• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Will HD succeed ?

S

shiznit

Guest
while i would certainly LIKE to see HD succeed, it most likely won't.

here are some reasons:

reason # 1: auto manufacturers ARE NOT even in serious talks with the HD alliance about putting them in cars. they are already happy with sat rad.

reason # 2: wireless radio via cell phones, wi-max and wifi internet will be cheaper and more universal. more choice, more customization, more flexibility

reason # 3: terrestrial radio management is TERRIFIED about HD and Internet. it totally disrupts their comfortable world of big, growing profits the old fashioned way.

reason #4 : radio is investing in HD because of the pressures of wall street.
in a world quickly going digital, radio has to do "something"

reason #5 : it's too late. other more user friendly digital music platforms are already being embraced.

reason #5 : even if HD starts to get listeners, management will FREAK OUT when they start to see listeners LEAVE their terrestrial signals to listen to HD channels. more inventory to sell. more supply with same demand is BAD. price per spot goes down.

summary: traditional radio isn't going away. it's just going to be marginalized. which means no more growth. it is no longer the only game in town. sorry. the party is over.
 
> while i would certainly LIKE to see HD succeed, it most
> likely won't.

I don't know about that, I think that it can and will succeed IF station owners have the patience to let the technology grow and evolve. The "battle" doesn't need to between HD radio, terrestrial and satellite - all 3 can coexist.

>
> here are some reasons:
>
> reason # 1: auto manufacturers ARE NOT even in serious talks
> with the HD alliance about putting them in cars. they are
> already happy with sat rad.
>
That's true for now because the public hasn't been clamoring for it. And, the proponents of HD radio need to get on the stick and get the process started. However, once HD radio becomes more well known (beyond us radio geeks :), there will be a demand and the auto manufacturers will work to satisfy that demand. It's all about awareness and eventual demand. Once this happens, then you'll see HD radios in cars. Scenario #2 would be a government mandate of some sort - but I don't see that happening.

> reason # 2: wireless radio via cell phones, wi-max and wifi
> internet will be cheaper and more universal. more choice,
> more customization, more flexibility

I'd love to stream some of my favorite stations from the UK via my cell phone, but how feasible is this? Seems like a lot of potential for glitches and poor audio in a car, bus or train. To me, that technology will be used more for text and the audio part will be a side benefit that will only attract the hardcore enthusiasts.

>
> reason # 3: terrestrial radio management is TERRIFIED about
> HD and Internet. it totally disrupts their comfortable world
> of big, growing profits the old fashioned way.

But, terrestrial radio management is the group who are pushing HD as their great white hope! Station owners like Clear Channel and CBS have invested big money into this. They will not give up without one hell of a fight.

>
> reason #4 : radio is investing in HD because of the
> pressures of wall street.
> in a world quickly going digital, radio has to do
> "something"
>
That may be true, as it's a matter of future survival. But, they have invested a lot into it - so this technology will be heavily promoted going forward. m

> reason #5 : it's too late. other more user friendly digital
> music platforms are already being embraced.

I don't know that its too late.
>
> reason #5 : even if HD starts to get listeners, management
> will FREAK OUT when they start to see listeners LEAVE their
> terrestrial signals to listen to HD channels. more inventory
> to sell. more supply with same demand is BAD. price per
> spot goes down.
>
Why? It's win-win for them. Remember, most big owners sell across an entire suite of formats. This just enhances that sales position and they can squeeze a few more bucks out of the agencies. Look, if you can use HD to program something different like urban AC in Boston or Pittsburgh, you will be able to sell to listeners who may not have been tuned in at all prior to the introduction of that format. So, you're growing the "pie" a bit. I'd say *a bit*, because I don't see huge growth coming from this. But, with the present scenario, owners are seening shrinking audiences. So, even modest growth is a plus for them.

> summary: traditional radio isn't going away. it's just going
> to be marginalized. which means no more growth. it is no
> longer the only game in town. sorry. the party is over.
>
This HD radio system is an attempt to answer that. Frankly, I am not crazy about the system that was chosen but I think that it will take off. "Digital" radio has taken more than 10 years to take off in the UK and only now is it gaining traction. It was faced with the same lack of affordable receivers as we see here. That did go away, eventually. But, it will be a long time before they are *Walkman cheap* - if ever.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom