So much for lines. It's all promotion

[R.F. Burns]

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/07/01/2007-07-01_igot_it_already_day_2_no_lines-2_print.html

 

[PocketRadio]

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/07/01/2007-07-01_igot_it_already_day_2_no_lines-2_print.html

"Are you waiting in line for your HD radio?"

"If you lower the price enough, folks will buy the radio. That's the belief about HD radio that is being stoked in our industry. And, of course, it's wrong."

http://www.hear2.com/2006/11/are_you_waiting.html

"iBiquity CEO Bob Struble Hails HD Radio's Progress"

"And we’re doing very well in what I would call major regional retailers -- the Tweeters, the ABC Warehouses. So it's been an accelerating story on the retail side as well."

http://radio.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=63726

HD Radio - "So much for lines. It's all promotion"

 

[Chuck]

It does say "Sales were brisk." That's not bad. I have little interest in an I-phone personally, mostly because AT&T is your only service provider. These are the same people who, without warning, shut off 14 cell towers in my area including the one near my house. I woke up one morning to find my cell phone said "Emergency Service Only." They simply turned it off with no warning. I have no interest in doing any further business with a company who would shut off service to thousands of people with no prior notice.

Still, I can see the appeal of the I-phone. It is expensive, and no doubt will have its share of challenges, but obviously, some people really want one.

 

[dbdigital]

I think promotion only answers some of the iPhone phenomenon. You don't sell nearly 500,000 units of an expensive product in a weekend only with promotion.

From the outset, the public "got it" in terms of what the iPhone is and what it can do which, in turn, stoked the desire (lust?) for one. It obviously fills a need that most people have wanted for a long time: a pocket device that does nearly everything a person needs to do to communicate and receive information on a daily basis and be entertained in the process. And it does all of this with a simple, intuitive interface.

By contrast, does the public "get it" with respect to HD-Radio? Do they value radio enough to buy it? Does HD-Radio fill a need? I believe the answer is no to all those questions. This is what the HD Alliance has to deal with and, so far, is doing a poor job of addressing.

BTW, since the iPhone has a removable SIM card, does this mean that other service providers besides AT&T can offer plans for it?

db

 

[Mike Walker]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.

I predicted brisk sales at the first, petering after the "geeks" and those with no longterm commitment get one. This will turn out to be "I-silence" relatively quickly, as everyone's attention moves on to the "next thing" (and that's the bad part about being the "next big thing"...in a day you can quickly become the "last big thing".

Pet rock, anyone?

 

[Chuck]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.

Yeah, but there never were ANY lines for HD. Nobody sold out of them on the first day either. There are many more I-phones on the street today (in just a few days) than there are HD radios in many months.

The salient points are that the I-Phone offers something that a lot of people have been waiting for, and that Apple has done a masterful job of creating sales buzz. So far nobody in the land of HD radio has been able to do that.

I predicted brisk sales at the first, petering after the "geeks" and those with no longterm commitment get one. This will turn out to be "I-silence" relatively quickly, as everyone's attention moves on to the "next thing" (and that's the bad part about being the "next big thing"...in a day you can quickly become the "last big thing".

You could say the same thing about HD radio and radio geeks. We all know that there will be better, cheaper and better featured versions of the I-phone coming from a variety of manufacturers and service providers. You probably won't have to wait very long to see one. The same can be said of HD radios assuming there is enough consumer demand. There seems to be quite a bit of interest on the part of the American public in an I-phone-like device. I haven't seen any ground-swell of interest in HD among the general public. The only place I see a lot of enthusiasm for it is on these Boards. Even at local SBE meetings, the talk is mostly about HDTV. HD Radio's proponents need to fix that.

Pet rock, anyone?

"Pet HD Radio," maybe? Buehler? Buehler???

 

[R.F. Burns]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.

I don't know about that. I bought mine the first day the receptor was put on sale at the $299 price. The store I bought mine from had 2. I bought one and the other was returned to B.A. for technical reasons. So strictly speaking the store I bought mine at sold theirs out. Just no one reported on it.

