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Stereo on HD3!

E

Eli Polonsky

"WBCN Free Form Rock", broadcasting on the HD3 channel of 100.7 FM WZLX Boston, is now in stereo as of yesterday!

I don't know of any other HD3's in stereo. Most HD2's are, but I've never heard a stereo HD3 until now. Does anyone know of any other stereo HD3's anywhere, or is this the "pioneer"?
 
In St. Louis there are two HD-3's that broadcast in stereo. NPR affiliate KWMU's HD-3, which uses Minnesota Public Radio's "Classical 24" format has been on since 2010. This HD-3 has a cleaner audio chain than their HD-2, which primarily runs the "X-Ponential Radio" service from WXPN Philadelphia.

KMOX (an AM HD as well) uses an HD-3 through KEZK, and it too is in stereo.
 
Interesting that KMOX thinks it's important to be in stereo even thought they are news/talk. I made the comment in another thread that the public expects programming to be in stereo, even if it's just the commercials or occasional musical interlude-- and was criticized for that.

When I was doing audio production we did everything in stereo including talk shows, commercials, and even sports remotes.
 
KMOX used to have a really sweet music program late night on the weekends. Used to receive it in CQUAM stereo quite well on a Sony SRF-A100 portable! Alas, something that was good, and worked, and then it was gone.
 
audioguy said:
...we did everything in stereo including talk shows, commercials, and even sports remotes.
Click to expand...
I love stereo crowd noise; really adds depth.
Two fond memories from when stereo and I were both young:
An interviewer or liberal on the left channel against an interviewee or conservative on the right channel.
I would turn my balance away from the current talker and crank up the volume to hear breathing, sipping coffee, throat clearing, and "...but...a ha...no...that's very true...", and stereo mics, made the announcer seem to be coming from everywhere and moving around.
One thing I had no use for with the C-QUAM format was:
Platform Motion
 
The later versions of C-QUAM pretty much had platform motion licked. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I actually think AM stereo sounded/sounds better than FM stereo, at least when it comes to the stereo image. And in the pre-NRSC days, a well-processed signal and good receiver comprised a system which rivaled FM in terms of frequency response as well.
 
Simple answer really,

HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo for all HD's and since 32kbps is equal to analog FM in audio quality there is no degradation of fidelity

I did this encoding back in January 2011 when I added HD-4 which is 24kbps
 
RadioEngnr said:
Simple answer really, HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo
Click to expand...
On some stations. Others proportion their bandwidth differently.
Stations with a news/talk/sports simulcast will often alot less digital bandwidth to those channels than to their music channel(s).
Two musics and a talk might have something like 48/32/16. Total in hybrid mode remains 96 kbps.
 
you can slice the pie anyway you want really, but to have stereo on HD3, it would have to be at 32kbps

or in iBiquity terminology

32kbps for MPS, SPS1 and SPS2 and 24kbps for SPS3
 
mgpt6 said:
Could it be run at 24kbps on exteneded hybrid mode if frequency response is dropped from 15kHz?
Click to expand...
I believe somewhere buried in the FCC rules is a requirement that FM HD channels must be equivalent to or better than analog FM quality.
 
Your are correct, that is why you can't configure your MPS (HD-1) to be lower than 32kbps, but as for your other subs you can configure them in any bandwidth configuration you wish, I have seen one station do 64kbps for the HD1 and 16kbps for his HD2 and 16kbps for his HD3. and they were playing music on HD2 and HD3, that was a few years ago

and for my HD4 that 24kbps is in extended hybrid mode, so you have 96kbps for your HD1 to HD3 and 24kbps for HD4

I have plenty of listeners for my HD sub channels here in Pittsburgh and not once did I ever get a "can you make it sound better" email or phone call. I am very diligent on my audio processing for my HD's and I like the way they sound for what I have to work with
 
RadioEngnr said:
...not once did I ever get a "can you make it sound better" email or phone call.
I am very diligent on my audio processing for my HD's and I like the way they sound...
Click to expand...
The second sentence explains the first. If you love it, you make it sparkle, if it is just a job, you make it pass.
 
satech said:
I believe somewhere buried in the FCC rules is a requirement that FM HD channels must be equivalent to or better than analog FM quality.
Click to expand...

