worldsupercaster

2007-03-19T19:25:00.001-04:00

HD RADIO-OFFENSIVE!

2007-03-15T03:18:00.000-04:00

"HD Radio promises clarity and diversity. What it delivers is a whole different story."
"But after an investigation of HD Radio units, the stations playing HD, and the company that owns the technology; and some interviews with the wonks in DC, it looks like HD Radio is a high-level corporate scam, a huge carny shill."
"Welcome to New Radio, boys and girls. It stinks just like Old Radio, except the smell comes in clearer and there's more of it. Stay tuned."
CLICK ON THE TITLE ABOVE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY!

HD DIGITAL RADIO ANTENNA-DUEL USE!

2007-01-05T03:45:00.000-05:00

HD RADIO FAILS TEST

2007-01-01T07:54:00.000-05:00

According to reliable sources, a test, reported to Radio Shack, of their
Accurian Tabletop HD radio, failed to pick up a single HD Radio station reliably, anywhere indoors. HD reception totally failed in spite of using the extra supplied antennas, and with 17 HD radio stations nearby. Most stations broadcasting towers were so close as to be plainly visible from outside the test location. A second Accurian HD radio was tried, with similar results.
The normal (non-HD) AM and FM signals from all 17 stations were picked up crystal clear indoors, even without the extra antennas.
The building was a typical single story cinder block structure.

2010-INTERNET BEATS BROADCAST RADIO!

2007-01-01T02:35:00.000-05:00

According to:
http://www.bridgeratings.com/press_071906-digitalprojectionsupdwradio.htm
All forms of Internet Radio's total cume, incuding cell streaming from the internet, and podcasting by 2010 will equal:
Internet Radio 187.33 million
Wireless Internet 159.23 million
Mobile Phone Streaming (from internet) 11.81 million
Podcasting 3.95 million

TOTAL INTERNET CUME in 2010 = 362.32 million

While the terrestrial broadcast radio total cume is projected to be only: 278.59 million.
Internet cume beating terrestrial cume by 83.73 million by 2010.
That is only about 3 years from now!
HD Radio will only be at a miserable 8.84 million cume. Not enough to sustain thousands of HD stations. Evidence that HD Radio is just another dead end system, similar to several others that have gone before, and disappeared.

HD Radio-BUZZ OFF!

2006-11-25T11:16:00.000-05:00

"The problem is this: unless you have a rock-solid, city-grade, right-near-the-tower signal, the HD either drops in and out or isn't there at all."
"Rock-solid, city-grade signal strength apparently isn't enough to hold the HD signal."
"what good is free if you can't get anything with it, or it drops in and out all the time?"
"They're selling the idea of the "HD2" and "HD3" subchannels for additional programming, but if you can't be assured of getting them without regular annoying dropouts, they're useless."
"Sell this to regular consumers who aren't in the business and aren't going to resort to extraordinary measures to pull in a signal and you're going to anger a lot of people- assuming, that is, that a lot of people will buy this thing, which isn't the case."
LEFT CLICK ON TITLE (ABOVE) FOR FULL STORY.

HD RADIO-BILLION DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE?

2006-11-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

FALSE CLAIMS AND INCOMPATIBLE RADIO JAMMING PLAGUE HD RADIO - PUT DIGITAL FUTURE OF DEFECTIVE HD RADIO SYSTEM IN DOUBT!
An engineering technical study presented by broadcast engineering expert Doug Vernier to the National Association of Broadcasters convention, Radio Engineering Session, Dallas, Texas, and Broadcasters Clinic, Madison, Wisconsin demonstrated massive radio interference created by the defective HD radio system.
Further engineering studies of HD radio are anticipated.
For the full engineering presentation, left click on the headline at top. Adobe Acrobat Reader, necessary, broadband internet preferred for faster download.
FALSE CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, POOR PERFORMANCE, PROBLEMS, AND RADIO INTERFERENCE DOCUMENTED IN OTHER ARTICLES POSTED ON THIS BLOG.

HD Radio "It doesn't work"

2006-11-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

"Guess what I didn’t see in AudioAdvisor's '07 catalog? You guessed it! So I called and asked one of their “consultants” about HD-Radio. He quickly replied, "You can special-order it on the net for $300, but nobody really wants them—besides, it doesn’t work... Can we sell you an XM home “reference” tuner?"

Link to full story:
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,53173.msg370265.html#msg370265

HD Radio-Truth from someone who bought the baloney!

2006-10-31T06:35:00.000-05:00

HERE IS THE LATEST BUZZ ON HD RADIO, FROM ONE WHO BOUGHT ALL THE HYPE.
"The coverage seems to be only slightly more than HALF the coverage of the analog signal. "
"the difference between the digital and analog-stereo signal isn't that great. "
"as soon as I start moving, most stations' HD2 and HD3 signals drop off, and the HD1 signal reverts back to analog."
"As for AM-IBOC, their coverage seems to be even worse than FM. "
"In order to broadcast in HD, they had to scale back their analog signal to 5 or 6 KHz, and now there is no high end on any of the AM's running HD. Even the formerly great sounding WIBC now sounds muddy on the analog signal. In addition, the very things that cause interference on analog AM radios now disrupt the IBOC signal, causing the radio to blend back to analog, so where's the advantage?"
"the audio quality of all 4 AM-HD's is horrible."
"doesn't sound as good as streaming audio with a decent Internet connection."
"when WLW has the IBOC bandsaw turned on, it kills WGN"
CLICK ON THE TITLE (ABOVE) FOR THE FULL REVUE.

RATINGS DECLINE AS HD RADIO BUZZ SPREADS

2006-10-31T03:16:00.000-05:00

STATIONS BROADCAST HD RADIO BUZZ & LOOSE RATINGS!
"WPEN did pretty lousy, garnering a paltry one-half share of male listeners ages 25 to 54. But WIP had its worst summer in years. The summer ratings were not kind to sports radio.
Michael Klein 10/19/06"
Ratings have been dropping since the sations began broadcasting loud HD Radio buzz on adjacent channels, cut fidelity in half, and added noise and hum to audio.
"Surprise! Surprise!" -Gomer Pyle USMC
Click on title (above) for source.
Check Arbitron link for Philadelphia, PA and your city to see if the addition High Destruction radio interference is eating into your local HD Radio station's ratings:
http://www1.arbitron.com/tlr/public/report.do;jsessionid=nSyAu3nBiLP+D6RzBrRpwg**.ppmappp

HD Introduces "Pride Radio"

2006-10-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

CLEAR CHANNEL INTRODUCES "PRIDE RADIO" HD FM STATION.
Finally out in the open, Clear Channel Communications announced "Pride Radio" on HD FM. The corporation is expected to change it's name to reflect it's new identity.
Click on title (above) to go to website and listen.
Here is the link to the press release:
http://www.clearchannel.com/Radio/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1674&KeyWord=pride+radio

HD Radio-R.I.P.

2006-10-26T08:23:00.000-04:00

If you build it will they come?
During the NAB, iBiquity head Bob Struble reportedly indicated that there are "less than 100,000 HD radio chipsets sold" to date and, as has been much better publicized, 1,000 or so HD stations across the country.
Now let's make some assumptions.
First let's assume there's one chipset per radio.
Since 100,000 is a suspiciously round number, let's assume it's a round-up from 90,000 (likely a bit high).
Now let's assume 10,000 of these chipsets are in radios in the hands of broadcast industry professionals (perhaps a bit high).
Now let's assume 10,000 of these chipsets are in the manufacturing and distribution pipeline - not yet in radio form (perhaps a bit low).
Now let's assume 10,000 of these chipsets are in radios but locked in inventories.
That leaves a very, very rough estimate of 60,000 HD radios in the hands of consumers.
Or - 60 radios for every HD station on the air.
There is easily - easily - ten times that much audience listening to these "stations" on the web.

LEFT CLICK ON HEADLINE (ABOVE) FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.

HD RADIO-THE INTERFERENCE FAR OUTWEIGHS THE LISTENER BENEFITS.

2006-10-12T07:20:00.000-04:00

In an ideal world - HD Radio would have been birthed by engineers - inspired by Radio Programmers complaints that there wasn’t enough radio signals on which to bring all their great new programming ideas to life.
Instead- it was the opposite. HD was born as a technical achievement that attempts to answer questions no one was even asking.

Click on the headline (above) for the link to the rest of the article.

HD RADIO-BUZZ INCREASES, AS LISTENERSHIP DECLINES

2006-10-08T02:28:00.000-04:00

"Public radio trying to improve reception"
CLICK ON TITLE (ABOVE) FOR FULL STORY.

HD radio = "Junk technology"

2006-10-04T02:07:00.000-04:00

"Consider the letter to Radio World from Robert Conrad (Reader's Forum, July 19), the president of Cleveland's classical WCLV(FM) and Seaway Productions, who complained that IBOC audio quality is not what was promised, and that signal coverage is terrible. I admire his courage. Most people in his position would be embarrassed to say that after having put so much of their money - and, in some cases, their prestige - behind this junk technology.
As Mr. Conrad said, broadcasters' efforts to promote IBOC "will only disappoint, and perhaps antagonize, a significant segment of the audience who find that the system doesn't deliver."
Let's hope the industry as a whole will recognize that IBOC has been a mistake, and that it does so soon enough that it will be only the larger broadcasters - and, I'm afraid, all too many financially strapped public broadcasters - who will have invested prematurely, and unwisely, in this ill-conceived technology. "
Click on the title above to link to the rest of the story.

"This dirty little secret"
"As a result, the lack of handheld HD Radio receivers - at least for the next few years - will keep the fledgling technology from becoming a player in the increasingly important portable audio industry. Given the strength and projected growth of that sector, this absence could have significant impact on HD Radio's success, as well as to the radio industry's overall relevance to future audiences."
Here is the link:
http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.359.html

HD RADIO-Bonanza for lobbyists.

2006-09-30T09:03:00.000-04:00

In an on-going stepped-up effort to influence Capitol Hill, Rehr said the NAB “will use all of its tools to help educate legislators, our regulators and the public on how over-the-air radio is unique in offering compelling local programming. No competitor has this unique value proposition.”
Rehr also stressed the importance of the industry as a whole promoting HD Radio and encouraging the FCC to adopt HD rules and standards.

“Listeners want local content and connection,” Rehr figured.
The broadcast conglomerates have done virtually everything they can to elliminate as much local content and origination as possible, including laying off thousands of local employees, and networking, duplicating, and automating many of their stations.
CLICK ON THE TITLE (ABOVE) FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.

FCC=FEDERAL CONCEALMENT COMMISSION

2006-09-15T03:40:00.000-04:00

DECEPTION, MISDIRECTION, OBFUSCATION, CORRUPTION, ARE AGENCY AND ADMINISTRATION POLICIES.
FCC JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
"WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.
The report, written in 2004, came to light during the Senate confirmation hearing for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. received a copy of the report "indirectly from someone within the FCC who believed the information should be made public," according to Boxer spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz."
"'Every last piece' destroyedAdam Candeub, now a law professor at Michigan State University, said senior managers at the agency ordered that "every last piece" of the report be destroyed. "The whole project was just stopped - end of discussion," he said. Candeub was a lawyer in the FCC's Media Bureau at the time the report was written and communicated frequently with its authors, he said.
In a letter sent to Martin Wednesday, Boxer said she was "dismayed that this report, which was done at taxpayer expense more than two years ago, and which concluded that localism is beneficial to the public, was shoved in a drawer."
Martin said he was not aware of the existence of the report, nor was his staff. His office indicated it had not received Boxer's letter as of midafternoon Thursday.
Local ownership benefitsIn the letter, Boxer asked whether any other commissioners "past or present" knew of the report's existence and why it was never made public. She also asked whether it was "shelved because the outcome was not to the liking of some of the commissioners and/or any outside powerful interests?"
The report, written by two economists in the FCC's Media Bureau, analyzed a database of 4,078 individual news stories broadcast in 1998. The broadcasts were obtained from Danilo Yanich, a professor and researcher at the University of Delaware, and were originally gathered by the Pew Foundation's Project for Excellence in Journalism.
The analysis showed local ownership of television stations adds almost five and one-half minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of "on-location" news. The conclusion is at odds with FCC arguments made when it voted in 2003 to increase the number of television stations a company could own in a single market. It was part of a broader decision liberalizing ownership rules.
Community responsivenessAt that time, the agency pointed to evidence that "commonly owned television stations are more likely to carry local news than other stations."
When considering whether to loosen rules on media ownership, the agency is required to examine the impact on localism, competition and diversity. The FCC generally defines localism as the level of responsiveness of a station to the needs of its community."
Click on title (above) for link to full article.
Also:
http://www.freepress.net/news/17682
http://www.freepress.net/payola/
This is a direct link to the shredded document on media ownership:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6518462392

"Senator Barbara Boxer has posted the text of the FCC's shredded study in FCC
Docket 06-121 on the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ecfs_alt.html>>
This 24-page document was posted on September 12th. Listed below is a
citation of her filing.
I have requested an extension of time for public
comment on this apparently suppressed study of media ownership
rules.
Nickolaus E. Leggett"

Thanks for the tip. The public should be greatful for disclosure of this deception.
FCC reply letter:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267475A1.pdf

RADIO LISTENING-DECLINING TREND

2006-09-14T13:23:00.000-04:00

ARBITRON SHOWS RADIO LISTENING DECLINING.
COMPETITION FROM NEW MEDIA, PERHAPS?
CLICK ON HEADLINE (ABOVE) FOR LINK TO ARBITRON REPORT.

