Portable radio with TV digital audio

[phil]

I don't know where to put this, but has anyone seen a portable radio able to get the new digital TV audio? I have about three that get analog TV audio, and looking for something to replace one next February when the Analog will end. Good sometimes in the car, and when you want to work outside and hear what is going on. I also sometimes listen when I can't sleep. Thanks

 

[BRNout]

From what I can tell, I think it could be a while before such a radio is available. As in, years. To put VHF audio on an AM/FM portable is not that hard. They just extend the FM band downward a bit and voila! TV audio. It's basically low-band FM audio without the stereo (different system is used for TV).

But, now with digital TV, you need a decoder installed in the radio to "understand" the digital signal. That would add a significant cost and take up extra space in a little radio. And, it will cost enough as to not be practical under most applications. Heck, there are hardly any HD radio portables available and certainly none in the "Walkman" range....so digital TV receivers are almost certainly much farther off.

So, one side-effect of this wonderful rush to digital signals is that all of those cheap portable TV audio receivers are about to be rendered obsolete. Without a replacement.

 

[drt]

From what I can tell, I think it could be a while before such a radio is available. As in, years. To put VHF audio on an AM/FM portable is not that hard. They just extend the FM band downward a bit and voila! TV audio. It's basically low-band FM audio without the stereo (different system is used for TV).

But, now with digital TV, you need a decoder installed in the radio to "understand" the digital signal. That would add a significant cost and take up extra space in a little radio. And, it will cost enough as to not be practical under most applications. Heck, there are hardly any HD radio portables available and certainly none in the "Walkman" range....so digital TV receivers are almost certainly much farther off.

So, one side-effect of this wonderful rush to digital signals is that all of those cheap portable TV audio receivers are about to be rendered obsolete. Without a replacement.

Interesting (and timely) enough; the local NBC affiliate here - WFLA - channel 8; is doing a question a day on the transition to digital television and this question was asked.

Bottom line, no radio receivers with the digital band on the horizon. There is already one portable digital TV at a local Radio Shack, but even the manager of
the Radio Shack mentioned when questioned that the reception was very iffy inside and out. The WFLA reporter and the Radio Shack manager took the $200 portable outside and they had to really hold the radio in just the right position as well as angle the antenna just right to get any reception at all.

I just wonder if that Radio Shack manager is still a manager after he more or less said that the concept is still a "work in progress". The news story went on to say that Best Buy hopes to have a portable digital TV by the end of this year or early next year and still no mention of a radio with digital audio from the Best Buy spokesperson.

DRT
st. petersburg,fl

 

[phil]

Thanks for the input. I thought, considering the relatively small size of the digital to analog TV convertors, if you left out the video signals, the audio converter could be reduced in size and power requirements. I guess, in the meantime, I will have to feed the audio output (RCA jacks) to an FM transmitter for use around the house and yard. I'll have to preset the channel, and will not be able to change it remotely. The vision impaired community will suffer the most.

 

[FredRichards]

DRT.... What is interesting about this discussion is that I was talking to an automation vendor about this just two weeks ago. The thought was to come up with a plan to load our .1 with an HD, .2 and .3 with SD, and the balance of six channels in a radio only configuration using statistical multiplexing, with the PIDS of the radio channels pointing the video to the .3 channel.

The thought was that we could market the .4 to .9 to various groups, or even radio stations, and compliment it with the weather radar on the video side. The last two channels would be books for the blind exclusive.

However, the whole success is on portable 8VSB receivers.

 

[kenglish]

We've had a couple of calls asking something similar....
They like to listen to soaps, or other daytime programming, while doing housework, so they use the "walkman"-type AM/FM/TV radio.

I've suggested that they buy one of those little FM radio transmitters, and connect it to the output of their TV set (or, to be "green", just connect it to a STB/converter, leaving the TV set turned off), and use the radio to listen with.

 

[drt]

[quote aYour solution is a good one in everyday situations; or another alternative would be wireless headphones.

The question when asked here though was more or less linked to power outages, such as a hurricane; people prefer to see what the announcer is talking about, in the case of radar etc.

Since few stations here have news departments anymore; for the last few hurricane seasons, several FM stations have an agreement to simulcast Channel 8, so that news can be obtained via a portable radio.

People in condos and apartments cannot have generators and it seems to me that one Homeowners assoication has such strict rules on generators, that it's nearly impossible to have a generator.

The Radio Shack portable digital TV at $200 appeared to be a nice looking unit and looked to have about a 6 or 7 inch screen, but of course, one would expect it to be able to receive the tv signals, instead of just being a conversation piece!

drt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
uthor=kenglish link=topic=105006.msg830505#msg830505 date=1217099211]
We've had a couple of calls asking something similar....
They like to listen to soaps, or other daytime programming, while doing housework, so they use the "walkman"-type AM/FM/TV radio.

I've suggested that they buy one of those little FM radio transmitters, and connect it to the output of their TV set (or, to be "green", just connect it to a STB/converter, leaving the TV set turned off), and use the radio to listen with.
[/quote]

 

[KeithE4]

From what I've read in some engineering publications, standard-def DTV will be available on some cell phones by the end of this year. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for consumer-grade 5" portable DTV/AM/FM receivers anytime soon, though.

 

[tomservo]

From what I've read in some engineering publications, standard-def DTV will be available on some cell phones by the end of this year. But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for consumer-grade 5" portable DTV/AM/FM receivers anytime soon, though.

There's already some TV available on I think Sprint and AT&T, but you gotta have a special phone and TV plan; it doesn't carry locals. It's a separate broadcast from TV signals or cellular signals.

The problem with DTV is the standard chosen doesn't seem to be very robust in moving environments. So even if they make portable TVs or cell phones that decode ATSC DTV, they won't work very well unless stationary.

 

[willcail]

I just order a CC Witness that is a MP3 Player with an FM Stereo AM radio. It also have a SD card slot for additional 2GB of memory. Cost around 229.95. Since this is the first MP3 player (that I know of) have a AM radio. Link http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/cc-witness.aspx

I doubt it that a radio that can pick up DTV audio will be a long time. Plus the closest thing to a portable HD radio is the HD100.