47 CFR §73.403(a) states that it must be "at least comparable" in quality to the analog.
 
RadioEngnr said:
Simple answer really,

HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo for all HD's and since 32kbps is equal to analog FM in audio quality there is no degradation of fidelity

I did this encoding back in January 2011 when I added HD-4 which is 24kbps
Click to expand...

Do you have any audio samples to share? Someone did something like that (provide an audio clip) over on the XM board and provided the links like the one below

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mhwi7g

because getting FM quality on 32kbit would be quite an accomplishment. I could put a lot more music on my iPhone (aac+) with your method.

Seriously, no sarcasm. :)
 
ajc_trw said:
RadioEngnr said:
Simple answer really,

HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo for all HD's and since 32kbps is equal to analog FM in audio quality there is no degradation of fidelity

I did this encoding back in January 2011 when I added HD-4 which is 24kbps
Click to expand...

Do you have any audio samples to share? Someone did something like that (provide an audio clip) over on the XM board and provided the links like the one below

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mhwi7g

because getting FM quality on 32kbit would be quite an accomplishment. I could put a lot more music on my iPhone (aac+) with your method.

Seriously, no sarcasm. :)
Click to expand...

Okay, how about one better :)

http://69.95.45.82:2000/listen.pls

Here is a live off-air web stream (live air feed WLTJ HD-4) I am using shoutcast so just enter this in your winamp Play URL
and it should work in VNC also

as this being HD-4 its encoded for HD Broadcasting @ 24kbps, and I am streaming it here at 128kbps AAC+

I'm using a Sangean HDT1 HD Radio Tuner as my source
 
RadioEngnr said:
ajc_trw said:
RadioEngnr said:
Simple answer really,

HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo for all HD's and since 32kbps is equal to analog FM in audio quality there is no degradation of fidelity

I did this encoding back in January 2011 when I added HD-4 which is 24kbps
Click to expand...

Do you have any audio samples to share? Someone did something like that (provide an audio clip) over on the XM board and provided the links like the one below

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mhwi7g

because getting FM quality on 32kbit would be quite an accomplishment. I could put a lot more music on my iPhone (aac+) with your method.

Seriously, no sarcasm. :)
Click to expand...

Okay, how about one better :)

http://69.95.45.82:2000/listen.pls

Here is a live off-air web stream (live air feed WLTJ HD-4) I am using shoutcast so just enter this in your winamp Play URL
and it should work in VNC also

as this being HD-4 its encoded for HD Broadcasting @ 24kbps, and I am streaming it here at 128kbps AAC+

I'm using a Sangean HDT1 HD Radio Tuner as my source
Click to expand...

So you're saying this is better than FM quality? I was looking for an HD multicast station that was at least FM quality because you said ...

HD1, HD2 & HD3 are all at 32kbps = stereo for all HD's and since 32kbps is equal to analog FM in audio quality there is no degradation of fidelity

so you're saying this meets that or even exceeds FM quality? Something must be wrong with the way I'm getting it because it's in mono and hashy. ??? ::)

BTW, this is FM quality

http://ogg2.as34763.net/vr160.ogg
 
Your Listening to my HD-4 which is 24 kbps, not HD-2 or HD-3 which are at 32kbps
I really didn't think people wanted to listen to a 32kbps stream, but I can do that next week
 
In Philadelphia, 94.1 used to have a Mainstream Rock format until they became a simulcast of WIP-AM in October of 2011. WIP was on 94.1 HD3 for awhile, but in mono, and now the rock music on 94.1 HD3 is in stereo.
 
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