Selling HD Radio on the Internet

[aindik]

If the sound quality of HD radio is so great and the stations are in a huge hurry to sell it, why aren't the stations dedicating enough bandwidth to their web streams so they can say: Hear this sound quality? You can have this in your car with HD Radio. I would think at least the AM stations would do this.

Is the fear diverting listening away from their analog air signal (i.e., listening on the radio must be the most attractive option if it's available to the listener)? If so, I suppose the only problem with that is the issue where they can't stream the commercials. If they could, it wouldn't matter.

 

[carnyfeet]

If the sound quality of HD radio is so great and the stations are in a huge hurry to sell it, why aren't the stations dedicating enough bandwidth to their web streams so they can say: Hear this sound quality? You can have this in your car with HD Radio. I would think at least the AM stations would do this.

Is the fear diverting listening away from their analog air signal (i.e., listening on the radio must be the most attractive option if it's available to the listener)? If so, I suppose the only problem with that is the issue where they can't stream the commercials. If they could, it wouldn't matter.

Streaming HD radio on the internet = Internet radio, and if people know they can get the extra programming for free on their computer, they will think twice for paying $200 for something they just got for free.

And no, no HD programming currently on the dial is good enough to entice large amounts of people to buy one just so they can have it in their car.

Selling HD radio's "better sound quality" will not work, except in the cases of audiophiles, of which there are few. Even if they did manage to make that sales pitch work, word would get out from people living out in the 'burbs that the reception is crappy and you end up listening to static-y analog half the time anyway.

In summary and in conclusion, no one can sell HD radio. Not on the internet, not anywhere. The end.

 

[Bill_W]

I can tell you that just to hear traffic on the 2s in FM on WYSP-HD2 might be worth it. I can't tell you how many times that I'm under power lines or on 76 next to 30th street station and Sam has traffic on the 2s. I have XM and Sirius in my car and KYW is still better than both of them for traffic.

 

[DStroyer]

In summary and in conclusion, no one can sell HD radio. Not on the internet, not anywhere. The end.

YEAH!!! Another victory for you guys!! w00t!!!

I've never seen so many people go to so much trouble to piss all over something as I have on these boards.

 

[carnyfeet]

In summary and in conclusion, no one can sell HD radio. Not on the internet, not anywhere. The end.

YEAH!!! Another victory for you guys!! w00t!!!

I've never seen so many people go to so much trouble to piss all over something as I have on these boards.

You know, my apologies if I come off sounding bitter, or anything like that. However, I spent $300 for an HD Radio that was installed (and reinstalled after I'd had it stolen and recovered). I live out in West Chester and the coverage is garbage. I mean it when I say that if I could have a do-over on it, I would take it. I can't enjoy any of the HD stations because it keeps cutting out. The ones that I can tune in to without much interruption don't have any programming worth listening to on HD-2.

If I can keep people from repeating my mistake, I will. I will steer them towards a better product, which is what I am doing. I'm not being negative for the sake of being negative.

 

[BRNout]

Carny, your experience is not unique - and really exemplifies the problem. You really don't live all that far out - and well within the confines of the "metro" yet you cannot get the benefits of HD radio.

I live on a hillside overlooking the Chester Valley - north of Malvern. From our neighborhood, you can see the Roxborough towers in the distance (when there are no leaves on the trees). Many radios that I own (like my Kaito KA-1101) exhibit some overloading from the strong FM signals in the area. Yet I had to fiddle with my HD radio's antenna for 20 minutes in order to get all of the Philly FM stations' HD streams. After altering the stock antenna. And, they're just barely in there. One antenna move and poof!

Particularly hard to get was WOGL's HD-2, "sounds of the 70s" - by the way, I thought the HD2 was supposed to differ from the main programming!

As for FM stations from Wilmington or elsewhere that come in well in our area - forget HD. And, AM is worst of all. Even with the supplied external AM antenna, no HD on AM at night. Not one. During the day, only KYW's HD stream has ever decoded and it cuts in and out. Better to listen to it on WYSP-HD2. No other station is even close. Yeah, when it works it's great. But you have to be within a few miles of the tx for that to happen.

Malvern and West Chester are not fringe areas. It's not like we're trying to dx out of market HD signals. These places are smack dab in the middle (to eastern part) of a metro county. If we're having trouble, then so are people in other suburbs. That's not good.

So far, this technology is way too troublesome for the average person to toy with. Yes, I hear that auto versions are a little better. But, they are still far from common. And, ultimately, when a consumer spends $200+ for a radio, you need the technology to work. In too many cases, it doesn't seem to.

 

[carnyfeet]

Particularly hard to get was WOGL's HD-2, "sounds of the 70s" - by the way, I thought the HD2 was supposed to differ from the main programming!

