Twenty Second Delay Between radio and ESPN

[SalBass]

How can there be a delay of as much as 20 seconds between the radio and ESPN? The radio is 20 seconds behind.

 

[grmf]

Listening on HD? I know that makes it pretty long.

 

[MCMagicCracker]

It's common practice to delay FM/HD simulcasts for synchronization. It takes about eight seconds to process HD audio for broadcast. The standard audio is delayed so the transition between standard and HD happens seamlessly when the signal is acquired (which also takes longer than normal radio).

 

[RadioFlyerAtl]

Sal, can you elaborate on station and game, and if you were listening in digital or analog?

Most stations will ramp down profanity delay (if applicable) during live sporting events. On top of that, most stations that broadcast in HD will engage "ballgame mode" in their HD Exporter which ramps down the roughly 8 second analog delay. This also triggers a control bit in the HD stream that signals receivers to not blend between analog and digital since the diversity delay is no longer in place. The HD stream is still broadcast with its inherent 8 second delay, but the analog signal is broadcast in real time.

 

[SalBass]

I was watching the the Tech/uga game on ESPN and listening to 106.7FM on the radio. My radio was a Cambridge Soundworks "Bose wave radio" knock-off. The TV was HD but not the radio, unless I didn't know it. The radio, at the beginning of the game at least, was a full 20 second delay behind the TV. It may have gotten better in the second half. I stopped listening. It got confusing for both me and my 16 year old daughter.

 

[jabba17]

I was watching the the Tech/uga game on ESPN and listening to 106.7FM on the radio. My radio was a Cambridge Soundworks "Bose wave radio" knock-off. The TV was HD but not the radio, unless I didn't know it. The radio, at the beginning of the game at least, was a full 20 second delay behind the TV. It may have gotten better in the second half. I stopped listening. It got confusing for both me and my 16 year old daughter.

Noticed this last year during the Tech/Missy State game. I think it's due to the HD delay on the radio, to keep the analog and digital in sync, which applies whether you're listening to HD radio or analog.

 

[RadioFlyerAtl]

Sounds like WYAY didn't ramp down profanity delay or HD delay.

There's definitely no reason why a live sporting event radio broadcast should ever be 20 seconds post TV.

 

[jabba17]

Sounds like WYAY didn't ramp down profanity delay or HD delay.

There's definitely no reason why a live sporting event radio broadcast should ever be 20 seconds post TV.

Why would you want to get rid of the HD delay? Then all three of the HD Radio listeners would get boogered up if (when) the signal got spotty. ;D

Seriously, I can't see an operational reason to ever get rid of the HD delay. The days of listening to the PBP on the radio while muting the TV are likely over, at least on FM since HD on AM is dead in the water.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Seriously, I can't see an operational reason to ever get rid of the HD delay. The days of listening to the PBP on the radio while muting the TV are likely over, at least on FM since HD on AM is dead in the water.

Here in Atlanta, that's probably true. However, in other markets, there is still a strong desire to listen to "home team" play by play for games rather than to listen to the neutral network announcers.

 

[RadioFlyerAtl]

When you place the Exporter in "ballgame mode" it doesn't just eliminate the HD delay, it triggers a control bit in the digital stream that inhibits receivers from blending between analog and digital. We've also been trying to get it to serve beer and peanuts, but apparently iBiquity wants more money for that.

It's a bigger deal than you might think. It's not only for those who prefer to hear the PBP from the home-team announcers, which trump TV announcers any day of the week. It's also for those who listen to the PBP while at the stadium or arena. If you're talking about a local team with many local affiliates, listeners are also going to prefer a broadcast which isn't delayed.

 

[jabba17]

Seriously, I can't see an operational reason to ever get rid of the HD delay. The days of listening to the PBP on the radio while muting the TV are likely over, at least on FM since HD on AM is dead in the water.

Here in Atlanta, that's probably true. However, in other markets, there is still a strong desire to listen to "home team" play by play for games rather than to listen to the neutral network announcers.

I was saying "over" from a technical standpoint, not a demand standpoint.

When you place the Exporter in "ballgame mode" it doesn't just eliminate the HD delay, it triggers a control bit in the digital stream that inhibits receivers from blending between analog and digital. We've also been trying to get it to serve beer and peanuts, but apparently iBiquity wants more money for that.

It's a bigger deal than you might think. It's not only for those who prefer to hear the PBP from the home-team announcers, which trump TV announcers any day of the week. It's also for those who listen to the PBP while at the stadium or arena. If you're talking about a local team with many local affiliates, listeners are also going to prefer a broadcast which isn't delayed.

I didn't know there was a "ballgame mode" like that. That is cool and 106.7 needs to use that for GT PBP as most of the TV announcers are horrid (especially when ESPN is carrying a Tech game as an "SEC" game).

I thought that HD was an "all or nothing" proposition, and I didn't know you could remotely turn off the "blend" feature. My thought was that if you got rid of the analog delay, you would make a mess of a blended or other fringy signal.