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So I tried out my new HD radio today...

R

radiobop

...and now I know why HD has virtually no chance of making inroads towards audience acceptance.

First of all, the unit is not portable, has a heavy duty power cable and separate AM and FM connecting antennas. This is supposed
to be modern technology?

Tuning is slow plus the HD signal obviously degrades even the regular FM range significantly--even with the antenna, I
couldn't pick up KHTC at home...only from my 18th floor office facing south.

Lastly, with the exception of KUHF offering alternative programming on its HD-2 channel, there is absolutely no compelling
programming offered in this market that would make me want to go out and spend real money on HD-capable receiving
equipment (confession: I got this $150 demo unit on eBay for $46 including free 2-day shipping...and I'll probably relist it).

Oh yeah, KHTC does offer a retransmission of the NOAA continuous weather channel on its HD-3. Talk about LOW BUDGET! 24/7 programming that cost Cox ZERO! A real audience grabber!

Unfortunately with the state of main-channel radio today, this HD thing certainly is not helping the economics of the industry overall.
What were the industry deciders thinking? They must have really felt threatened by satellite to commit to this boondoggle.
 
I couldn't agree with you more. What's even more amazing is that station owners would spend so much money on converting to HD; but not invest that money in their on-air product - by paying good money for good talent and support staff. Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on an HD radio. I have a wonderful collection of my favorites on my MP3 player.

That legendary radio icon, Gordon McClendon, had a three-point recipe for successful radio. Programming. Personality. Promotion. I can't think of one radio station in Houston that is doing any of these right, anymore. So, why buy an HD radio, when analog radio isn't even worth listening to.
 
Same reception issue for KHTC. I receive it in HD in my 15th floor downtown office better than any of the other HDs with no luck at my home in Katy. There will definitely have to be a power increase (yes, I know it is controversial) in order for HD radio to be usable by not-so tech savvy people.
 
StevenNOLA said:
Same reception issue for KHTC. I receive it in HD in my 15th floor downtown office better than any of the other HDs with no luck at my home in Katy. There will definitely have to be a power increase (yes, I know it is controversial) in order for HD radio to be usable by not-so tech savvy people.
Click to expand...

I agree that there would have to be a power increase in order for it to ever be seriously implemented. I have the opposite problem - I can get all of the HDs in my office downtown except KHTC and KHPT..not surprising there. I do have some trouble with the multicast channels occasionally, though. KHMX's is really spotty for whatever reason.

I think it does greatly depend on the tuner you are using, though. I used to use the Sony XDR-F1HD and I could rarely get any HDs to lock in my office. I bought the XDR-S10HDiP recently and it has yielded much better results.
 
radiobop said:
First of all, the unit is not portable, has a heavy duty power cable and separate AM and FM connecting antennas. This is supposed
to be modern technology?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that the best radios have separate AM and FM antennas. You just don't notice they're separate. Home stereos usually have a bar antenna for AM built inside the unit while the FM antenna plugs into the unit. I will agree with you, however, that the HD units I've seen haven't been easily portable.

Tuning is slow plus the HD signal obviously degrades even the regular FM range significantly--even with the antenna, I
couldn't pick up KHTC at home...only from my 18th floor office facing south.
Click to expand...

I know you have to wait several seconds to lock in the HD signal, and it will take time to "link" to a subchannel. A friend of mine's radio will say "LINKING" for a bit in the display if he tunes directly to a subchannel. He'll get the main channel right away, but he'll get it in analog for a few seconds first. I'm not sure there's much of a way around that. I haven't noticed a degraded range of the FM signals on the St. Louis stations that run HD. The biggest problem I have being on the fringe of their coverage area is too many translators coming up on the same or adjacent frequencies.

Lastly, with the exception of KUHF offering alternative programming on its HD-2 channel, there is absolutely no compelling
programming offered in this market that would make me want to go out and spend real money on HD-capable receiving
equipment (confession: I got this $150 demo unit on eBay for $46 including free 2-day shipping...and I'll probably relist it).
Click to expand...

That's the biggest problem facing HD radio. People don't complain about the way their radio sounds. It sound fine without buying the HD equipment. However, if they can't get compelling programming, they're not going to spend much money to buy a new radio.

What were the industry deciders thinking? They must have really felt threatened by satellite to commit to this boondoggle.
Click to expand...

I don't think satellite had anything to do with it. I think they saw the plans of TV broadcasters, like Sinclair, who were not only going to sell ads on their multicast channels but had even planned to get together with other broadcasters to make their multicast channels pay services to compete with cable. When radio broadcasters saw that, I think they saw dollar signs. Being able to sell more inventory on the same stick without cutting content had to have made radio broadcasters salivate. Had satellite done better, they might have considered making their multicast channels only available on certain radios for a monthly subscription fee. A few Canadian broadcasters had already planned to use that Eureka digital equipment to create a land-based competitor to satellite, but they backed off for a variety of reasons.

HDTV, by the way, has many of the same reception issues HD Radio has and probably wouldn't be going over much better if the government hadn't mandated it.
 
I just recently bought the SONY XDR F1-HD. Fantastic little radio. Gets all the Houston HD's except for 106.9 and 107.5 Great quality and with separate AM & FM ant. Now give me some programming to listen to!

RGM
 
mrbeasley said:
I couldn't agree with you more. What's even more amazing is that station owners would spend so much money on converting to HD; but not invest that money in their on-air product - by paying good money for good talent and support staff. Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on an HD radio. I have a wonderful collection of my favorites on my MP3 player.

That legendary radio icon, Gordon McClendon, had a three-point recipe for successful radio. Programming. Personality. Promotion. I can't think of one radio station in Houston that is doing any of these right, anymore. So, why buy an HD radio, when analog radio isn't even worth listening to.
Click to expand...

It's really amusing to hear these radio leaders hail HD. Talk to all the engineers who have their noses up managements but tout how great HD is. HAHaHaHa it really is something to laugh about. Reminds me of the days when all the programmers and consultants and clueless gm's thought Rush Limbaugh would never win.

There is a sucker born every minute and they seem to permeate this business today. I'm so glad i got out before all this mess statarted to happen around 2000
 
RADIOGM said:
I just recently bought the SONY XDR F1-HD. Fantastic little radio. Gets all the Houston HD's except for 106.9 and 107.5 Great quality and with separate AM & FM ant. Now give me some programming to listen to!

RGM
Click to expand...

Get off YOUR ass and program if you think you can do it better :D

Geez another GM programmer ::)
 
I liked the idea of HD Radio at first of having more choices, but the reception was a joke! I thought if I could get a good clean FM stereo sound with a dipole antenna 84 miles west of Houston, than I should have no problem with HD Radio. But it drops out so much durring the day its not even listenable. I mostly use it now as a clock.
 
jras20 said:
I mostly use it now as a clock.
Click to expand...

Oh, I like that one.;D Kind of like the way some people are referring to analog TV's as boat anchors...
 
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