The FMExtra, SCA and Ibiquity Challenge

[clouseau]

As many of you have heard, we lease out an SCA service on the FCC Licensed station I own. It's SCA listener base is modest (A few hundred radios at best). Most of these radios are from

http://radiosca.com

They cost around $35.00 delivered, and they are for sale in the listening area for a little less than that. (Due to quantity pricing from the manufacturer.)

According to a few things I have seen, it would look like we could install the FMExtra transmission system for around $10,000. I would suspect if it is even marginally better than SCA, we could get The SCA client and listener base to switch. (Because THEY eat the conversion). I'm being dead serious here. I can afford the $10K. My question is....

Can anyone point me to an FMExtra capable radio available today? I've seen vaporware pictures of the DRE "Aruba" radio which is priced (IIRC) in the high $100.00s. A price that high "IS" a concern, but clearly it's no worse than HD from Ibiquity. But "Pictures" won't allow me to flip my SCA tenant.

Here's my proposal to anyone. If you can point me to a real solution to convert my tenant, I'll salute you "On Air - Main Channel" for :30 seconds, every hour for an entire year. In fact, I'll even give you "Creative control" of the :30 seconds. (FCC rules must apply). Don't get too horny here. Paid rate for this airtime would be "New Midsized car" if you could sell the entire day ALL YEAR at full rate. More like "Used Honda Helix" for a real cash contract. (Assuming you could get one.) Still, you would have 30 secs an hour to proclaim "See Clouseau, I told you so" to Clouseau's world."

Now contrary to some people's belief on this forum, I'm not a moron. Nor do I necessarily believe any of the posters here are morons (Though some of you really try). But I DO believe that Ibiquity's version of HD is going to be the FM "Law of the land" in a couple of months. And if you really can provide a reasonable alternative in January of 2007 LET ME HEAR IT! I'll do it and you can proclaim on the airwaves that "Clouseau is an idiot!!" Not a bad offer since I'd be buying the electricity and you'd be on my station. Obviously, I would report this to Radio World and the like. You could be famous. Here's what we will need...

1) Now Available Transmission stuff. If I read this correctly, this is available from DRE for a little under $10k. I can go $15K if needed.

2) A (Mass Produced) working receiver available in quantity one quantities up to 1000. That means I DON't have to contract to have them made. I need to be able to buy them "Off the Shelf" and offer them to listeners. I'd like to keep the price to $199.99 or less. (If you find an easy solution with a slightly higher price tag I'm listening.) Right now I'm pricing HD FM at $199.99. I need an equivalent.

3) Client must agree. (I'm pretty sure a reasonable alternative will work)

Any takers? Beat me up. Post the Google trends garbage. Tell me I'm condescending when I describe a legitimate section of the population. You'll never see an offer like this again . As we used to stay on the afternoon show...

Stack me
Rack me,
But don't let AJ whack me.
I'm out!!


Clouseau

PS This is an honest and legit offer. I'll adopt this today if there is an answer. I don't think there is, but I'd really LOVE to be wrong. (Can you imagine how cool this story would be for the winner AND ME 5 years from now??)

This offer expires Feb 28th, 2007. Poster 's decisions final. No cash value implied. No purchase necessary. Loopholes excluded. Void where prohibited. Licensed Drives only (OK NOT THAT ONE) Etc...etc...Blah Blah blah

 

[Mike Walker]

I don't know you Clouseau, but I'd love to buy you a beer, you eloquent rascal. Now watch them answer with links to other, mostly unrelated words by others.

There may have been better alternatives than Ibiquity. There certainly was a better alternative to the FM Stereo standard we have now, but it didn't allow SCAs like the one Clouseau runs. But we're too far down the road to do much about either. HD is almost certainly here to stay, and as Clouseau says, will soon be the "law of the land". Get used to it.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

As many of you have heard, we lease out an SCA service on the FCC Licensed station I own. It's SCA listener base is modest (A few hundred radios at best). Most of these radios are from

http://radiosca.com

They cost around $35.00 delivered, and they are for sale in the listening area for a little less than that. (Due to quantity pricing from the manufacturer.)

According to a few things I have seen, it would look like we could install the FMExtra transmission system for around $10,000. I would suspect if it is even marginally better than SCA, we could get The SCA client and listener base to switch. (Because THEY eat the conversion). I'm being dead serious here. I can afford the $10K. My question is....