"RADIO CONSOLIDATION~DOING IRREPERABLE HARM"

2006-09-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

"Consolidation of media ownership is doing irreparable harm to local and national news coverage, and thus to the key fabric of democracy in our country," said John Connolly, President of the American Federal Of Television & Radio Artists at an FCC Town Hall Meeting in Los Angeles conducted by FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps yesterday.
"By allowing the reduction of outlets for diverse opinions via the concentration of power in fewer and fewer corporate hands, the Federal Communications Commission condemns Americans to a country where the public interest suffers, democracy suffers, and working people suffer," said Connolly. "AFTRA members oppose the continued de-regulation of the media and entertainment industries--and the resulting continued concentration of ownership in fewer hands. We urge the commission to protect and enhance the fundamental right and public interest of the American people as true owners of the airwaves."

HD Radio: too little, too late-DOA

2006-09-07T07:56:00.000-04:00

"Face it, folks...when you add it up, HD Radio as a platform will never be competitive with satellite or Internet radio on a value for value basis for the end user."
http://heartsofspace.typepad.com/spatialrelations/
"Mark,
Your observations about the strange disconnect between industry spin and the realities HD radio is facing are all correct, but you politely stop short of the obvious conclusion: HD is DOA.
The only reason it has gotten this far is that such an amazing amount of time and money has been invested in it by iBiquity, with support from radio industry stakeholders and receiver manufacturers.
Many radio folk were skeptical from the beginning. Promoting HD as a quality upgrade (source of the HD moniker) was obviously bull — the typical Internet music stream is already higher quality than HD and can be upgraded easily as deliverable bandwidth gets cheaper. HD reminds me of DCC (Digital Compact Cassette), another attempt by a mature industry to administer life support to a sunset format. That didn't work either, and today almost no one even remembers it.
Promoting the increase in channels on HD sounded good until the usage reports came in and it became clear that with an IBOC system there really wasn't enough additional bandwidth on AM and FM to do the job properly. The U.S. really needed microwave digital radio spectrum like they got in Europe, so new radios could simply add a band. And nobody really figured out where the money would come from to staff and operate those new channels at an effective level, even if they actually worked technically.
And then there was the little matter of the hardware upgrade...it might have had a shot if the Internet wasn't evolving several orders of magnitude faster, the FCC approval happened three times faster, the manufacturers were more agile, and the public had a clear reason to do it. But of course none of these conditions were met and today we still have the ~$500 standalone HD radio and the ~$250 upgrade fee for a new car radio."
http://heartsofspace.typepad.com/spatialrelations/2006/07/index.html
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,46784.0.html

HD Radio-IS JAMMING YOUR AM/FM RADIO

2006-08-20T20:18:00.000-04:00

HD RADIO CAUSES NOISE, BUZZ, HISS, HASH AND JAMMING OF OTHER STATIONS ON BOTH AM AND FM ANALOG RADIOS.
HD Radio uses more then twice the dial space as analog, and adds digital noise and interference to each side of an HD stations signal.
Here is the link to the graphic proof:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Files/29/12194/Figure_02.gif

HD Radio is DOA -HERE IS WHAT'S HOT! Super Sound of the Future.

2006-08-17T11:04:00.000-04:00

HD Radio-Too little, to late, and too many broken promises.
http://www.podcastingnews.com/archives/2006/07/public_radio_gu.html
http://www.synthtopia.com/news/06_08/Stephen_Hill_Digital_Radi.html
Link to hundreds of new stations, true CD quality sound, totally free (not even an expensive new radio is required), 5.1 digital surround sound, everything that HD Radio promises, but does not deliver.
Hear the sound of the future:
http://www.tuner2.com/
If you already have the latest version of winmp (www.winamp.com) or Windows Media AAC+ plugin, here are more AAC+ and high bitrate stations for FREE Super HD:
http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/?s=AAC%2B

FREE HD TUNER AND STATIONS!

2006-08-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

DOWNLOAD THE LATEST VERSION OF WINAMP OR WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER 10 PLUG-IN TO GET HUNDREDS OF NEW HD STATIONS INCLUDING 5.1 SURROUND SOUND!
Here is the link:
http://www.tuner2.com/
Uses AAC Plus codec by Coding Technologies. The same codec as HD Radio, but, in many cases, at a much higher quality and bitrate.

HD Radio-TECHNICAL INFO. FOR ENGINEERS

2006-08-13T04:40:00.000-04:00

HERE ARE LINKS FOR RADIO ENGINEERS AND OTHER TECHNICALLY MINDED INDIVIDUALS ABOUT AM RADIO HD - IBOC, AND RELATED INFORMATION.
http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/AM-IBOC-Parameters.html

HD RADIO IBOC AM STATIONS INCLUDING THOSE THAT TRIED HD RADIO AND ARE NOW or have been HD SILENT:
http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html

AM CHANNEL LOOKUP PAGE INCLUDING HD STATIONS (IN RED):
http://topazdesigns.com/ambc/

HD Radio-GET IT FREE OVER THE INTERNET!

2006-08-10T16:24:00.000-04:00

MOST HD RADIO STATIONS ARE AVAILABLE STREAMING OVER THE INTERNET!
No need for an HD Radio as the station's websites usually give webstreams of their HD content. You can also listen for free to most XM stations and hundreds of others stations on AOL Radio, which is now FREE!
http://music.aol.com/radioguide/bb.adp
"NPR radio store www.npr.com sells so many of the Acoustic Energy wireless WI-FI Internet radios in their online store that they can hardly keep them in stock. In spite of all the promotion and hype about HD Radio, the NPR store does not seem to carry HD Radios. Internet radio seems likely to be the clear winner."
http://shop.npr.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051

HD Radio-More comments

2006-08-10T15:56:00.000-04:00

"In a side-by-side comparison, I gotta be honest with you: I can't tell the difference between the digital and the analog."
"I'm not surprised. The audio quality difference between HD FM and analog FM isn't very noticeable."
"I've thought about what I actually heard myself and what I was told by someone else and have come to the following conclusion: When one gets far enough from the transmitting tower where the analog signal is noisy and the digital signal would be a definite plus, the digital signal isn't even there."
"I can tell you right now that the digital signal doesn't travel anywhere near as far as the analogue. Detroit stations right now are having a terrible time trying to push their digital sub-channels because even the inner suburbs are having problems receiving them."
"Since your post, I've heard similar stories from techs in other markets."
"That would be my experience. If the HD signal is strong enough to decode, the analog signal is strong enough to be noise-free. That goes for AM too, even more so than for FM."

HD Radio is DOA (Dead On Arrival)
Link to full posts:
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,40512.0.html

HD Radio-COMMENTS

2006-08-05T02:10:00.000-04:00

HD Radio is DOA (Dead On Arrival)
Posted by: George June 16, 2006 at 08:17 AM
HD is DOA. I'm a bit of a radio geek and early adopter, and buying an HD radio doesn't interest me in the least.
Looks to me like the friut is dead on the vine based on the lack of progress with product rollout and "content".

Posted by: tim wallick June 16, 2006 at 01:51 PM
I think it is fair to say that the audiophile community, those people who take their FM seriously, is dead set AGAINST HDRadio.
Not only do most people never intend to buy a radio, unless as a plaything for early adopters and collectors, but are aghast at the FCC for even allowing IBOC to thrash up the FM bandwidth.
Plus, people with enough technical savvy to read the specs are insulted by the false claims of "CD sound quality" or even "near-CD sound quality." These are transparent marketing hype, beyond mean puffery.
Sorry, but HDRadio has sworn enemies. This goes beyond just business but has political reprecussions for FCC and for Congress. This has the whiff of political scandal - and I'm a rock-ribbed Republican! The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is especially vulnerable.
My advice for any businessman is to avoid any association with HDRadio.

There are a couple of other benefits for HDRadio: it effective blocks listeners from tuning in suburban stations on adjacent frequencies (an HD station on 92.9 can occupy 92.7 and 93.1 with its digital hash), and it basically locks out LPFMs, programmed translators, and other threats to the FM spectrum.
Posted by: MattS June 18, 2006 at 05:49 AM
Here is the rest of the story:
http://www.hear2.com/2006/06/hd_radio_fun_wi.html

At times, tuning in digital radio reminded me of trying to lock in digital TV broadcasts. The signals were weaker than their analog counterparts, as mandated by Federal Communications Commission regulations, and could drop out, then resume for no apparent reason. The HD signals of classical WGMS (104.1 FM) and smooth-jazz WJZW (105.9 FM) never got past that shakiness -- and The Post's WTWP (107.7 FM) was complete static the whole time.
HD radio on AM delivers a much bigger improvement in sound -- but only if you can get the signal, something the Recepter had serious trouble doing. Whether I used its internal AM antenna or the external one included in the box, it pulled in only one HD AM signal, "SportsTalk" WTEM (980 AM). It detected an HD signal on two others, WKDL (730 AM) and WTWP (1500 AM), but never tuned it in; all-talk WTNT (570 AM) never even showed one.

Here is the link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/29/AR2006042900245.html

HD Radio-DEFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY-WHAT USERS SAY

2006-08-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

don't fall for the hype
Written by mrcomment, Las Vegas on July 14, 2005
Disappointing & pricey.Digital range is less than analog.Digital AM has horrible artifacts.Digital FM wipes out rimshot stations.Digital FM makes multipath worse.Gen#1 receivers don't work with multicast audio.Current receiver won't pick up future surround sound.

HD Radio HypeWritten by Toby Williams, Santa Clara, CA on June 16, 2005
I was terribly disappointed with the Kenwood HD tuner. It's probably an okay product, but HD radio itself is not.Several San Francisco area stations are sending HD radio. Unfortunately I get a lot of digital breakup when I listen to HD radio while driving around. The analog signals are all fine. The audio quality doesn't seem to be any better than the analog. It seems very compressed and doesn't sound like a CD at all. It might sound a little better than my XM radio, but not much. Don't waste your money on HD radio. I thought I was going to get more program choices, but that's not the case. I get the same old stuff, and it doesn't really sound enough better to justify the expense. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I put my money down for this tuner. I'll stick with XM.Toby Williams

Written by Timothy, Newport, Mi on July 15, 2006
tuner gets terrible reception, hd fades in and out at only 28 miles from detroit, had to reset the balance every time i started my truck, very disappointed with this unit, sent it back for another brand.

Junk compared to original recepter radio
by Jerry747 - May 2, 2006
Pros:
Second speaker, hd capable
Cons:
Nonexistant fm tuner sensitivity, ridiculous power brick.

The disappointments are weak treble, poor sensitivity in AM and FM (the inexpensive Sony "shelf system" that it replaced has much better FM sensitivity), and the inability to force to analog mode. The latter is not much of a problem here as even in this large metro area (Baltimore-Washington), there are only a few HD stations in range; I can't receive Washington stations, about 40 miles away.

Had a chance to use this radio for awhile. Im not really sure about the glowing reviews I keep reading for it here. Im more with the guy who said its just as worse as a regular radio cause I cant get no reception in my office either. "HD" indeed.

There should be the ability to keep the station in analog mode, in the event the digital signal is marginal. Otherwise, the radio blends in and out of digital mode, and if the station is not utilizing the 8.4 second delay in their analog signal, the audio jumps back and forth like a skipping CD player.

It takes about 5 seconds after you tune-in to a station for the radio to acquire the digital signal (it instantly acquires the analog signal). There is no analog version for the additional digital channels, so you hear about 5 seconds of nothing before the radio tunes-in to one of these channels.

So it sounds like good FM not CD quality audio.

The reception is lousy though. I can't pick up any HD Radio stations in my office and it is worse than my analog radio for regular stations. Also seems to get stuck when I press too many buttons. Save your money and buy several year's worth of XM or Sirius.

hd limitations
Written by teery, kokomo, in on February 9, 2006
i live about 50 miles from several HD transmitters. i purchased the HD tuner for am reception. my experiance was disappointing and ive returned my tuner and radio. i travel over a wide area of central indiana and the HD signal was intermittant even though the signal was strong. 50,000 watt wibc signal is clear during daylight hours, however the HD signal would come and go and as a result there was a 2 second delay which drives you crazy. the signal kept shifting from HD to analog. also wnde signal is broadcast in HD but you have to be with 25 miles of the transmitter for it to work effectively even though the analog signal is clear for 50 miles. this defeats the purpose of the HD radio as i was trying to eleminate drift and interference. the bottom line is that the HD signal strength is much weaker than the analog signal. so, the HD tuner is only functioal for a limited range. also, when you attach the tuner you can no longer dial up weaker distant stations manualy. if you live near a major metropolitan area the HD radio is great. if you travel 25-50 away from the transmitter you really dont have HD capability anymore.

