The Future of Digital Radio?

[dbdigital]

Given the current state of convergence (or is it confusion) surrounding digital and analog broadcasting, a Swiss Army Knife chip makes a lot of sense:

"Module Combines WiFi, DAB and FM

Frontier Silicon announced what it calls the first “four-in-one” module capable of receiving Internet radio, DAB, FM and music streamed from a PC....Audio manufacturers, the company says, can use it to produce radios for global consumers, “bringing thousands of Internet radio stations and music streaming to a new generation of affordable, easy-to-use home DAB/FM radios via household WiFi.”

Applications will include portable and alarm clock radios, CD micro systems, boomboxes and tuners. Frontier Silicon expects products will be in stores by July."

Read about it here:

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0101/t.1179.html

db

 

[Chuck]

Given the current state of convergence (or is it confusion) surrounding digital and analog broadcasting, a Swiss Army Knife chip makes a lot of sense:

Seems to me that for some time now, I've been saying this is the future. Software defined radios are going to be the big thing. IBOC will be one of many technologies that may or may not survive. There is not going to be just one winner. Sorry IBOC cheerleaders.

 

[EasyPeazy]

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine. He's more computer savvy than most people but he's having a hard time doing a simple file share between two of his PCs.

It strikes me that radio and even HD Radio are much simpler than your average internet radio device. Plug it in, turn it on, music comes out.

I don't think I would have had to explain how to work an HD Radio to my buddy.

 

[700WLW]

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine. He's more computer savvy than most people but he's having a hard time doing a simple file share between two of his PCs.

It strikes me that radio and even HD Radio are much simpler than your average internet radio device. Plug it in, turn it on, music comes out.

I don't think I would have had to explain how to work an HD Radio to my buddy.

If you consider, having to mount roof-top, or attic dipole antennas, and having to tweak AM loop antennas, it is no wonder, that HD Radio only interests gotta-have-it-now radio-geeks, or just foolish consumers (probably, end up returning a good number). No messy, external antennas, with analog receivers !

 

[dbdigital]

Given the current state of convergence (or is it confusion) surrounding digital and analog broadcasting, a Swiss Army Knife chip makes a lot of sense:

Seems to me that for some time now, I've been saying this is the future. Software defined radios are going to be the big thing. IBOC will be one of many technologies that may or may not survive. There is not going to be just one winner. Sorry IBOC cheerleaders.

Even the DRM Consortium has outlined a spec that would allow DRM and IBOC decoding on a single chip. Add in FMeXtra and WiFi and consumers, broadcasters and manufacturers have a lot of options which will only serve to accelerate the transition digital radio.

But for iBiquity to keep their technology propriatary, which is the direction they're currently going, is to stifle that transition.

db

 

[EasyPeazy]

But for iBiquity to keep their technology propriatary, which is the direction they're currently going, is to stifle that transition.

db

Agreed. Their licensing scheme is greedy to say the least. From what I've heard there are fees on top of fees. Stations pay for the equipment, then they pay yearly licensing fees to broadcast HD and even more if they broadcast HD2.

That is ridiculous.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

But for iBiquity to keep their technology propriatary, which is the direction they're currently going, is to stifle that transition.

db

Agreed. Their licensing scheme is greedy to say the least. From what I've heard there are fees on top of fees. Stations pay for the equipment, then they pay yearly licensing fees to broadcast HD and even more if they broadcast HD2.

That is ridiculous.

If so, EasyPeasy, then why are you supporting and promoting expensive, unnecessary, destructive, proprietary, HD radio and ridiculing those that point out it's defective, corrupt, interfering nature?
From EasyPeasy: http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,63151.0.html
What will you do when your favorite stations do the usual weekly format flip, or add commercials, or become subscription channels?
HD radio won't be free forever. Broadcasters won't eat the cost, divide their audience, and continue to provide totally free service. Their shareholders will not stand for footing the bill for no return on investment.
Perhaps you should reconsider and support FMeXtra (www.dreinc.com) the system that is inexpensive, simple, open, already has final FCC approval, and creates no adjacent channel jamming.
Don't bet your whole wad on a lame horse.
Internet radio is not that complex, will get simpler, and more wireless, as time goes on. Millions listen to digital HD internet radio every day with few problems. Many more people, worldwide, are already listening to digital internet audio, then listen to iBiquity/HD radio.
I'm listening to internet radio, now, as I type this!
No, new, expensive, problematic HD radio is necessary.
Virtually all the HD radio streams as well as tens of thousands of others are available to me, worldwide, over the internet, and soon totally wireless!