Can anyone point me to an FMExtra capable radio available today? I've seen vaporware pictures of the DRE "Aruba" radio which is priced (IIRC) in the high $100.00s. A price that high "IS" a concern, but clearly it's no worse than HD from Ibiquity. But "Pictures" won't allow me to flip my SCA tenant.

Here's my proposal to anyone. If you can point me to a real solution to convert my tenant, I'll salute you "On Air - Main Channel" for :30 seconds, every hour for an entire year. In fact, I'll even give you "Creative control" of the :30 seconds. (FCC rules must apply). Don't get too horny here. Paid rate for this airtime would be "New Midsized car" if you could sell the entire day ALL YEAR at full rate. More like "Used Honda Helix" for a real cash contract. (Assuming you could get one.) Still, you would have 30 secs an hour to proclaim "See Clouseau, I told you so" to Clouseau's world."

Now contrary to some people's belief on this forum, I'm not a moron. Nor do I necessarily believe any of the posters here are morons (Though some of you really try). But I DO believe that Ibiquity's version of HD is going to be the FM "Law of the land" in a couple of months. And if you really can provide a reasonable alternative in January of 2007 LET ME HEAR IT! I'll do it and you can proclaim on the airwaves that "Clouseau is an idiot!!" Not a bad offer since I'd be buying the electricity and you'd be on my station. Obviously, I would report this to Radio World and the like. You could be famous. Here's what we will need...

1) Now Available Transmission stuff. If I read this correctly, this is available from DRE for a little under $10k. I can go $15K if needed.

2) A (Mass Produced) working receiver available in quantity one quantities up to 1000. That means I DON't have to contract to have them made. I need to be able to buy them "Off the Shelf" and offer them to listeners. I'd like to keep the price to $199.99 or less. (If you find an easy solution with a slightly higher price tag I'm listening.) Right now I'm pricing HD FM at $199.99. I need an equivalent.

3) Client must agree. (I'm pretty sure a reasonable alternative will work)

Any takers? Beat me up. Post the Google trends garbage. Tell me I'm condescending when I describe a legitimate section of the population. You'll never see an offer like this again . As we used to stay on the afternoon show...

Stack me
Rack me,
But don't let AJ whack me.
I'm out!!


Clouseau

PS This is an honest and legit offer. I'll adopt this today if there is an answer. I don't think there is, but I'd really LOVE to be wrong. (Can you imagine how cool this story would be for the winner AND ME 5 years from now??)

This offer expires Feb 28th, 2007. Poster 's decisions final. No cash value implied. No purchase necessary. Loopholes excluded. Void where prohibited. Licensed Drives only (OK NOT THAT ONE) Etc...etc...Blah Blah blah

I forwarded the link to your challenge directly to FMeXtra [email protected] Hopefully, they will take up your challenge, and everyone will be happy!
Everyone wins, except unscrupulous iBiquity.

 

[clouseau]

I forwarded the link to your challenge directly to FMeXtra [email protected] Hopefully, they will take up your challenge, and everyone will be happy!
Everyone wins, except unscrupulous iBiquity.

Please God, Someone get those two guys from the Guiness commercials. Ask them to wait in the green room.


SUPERCASTER,,,

Did it ever occur to you that before I would offer to spend $20,000 or more to enhance a radio station, I might have dug a little deeper than a recommendation from an anonymous internet poster like yourself?

That just MAYBE I might have contacted DRE already? That maybe I've talked to several dozen people who have all had varying levels of involvement with development, testing and use? That if I changed the use of all this literature I've received, I might not have to buy toilet paper for the rest of 2007?

Then again, maybe you can get better information from DRE than I can. I'm sure this stack of stuff that came in the mail isn't EVERYTHING they know about it. After all, the only thing I could offer was to buy the product and put it on a licensed station. I don't know who you are, but maybe you have more clout.

This challenge here is to determine if there are actually ANY FMExtra capable radio's out there and available for sale on an "Each" basis in any quantity up to 1000 for not much more than $200.00 . The other conditions are above.

The challenge isn't to see if you can Google DRE's contact page and post an address like [email protected]. Surprisingly, a great many problems can't be solved by punching the "Post" button at Radio-info.com . (Although you CAN make a heck of a lot of progress with Google.)