By: James P., Somich 05/26/06Overall rating: The Receptor HD is a good example of an "early adopter" product. It is a good idea, not quite ready for prime time. The sensitivity in the HD mode leaves a lot to be desired. I had to use a rooftop antenna to pickup local HD stations. The price is way too high for what it is, but that is to be expected with a brand new product like this. The sound tends to be on the bassy side (which some people may like). This is certainly not high fidelity and it is certainly not CD quality. The miniscule data rates for HD radio permit only an "acceptable" sound quality. This is a good start, but HD radio has a long way to go before it will be accepted by the masses.

Here is the link:
www.radioshack.com

Ease of useValueReliabilityPerformance

Wireless World Wide Web Wins the Radio battle! JUST SAY NO-TO HD RADIO!

2006-07-31T06:29:00.000-04:00

World Wide Web Wireless Radio projected to win the Radio Wars!
Forcast by 2010-
Less than 8 million podcast listeners- Just under 9 million HD radio listeners- About 36 million satellte radio listeners- About 21 million folks who listen to their "radio" on their mobile phones- Almost 190 million Internet radio listeners (!!)
And here is their editorial clincher:
According to this updated data, the entire spectrum of digital audio alternatives, and especially Internet radio and its wireless distribution continue to represent the biggest challenge to traditional radio.
And they add:
Internet radio could greatly benefit from pervasive Wi-Max or Wide Area Wireless Access which will bring Internet Radio to portable devices, including car radios by 2008.

Here is the link and graphs for the rest of the story:
http://www.hear2.com/2006/05/radios_biggest_.html
Here is another link to a related supporting interview/viewpoint:
http://www.hear2.com/2005/10/why_would_anyon.html

HD RADIO-A FLAMING BURNOUT!

2006-07-28T04:32:00.000-04:00

"HD RADIO IS A DOG!"
"Here's the word from KMXE's chief engineer as he told me personally. Some HD equipment had fried awhile back - not very different from your KTNQ's HD equipment that also fried. After a forced return to analog while they awaited a new unit, the new owners (also the owners of the Los Angeles Angels) agreed with their CE's advice and have decided to keep KMXE analog-only for the forseeable future. They have increased the audio bandwidth well beyond HD's 5khz. They are very pleased with the results since they dumped HD. The decision had NOTHING to do with HD suitability. Their CE says HD is a big disappointment and also causes way too much adjacent channel noise. He says HD Radio is not even close to what had always been promised! ---------------------------A technology has to be pretty awful for a station to first spend the kind of money they must do to go HD, then to feel happy about dropping it! Every "off-the-record" conversation I've had with radio engineers in Los Angeles, the verdict is unanimous so far. HD Radio is a dog!"

Here is the source posted by "vsa" near bottom of the page:
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,40571.140.html

HD Radio Pig-FCC APPROVAL GETTING DOUBTFUL?

2006-07-20T04:17:00.000-04:00

FCC DELAYS HD RADIO FINAL APPROVAL!
The HD Radio cartel seems to be facing some resistance (or at least delay). Recently they submitted a revision to the FCC to change measurement standards from peak to average, resulting in an increased interference level of 13 db or 20 times power for FM.
See De Minimus lawyer joke. Link:
http://www.wrathofkahn.org/
Now the FCC has decided to delay any action on HD Radio.
"FCC Back Flips on IBOC Rulemaking The FCC unexpectedly struck a number of items relating to digital radio broadcasting from its July 13 agenda just hours before convening last week."

http://beradio.com/digital_radio_update/Digital_radio_update_071906/#iboc
DO WE DETECT CRACKS AND CRUMBLING IN THE WALLS OF JERICHO?
WE'LL JUST KEEP TRUMPETING AND CIRCLING.

Meanwhile, back at the cartel, they claim a "burgeoning" HD Radio market. My count is fewer than six models (here or perhaps coming) of HD Radio out of about about 10,000 AM/FM analog models available to the public. Perhaps they mean "bungling".
(See same link above).
"Tivoli, Polk, Radiosophy Tabletops Due Soon Tivoli Audio will join the burgeoning HD Radio tabletop receiver market with its Model HD receiver, due to ship late this fall. The company says the Model HD incorporates the latest generation HD Radio chipset, and builds on the legacy of its popular Kloss Model One.
Meanwhile, Polk Audio and Radiosophy continue to promise shipment of their respective HD Radio tabletop receivers in the immediate future. Radiosophy now says it may ship its first product in about four weeks."

HD RADIO-WHERE PIGS FLY! ARE YOU DEAF YET?

HD Radio-SEND IT BACK!-WASHINGTON POST REVIEWER.

2006-06-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

"Last week, I packed up the Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio HD, the subject of my review in late April, and shipped it back to the company. "
"Digital FM just doesn't sound that much better than analog. Digital AM does, but it's too hard to find and is still limited to daylight hours. "
HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/email/2005/03/30/EM2005033001399.html

HD RADIO-OWNER DISSATISFACTION

2006-06-10T02:39:00.000-04:00

"Positive response is not as high as one might expect based on the marketing of HD radio. "
100% of the consumers in the study have been using their HD receiver(s) for six months or less.
Reception was the largest factor leading to dissatisfaction among this group with "on-air quality not as advertised" coming in second. Further explanation of these responses showed that reception was perceived as "receiving the station's signal poorly at times" and "on-air quality" was described as the "technical clarity of the programming".
"Low quality programming" is related to "manner in which the programming offerings are presented" and "Lack of Program Variety" refers to the number of different types of programs offered.
Overall, ~positive response is not as high as one might expect based on the marketing of HD radio.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.bridgeratings.com/press_5.22.06.HDSatisf.htm

"RADIO'S LATEST EFFORT TO BAMBOOZLE WALL STREET"

2006-05-28T07:05:00.001-04:00

The industry's latest futile folly is High Definition Radio.
HD-2 signals have an average 20-mile radius from a station's transmitter.
Even when you're locked onto a full-strength HD-2 signal, it may fade out. An external FM antenna and a coaxial converter to the HD radio may help.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3247&POSTNUKESID=fcd7cafad554d9ce283dc8072af4f014

"RADIO'S LATEST EFFORT TO BAMBOOZLE WALL STREET"

2006-05-28T07:05:00.000-04:00

HD Radio-RIAA Lawsuits coming?

2006-05-18T08:32:00.000-04:00

LOS ANGELES, May 16 (Reuters) - The recording industry on Tuesday sued XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. , alleging its Inno device that can store music infringes on copyrights and transforms a passive radio experience into the equivalent of a digital download service like iTunes.
A spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, comprising major labels such as Vivendi Universal's Universal Music Group , Warner Music Group Corp. , EMI Group Plc and Sony BMG, said the suit was filed on Tuesday in New York federal court.
The suit accuses XM Satellite of "massive wholesale infringement," and seeks $150,000 in damages for every song copied by XM customers using the devices, which went on sale earlier this month. XM, with more than 6.5 million subscribers, said it plays 160,000 different songs every month.
HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://yahoo.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=all&storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060517:MTFH51678_2006-05-17_00-10-03_N16129937&special=true

HD RADIO PROMOTION-JUST PUTTING MORE LIPSTICK ON THE PIG

2006-05-04T03:25:00.000-04:00

Advertising expert David Ogilvy once asked, "Can advertising foist an inferior product on the consumer?"
"Bitter experience has taught me that it cannot."
On those rare occasions when I have advertised products which consumer tests have found inferior to other products in the same field, the results have been disastrous.
"William Bernbach echoed Ogilvy's statement. "Advertising doesn't create a product advantage. It can only convey it.
"But it was Professor Charles Sandage who turned Ogilvy's complaint into a manifesto: "Advertising is criticized on the ground that it can manipulate consumers to follow the will of the advertiser. The weight of evidence denies this ability. Instead, evidence supports the position that advertising, to be successful, must understand or anticipate basic human needs and wants, and interpret available goods and services in terms of their want-satisfying abilities. This is the very opposite of manipulation."
Here is the link to the rest of the story:
http://www.wizardacademy.com/showmemo.asp?id=249

HD Radio to Crash and Burn?

2006-05-02T04:51:00.000-04:00

This is the link!

HD RADIO-NICE, WHEN YOU CAN GET IT, BUT YOU OFTEN CAN'T, EVEN IF YOU TRY.

2006-05-01T03:12:00.000-04:00

"The Recepter (HD Radio) was able to tune in 11 of the 14 FM HD (local) stations without much trouble at a house in Arlington, (suburb, just outside of Washington, DC) although in some cases I had to swap antennas. Boston first shipped this radio with a relatively short wire antenna that plugs into the back, then recently added a seven-foot-long wire that can be used as a backup. The company says buyers of earlier models can get the new antenna for free."
(Back to the bad old days of big external radio antennas, that still don't help much).
"At times, tuning in digital radio reminded me of trying to lock in digital TV broadcasts. The signals were weaker than their analog counterparts, as mandated by Federal Communications Commission regulations, and could drop out, then resume for no apparent reason. The HD signals of classical WGMS (104.1 FM) and smooth-jazz WJZW (105.9 FM) never got past that shakiness -- and The Post's WTWP (107.7 FM) was complete static the whole time."
"HD radio on AM delivers a much bigger improvement in sound -- but only if you can get the signal, something the Recepter had serious trouble doing. Whether I used its internal AM antenna or the external one included in the box, it pulled in only one HD AM signal, "SportsTalk" WTEM (980 AM). It detected an HD signal on two others, WKDL (730 AM) and WTWP (1500 AM), but never tuned it in; all-talk WTNT (570 AM) never even showed one."
"As much as I'd like to hear Georgetown basketball games in this clarity next year, however, I probably won't; FCC regulations prohibit AM HD broadcasts after dark, lest they interfere with the reception of distant AM signals."
AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/29/AR2006042900245.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

Digital HD Radio-More interference and aggrivation then value.

2006-04-24T02:39:00.000-04:00

Building penetration tended to be poor, especially at distances greater than 20 miles from the radio station’s antenna.
My initial burst of enthusiasm had quickly tempered to confusion. Could I be doing something wrong? How could I not pick up these stations? After all, I live about 16 miles as the crow flies from the Empire State Building .
Technical Difficulties
I went to the Ibiquity Web site to find that there were at least 13 stations broadcasting in HD in New York . One by one I tried to tune them in, and one by one I was met with frustration. Constant fiddling with the antenna yielded part-time successes. I managed to get Z100’s second channel for about three seconds, then three seconds of dead air, then on, then off. This gave new meaning to the term picket-fencing. Digital is unforgiving. It’s either on or it’s off.
I took the radio upstairs to the bedroom. This time I had some success. WPLJ, WNEW, WAXQ, and several others sounded beautiful in HD. But mind you, every time I changed the channel, I’d need to go fiddle and reposition the antenna. Sometimes, as the digital signal faded in and out, a phasing sound would occur. On the AM side, continuous play with the antenna yielded a promising digital WNYC AM, but WOR’s digital signal amounted to a great big hum.
The hotly advertised second channels were still mostly nowhere to be found. Intermittent signals were achieved for WNYC, WAXQ, and WLTW. Twice the radio froze up altogether and I had to unplug it to “reboot” it. After considerable tinkering, I was finally able to listen to Z100’s new music channel at length. And the 32 kbps stream had plenty of kick and dynamic range.
But clearly, something was wrong. This whole thing was just not working as advertised.
Terrestrial radio might be hyping a technology that isn’t quite ready for prime time. If broadcasters are attempting an apples-to-apples comparison with satellite radio, right now they’ll lose.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FULL STORY:
http://www.fmqb.com//article.asp?id=184531

Broadcasters PAY FOR PLAY "PAYOLA"-FEDERAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

2006-04-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

FCC Launches Payola Probes of 4 Radio Giants
Documents are sought from Clear Channel, CBS, Entercom and Citadel, sources say. The agency's step comes after settlement talks stall.
Other FCC insiders said this new stage of investigation could put broadcasters more at risk of previously undiscovered evidence of wrongdoing being found. The investigation could give the FCC access to millions of previously unexamined documents. It could also expand to include stations and radio executives across the nation.
HERE IS THE LINK:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc20apr20,0,4714012,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines

HD Radio-Commentary: Has Anyone Thought This Through?

2006-04-22T09:40:00.000-04:00

Economic and Political Considerations Can Trump Technical Ones at the FCC.
But while AM IBOC's appropriation of five channels is outrageous, FM IBOC's use of half of each adjoining, or "first-adjacent," channel is hardly innocuous.
Since Philadelphia lost its full-time classical station, I'd like to be able to hear WQXR (96.3) from New York. Until recently, that might have been possible.
But what good would the best possible tuner and antenna be when Beasley's CHR Rhythmic WRDW(FM) 96.5 in Philadelphia is running IBOC, with its lower side channel effectively jamming the upper half of WQXR(FM)'s weak 96.3 analog signal from New York?
And that's not the only problem with "HD FM." When two second-adjacent stations both use IBOC, each taking up half of the channel between them, they become in effect first-adjacents, at least with respect to their digital signals.
Want concrete examples?
WSTW(FM) 93.7 in Wilmington, Del., is a second-adjacent to both WMMR(FM) 93.3 and WYSP(FM) 94.1 in Philadelphia, both of which are running IBOC. IBOC signals from WSTW wreak havoc on those two Philadelphia stations' IBOC signals south of the city. And what about WPST(FM) 94.5 in Trenton, N.J.? That one would interfere with WYSP's IBOC north of Philadelphia, too. There are dozens of such situations around the country.
If nobody's noticed the problem yet, that's only because IBOC receivers automatically default to analog whenever the digital signal is too weak for adequate reception, provided there is an analog signal. Of course, once the stations pull the plug on analog to add more digital program streams - or switch their analog service to mono to extend their useable coverage area, as per Walt's suggestion - the problem will become immediately obvious.
HERE IS THE LINK TO JACK HANNOLD'S EXELLENT ARTICLE:
http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/iboc/2006.04.20-06_rwrf_april_20_part_3.shtml

HD Radio=SMELL-O-RADIO THAT WILL MAKE YOU DEAF!

