Multi-Standard Digital Radio Chip

[Carmine5]

While pondering the question as to why Bob Struble hasn't written a column for August, I did find this interesting news item from iBiquity's web site.

"NXP and iBiquity Develop Next-Generation HD Radio Solution for In-Car Entertainment"

This new chip, "dubbed SAF3560, NXP's single-chip software solution supports HD Radio technology, DAB, DAB+, DRM and T-DMB Radio reception standards".

http://www.ibiquity.com/press_room/in_the_news/2008/1220

Although this chip is designed for car radios, it could have wider implications for digital radio in general, namely, multi-standard digital receivers for the home. In turn, it might even open up the possibility of broadcasters actually being able to choose which digital standard they want to use, if any.

Whatever the case, a multi-standard chip is certainly a step in the right direction.

C5

 

[Savage]

In the 1950s, when RCA petitioned the FCC for reconsideration of its 1950 adoption of CBS' electromechanical non-compatible UHF-only color TV system, Peter Goldmark and Co. at The Eye started sniffing trouble about 1952 or so. General Sarnoff had ordered that the NTSC color system had to be compatible with existing B&W receivers. He wanted it on-line within a year. By 1953 the Commission had reversed itself and had picked NTSC compatible all-channel color over CBS' whirling color disc. RCA rolled out its famous first color TV, the CT-100, in 1954.

Since CBS knew from the start that its color system was FUBAR and had only been introduced to slow down RCA's march to dominance in the home entertainment market they went into panic mode, developing their own NTSC color receivers and a ChromaCoder camera. Both consumer and professional segments were flops for CBS.

Is history repeating itself in a kind of "can't beat 'em join 'em, THEN go down in flames" kinda way?

 

[Carmine5]

Is history repeating itself in a kind of "can't beat 'em join 'em, THEN go down in flames" kinda way?

That certainly is a possibility. At least it puts a crack in the monopoly Ibiquity has on a digital radio standard for the U.S.

That assumes, of course, that radios marketed to the U.S. using this new chip will be able to receive all standards and are not disabled so that they only receive HD Radio.

This seems to be the case with the new HDV video cameras. Apparently, all these cameras are built to work in all DTV standards but, through the use of jumpers and switches, are set at the factory to work only in the standard used in the country to which their sent.

That may be the case with these radios as well.

C5

 

[KB1OKL]

Is history repeating itself in a kind of "can't beat 'em join 'em, THEN go down in flames" kinda way?

That certainly is a possibility. At least it puts a crack in the monopoly Ibiquity has on a digital radio standard for the U.S.

That assumes, of course, that radios marketed to the U.S. using this new chip will be able to receive all standards and are not disabled so that they only receive HD Radio.

This seems to be the case with the new HDV video cameras. Apparently, all these cameras are built to work in all DTV standards but, through the use of jumpers and switches, are set at the factory to work only in the standard used in the country to which their sent.

That may be the case with these radios as well.

C5

Well if past history is any indication ibiquity will certainly disable any other competing digital scheme.

 

[JohnnyElectron]

What about the Motorola Symphony chipset? Everything was done with software, so it could decode several schemes, multiple bandwidths and great AM noise suppression programs; it could even decode C-Quam stereo, ISB, anything that you coded it to do. I'd want one just to play with here, as it seemed to be the end-all. I wonder if this digital chipset is a derivative of the Moto set?

Big disapointment that Motorola never got it to market before they sold-off their chip divisions. Anybody got any connections on the hardware side that could see whatever happened to these?

 

[Mike Walker]

I heard a demo of the Motorola "Symphony" years ago, and it sounded great (on an AM Stereo signal). Oh well!