Bring in our guests - The Guiness guys.

Guiness guy #1 So I have an idea. Rather than us posting the first thing that comes into our minds or relying on our own personal bias, we could actually do reasearch and not sound so silly when we post.

Guiness Guy #2 Actual Posting based on Facts and not Drivel??? BRILLIANT!!

Guiness reminds you to always post responsibly.

Clouseau.

 

[midwestwanderer]

From DRE:

"We are rolling out production FMeXtra radios at this time and are taking orders for February delivery. You can purchase them through our distributors or direct from DRE. Picture attached. Price is $179.00 in quantity of one.....discounts for volume purchase. Energy-Onix and BEXT both have demonstration units so if you deal with either of them you can contact them for a demonstration. See our website for more information www.dreinc.com Thanks for your interest"

 

[Mike Walker]

Sorry but I followed that link, and I don't see a single radio available NOW. Something is always "coming next month" in electronics. I'm not saying that all "coming next month" or "coming soon" products are vaporware. If a first, second, and third product had already arrived, I wouldn't be so skeptical about a fourth. But before a first product has been sold...yeah...it's vaporware (at least until it isn't!)

 

[SUPERCASTER]

I forwarded the link to your challenge directly to FMeXtra [email protected] Hopefully, they will take up your challenge, and everyone will be happy!
Everyone wins, except unscrupulous iBiquity.

Please God, Someone get those two guys from the Guiness commercials. Ask them to wait in the green room.


SUPERCASTER,,,

Did it ever occur to you that before I would offer to spend $20,000 or more to enhance a radio station, I might have dug a little deeper than a recommendation from an anonymous internet poster like yourself?

That just MAYBE I might have contacted DRE already? That maybe I've talked to several dozen people who have all had varying levels of involvement with development, testing and use? That if I changed the use of all this literature I've received, I might not have to buy toilet paper for the rest of 2007?

Then again, maybe you can get better information from DRE than I can. I'm sure this stack of stuff that came in the mail isn't EVERYTHING they know about it. After all, the only thing I could offer was to buy the product and put it on a licensed station. I don't know who you are, but maybe you have more clout.

This challenge here is to determine if there are actually ANY FMExtra capable radio's out there and available for sale on an "Each" basis in any quantity up to 1000 for not much more than $200.00 . The other conditions are above.

The challenge isn't to see if you can Google DRE's contact page and post an address like [email protected]. Surprisingly, a great many problems can't be solved by punching the "Post" button at Radio-info.com . (Although you CAN make a heck of a lot of progress with Google.)

Bring in our guests - The Guiness guys.

Guiness guy #1 So I have an idea. Rather than us posting the first thing that comes into our minds or relying on our own personal bias, we could actually do reasearch and not sound so silly when we post.

Guiness Guy #2 Actual Posting based on Facts and not Drivel??? BRILLIANT!!

Guiness reminds you to always post responsibly.

Clouseau.

Your hostility is totally misdirected. You should blame yourself. I took your offer at face value, assumed you were being honest, and it was a genuine inquiry. I now know that your post was just another in the continuous campaign of HD radio supporter subterfuge and deceptions. Your posts are bitter, disingenuous, and misleading, just as most of the other HD supporter posts here.
If you don't like honest answers, don't post dishonest, deceptive, questions. HD supporters are the problem here, not those HD opponents who are being honest.

Some HD radios can likely be converted to recieve FMeXtra, so they will not become just footwarmers and doorstops.
From www.dreinc.com

For those DIF radios implemented with general purpose DSPs, such as some IBOC radios, FMeXtra can be implemented at no additional hardware cost.

Terriffic!

The other answer you don't like is from midwestwanderer at DRE:

"We are rolling out production FMeXtra radios at this time and are taking orders for February delivery. You can purchase them through our distributors or direct from DRE. Picture attached. Price is $179.00 in quantity of one.....discounts for volume purchase. Energy-Onix and BEXT both have demonstration units so if you deal with either of them you can contact them for a demonstration. See our website for more information www.dreinc.com Thanks for your interest"

If you shot yourself in the foot again, (getting to be a habit with broadcasters recently) don't get angry and blame others, or try to cover up with more venom, rancor, and deception.
Instead of playing with destructive, defective HD radio, and attacking FMeXtra, and HD opponents, perhaps you could try a water drinking contest at your station.