2006-04-19T13:01:00.000-04:00

Here is the link that will download the new ad campaign by the HD Radio Cartel. IT STINKS!
Who needs a radio to hear this and become deaf?
http://www.areyoudefyet.com/agree/getfile.php?file=../spots/MP3s/07-CSG-HD-Fart.mp3

HD Radio Survey-76% say HD Radio is worth NOTHING!

2006-04-17T06:03:00.000-04:00

HD Radio-BUZZING DIGITAL DEATH WAIL

2006-04-17T01:54:00.000-04:00

HD Radio promises much, but delivers little. Mostly, much more radio interference to both AM and FM listening.
The coverage area is about half of analog radio and it jams more stations then the few new digital streams it creates. HD Radio, iBiquity, IBOC, is the most over-hyped "pet rock" of the new millennium. A total consumer rip off.
iBUZZ is a flawed system that should not be given FCC final approval.
If broadcasters really had all this wonderful new music and information they claim is coming to HD Radio, why wouldn't they just put it on their analog channels where there are actually listeners?
Instead they play the same few dozen tunes "suggested" by large record companies, over and over. Why would HD Radio make a difference?
HD Radio fidelity is about the same as a webstream, artifacts and all.
AM and FM broadcast radio is dieing from the new competition of other media, as well as lack of entertainment value and useful information. The slow death wail of radio broadcasting is iBUZZ.
-WORLDSUPERCASTER

HD RADIO INTERFERENCE MUCH WORSE-CLEAR CHANNEL SENIOR ENGINEER

2006-04-16T05:23:00.000-04:00

Clear Channel senior engineer admits AM HD Radio IBOC interference is much worse then previously calculated.
(FM HD Radio interference is also much worse then measured on a spectrum analyer for the same reasons).
Not -27.8 db for AM but effectively -13.2 db. (Which is the hiss we are all hearing on our radios).
He shows why the spectrum analyzer method is misleading as to the actual effects interference, and calculates the difference, and states Barry McLarnon's calculations of much greater interference are correct. Mr. McLarnon published a series of technical articles published in "Radio Guide" and submitted engineering proofs to the FCC as a reply to HD Radio Docket MM 99-325.
I think this confession by Clear Channel's Senior Vice President of Engineering effectively guts the "all knowledgeable" HD Radio advocates who have been claiming as "fact" IBOC HD Radio causes minimal or no interference.
Of course we knew this all along, just by hearing the hiss on our radios. Never underestimate the human ear as the final test instrument for what humans actually hear.
Spectrum analyzers hear differently with eyballs then humans with ears! Those are the real life "facts."
If radio sounds bad to the ear, no one will listen, regardless of what you see on a spectrum analyzer.
HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FULL REPORT:
http://www.am-dx.com/iboc_power.htm

HD RADIO CAUSES INTERFERENCE ON AM AND FM BANDS

2006-04-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

MULTIPATH INTERACTION AND CANCELLATION BETWEEN HD DIGITAL AND ANALOG FM SIGNALS DESTROYING FM COVERAGE!
The multipath signal cancellation between digital and analog FM signals not only jams adjacent channel staions but causes additional multipath signal loss to the digital host stations analog signal, and produces digital noise in the analog stereo signal.
In particular, it causes neighboring FM stations to disappear if they are lower-powered or further away (a common experience when listening in the car). For example, when 107.7 in San Francisco turned on IBOC, it made 107.5 from Santa Cruz (the famous KPIG) disappear from the south bay.
In my experience, it also degrades the analog FM signal (of the IBOC broadcaster) with additional multipath.
Here is the link:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/02/187238
HD RADIO-IBOC-Ibiquity should NOT get final FCC approval!
HD RADIO IS A DEFECTIVE, DESTRUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
There is no need to approve a defective digital AM or FM system.
Here is a link to a truly compatible FM digital system that dosn't cause jamming and is fully approved RIGHT NOW!
http://www.dreinc.com/

RADIO STATION OWNERS NEGOTIATE PAYOLA SETTLEMENT!

2006-04-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

PAYOLA MAY RUIN PLANS FOR FCC FINAL APPROVAL AND PROGRAMMING OF HD RADIO FOR SOME LARGE BROADCASTERS. NO PAY FOR PLAY ALLOWED.
The nation's biggest radio broadcasters are in discussions with the Federal Communications Commission to resolve accusations that station programmers accepted improper payments from record companies in exchange for playing specific songs, officials involved in the talks said last night.
But the talks have stalled on questions about how much money the companies — Clear Channel Communications, CBS Radio, Entercom Communications and the Citadel Broadcasting Corporation — might have to pay to settle the case, said these officials, who insisted on anonymity because the talks are at a delicate stage.
Clear Channel, which operates about 1,200 stations and is the industry's biggest player, has been pressing for the agency to agree to a range that would place its financial penalty at $1.5 million to $3 million, according to a person involved in the talks. F.C.C. officials had balked at its earlier offers of $500,000 and $1 million, the officials said.
If the two sides do not come to an accord, the agency is expected to start a broad investigation into the payments and request internal documents and e-mail messages from the radio chains.
The companies are trying to avoid the expense — and potential embarrassment — that could arise from an investigation.
The potential stalemate in the settlement talks comes as the F.C.C. has been criticized by the New York attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, for failing to police the radio stations. Mr. Spitzer's office has been conducting an extensive investigation of improper payments — known as payola — in the music industry, and has publicly released reams of internal documents from both record and radio companies illustrating the payments made in exchange for airplay.
Kevin J. Martin, the head of the commission, has said its enforcement bureau would thoroughly investigate accusations of payola.
Links to stories:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/01/business/media/01payola.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/31/AR2006033101622_pf.html
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-fi-payforplay1apr01,0,5789491,print.story?coll=la-home-entertainment

HD RADIO-NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME!

2006-03-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

EXISTING HD RADIOS MAY SOON BE OBSOLETE!
One of the RIAA's proposals for safeguarding content on HD Radio is encryption at the source, which means that the digital segment of radio transmissions would be scrambled and unable to be heard without special equipment. As you might imagine, the National Association of Broadcasters is not thrilled about the idea. Many of their members have already installed expensive equipment in preparation for the switch to digital broadcasting, and the first HD Radio sets are already on the market. Forcing broadcasters to encrypt their transmission at the source would render all of this equipment obsolete.
Here is the link:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060117-5992.html

HD Radio-CONSUMER REPORTS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.

2006-03-31T11:36:00.000-05:00

Expect some service interruptions.
We had little trouble tuning in many New York-area HD Radio stations. With some, however, we could receive the analog signal but not the digital one. When the digital signal for the main (HD1) service wasn’t strong enough, the radio efficiently switched to the analog broadcast. Listening wasn’t interrupted, but of course the sound quality reverted back to that of analog radio. When the digital signals faltered for an HD2 subchannel, however, programming simply stopped, resulting in an on/off pattern of interruptions.
Here is the link:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/hd-radio-amfm-goes-digital-306.htm

HD RADIO-DEAF AND DUMB!

2006-03-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

WHERE HD RADIO IS CONCERNED, EVEN BROADCASTERS SEEM DEAF AND DUMB!
PICKS UP ONLY 2 HD STATIONS?-"NO PROBLEM"
Bought the Receptor HD - only thing thats pissing me off is the radio really is deaf without a good antenna (and then still it only goes HD on a few stations - WMGK and WAWZ are the ONLY ones I can get in HD - WSNI and WJJZ just flash "HD)" and never go in to HD mode. WOR (AM-HD) I couldn't get either.
But I will say that it does sound fantastic on WMGK and WAWZ - much better than XM. And even in analog mode, the system does sound pretty good. But if I can't get HD stations without using a J-pole antenna, I think that this radio will be a flop...
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Board=hd&Post=689125&page=
''there's a hiss, a hiss that did not exist in the past.''
A growing number of radio listeners are encountering similar interference -- hisses, whistles or static -- on their favorite AM stations. The problem for WTRI began about a year ago, when Bonneville International Corp.'s WTOP, the AM station at 1500, began using a digital signal that interfered with WTRI's analog signal in some broadcast areas.
Here is the link:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114125971438087021.html?mod=todays_free_feature

NEW ORLEANS-REBUILD CITIES BELOW SEA LEVEL?

2006-03-27T16:27:00.000-05:00

Rebuilding Gulf Coast cities that are below sea level, may be a wasteful, hopeless, endeavor.
By one recent measure, several Greenland ice sheets have doubled their rate of slide, and just last week the journal Science published a study suggesting that by the end of the century, the world could be locked in to an eventual rise in sea levels of as much as 20 ft. Nature, it seems, has finally got a bellyful of us.
Here is "the rest of the story":
http://reference.aol.com/globalwarming/timemagazine?id=20060327120109990001

IBUZZ-THE TRUTH ABOUT HD RADIO-UNMASKED!

2006-03-25T21:34:00.000-05:00

IBUZZ HD RADIO-DEFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY!
The most elegant encoding algorithm in the world cannot produce "near-CD quality" sound with such limited bandwidth (considering uncompressed CD audio has a bitrate in excess of 1,400 kbps, HD Radio signals convey less than 10% of the original program audio data).
An HD Radio signal is essentially a hybrid analog/digital signal. Its configuration keeps the analog portion of the signal nearest the center frequency and puts the digital data on "sidebands," which are broadcast at 1/100th the power of the analog signal. Thus listeners should expect the coverage area of multicast channels (especially new secondary channels) to be somewhat limited.
Digital Multicasting Rollout Begins [link to this story]

HD RADIO DEFECTS UNMASKED & GRAPHICALLY EXPLAINED:
http://www.diymedia.net/stuff/fmibochybrid.htm

PAYOLA-WILL FCC NAB BROADCASTERS IN PAY-FOR-PLAY SCHEME?

2006-03-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

The concentration of radio ownership has ushered in a new age of payola.
Huge recording labels pay off radio conglomerates to play their most bankable performers. Commercial "talent" is pushed to the top of playlists nationwide, shoving local artists off the airwaves. When labels pay big radio to play their most mainstream acts, independent music suffers and radio choice turns into a mind-numbing race to the bottom.
The FCC and New York Attorney General’s office are now investigating reported payola deals at large recording labels. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has also subpoenaed the records of nine of the nation's biggest radio station chains and filed a suit against one -- Entercom.
An ‘Arsenal of Smoking Guns’
Sony BMG and Warner Music Group have already agreed to pay more than $15 million for payola abuses after Attorney General Spitzer found they had funneled millions in money and prizes to radio broadcasters. FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein told reporters that Spitzer gave the agency “an arsenal of smoking guns” to ramp up enforcement against payola broadcasters. Several days later, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin pledged to do just that.
2005 investigations by the New York Attorney General office have implicated nearly 190 stations in illicit deals with recording giants Sony BMG and Warner Music Group. Most of the stations involved were owned by the biggest corporate radio conglomerates.
Investigations are still underway involving deals between Big Radio and other major labels. Click on the PAYOLA MAP (LINK BELOW) to find a station that is being investigated near you. Call the switchboard and tell the station manager that you are concerned about possible payola violations and will be monitoring their broadcasts to ensure that they follow the law and fulfill their obligation to serve the public.
WILL HD RADIO JUST BE MORE PAY-FOR-PLAY OUTLETS?
The Future of Music Coalition (FMC) has announced its support for the recently revealed FCC investigations into payola allegations via a letter to the Commission. The FMC urges that the investigations be completed before any further rulemakings would be put into place that could allow further radio deregulation, or the granting of additional resources to commercial radio broadcasters during the transition to HD radio. "The payola laws are clear," said FMC executive director Jenny Toomey. "Stations that engage in this practice are putting their licenses at risk. What is unclear for musicians and citizens, however, is whether the laws will be enforced. We hope that the FCC will take the evidence gathered in numerous proceedings and by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to fully investigate these practices and hold bad actors accountable." Furthermore, the FMC also stressed to the FCC that payola cannot be examined outside the context of the drastic consolidation in the radio industry under the 1996 Telecommunications Act. "We're at a critical point in the regulatory landscape," said FMC policy director Michael Bracy. "Congress is working on a revision to the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The FCC is about to re-start media ownership proceedings. Terrestrial radio stations just launched dozens HD radio stations in key markets. We need to make sure that the public airwaves are managed in a way that benefits musicians and citizens." If the allegations of radio payola were found to be true, the FMC advocates that the Commission should pledge to hold those responsible in the radio industry accountable and to take steps to protect and expand non-commercial radio, including low power FM. Furthermore, the FMC said that the Commission should not make any rule changes that could help aid in further consolidation in parallel media markets, including lifting the ban on broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership.

HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY:
http://www.freepress.net/payola/
http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=175882
PAYOLA MAP:
http://www.freepress.net/payola/map.php
FCC PAYOLA REGULATIONS:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/PayolaRules.html

HD Radio-BROADCAST BULLIES LOBBY FOR DEFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

2006-03-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

"They got broadcasters across the country to hammer like hell on the Congress and the FCC," says the ex-NABer.
Far more power, however, comes from the fact that the NAB represents owners of just about every large and small broadcast outlet in the country--and you can't get elected if you can't get on the air.
This reality, he says, is why NAB is "one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington--and one of the most arrogant."
The fight is a classic case of what economists call "regulatory capture" — when an industry that's regulated by a government agency attempts to use that very agency and those regulations to keep upstarts and competitors at bay. And it's almost always to the detriment of consumers.
"To be blunt, the NAB has power that is not commensurate with the persuasiveness of its arguments." The power comes in part from connections.
If you can't compete, get a bill to outlaw the competition. The NAB may yet win this battle.

Here are the links to "the rest of the story":

http://www.forbes.com/archive/forbes/2004/0906/134.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124610,00.html

HD Radio=21st Century Yugo (World's worst auto)?

2006-03-12T03:25:00.000-05:00

QUOTES:
Well....... I received my HD Receiver yesterday, :) hooked it up ;) and......... nothing, zilch, nada. :eek: Couldn't even pick up one HD station. :mad: I live about 45 miles south of Indy. I drove North toward Indy and I had to go 15 miles North before I could lock into one. So, thanks to Crutchfields generous return policy, they are taking it back.
The HD signals in Indy must be at a lot lower power than the Analog Signals.
I noticed what people had been talking about concerning the switch in and out between Digital and Analog. It is annoying at best when your on the fringe. Pretty big lag between the two. It's not seamless by any means.

IBOC radio will go the way of AM stereo. I can almost guarentee it. It's too expensive for consumers (a la DTV), and mostly prohibitively (is that a word?) expensive for smaller broadcasters to put on the air. Considering Ibiquity wants royalty fees for broadcasting the technology (upwards of $30-50k/yr), there's very little bennefit there to even think about it. (there are about 3 dozen stations nationwide who had IBOC up and running, and turned it off because it didn't pay for itself).
Of course, you can't sell what people can't hear.

The problem with radio is, they seem to always have to recoup R&D costs.... forever. I'm sure there will be a cyberhome equivalent reciever in time, but hell, even the big names are having trouble getting their product to retailers. Harmon Kardon had a nice reciever at NAB a few years ago with HD radio built in, street date of sometime last june... Price was high (about $900 for a mid-grade box), but still not out of the question. HK never made that box, and pretty much has disavowed all knowlege of it even existing. (But i played with it on the show floor in vegas).
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=645944

HD Radio-MYTHS AND FACTS

2006-03-12T03:19:00.000-05:00

FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT IBOC-DAB
The broadcast industry continues to spread lies about the alleged “advantages” that the system being pushed by the Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Broadcasters and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, IBOC-DAB (In-Band, On-Channel Digital Audio Broadcasting) has over analog radio. Here are the REAL FACTS concerning IBOC-DAB.

MYTH: “IBOC is compatible with our current receivers”

FACT: IBOC-DAB is NOT COMPATIBLE with our current receivers. If you have a station broadcasting in a “hybrid” format (IBOC and analog), the sidebands from IBOC signals waste valuable spectrum space (as we’ll go into detail on later). Remove the superior analog signal, then all you’ll hear is “hash”. It’s the same thing with the European system, Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). Our current receivers do not have the circuitry to decode the inferior-quality IBOC signals. In other words, if there is a forced conversion to IBOC, then American consumers will have to shell out hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars that they DO NOT HAVE to buy new, inferior receivers. The alternatives are:

1) Require the inclusion of DSP (Digital Signal Processing) circuitry in new analog receivers.
2) Finding a separate band above 1 GHz (1000 MHz) for digital audio broadcasting.
3) Forcing the FCC, NAB and CPB to accept more competition.

MYTH: “IBOC is spectrally efficient”

FACT: IBOC is SPECTRALLY INEFFICIENT. IBOC-DAB, as indicated before, wastes valuable spectrum space. IBOC-DAB, depending on how far you are from a particular station, can waste as much as 100 kHz of valuable spectrum space on the AM dial. As much as 800 kHz of valuable spectrum space is wasted on the FM dial. Take the only St. Louis area AM radio station currently testing this inferior system at this time, KFUO (850 kHz) Clayton, MO. How does KFUO stack up (analog vs. IBOC)? The Results can be found at this link. KMOX is also threatening to go IBOC. How will the potential threat be measured? Five FM stations in St. Louis are also testing IBOC. How do they stack up? The results for the FM dial can be found at this link. Analog broadcasting is more spectrally efficient; only taking up 20 kHz of space on the AM band, and 200 kHz of space on the FM band. Analog radio conserves spectrum space.

MYTH: “IBOC is the only method capable of CD-quality sound”

FACT: C-QUAM AM Stereo and FM Stereo are ALREADY CAPABLE of CD-quality sound. The separation on FM Stereo already rivals those of CDs, while the best-engineered C-QUAM AM Stereo stations also feature sound quality that rivals CDs. IBOC-DAB sounds like an Internet radio station heard via dial-up modem. Analog radio (especially the current FM Stereo and the proven C-QUAM AM Stereo systems) has SUPERIOR AUDIO QUALITY over IBOC-DAB. There is no need for IBOC-DAB.

MYTH: “There is a market for IBOC receivers”

FACT: There is NO MARKET for IBOC-DAB receivers. No audiophile, in his or her right mind, would invest a minimum of U$900 in an inferior IBOC receiver, when top-of-the-line analog receivers are less expensive. IBOC threatens to price many consumers out of the radio marketplace. Unlike DVDs and CDs, the price of IBOC receivers will never come down. We’re seeing this with HDTV: the prices aren’t coming down (the cheapest HDTV set right now is U$700). American consumers, as stated earlier, cannot afford to replace their current receivers. There are already 25 million C-QUAM AM Stereo receivers in the marketplace; there’s room for more. Besides, C-QUAM is less expensive than IBOC, not only for receivers, but also for audio transmission.

MYTH: “The L-Band is not for broadcasting in the U.S.”

FACT: The L-Band (1452-1492 MHz) is ASSIGNED WORLDWIDE to digital audio broadcasting. The current occupants of the L-Band in the United States, the Department of Defense, is in violation of international regulations by using this band for non-broadcast purposes. This is the most appropriate place for digital audio broadcasting in the United States. The FCC can (and MUST) find higher frequencies for the DoD to use.

MYTH: “IBOC will increase a station’s signal coverage area”

FACT: IBOC will SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE a station’s signal coverage area. Take a look at the FM dial in the St. Louis market. Three stations with decent coverage into the St. Louis area, WIBI (91.1 FM) Carlinville, IL, KTJJ (98.5 FM) Farmington, MO and WSMI-FM (106.1) Litchfield, IL, would suffer severely reduced coverage; in other words, these stations would have their coverage areas reduced by as much as 95%. KTJJ, with 100 kW of power, currently covers a 90-mile radius around the transmitter site near Doe Run, MO. With IBOC, the signal won’t be able to reach Park Hills. WIBI and WSMI-FM, with 50 kW of power, covers a 72-mile radius around their transmitter sites. With IBOC, their signals won’t reach nearby towns. Even the 50 kW AM stations will lose most of their coverage; from 750 miles at night to a round-the-clock radius of only 25 miles. In other words, KMOX wouldn’t be able to reach the western suburbs if they converted to IBOC; something they can do easily now in analog mode. A 1 kW Class D local channel station, such as WESL in East St. Louis, IL, which currently covers a 15-mile radius in analog mode, will cover less than a mile in IBOC mode.

MYTH: “IBOC will make radio better”

FACT: IBOC will make radio MUCH WORSE. Not only will the sound quality of many radio stations degrade, along with signal coverage, but the balance of views and independent voices will be negatively affected. Independently-owned radio stations, many of which currently provide a viable alternative to the uninspired programming on corporate radio, will disappear if IBOC is forcibly implemented. Christian radio is also being threatened by IBOC; many Christian radio stations, which are ministry outreaches rather than businesses, will also go off the air. Most seriously affected will be college radio; these stations provide the only alternatives for young audiences to boring programming on corporate-controlled radio. College radio also provides the only on-air training grounds for future personalities. Many college radio stations won’t be able to afford the IBOC transmitters or exciters that they would be forced to purchase if they are to remain on the air. A good number of them are low-powered (less than 1 kW of effective radiated power); they would not be able to cover areas off campus if they are forced to switch to IBOC.

WHAT’S THE REAL PROBLEM WITH RADIO? The problem with radio is not the technology: IT’S THE PROGRAMMING. Many music formats are intangible (such as Classic Hits, Rhythmic Oldies and Active Rock); the jocks that present the format are not very knowledgeable about the music they play. These same jocks are not knowledgeable about the towns they’re serving. Voicetracking has been the biggest deception to hit radio; this does not deliver listeners. Most of the voicetracked shifts are produced outside the market by jocks who know nothing about the market’s they are supposedly “serving”. In addition, commercial talk radio has veered too far to the extreme right. Air America provides the only liberal talk programming, while NPR’s talk shows are the only centrist talk programs left on radio anywhere. There isn’t enough local-oriented talk on the radio; especially a talk format focused on suburban issues (which so-called “mainstream” talk radio neglects).
XM and Sirius Satellite Radio is the only major competition that has come along since the insipid Telecom Act went into effect, although both channels offer the same old programming. Shortwave broadcasting should be pushed as an alternative to AM and FM radio. The FCC should require that all receivers that receive AM and FM radio that are priced at more than $25 include circuitry for decoding C-QUAM AM Stereo, DSP circuitry, and at least four shortwave broadcast bands (with three bands required: 19, 31 and 49 meters, or 15, 9 and 6 MHz).

Radio is also desperately in need of hiring reforms: the most important reform needed is the abandonment of patronage and cronyism. This policy, also known as “it’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know” has allowed unqualified broadcasters to slip through the cracks. There should also be a limit to the amount of on-air talent a station can bring in from outside the market (especially in Midwestern markets), and through a permanent ban on voicetracking (especially in our nation’s top 100 markets) on FM and more profitable AM stations, the industry will be able to open up the broadcast job market, which is desperately needed to save the medium.
The biggest reform needed is the restoration of ownership limits, which promotes free speech. More owners mean more ideas, more opinions and more variety in programming. It is in the best interests of broadcasting to deconsolidate, not further consolidate.

The FCC, NAB and CPB should be focused more on reforming the business than killing it with this insipid IBOC-DAB plan. Those that support IBOC-DAB should seriously consider LEAVING THE RADIO BUSINESS. They are not real broadcasters. Only those who support improving analog radio are the real broadcasters.

From:
http://www.qsl.net/n0uih/IBOCMythsandFacts/

RADIO GIANT ENTERCOM NAMED IN PAYOLA LAWSUIT

2006-03-11T06:17:00.000-05:00

Entercom Alleged to have Traded Air Time for Payoffs by NY state attorney general.
An Entercom executive responded:
"These are not optional. They come from corporate and generate millions of dollars for Entercom."
Payola is the practice by which record labels and some independent promoters offer money and other gifts in exchange for broadcast air time for particular songs or artists. The purpose of the payments is to increase air time for chosen songs and artists and manipulate the popular music industry charts.
Link to full story:
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2006/mar/mar08a_06.html
Eliot Spitzer only has jurisdiction over New York State, so yes the lawsuit only relates to New York State. However, I direct your attention to page 7 of the 28 page lawsuit. "22. Federal Law also prohibits the undisclosed sale of airplay." And then: "According to the Federal Communications Commission, "payola" statutes are intended "clearly to prevent deception on the part of the public growing out of concealment of the fact that the broadcast of particular program material was induced by consideration received by the licensee."It's impossible for me to read the evidentiary emails without agreeing with Spitzer's conclusion that CD Preview and CD Challenge were thinly veiled, if veiled at all, attempts to circumvent the law. They were clearl attempting to manipulate charts and public opinion. Legal? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Ethical? Absolutely not.
There is ample documentation backing up Universal's claim that Entercom executives knew exactly what was going on the whole time and their feigned shock at what was going on is outrageous. Do read the lawsuit and evidence. It's fascinating.
Quoted from this webpost:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=675601&Board=usa

PAYOLA-FCC REPLY

2006-03-11T05:32:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding possible violations of the payola rules by certain broadcasters.
The FCC has longstanding rules prohibiting payola. These rules serve the important purpose of ensuring that the listening public knows when someone is seeking to influence them.We appreciate your views. We are very concerned about the activities that led the New York Attorney General to investigate a number of music companies
and broadcasters, and has resulted in settlement agreements with two music companies to date. The Enforcement Bureau is reviewing these settlement agreements and investigating any incidents in which the agreements disclose evidence of payola rule violations.
Sincerely,
The Federal Communications Commission

Major broadcaster Entercom accused of payola.