 

[dbdigital]

On his blog, Mark Ramsey just posted the 500K figure on the number of iPhones sold and added this:

"Meaning...Apple moved more iPhones in three days than the radio industry has moved HD Radios in three years."

And then comparing the promotional resources of the iPhone to HD-R, added this:

"...very few tech gadgets (referring to HD-Radios) have hundreds of millions of dollars of complimentary on-air support and the power of the radio industry behind them. The consumer is speaking volumes with numbers like these. Are you listening to what he's telling you?"

Says it all.

http://www.hear2.com/

db

 

[vsa]

On his blog, Mark Ramsey just posted the 500K figure on the number of iPhones sold and added this:

"Meaning...Apple moved more iPhones in three days than the radio industry has moved HD Radios in three years."

And then comparing the promotional resources of the iPhone to HD-R, added this:

"...very few tech gadgets (referring to HD-Radios) have hundreds of millions of dollars of complimentary on-air support and the power of the radio industry behind them. The consumer is speaking volumes with numbers like these. Are you listening to what he's telling you?"

Says it all.

http://www.hear2.com/

db

Cue the lone bugler.


Plays taps.


The words are solemnly spoken, "May HD radio rest in peace."


Farewell and "Amen."

 

[dbdigital]

So as not to appear totally unfair to either Mr. Walker or Mr. Burns, in contrast to the iPhone, interest in and sales of Apple's iTV have been tepid and what little press the device has received has not been greatly enthusiastic.

In this case Apple has not clearly defined the product (so it's a bridge between computer and TV, what does that mean for the consumer?), not made it "killer" enough (apparently there is much room for improvement), nor have they discerned if the public is even interested in such a product (obviously not).

Of course, it should be noted that Apple designed this product around the same time as the iPhone and we know where the R&D money went in this case.

So it should be admitted that Apple can stumble too. See? I can be fair.

db

 

[SUPERCASTER]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.
I predicted brisk sales at the first, petering after the "geeks" and those with no longterm commitment get one. This will turn out to be "I-silence" relatively quickly, as everyone's attention moves on to the "next thing" (and that's the bad part about being the "next big thing"...in a day you can quickly become the "last big thing".

Pet rock, anyone?

Just more false "information", and false "facts" from HD supporters. It is HD radio that is the "pet rock" and "Yugo", not the iPhone.

Apple has been updating its Web site nightly to report which of its stores have iPhones in stock. Nearly all AT&T stores have sold out, Coe said.

Nearly all customers have been able to activate their phones within five to eight minutes, he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/07/02/iphone.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

 

[radiopilot]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.

I predicted brisk sales at the first, petering after the "geeks" and those with no longterm commitment get one. This will turn out to be "I-silence" relatively quickly, as everyone's attention moves on to the "next thing" (and that's the bad part about being the "next big thing"...in a day you can quickly become the "last big thing".

Pet rock, anyone?

Pet Rock? I'me sure you tons of those in your closet somewhere.

As far as sales of these phones over 700,000 got sold over last weekend, I'm sure that's alot more than HD radios got sold, also these people were willing to fork over 500-700 dollars for each and some bought up to 4 iPhones in a single buy... try that with HD radios... ha ha.

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/07/03/2007-07-03_iphones_sales_top_forecasts.html?ref=rss

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/BIZ04/707030305

So if all the radio geeks already bought HD radios just as the gadget geeks bought iPhones (early adoptors) then I'd say HD radios will not be selling anymore units and only 10-20 HD radios per year will be sold after the initial onslaught of the radio geeks.

Too bad Mike, you might have to stock up on HD radios in your closet next to your pet rocks...

HD radio anyone?

Radiopilot

 

[R.F. Burns]

As I predicted, the lines dissipated rather quickly. By 7pm at most locations, anyone could walk in off the street and pick one up. NOBODY sold out. NOBODY.

I predicted brisk sales at the first, petering after the "geeks" and those with no longterm commitment get one. This will turn out to be "I-silence" relatively quickly, as everyone's attention moves on to the "next thing" (and that's the bad part about being the "next big thing"...in a day you can quickly become the "last big thing".

Pet rock, anyone?

Pet Rock? I'me sure you tons of those in your closet somewhere.