BRNout, you just don't get it, do you? WOGL HD-2 is "Sounds of the 70's" and WOGL HD-1 is "Sounds of the 60's ANNNND 70's". It's like a completely different station, right there between the dial numbers!

Yes, I hear that auto versions are a little better. But, they are still far from common. And, ultimately, when a consumer spends $200+ for a radio, you need the technology to work. In too many cases, it doesn't seem to.

I have a car model, so I can shed light on this. My commute takes me from West Chester to the Exton train station each morning - a 10 minute drive on a day with no traffic. Depending on the strength of signal, HD audio cuts out when I drive between tall buildings, (the new Justice Center and parking garage across the street) when I am on steep inclines, (coming down Pottstown Pike towards Boot Road), when I am near interfering power sources (like the train station itself, or a transformer station, for example) or when I am stopped and large vehicles pull up behind me (my car antenna is part of my rear window).

I am lucky if I can get a full 7 minutes of HD audio during my daily commute out of the 10 I spend on the road, and it's not an un-interrupted 7 minutes, either. If you're trying to listen to an HD-2 station, for example, I liken it to a CD that's skipping but doesn't pick up in the spot it left off at. It makes it kind of hard to sing along to "Walkin' on Sunshine" on WOGL-HD2 when it keeps cutting out like that.

 

[BRNout]

BRNout, you just don't get it, do you? WOGL HD-2 is "Sounds of the 70's" and WOGL HD-1 is "Sounds of the 60's ANNNND 70's". It's like a completely different station, right there between the dial numbers!

I stand corrected - I completely forgot about those 1 or 2 well-tested, overplayed, 60s songs that they slip in there each hour!

I have a car model, so I can shed light on this. My commute takes me from West Chester to the Exton train station each morning - a 10 minute drive on a day with no traffic. Depending on the strength of signal, HD audio cuts out when I drive between tall buildings, (the new Justice Center and parking garage across the street) when I am on steep inclines, (coming down Pottstown Pike towards Boot Road), when I am near interfering power sources (like the train station itself, or a transformer station, for example) or when I am stopped and large vehicles pull up behind me (my car antenna is part of my rear window).

I am lucky if I can get a full 7 minutes of HD audio during my daily commute out of the 10 I spend on the road, and it's not an un-interrupted 7 minutes, either. If you're trying to listen to an HD-2 station, for example, I liken it to a CD that's skipping but doesn't pick up in the spot it left off at. It makes it kind of hard to sing along to "Walkin' on Sunshine" on WOGL-HD2 when it keeps cutting out like that.

Sounds to me like the car model isn't a whole lot better than the bookshelf one that I have. They (the pro-IBOC guys) really need to address this problem and fast. When someone spends the bucks on satellite radio, they expect to set it up and have it work. And, it almost always does with no muss and no fuss. This is not at all the case with HD radio. Far too many people are in locations where the signals won't decode properly. 7 discontinuous minutes of listening out of 10? How many people would put up with that?

Lets put it another way, how many people would ever spend time listening to the radio in the car if that radio was unable to pick up stations more than 15-20 miles from the transmitter site? Mind you, 99% of the public has far less tolerance for static/drop outs than the radio geeks here on this board (of which I'm one). Forget it, they'll listen to their IPOD or CDs. If this is the future of radio, radio is in deep trouble.

 

[DStroyer]

I just popped the $130 JVC into my car last week, so I'll have to do a little signal-driving when I get down to the Philly area on the 18th.

So far, what I know is that I drove the little 6000-watt WILK-FM signal on Tuesday up here (protected contour looks like a bunny with a goiter ), and it took me about 35 miles down Route 11, with about a half-dozen hills and mountains between me and transmitter, before there was any hint of losing the HD2 smooth jazz station.

 

[carnyfeet]

I just popped the $130 JVC into my car last week, so I'll have to do a little signal-driving when I get down to the Philly area on the 18th.

So far, what I know is that I drove the little 6000-watt WILK-FM signal on Tuesday up here (protected contour looks like a bunny with a goiter ), and it took me about 35 miles down Route 11, with about a half-dozen hills and mountains between me and transmitter, before there was any hint of losing the HD2 smooth jazz station.

Please do. Flip around to the different stations and you'll know what we're talking about.

Again, I don't mean to be a party-pooper, but I'm a firm believer that HD Radio is terrestrial radio's weak-sauce answer to satellite "competition", and the programming and signal problems are proof of that. I'm glad you found a station with a strong signal and great programming, but overall I think WILK-FM may be the exception to the rule here. I won't buy another unit, nor will I recommend it to anyone else - I'm holding out for mobile internet radio.