2006-03-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

NY Attorney General Sues Major Radio Chain
Spitzer said listeners and artists are hurt by payola.
"The decisions are being made as to what to put on the airwaves based on bribes to be paid and extracted, rather than on judgments based on artistic merit," he said.
Spitzer said Entercom e-mails he obtained include one from an unidentified executive that stated: "These are not optional. They come from corporate and generate millions of dollars for Entercom."
The lawsuit claims it has evidence in documents and e-mails that executives discussed strategies for supplementing radio station budgets with payola cash from record companies and the independent promoters that act as middle men in the industry.
Here is the link:
http://money.aol.com/news/articles?id=n20060308125409990015
Entercom is a prominent supporter of the HD Radio consortium, and if "pay for play" is their rule, it likely will determine what is on the HD Radio channels.

HD Radio-Touchy subject for supporters.

2006-03-09T04:29:00.000-05:00

Perhaps some are oversensitive to legitimate criticism of HD radio. A bit touchy.
My opinion, is that the HD radio is built on a whole series of false premises. There are rational solid reasons for this belief, and it seems to be shared by experiences and opinions of many, as shown by the responses on this discussion board,
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/posts?Board=hd
in engineering publications, and responses to the FCC inquiry about HD Radio, MM Docket No. 99-325.
The facts are, that the FCC AM and FM signal protection specifications were based on experiment and calculation of 2 or more analog signals, not mixed digital and analog signals. To use the same signal standards for mixed analog and additional digital signals on adjacent channels is inacurate. To use the NRSC-5 mask for adjacent channel digital signals without proof that it the digital signals have the same intensity and interference potential as analog signals, is an incomplete, flawed, misrepresentation. As has been stated here, many times, by proponents as well as critics of HD Radio, the digital signal is 100 (or more?) times more powerful and pernicious then an analog signal of the same effective radiated power. That being the case, the digital signal creates more destructive interference. An occasional analog modulation spill over to an adjacent channels at approximately -40 dB, is not the same as a deliberate, continuous, high duty cycle digital signal on the same adjacent channels.
Using analog signal standards for mixed digital and analog signal propagation, may be inaccurate, incomplete, and inappropriate for the current station allocation system. New mixed signal interference studies should be made, including more listening tests on more types of radios, and with more typical listeners.
Secondary coverage is very usefull in the suburbs, when traveling between cities, and in emergencies. It should not be allowed to be reduced or destroyed by HD Radio.
HD Radio's harm to the many far outweighs the benefits and profits of the few.
There should be no rush to adapt a possibly defective and destructive standard, since, in the case of FM, there is a more rational and interference free alternative. Here is one: www.dreinc.com.
Perhaps an alternative AM system under development that would allow night time service and does not need special authorization, should also be examined and evaluated.
There should be no rush to adopt a standard, or endorse and approve an exclusive, expensive, proprietary system, until all alternatives are carefully and fully evaluated. If the wrong system is adopted as the only system for digital broadcasting, we are likely to be stuck with the flawed system's defects for a long time to come. It may totally fail, based on it's inherent flaws.
Haste makes waste.
The frequent claims that only HD Radio proponents have an exclusive patent on the 'truth" and "facts", while all others are ignorant of the "facts" are religious revelations I which choose not to subcribe.

HD Radio-"CD QUALITY" SHOWN TO BE FALSE!

2006-03-07T05:30:00.000-05:00

HD RADIO CLAIMS OF "CD QUALITY" SHOWN TO BE FALSE!
Shown below are the results of the European Broadcasting Union tests of the codec licensed by www.ibiquity.com for HD Radio broadcasts. It is known as HD AAC or AAC PLUS.
While it is argueably the most efficient, and advanced digital codec available, it is not lossless, flawless or distortion and artifact free.
A more accurate claim might be that HD Radio offers "near CD quality" at best.
From: http://www.codingtechnologies.com/products/aacPlus.htm
For proof of iBiquity HD Radio licensing info: http://www.codingtechnologies.com/partners/index.htm

HD Radio-AM Jamming adjacent channel interference.

2006-03-06T00:20:00.000-05:00

The grey and dark areas jam and trespass on adjacent stations.
Because of the square wave high duty cycle power of the digital waveforms they create 10 to 100 times more interference and jamming then similar analog signals on the same frequency.
Note the continuous digital hiss and destructive noise created by AM HD radio, that is impressed upon, and can be heard with the analog transmitting station's audio.

"FCC Audio Division Chief Peter Doyle is quoted by the (Wall Street)Journal as explaining that broadcasters chose to go digital with Ibiquity's technology because it doesn't require new spectrum and that the advantages more than outweigh the shortcomings. Adding digital service is one way to combat the problem, although some small stations can't afford the cost."
The statement that "the advantages more then outweigh the shortcomings" is pure hype, metaphysics and predictive speculation.
The main reason the FCC was established, and it's continuing charge by congress, is to reduce and control interference, not to encourage interference.
All charts are from documents submitted to the FCC for the public record (public domain) by the manufacturers, applicants, and proponents of the HD Radio iBiquty "IBOC" system.

HD Radio FM interference graph

2006-03-06T00:12:00.000-05:00

For those with eyes to see, and the wisdom to understand.
BY POPULAR REQUEST!
The BLUE line is the digital interference created by the HD Radio broadcasting station interfering with the FM stereo subcarrier and surrounding FM stations.
GREEN is the reduced stereo signal to noise ratio.
RED -the two verticle lines at the top are the FCC 200kHz maximum limit for an FM station.
Beyond those two verticle RED lines at the top (to the right and left) is all the digital noise and interference created on neighboring channels by the digital signal.

All charts are from documents submitted to the FCC for the public record (public domain) by the manufacturers, applicants, and proponents of the HD Radio iBiquty "IBOC" system.

HD RADIOS-OBSOLETE ALREADY?

2006-03-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

THIS COULD OBSOLETE ALL HD RADIOS PLANNED OR ALREADY BUILT!
"Digital radio receivers without government-approved copy-prevention technology likely would become illegal to sell in the future, according to new federal legislation announced Thursday."

Here is the link:
http://news.com.com/Congress+raises+broadcast+flag+for+audio/2100-1028_3-6045225.html?tag=nefd.top

HD Radio-MORE FALSE ADVERTISING?

2006-03-01T07:07:00.000-05:00

"The truth is that most, if not all, digital FM broadcasts will utilize bitrates of around 48kbps - fine for casual in-car listening, but hardly high-fidelity in the true sense of the phrase."
"The 'HD' label implies that — as with HDTV — there is a significant increase in quality, as compared to analog. This is simply not the case."
"'HD Radio' is actually a misnomer. The digital signal may be quieter, in terms of background noise and interference, than an analog FM signal — particularly under marginal reception conditions — but it is NOT higher fidelity. It contains built-in distortion and encoding artifacts that are not present in a good analog FM signal, especially at the lower bitrates (48kbps or even less) that will be used by almost all digital FM broadcasts in order to accomodate 'multicasting' (multiple channels per station) — which is very much part of the game plan for all of the big FM chains."
Here is the link to the story (see bottom of page):
http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/011806/index.asp

HD Radio-More is less!-Digital destruction.

2006-02-28T04:21:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. Klein,
Digital HD Radio uses the adjacent channels for all digital signals thus jamming 2 or more channels for each FM station transmitting HD. As more Philly stations start transmitting digital HD Radio the interference to popular nearby Trenton and Wilmington stations will increase drastically, particularly in the Roxborough area, where most Philly FM stations are located, and the HD digital signal is greatest.
On AM, the situation is even worse. The adjacent channel digital noise transmitted from WDAS 1480 AM creates hissing, jamming, noise on the primary 1 millivolt per meter signal of nearby suburban WBCB 1490 AM Levittown here in Northeast Philadelphia. This noise is so pernicious that the FCC has not allowed AM HD Digital Radio to be transmitted past sunset or before local sunrise. In order to transmit AM HD Radio on the adjacent channels where it resides, the host station of the parasite digital signal must cut it's analog AM frequency response in half from 10,000 hertz to 5,000 hertz resulting in a much muddier sound.
Here is a link to a public site that describes the digital damage being done to the AM and FM broadcasting bands by HD Radio:
http://worldsupercaster.blogspot.com
Please check with other sources beside the dealer's car salesman before you advocate everyone should run out and buy a Yugo. There are two sides to this story. Remember, in science and particularly physics you don't get something for nothing. There are no free rides.
Internet streaming can be better quality then HD Radio depending on the streaming bitrate.
HD Radio is not CD quality and, is often not as good as the analog stereo FM signal it is supposed to replace. This is even more true of the HD2 signal as it is broadcast at an even lower bitrate.
FM HD Radio degrades the main station's analog stereo FM signal it surrounds, resulting in noisier, lower quality audio for the existing analog listeners.
HD Radio on both AM and FM has a shorter range then the analog signal of the host station, resulting in HD reception problems for suburban commuters and when traveling between cities.
Please take a tip from veteran broadcaster and journalist Paul Harvey, and report the "rest of the story".
HD Digital Radio offers little to consumers and listeners, except more interference, and fewer stations.
HD Radio only has "interim approval" and NOT final approval from the FCC and any HD Radio bought now might be obsolete if the FCC or RIAA insists the standards be changed. Today's expensive HD Radio might be tomorrow's doorstop, or pet rock.
Comments responding to this article:
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/13951844.htm

HD Radio-DIGITAL NOISE AND INTERFERENCE

2006-02-25T03:02:00.000-05:00

BY POPULAR REQUEST!
The BLUE line is the digital interference created by the HD
Radio broadcasting station interfering with the FM stereo subcarrier and surrounding FM stations.
GREEN is the reduced stereo signal to noise ratio.
RED -the two verticle lines at the top are the FCC 200kHz maximum limit for an FM station. Beyond those two verticle RED lines at the top is all the digital noise and interference created on neighboring channels by the digital signal.

PROPONENTS OF THE HD DIGITAL RADIO SYSTEM (MOSTLY THOSE WHO ARE PROFITING) WILL TELL YOU THIS NOISE AND INTERFERENCE DOSN'T MATTER.

Radio Industry Showing Signs Of Doubt About HD Radio

2006-02-25T01:02:00.000-05:00

RADIO GROUP HEADS HAVE DOUBT ABOUT HD RADIO
"I'm probably not as excited about HD radio as others have been," said Judy Ellis, chief operating officer for Citadel Broadcasting. "I fear that HD is more for Wall Street than for consumers."
"Joel Hollander, chairman and CEO of CBS Radio, said HD radio faced an uphill battle. He indicated that he and others had discussions with electronics makers and automobile companies in Detroit about moving forward on HD receivers but could not see any significant progress happening for at least three to seven years."
Here is the link:
http://www.audiographics.com/agd/022006-1.htm

HD RADIO-INTRINSICALLY AND FATALLY FLAWED!

2006-02-22T03:59:00.000-05:00

"DISHONESTY IS THE PROBLEM" - Hype on, integrity off.
A lesson on how to sell Star Trek Transporters to the gullable!
Flawless reception of HD digital signals when they are weak and substancially drop below the ambient noise floor is unlikely at best (even with the most advanced laboratory equipment) and impossible at worst. Claims that somehow digital signals cirumvent the laws of physics are fraudulent. Telepathic digital radio is a myth. Like transporters, they don't exist.
"In one case, analog is pumping out 11Kw. IBUZ is at 110 watts. That leads to digital mode switching. In the Boston, Worcester, Hartford, Springfield and Albany markets digital is so wimpy it's lucky to make it to the city limits."
"I have a few problems with IBUZ. For AM, it's a death sentence, I believe, from what I already hear. When you crap all over your neighbor's signal it ceases to qualify as good engineering practice. Is there any engineer here with any sense of pride in what they do who would dispute that contention? Instead of admitting there are serious problems over and above old transmitter sites they set up a web site touting how wonderful this new debacle is. I have to give iBorg credit for assimilating such a large number of formerly independent thinking engineers."
"On FM I hear artifacts. I don't hear the adjacent channel interference, probably because I'm no longer in an incredibly congested market (New York City). The CD Quality issue is the most deceptive of all. By CD Quality I mean the ability to make full use of the Red Book standard. If you choose to use the audio purity of CDs to record smashed crud you still have the capability of doing it right. In the case of IBUZ, it's low bit rate codecs can't possibly match the potential quality of a CD. You couldn't do CD Quality right if you really, really tried. Even iBorg has racheted it down to CD-like quality. The HD Dominion uses the term everywhere."
Link to full comments:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=662894&Board=hd

HD RADIO-POOR (LOCAL ONLY) COVERAGE!