As far as sales of these phones over 700,000 got sold over last weekend, I'm sure that's alot more than HD radios got sold, also these people were willing to fork over 500-700 dollars for each and some bought up to 4 iPhones in a single buy... try that with HD radios... ha ha.

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2007/07/03/2007-07-03_iphones_sales_top_forecasts.html?ref=rss

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070703/BIZ04/707030305

So if all the radio geeks already bought HD radios just as the gadget geeks bought iPhones (early adoptors) then I'd say HD radios will not be selling anymore units and only 10-20 HD radios per year will be sold after the initial onslaught of the radio geeks.

Too bad Mike, you might have to stock up on HD radios in your closet next to your pet rocks...

HD radio anyone?

Radiopilot

I thought this mesage board was designed to discuss HD radio. I din't realize that the I-Phone had anything to do with HD radio. Lets talk about Lipton Cup O Noodles. I'm sure they sold more than 700,000 of those over the past month as long as we're going off topic.

 

[Mike Walker]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND. HD will be around in a decade. And in three decades. When they lower me in the ground, HD signals will zip past the ceremony at the speed of light. The iphone, like me, will have been buried (it's grave the local landfill).

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills. FM stereo took off much slower. AM also took a couple of decades before everybody had it. They don't seem to have gone away.

Once technical standards are chosen, they last decades...usually many decades. Even AM stereo is still a standard...one used by many stations! It was no roaring success. But it also didn't go away.

 

[PocketRadio]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

Prove it !

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND.

No, IBOC is not THE standard - there is also FMeXtra and CAM-D:

"FmeXtra"

WHBQ-FM, 107.5 FM, Germantown, TN
WBUZ, 102.9 FM, La Vergne, TN[1]
KNXR, 97.5 FM, Rochester, MN[2]
KRPR, 89.9 FM, Rochester, MN[3]
Radio 1 Oslo, 102.0 FM, Oslo, Norway
Otto FM, 103.4 FM, Varese, Italy (test)

http://www.answers.com/topic/fmextra

"Cam-D"

KDYL, 1060 AM, South Salt Lake, Utah [1]
KRCM, 1380 AM, Beaumont, Texas
KOLE, 1340 AM, Port Arthur, Texas
WSRF, 1580 AM, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
WKBF, 1270 AM, Rock Island, Illinois

http://www.answers.com/topic/cam-d

HD will be around in a decade.

Prove it !

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills.

Prove it !

 

[R.F. Burns]

Small market operations and if you read the FCC comment IBOC is the only accepted method for digital broadcasting in the US.

 

[radiopilot]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND. HD will be around in a decade. And in three decades. When they lower me in the ground, HD signals will zip past the ceremony at the speed of light. The iphone, like me, will have been buried (it's grave the local landfill).

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills. FM stereo took off much slower. AM also took a couple of decades before everybody had it. They don't seem to have gone away.

Once technical standards are chosen, they last decades...usually many decades. Even AM stereo is still a standard...one used by many stations! It was no roaring success. But it also didn't go away.

Too bad the FCC commissioners did not have a iPhone in their hands at the time they approved HD radio because if they did it may have made an impact on whether they believed they made the right choice, but it doesn't matter as they made the claim 'The market will decide the pace of HD radio' and it's the consumers that will determine the pace of HD radio, sure let all the broadcasters convert their equipment to HD but as long as the public doesn't care or gives a hoot HD radio is sure to be the one to slip into the graveyard and or garbage heap.

Radiopilot

 

[R.F. Burns]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND. HD will be around in a decade. And in three decades. When they lower me in the ground, HD signals will zip past the ceremony at the speed of light. The iphone, like me, will have been buried (it's grave the local landfill).

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills. FM stereo took off much slower. AM also took a couple of decades before everybody had it. They don't seem to have gone away.

Once technical standards are chosen, they last decades...usually many decades. Even AM stereo is still a standard...one used by many stations! It was no roaring success. But it also didn't go away.