 

[RadioStarOne]

Hello Supercaster, Folowing up on your last post I have to ask why are they so blind?
With nearly everyone having computer and internet access wouldn't it be much more in radios interest to stream on the internet instead of worrying about programing a couple of subcarriers on their over the air signals? It's a no brainer really and they could have 25 audio channels to program at 128 kbps or 12 at 256 kbps or 6 at 320 kbps! and no fees, antenna or transmitter upgrades to deal with.

 

[hipporadio]

Oldies lovers speak out in Dallas... NO HD FUTURE for fans of the Past Masters... Here’s what they think of HD in the “Big D”:

Frankly, I've heard KAAM in HD a couple of times now. They sounded better in C-QUAM. I could hear compression artifacts, phase shifts on the HD. VERY annoying...

Frankly AM IBUZ is a total joke... I, for one, would LOVE to see Real Oldies return to AM. That's where it belongs... Please make sure that when it goes there it's not IBUZ so the stations will have a fighting chance with TODAY'S audience.

...HD Radio doesn't really stand for High Definition Radio. Seriously! It's smoke and mirrors. iBiquity chose the initials "HD" to piggy-back on the reputation of HDTV...

So what does “HD” REALLY stand for?

Yep, the HD in radio might as well stand for “Highly Doubtful”. The actual term is IBOC—we know this is also somewhat misleading.

Actually Robert, HD is "High Distortion"

I sure wish we could get an oldies station back on AM in Chicago. The last one, WRLL, went HD, ruining the last few months of the format. HD stands for “Hideously Deformed”.

To those installing it, I think it stands for “High Dollars”! Kudos to Burt Ward (Robin on the Batman TV show)... “Holy Damage!” IBOC—“It Bothers Other Channels”.

Here’s my list:

HD = Highly Defective
HD = Highly Destructive
HD = Highly Deceptive
HD = Highly Dismissed (unless working for Cartel Corporate)
HD = Huge Difference (because analog bandwidth was purposely restricted or poorly processed)
HD = Hot Doggie! (when “i-B-nicking-u” gets another royalty check)
HD = Highly Decorated (with yet another $200,000,000 reoccurring rollout)
HD = Highly Discounted (at Radio Shack and other easily-goated retailers again soon)
HD = Hardly Deployed (but coming to The Sharper Image if they survive their latest lawsuit)
HD Cartel Members = Highly Delusional
HD FCC Regulators = Highly Distracted
HD Canadian Regulators = Heartily Disagree (not in our country you won’t)
HD Supporters = Highly Defensive
HD Buyers = Highly Disillusioned
and...
HD = High Definition (but only by those who believe the Bose Wave Radio can actually receive .wav files) :

And your additional submissions will be appreciated!

 

[hipporadio]

Oh... And one more—before I tune in to listen to Art Bell in "standard-definition" AM analog...

HD = Hiding (from) Dashboards

YOUR TURN!

 

[Mike Walker]

Again 700 makes "dipole" sound like something new, exotic, and huge. Know that wire antenna you've dropped behind your equipment rack for decades? The one that came with your receiver? Tack it to the wall rather than dropping it behind the rack. You've got HD. B.F.D., ain't it?

And there's no "requirement" for a dipole. A monopole (like the whip on a boombox) works just fine. "YIKES, these newfangled radios have to have an ANTENNA! Who'd athunk it?!"

 

[700WLW]

Again 700 makes "dipole" sound like something new, exotic, and huge. Know that wire antenna you've dropped behind your equipment rack for decades? The one that came with your receiver? Tack it to the wall rather than dropping it behind the rack. You've got HD. B.F.D., ain't it?

And there's no "requirement" for a dipole. A monopole (like the whip on a boombox) works just fine. "YIKES, these newfangled radios have to have an ANTENNA! Who'd athunk it?!"

I never implied, that dipoles are a new thing - back in the 80s/90s, when cell phones, baby monitors, and cordless phones were analog, I had one hooked up in the attic, through one of the TV's coax-cables, back to my scanner. We all, have been down this road many times before, debating HD Radio's problematic reception. HD Radios require AM-loop, and externally mounted FM-dipole antennas, for the problematic reception of the HD channels. Average consumers are not interesting in setting up elaborate, ugly antennas to ugly, boxy HD Radios - this is why, HD Radio only interests radio-geeks.