2006-02-21T06:12:00.000-05:00

COVERAGE PROBLEMS WITH HD RADIO-
LOCAL ONLY IN MOST AREAS.
Typical HD Radio digital signal only covers 10 to 20 miles, where the analog signal may cover 40 to 60 miles! "Your mileage may vary" depending on local terrain and noise conditions.
"I've built a couple of HD stations in the past year. And the real world of reception and coverage is different than any claims by Ibquity you might have read. First of all, FM coverage by HD is generally good within the 70 dbu (3.16 mv/m) contour of FM, and fairly robust inside the 5 mv contour of AM stations. Outside of those general coverage contours, it falls apart pretty quickly.
HD AM in particular is vulnerable to power line noise and driving under bridges and such, as is it's analog counterpart. HD FM seems to suffer the same problems as it's analog counterpart, except there is no multi-path. Dropouts, digital glitches, switching back and forth from analog to digital, yes. But no multi-path.
Whoopie...
I was surprised by the lack of robustness of the HD signal within the primary contours myself."
"The staff was trying to figure out what we spent $120K on. So was I. The second digital audio channels are nice, but suffer the same problems as the main channel HD. They simply don't drive as well as the analog side."
Link to full comments:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=662194&Board=hd

FCC URGED TO INVESTIGATE PAYOLA ACTIVITIES OF BROADCAST CARTEL.

2006-02-16T02:45:00.000-05:00

Corrupt activities by radio broadcast cartel, exposed.

Recent investigations by the New York State Attorney General's office have revealed widespread violations of laws against radio payola. Nearly 200 stations were implicated. Many are owned by the handful of radio conglomerates that have risen to prominence since the industry was deregulated in 1996.

The investigation alleges that the stations in question accepted cash and prizes to play artists that were hand-picked by major recording labels. The radio stations aired these without disclosing to listeners the shadowy record deals that pushed the performers to the top of playlists. This practice is not only dishonest, it's against the law.

The airwaves belong to the public, and since 1927, the federal government has required broadcasters who use them to serve the public interest. You owe it to the American public to put a stop to this deception. Please launch a full and thorough investigation into all allegations of payola in the commercial radio industry and hold bad actors accountable.

Also, HD Radio AM and FM digital jamming of the public airwaves by the broadcast cartel should stop. Popular community and suburban stations, that provide valuable unduplicated local public service, are being jammed, and independent voices muffled. This seems contrary to the primary mission of the FCC and intent of congress.

Where to send your outrage if you are honest, or collect your cash, if you are not.
Link to PAYOLA stations map: http://www.freepress.net/payola/map.php

Online Radio Audience Triples!-Broadcast Execs Embarrassed!

2006-02-14T04:47:00.000-05:00

The first-ever full year of online radio measurements is in, and it shows that the medium's audience nearly tripled during that time.

http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/digital/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001956950

HD RADIO EXECS COUGHT SMOKING WEED!

2006-02-14T04:05:00.001-05:00

"When FM first came on the scene, it was being championed by the guys smoking weed in the back room," WQHT PD John Dimick said. "Those are the kind of people we need to tap now for ideas about making HD work."
http://www.audiographics.com/agd/020606-1.htm
It will take more then weed to get HD Radio to work right and not jam other stations. Will you try crystal meth next, broadcasters?
But all those drugs cost a lot of cash!
But, wait, there is always PAYOLA to fall back on!

Feb. 09, 2006Radio conglomerates target of 'payola' probe ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he has subpoenaed nine of the nation's largest radio conglomerates in his "payola" investigation of major artists and songs that he claims got air time because of payoffs by recording companies. "A lot of the major songs have been implicated in this and it showed how pervasive the payola infrastructure had become," Spitzer told The Associated Press. "Major artists, major songs were sent up the charts through improper payments to buy spins on the air that translated into sales." The companies that have received subpoenas control thousands of stations nationwide, including Clear Channel Communications Inc., Infinity, which now operates as CBS Radio, Citadel Broadcasting Corp., Cox Radio Inc., Cumulus Broadcasting Inc., Pamal Broadcasting Ltd., Entercom Communications Corp., Emmis Communications Corp. and ABC Inc., according to court records filed by Spitzer. (AP) FULL STORY
http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1463440&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.singingfish.com

CELLPHONES READYING FOR DIGITAL PODCASTING AND STREAMING!

2006-02-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

MOBILE INTERNET RADIO IS ALREADY HERE!
New model cell phones from Motorola, Verizon, Cingular, Nokia, LG, and others have built in MP3 players, wireless podcasting, MP3 streams and downloads. There is no need for a radio of any kind to be included, or a radio station either. Just listen to the webstream. Wireless Bluetooth Stereo headphones, make it a real Hi-Fi/stereo pleasure to listen, and the quality can vary according to the bitrate of the producer from low bitrate mono (for voice) all the way up to audio CD quality or better. That beats Serius and XM also, as it allows a choice of thousands of stations all over North America and perhaps worldwide with much better fidelity. Apple’s iPod may be adding this feature soon.
HD radio transmits a digital signal at one-onehundreth the power analog stations licensed power (for FM) and about one-onethousandth the power (for AM) on adjacent channels, and digital coverage is the analog stations city grade coverage area. However HD digital radio jams analog stations many miles away because of it’s destructive digital waveform. More harm then good is coming from this seriously defective technology. The reason that so many are so strongly opposed, is because of the broadcast Cartel’s misinformation campaign, the huge amount of jamming, especially of licensed independent voices, suburban commuter reception, and community stations.
FCC objections to HD radio run heavily against the defective technology. Not because those filing objections are against digital transmission, or don't understand the technology, but because they DO understand HD Digital radio and object to this particular defective system.
Here is an FM digital system that works, and dosn't trespass or jam other stations.
www.dreinc.com
As of now, no other digital broadcasting system for AM has been independently tested, however, at least one is under development.

HD RADIO JAMMING CREATES PROBLEMS FOR COMMUTERS AND TRAVELERS!

2006-02-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

BROADCAST RADIO LOOSES SUBURBAN COVERAGE TO DIGITAL JAMMING!
Take a look at the Arbitron ratings for Trenton, NJ. The ratings for the NYC stations have all suddenly gone down in Trenton since the nearby Philadelphia stations started transmitting FM IBOC, thus leaving the adjacent NYC stations with noisy, staticky, hiss-filled signals. Even on an excellent car radio, in Trenton the NYC signals which are not adjacent to any IBOC signal are in clear stereo, while the NYC which are unfortunately next to IBOC hash can only be received in hissy mono. IBOC will not last long when stations realize that in exchange for gaining a few dozen local listeners to their "HD2" channels, they are losing thousands of fringe-area analog listeners. You can be(t) that at some point the "HD2" channels will be continued as Internet audio streams only, and the IBOC signals will be turned off.
Here is the link:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=655158&Board=hd

BROADCASTERS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY!

2006-02-12T06:22:00.000-05:00

WE ALL KNEW THEY HAVEN'T BEEN BROADCASTING WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTED TO HEAR. NOW WE KNOW WHY!
Hundreds Of Stations Under Investigation By FCC In Payola Investigation.
Adelstein threatens the loss of stations' licenses through this investigation, saying, "I can't believe that radio stations are putting their licenses at risk. It seems to me they thought the FCC was asleep and they shot someone in front of the policeman. The policeman is obligated to act when evidence is so clear." He added, "While it's highly unusual for the FCC to pull licenses on first violation, depending on the severity that is one option that is available to us. These are criminal matters as well."
Commissioner Adelstein revealed that he has been in regular contact with Spitzer lately, and wants the FCC to handle the investigation, as opposed to just Spitzer and the state of New York. "We have a responsibility to get to the bottom of this. It's important that the FCC does its job and not let the states do it for us," he said.
Link to full article:
http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=173928

HD Radio-"BLACK HOLE" OF BROADCASTING

2006-02-12T03:58:00.000-05:00

THREE YEARS, AND MULTIPLE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTED, FOR HISS AND JAMMING OF YOUR AM AND FM BROADCASTS!
Tons of Money goes in, hiss and jammiing come out. This is progress?
Asked via conference call how many such (HD radio) devices have been sold to date, Clear Channel Radio President John Hogan says, "Not very many."
San Antonio Business Journal Jan. 29, 2006

HD digital radio-TYPICAL COMMENTS.

2006-02-07T05:34:00.001-05:00

At home, I couldn’t get a digital signal from WOR (710 kHz)
In my New Jersey location, about 25 miles from New York City, I should theoretically be able to pick up as many as 23 FM and four AM stations transmitting HD. But nearly half the FM stations didn’t reach me, and only one AM station did.

Veteran programmer Bill Figenshu of FigMedia1 writes: "In all the research I have seen, no one has ever complained about the quality of a full-power FM signal. Are people signing up for satellite radio or buying iPods because of quality? Very few. It's the content, baby!"

On his blog, Dave Barry, who works in radio in Sonoma County, told about the industry alliance and drew this response: "It sounds like putting lipstick on a pig. Let's see -- making people shell out a lot of money for a receiver that will improve sound quality to that which they already have on their iPods and satellite stations. Lousy content has been mentioned. ... For me, there is the added problem of commercials ... which interrupt the flow of the programming. I understand why, but the problem is still there.
Oink."

Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio HD-Comments

"why would i spend $500 on this p.o.s."
This radio is junk, it doesn't even have a real antenna. This $500 radio has one of those thin wire that act as the antenna, you would also find this type of antenna on $10 fm alarm clocks. This radio is perfect for mental defects with money to burn. For $500 I could get an xm or sirius radio with 3 years of service. This radio should cost no more than $60. Why does cnet.com bother with stupid products like this?

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Boston_Acoustics_Recepter_Radio_HD/4864-7866_16-31637870.html?messageSiteID=16&messageID=1689627&amp;amp;tag=uonext&cval=1689627&ctype=msgid

"Obsolete out of the box"
People are not going to spend $500 on betterAM radio sound .

HD RADIO-EVEN WHEN MISLEAD, ONLY 4% SAY THEY MIGHT BUY IT!

2006-02-05T08:14:00.000-05:00

NO DEMAND FOR THE BRAND!
"listeners may hear "HD radio," but what they are understanding is "HD TV." So when 38% say they've heard of HD radio, what they've really heard of is HD TV. There is no question about this, and it raises serious issues about technological nomenclature."

"How likely would you be to pay a one-time charge of $100 to be able to listen to HD radio?"
4% of the sample say they're "Very Likely" to pay the charge for HD Radio.
"you can't find an HD Radio for anywhere near that (LOW) sum."

Link to the full article:

http://www.radiomarketingnexus.com/2006/01/only_4_of_the_u.html

HD digital radio-OPEC OF THE AIRWAVES!

2006-02-05T08:04:00.000-05:00

This amounts to the OPEC of HD Radio, and we know how well that works.
The difference with OPEC is that it has to contend with a product - oil - that is in wide demand. In this case, HD Radio is in no demand. Indeed, the biggest problem with the whole notion of HD Radio is that demand is not organic to the market (the way mp3 player demand was). The industry is trying here not to meet a market need but to create one. And that is a long path strewn with the corpses of those who have tread it before. Can it be done? Maybe, but the odds are not in its favor.
Link to the full article:
http://www.radiomarketingnexus.com/2005/12/steep_climb_ahe.html#comment-13652019

HD digital radio-DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

2006-02-05T04:36:00.000-05:00

HD digital radio fails quality and reception tests a few miles away from the broadcasting stations, even with an external outside antenna!
I saw the Boston Acoustics radio today at the Radio Systems show in South Jersey.
AM was picking up WPEN very clear, they were obviously running HD with the sidebands, but it would not give us more than the call letters on the display (no HD audio). Obviously, with a very useable AM signal in analog, digital was nowhere to be found. WIP was lost in a sea of noise. We were using a loop antenna outside.
NOTE: WIP 610 AM is 14.2 miles, and WPEN 950 AM is 15.7 miles from Radio Systems in Logan Township, NJ 08085. DIGITAL RECEPTION FROM EITHER 5000 WATT STATION TOTALLY FAILED!
The AM seems to mute when the signal falls below a certain level.
PROBLEM. Basically, the AM sucks and again is the bastard step-child.
I don't think it's worth $500, I don't think it's worth $300. Really, this is a $99-$149 radio AT BEST when you factor in reception and their idea of sound quality. I'm just thankful I was able to see a demo and that I didn't buy this "thing".
Link to full revue:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=648033&Board=hd

HD digital radio-Poor reception!

2006-02-05T04:04:00.000-05:00

HD digital radio-GETTING A POOR RECEPTION.
I have a Boston Acoustics Receptor HD. Sitting 12 miles south of one large market. 35 miles north of another. I'd like to hear both markets if possible.
Right now I'm having trouble pulling in the HD2 to one of the class B signals 12 miles north. Almost impossible to hear the HD2 on a class A from that same tower.
Most of the HDs are a no show from 35 miles south although it tries to match up with the HD signal on a pair of them. Nothing on any of the AMs although the tower for one is only 15 miles south. In a rental home so not inclined to add an outdoor antenna.
Tried a Terk Tower with no success.
Any suggestions on what will help capture those HD signals.
Please and thank you.
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Board=hd&Post=649121&page=
Reply:
The HD digital AM signal is required by the NRSC-5a mask and proposed FCC standards to be at least -28 db below the maximum carrier power. This converts to about 1.5 watts for each 1000 watts of station analog carrier power. Coverage beyond a few miles from the stations transmitter is almost impossible, as the signal gets buried below the ambient noise level very quickly. Digging out a signal from below the noise level reliably, is difficult if not impossible. However, because of the destructive digital waveform is on adjacent channels, it can easily interfere with stations many miles away. http://worldsupercaster.blogspot.com/ http://commonsensesolutions.blogspot.com/

HD digital radio-STOP HIGH DESTRUCTION RADIO!