Too bad the FCC commissioners did not have a iPhone in their hands at the time they approved HD radio because if they did it may have made an impact on whether they believed they made the right choice, but it doesn't matter as they made the claim 'The market will decide the pace of HD radio' and it's the consumers that will determine the pace of HD radio, sure let all the broadcasters convert their equipment to HD but as long as the public doesn't care or gives a hoot HD radio is sure to be the one to slip into the graveyard and or garbage heap.

Radiopilot

Hey, here's an idea you might want to pursue. Why not express those thoughts to the commission itself. See what they have to say. If HD is doomed as some of the anti group have said, what's the big deal? Just wait it out, but some of the anti group have such anger in the tone of their posts that I would have to conclude that they don't see HD as some flash in the pan soon to disappear technology. Can't have it both ways, but it sure reads like that's exactly what they want.

 

[radiopilot]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND. HD will be around in a decade. And in three decades. When they lower me in the ground, HD signals will zip past the ceremony at the speed of light. The iphone, like me, will have been buried (it's grave the local landfill).

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills. FM stereo took off much slower. AM also took a couple of decades before everybody had it. They don't seem to have gone away.

Once technical standards are chosen, they last decades...usually many decades. Even AM stereo is still a standard...one used by many stations! It was no roaring success. But it also didn't go away.

Too bad the FCC commissioners did not have a iPhone in their hands at the time they approved HD radio because if they did it may have made an impact on whether they believed they made the right choice, but it doesn't matter as they made the claim 'The market will decide the pace of HD radio' and it's the consumers that will determine the pace of HD radio, sure let all the broadcasters convert their equipment to HD but as long as the public doesn't care or gives a hoot HD radio is sure to be the one to slip into the graveyard and or garbage heap.

Radiopilot

Hey, here's an idea you might want to pursue. Why not express those thoughts to the commission itself. See what they have to say. If HD is doomed as some of the anti group have said, what's the big deal? Just wait it out, but some of the anti group have such anger in the tone of their posts that I would have to conclude that they don't see HD as some flash in the pan soon to disappear technology. Can't have it both ways, but it sure reads like that's exactly what they want.

Not really and the FCC is useless, just another government agency bent on the whims of the corporate criminals.

My anger? Ha... this is the only rhetoric coming from guys like you listening to cucumbers...

Radiopilot

 

[R.F. Burns]

Iphone will surely sell by the ton for a while. But it's a portable device, a CELL PHONE. It will wear out, and be replaced by something.

HD radio is THE STANDARD FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTING IN THE LAND. HD will be around in a decade. And in three decades. When they lower me in the ground, HD signals will zip past the ceremony at the speed of light. The iphone, like me, will have been buried (it's grave the local landfill).

The cassette Walkman was tremendously popular. Today most of them are in landfills. FM stereo took off much slower. AM also took a couple of decades before everybody had it. They don't seem to have gone away.

Once technical standards are chosen, they last decades...usually many decades. Even AM stereo is still a standard...one used by many stations! It was no roaring success. But it also didn't go away.

Too bad the FCC commissioners did not have a iPhone in their hands at the time they approved HD radio because if they did it may have made an impact on whether they believed they made the right choice, but it doesn't matter as they made the claim 'The market will decide the pace of HD radio' and it's the consumers that will determine the pace of HD radio, sure let all the broadcasters convert their equipment to HD but as long as the public doesn't care or gives a hoot HD radio is sure to be the one to slip into the graveyard and or garbage heap.

Radiopilot

Hey, here's an idea you might want to pursue. Why not express those thoughts to the commission itself. See what they have to say. If HD is doomed as some of the anti group have said, what's the big deal? Just wait it out, but some of the anti group have such anger in the tone of their posts that I would have to conclude that they don't see HD as some flash in the pan soon to disappear technology. Can't have it both ways, but it sure reads like that's exactly what they want.

Not really and the FCC is useless, just another government agency bent on the whims of the corporate criminals.

My anger? Ha... this is the only rhetoric coming from guys like you listening to cucumbers...

Radiopilot

Say what you will. It's still the government agency in charge of the use of RF spectrum in our country. Don't like it? Telling us that they are a useless bunch proves nothing and just makes you sound like a sore loser.