A defective, destructive, technology, such as HD, that entirely depends on intense and constant consumer deception, will not long survive, and is doing more harm then good for radio and the broadcasting industry.

I realize you are Guiness obsessed and impaired. Don't take it out on others.

 

[clouseau]

Your hostility is totally misdirected. You should blame yourself. I took your offer at face value, assumed you were being honest, and it was a genuine inquiry.

There is no hostility. And I certainly don't assign blame. I'm laughing at your "I can hook you up and solve your problem because I have the Internet and Google" attitude to solve very complicated and difficult issues. It speaks volumes about what you think of broadcasters when you assume the answer to the question would be a general email address on a contact webpage.

I now know that your post was just another in the continuous campaign of HD radio supporter subterfuge and deceptions.

Now people that write about FMExtra are subterfuge and deception? Sorry, but I'm not privy to "the campaign". You're becoming a little paranoid in your Don Quiote-esqe crusade to discredit anyone who does not goose step to your anti HD Radio campaign.

Your posts are bitter, disingenuous, and misleading, just as most of the other HD supporter posts here.

You're probably a little right about a bitter tone. Fact is, IN THIS FORUM, people who work in the industry are subjected to a constant barrage of off topic drivel, like Internet radio Wifi radio, Ipods and the like. That's not really what this forum is for. If this were a "Jogging" Forum the Anti HD Crowd would be posting about how bicycles give you more exercise, Physical fitness is overrated and cars get you there faster. And it really gets old after a while. That's why most people who actually have anything to do with HD radio and the business have left here LONG ago. So yes, to a degree there is a limited degree of bitterness.

Disingenous and misleading is just not true. How about Defective? Farce? Podcast traffic reports? Come on man, you worte the book on misleading. Nothing I said in this offer is disingenous or misleading. NOTHING. You're playing in the world where the big boys play. (and God knows I'm no where near a 'Big Boy") If 'contact@dreinc' is your "A" game then listen to the radio and be caller #7 when you head the secret sound. The real broadcasting world doesn't work that way. Even though it's clear you have no regard for true radio people, you might want to consider that maybe there are other sides to the business that you don't fully understand. If you've never wrestled with how BAD that infomercial would be but how close you are to not making payroll then you don't understand. And that's OK. I scream at my TV on weekends about how dumb the coach of our NFL team is. And I know I could do better. Except you know what? Probably not. Trust me. Radio's not that different. Consider the possibility that you "MIGHT" not know what is best for the industry. Us in the industry think about that everyday. (At least we should)

If you don't like honest answers, don't post dishonest, deceptive, questions. HD supporters are the problem here, not those HD opponents who are being honest.

I love honest answers. Not drum beating, lock step, Defective, Farce, Destructive Doesn't work in a structure dogma. (Much of it from people that don't even possess the technology.) I wouuld chararactize Mike Walker as an HD supporter in this forum. Are you claiming you are more honest than him? He has bought a radio and posted his results. He has posted about an interesting incident in an electronics shop. He says he likes the sound of HD. He was ridiculed for all of these. I think he's pretty honest. He has said all along he thinks AMHD in it's current form is a bad idea.

I on the other hand, tend to be a tad sarcastic. I have very little patience for a lot of the foolishness that goes on here. I have spent many hours reading links to articles about nothing in this forum. Posts that claim "This is proof HD is a bad idea" that link to articles about WIMAX and the like. But I don't EVER recall being dishonest. I know you will try to call me out on the Google trends thing, but please talk to someone who has ever taken even an entry level statistcis course before you do. And about HD radio. I TOO like my HD radio. And it works well for me. In my House. And yes "I" was ridiculed because I bought it. BTW I ALSO do not support AMHD. (but it DOES sound good)

Where's the dishonest, deceptive question? I understand you might be hurt, but you're not making sense.

You write that HD supporters are the problem here. That's funny. Before you got slapped down for an overly simplistic solution to a very complicated problem, you didn't seem to think there WAS a problem here. The knife DOES cut both ways. I'm truly sorry if you got cut. It wasn't directed at you. Just the quality of the answer.

Some HD radios can likely be converted to recieve FMeXtra, so they will not become just footwarmers and doorstops.
From www.dreinc.com

Something about honesty???

