the AM band, but in analog mode it will certainly pick up the hash on the side ;D. As matter of fact my Meduci with the same antenna sounds much better and is coming in more clearly.
 
Savage said:
AM-HD stations represented by a casual show of hands. McLarnon's site last had a whopping 82 out of 4700 operating AMs with HD on 24-7, virtually unchanged from 15 months ago.

"And the LIES......just keep on comin'......"
Click to expand...

I would venture a guess that at least twice as many AM stations are now running FM translators than AM IBOC -- because FM actually solves coverage problems. Here's an unofficial partial list:

http://www.rabbitears.info/amfmtx.php

Note that most of these stations are small-market independent operations that must use their limited resources wisely. Many are Class D (daytimers) or Class C ("local" channel) stations for which AM IBOC offers nothing of value.

Of course, that's not to say that HD Radio has benefited the Class A powerhouses either. I've found that a majority of factory-installed car radios suffer from degraded signal/noise ratio due to spillover from the IBOC sidebands on stations such as KYW, WPEN, WIP and WPHT.
 
Looks like the survey is over, i wonder if they will publish the results? ;D

Evidentially there were two versions, one from iBiquity which included questions on the effectiveness of the Alliance and the Jacobs version which omitted that part.
Put this in Google and click cached and you will see the original page before Jacobs got his hands on it:

iBiquity HD Radio Questionnaire
 
Savage said:
McLarnon's site last had a whopping 82 out of 4700 operating AMs with HD on 24-7, virtually unchanged from 15 months ago.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and of those few AM stations that broadcast HD you get a fluctuating figure as to who is doing it 24/7 or just daytime. Sometimes you hear reports of AM stations that have HD on during the day, then it's off, then it's on again. What a mess!

Last year, if you'll recall, Citadel had decided to stop broadcasting HD at night on ten of their 16 stations (of the 66 AMs Citadel owns) that have HD Radio installed.

According to an internal memo, the reason was, "In response to the lackluster performance, the limited benefit, and various reports of significant interference”.

Citadel Director of Corporate Engineering Martin Stabbert said that they were "stepping back to evaluate performance".

After a year of 'stepping back and evaluating' I wonder what conclusion they've come to?

C5
 
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