For those DIF radios implemented with general purpose DSPs, such as some IBOC radios, FMeXtra can be implemented at no additional hardware cost.

This quote would be from the "So you'd like to manufacture a DRE radio" page, right? It's NOT a retrofit.

The other answer you don't like is from midwestwanderer at DRE:

I've never commented on this. That's clear from above. Something about Honesty?

I will not be commenting on this as I do NOT want to get crosswise with DRE. I understand you don't have those concerns. I do.

"We are rolling out production FMeXtra radios at this time and are taking orders for February delivery. You can purchase them through our distributors or direct from DRE. Picture attached. Price is $179.00 in quantity of one.....discounts for volume purchase. Energy-Onix and BEXT both have demonstration units so if you deal with either of them you can contact them for a demonstration. See our website for more information www.dreinc.com Thanks for your interest"

If you shot yourself in the foot again, (getting to be a habit with broadcasters recently) don't get angry and blame others, or try to cover up with more venom, rancor, and deception.
Instead of playing with destructive, defective HD radio, and attacking FMeXtra, and HD opponents, perhaps you could try a water drinking contest at your station.

When at a loss for a valid arguement, throw an irrelevent tradgedy in there. Somehow I don't think the family of Jessica Strange woudl think your little temper tantrum on a message board was much better than the station's conduct. Mike Walker is the only one to comment on this post. You might want to read it. Maybe even reply to it if you have something to say about it. As I stated before, I'll pass.

A defective, destructive, technology, such as HD, that entirely depends on intense and constant consumer deception, Edited for Repetitiveness

will not long survive, and is doing more harm then good for radio and the broadcasting industry.

I would question your (or my) qualification to make such a broad sweeping statement. Do YOU really know what is good or bad for radio and the broadcast industry?

I realize you are Guiness obsessed and impaired. Don't take it out on others.

If you can definitively say what is good for radio then I'm sure, despite the fact we have never met and you don't know who I am, you can definitively speak to my personal habits as well. I'm sure the board is suitably impressed.

Clouseau

 

[dbdigital]

You're probably a little right about a bitter tone. Fact is, IN THIS FORUM, people who work in the industry are subjected to a constant barrage of off topic drivel, like Internet radio Wifi radio, Ipods and the like. That's not really what this forum is for. If this were a "Jogging" Forum the Anti HD Crowd would be posting about how bicycles give you more exercise, Physical fitness is overrated and cars get you there faster. And it really gets old after a while. That's why most people who actually have anything to do with HD radio and the business have left here LONG ago. So yes, to a degree there is a limited degree of bitterness.

Since the future of radio encompasses all forms of digital broadcasting it's inevitable that any discussion of HD Radio will involve a comparison to or contrast with internet and satellite radio as well as with any other method of digital broadcasting (CAM-D, FMeXtra, etc.), even though this forum is dedicated to HD Radio. It's not like we're discussing the best methods and hosting service for internet broadcasting or the latest offerings from the satcasters. There are other forums here for that.

I see no problem with discussing other methods of digital radio on this forum, particularly as they are compared with HD Radio. In the end, all broadcasters are going to have to either embrace or deal with the other technologies.

db

 

[SUPERCASTER]

Challenge accepted by FMeXtra!
Here is the link:
Challenge accepted by FMeXtra!

 

[calstymes]

clouseau said to SUPERCASTER:

Consider the possibility that you "MIGHT" not know what is best for the industry. Us in the industry think about that everyday. (At least we should)

Yes, you should. And consider that you MIGHT not know what is "best" for the industry either.

Do YOU really know what is good or bad for radio and the broadcast industry?

I suspect he has a pretty darn good idea. He is intelligent and he makes sense. And you know what? What is "best" for the industry is not necessarily what is best for iBiQuity shareholders. In fact, the two are actually inversely proportional to each other.

Disclaimer: The above is not what an iBiQuity shareholder would say.

And shhhh! Don't tell that to the FCC which quite likely thinks that this is a "win-win" situation. A win for broadcasters and a win for iBiQuity shareholders. Hopefully, pressure from the great public will educate this esteemed agency and they will start protecting the public interest once again.

I'm sure the board is suitably impressed.

Well I certainly am!

I'm sorry. I have no links to post to "prove" my position.

 

[hipporadio]

response moved to the “challenge acctepted” thread