2006-02-02T00:52:00.000-05:00

Unless they find a way to stop the tremendous interference AM HD causes it's neighbors on the band, it may not fly at all.
Try listening to KDKA anywhere a few miles east of Pittsburgh after 4 or so in the afternoon. That very annoying hiss is coming from WBZ in Boston. See how bad the intererence is???
Although not quite as destructive as AM, (FM) will still cause problems"
Here is the link:
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=640363&Board=hd

HD digital radio-SHUT UP AND DRINK THE KOOL AID (Remember Jonestown?)

2006-01-27T05:55:00.000-05:00

"IT'S A HIGHLY DOUBIOUS PROPOSITION THAT MILLIONS OF EXISTING AM LISTENERS WILL RUN OUT TO BUY IBOC RECEIVERS ONCE THEY DISCOVER THE BAND HAS BECOME A WALL OF (digital) NOISE ON THEIR ESTIMATED 1 BILLION ANALOG RADIOS."
Quotes are from a "Readers Forum" letter from broadcaster Robert C. Savage, WYSL(AM) Avon, NY, published in RADIO WORLD Jan. 18, 2006 Pg. 44.
Unlike other RADIO WORLD articles, I was not able to find a weblink to this article that appeared in the print publication.
"Allowing IBOC AM stations to crud up 50 kHz of the band while requiring analog operators to observe the NRSC mask is ... foolish, (and) .. outrageously unfair."
"When audience figures start plummeting, top management of the major groups" (owners) "will dash to the transmitter rack to turn off the HD exciter faster then you can say C-QUAM."

I wonder where that leaves all the HD radio owners who were suckered into spending money on this seriously flawed technology?

HD digital radio-IF LOW-FI SOUNDS SO GREAT, WHY DO WE NEED DIGITAL?

2006-01-27T05:32:00.000-05:00

"5 kHz audio equates to going back to the days when we used carbon microphones and mechanical oscillators."
Quoted from the article:
Now, I don't know who put wax in the ears of the proponents of 5 kHz bandwidth, and who talked them into the idea that the listener won't notice a difference; but I do notice a huge difference in the freshness of the highs on my AM stations when the highs are severely rolled back.
Besides, if listeners don't notice the audio quality at 5 kHz, why do they notice the difference in FM audio? Why do they notice that CDs sound better than FM? Could it be that high frequencies in the audio create interference patterns in the lower frequencies, making the audio more "hi-fi"?
Based upon the logic of several proponents I've heard, maybe those stations experiencing the interference should roll back their highs. But most of the rural stations, especially Class As, are still doing fine with NRSC at 10 kHz (upper and lower sidebands). And our listeners do notice. I've heard it straight from their mouths.
I am proud of a full-throated sound of my AM stations and intend to keep it that way as long as possible. And if technology supplants analog service, I welcome the day. But until everybody can make up their cotton-picking mind how it's going to be done, please don't trash a service that's already struggling with its identity.
Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/06_rwrf_june_22_part_1.shtml

HD digital radio-NOT OUTSIDE THE CITY, OR IN THE SUBURBS!

2006-01-25T04:20:00.000-05:00

"If you don't have an HD station very close, they dont work!"
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=638746&Board=hd

HD digital radio-But people don't want to listen to radio in CB quality at 5 kc.

2006-01-25T03:09:00.000-05:00

HD Radio on AM "is going to be a disaster."

"Im scared of the commission once again being run by a bunch of bureaucrats mandating what we have to do, based on what they perceive to be a marketplace decision."

"I think we need some improvement in the AM spectrum. But the approach we're taking, reducing the frequency response to 5 kHz, is an absolute joke. It's only being done as a way to precondition for IBOC, in order to allow eventually more stations to be shoved into the spectrum than we already have."

"On AM I think the majority of small-town broadcasters will go to Cam-D. We'll not go digital (HD radio) on FM; we'll go with the system [FMeXtra from Digital Radio Express] that gives us additional channels for $9,000."

Quotes from Paul Mclane's article, quoting Ed De La Hunt.
Link to the full article:
http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/01_rw_page_4_feb_1b.shtml

HD digital radio-FIND A BETTER WAY, OR FORGET IT!

2006-01-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

HD DIGITAL RADIO, WORTH THE DESTRUCTION AND EXPENSE?
Here is radio expert Robert C. Crane's http://www.cccrane.com/ (the radio company) analysis and letter about digital AM IBOC creating a usable signal only within the IBOC stations 2mV/m local analog coverage area. Crane proves that the coverage area of an AM digital IBOC station is 1/40th of the stations analog coverage area.
According to Crane, past the local 2mV/m analog coverage area AM IBOC creates severe jamming interference to other analog stations, and reverts back to a noisier (digitally hissed) signal on the HD radio.
For a typical AM station, the 2mV/m signal only extends a few miles from the tower.
Other reports from HD radio users claim the signal starts to become spotty and revert to analog beginning at the much shorter 5mV/m coverage area.
Calculations show the -28 db AM digital signal equals about 1.5 watts of signal per kilowatt of licensed broadcast power, but creates jamming interference to adjacent channel stations at a much greater distance because of the high density, loud, irritating, digital hissing, jamming waveform. The digital waveform used for HD radio is similar to very successful radio jamming waveforms used to jam radio stations during the cold war.
HD digital radio creates many more problems, and much more trouble and expense, then any slight benefit it can provide to broadcasters or listeners. The only profit seems to be to the cartel peddling this defective technology.
The NRSC-5 "mask" often sited as an FCC "standard" has not yet been accepted, and can not be found in the FCC rules. The "mask" was created, and is being claimed as a standard by the same cartel hypeing HD digital radio to sell equipment and expensive use licenses.
Be as sceptical about the wild claims made for HD digital radio by their hucksters, as you would be the claims made by politicians or used car salesmen. They are cut from the same cloth.

http://www.nrscstandards.org/DRB/NRSC%20eval%20iBiquityAM/Craneletter.pdf

HD digital radio-CREATES A GIANT HISSING CONTEST ON AM AND FM!

2006-01-21T03:23:00.000-05:00

IN METROPOLITAN AREAS VIRTUALLY ALL RADIO FREQUENCIES ARE ALREADY USED.
THERE ARE NO EMPTY ADJACENT CHANNELS TO BROADCAST ADDITIONAL DIGITAL HISS NECESSARY FOR HD DIGITAL RADIO, WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH OTHER LICENSED STATIONS.
THIS IS TRUE IN MOST POPULATED METROPOLITAN AREAS.
The most powerful stations are usually concentrated in or near the large cities.
HD digital radio will create jamming "hiss zones" in the suburban areas between the metropolitan areas, and jam local stations.
The digital hissing channels will overlap, creating digital intermodulation havoc.

There are 144 radio stations that may be barely perceptible from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (39° 59' 53" N, 75° 08' 41"
Distances to the stations are in miles.

Info Call Sign Frequency Dist./Signal City School Format
WNJS 88.1 FM 24.6 mi. Berlin, NJ Public Radio
WNJT 88.1 FM 31.2 mi. Trenton, NJ Public Radio
WXPN 88.5 FM 6.1 mi. Philadelphia, PA University of Pennsylvania Adult Album Alternative
WBYO 88.9 FM 28.8 mi. Sellersville, PA Christian Contemporary
WBZC 88.9 FM 33.6 mi. Pemberton, NJ Burlington County College College
WWFM 89.1 FM 31.8 mi. Trenton, NJ Mercer County Community College Classical
WXVU 89.1 FM 10.5 mi. Villanova, PA Villanova University College
WYBF 89.1 FM 12.8 mi. Radnor Township, PA Cabrini College College
WNJB 89.3 FM 37.2 mi. Bridgeton, NJ Public Radio
WRDV 89.3 FM 14.5 mi. Warminster, PA Nostalgia
WSJI 89.5 FM 14.1 mi. Cherry Hill, NJ Religious
WDVR 89.7 FM 36.8 mi. Delaware Township, NJ Variety
WGLS 89.7 FM 22.5 mi. Glassboro, NJ Rowan University of NJ College
WRTI 90.1 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Temple University Public Radio
WVBV 90.5 FM 37.2 mi. Medford Lakes, NJ Religious
WHYY 90.9 FM 5.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Public Radio
WRTQ 91.3 FM 50.9 mi. Ocean City, NJ Temple University Public Radio
WTSR 91.3 FM 26.9 mi. Trenton, NJ The College of New Jersey College
WDBK 91.5 FM 15.8 mi. Blackwood, NJ Camden County College College
WSRN 91.5 FM 12.8 mi. Swarthmore, PA Swarthmore College College
WBMR 91.7 FM 22.6 mi. Telford, PA Religious
WKDU 91.7 FM 3.6 mi. Philadelphia, PA Drexel University College
WVLT 92.1 FM 34.8 mi. Vineland, NJ Oldies
WXTU 92.5 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Country
WMMR 93.3 FM 3.4 mi. Philadelphia, PA Rock
WSTW 93.7 FM 24.0 mi. Wilmington, DE Top-40
WYSP 94.1 FM 5.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Rock
WDAC 94.5 FM 58.5 mi. Lancaster, PA Religious
WPST 94.5 FM 20.6 mi. Trenton, NJ Classic Rock
WRDX 94.7 FM 59.5 mi. Dover, DE Classic Rock
WRSD 94.9 FM 12.6 mi. Folsom, PA Ridley High School Grade School (K-12)
W236AF (WBZC) 95.1 FM 15.7 mi. Burlington, NJ Burlington County College College
WAYV 95.1 FM 56.4 mi. Atlantic City, NJ Top-40
WZZO 95.1 FM 43.8 mi. Bethlehem, PA Rock
WBEN 95.7 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Adult Hits
WCTO 96.1 FM 44.0 mi. Easton, PA Country
WRDW 96.5 FM 5.6 mi. Philadelphia, PA Hip Hop
W245AG (WBMR) 96.9 FM 6.1 mi. Gladwyne, PA Religious
WFPG 96.9 FM 56.7 mi. Atlantic City, NJ Adult Contemporary
W246AQ (WXHL) 97.1 FM 3.3 mi. Collingswood, NJ Christian Contemporary
W246AR (WRDV) 97.1 FM 13.9 mi. Bensalem, PA Nostalgia
WIXM 97.3 FM 50.9 mi. Millville, NJ News/Talk
WTHK 97.5 FM 25.8 mi. Burlington, NJ Classic Rock
WOGL 98.1 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Oldies
WUSL 98.9 FM 6.0 mi. Philadelphia, PA Hip Hop
WAWZ 99.1 FM 52.1 mi. Zarephath, NJ Christian Contemporary
WJBR 99.5 FM 23.1 mi. Wilmington, DE Adult Contemporary
WHHS (CP) 99.9 FM 8.4 mi. Havertown, PA Haverford High School Grade School (K-12)
WODE 99.9 FM 49.3 mi. Easton, PA Classic Hits
WPHI 100.3 FM 6.1 mi. Media, PA Hip Hop
WLEV 100.7 FM 42.2 mi. Allentown, PA Adult Contemporary
WBEB 101.1 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Adult Contemporary
WKXW 101.5 FM 31.2 mi. Trenton, NJ News/Talk
WJKS 101.7 FM 40.5 mi. Canton, NJ Hip Hop
WIOQ 102.1 FM 6.0 mi. Philadelphia, PA Top-40
WRFY 102.5 FM 45.5 mi. Reading, PA Rock
WMGK 102.9 FM 5.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Classic Rock
WPRB 103.3 FM 31.2 mi. Princeton, NJ Princeton University College
W278AK (WXHL) 103.5 FM 18.6 mi. Village Green, PA Christian Contemporary
WMGM 103.7 FM 53.9 mi. Atlantic City, NJ Classic Rock
WXCY 103.7 FM 59.1 mi. Havre de Grace, MD Country
WPPZ 103.9 FM 5.8 mi. Jenkintown, PA Gospel Music
WAEB 104.1 FM 55.3 mi. Allentown, PA Top-40
WSNI 104.5 FM 5.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Oldies
WSJO 104.9 FM 41.2 mi. Egg Harbor City, NJ Hot AC
WIOV 105.1 FM 55.0 mi. Ephrata, PA Country
WDAS 105.3 FM 5.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Urban Contemporary
WCHR 105.7 FM 49.3 mi. Manahawkin, NJ Classic Rock
WJJZ 106.1 FM 6.2 mi. Philadelphia, PA Smooth Jazz
WKDN 106.9 FM 6.6 mi. Camden, NJ Religious
W297AD (WRDV) 107.3 FM 3.6 mi. Philadelphia, PA Nostalgia
WBYN 107.5 FM 38.8 mi. Boyertown, PA Religious
W300AD (WWFM) 107.9 FM 3.6 mi. Philadelphia, PA Mercer County Community College Classical
WHHS 107.9 FM 8.4 mi. Havertown, PA Haverford High School Grade School (K-12)
WRNB 107.9 FM 3.4 mi. Pennsauken, NJ Urban Contemporary

WLIE 540 AM 114.3 mi. Islip, NY Business News
WFIL 560 AM 9.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Religious
WHP 580 AM 97.8 mi. Harrisburg, PA Talk
WARM 590 AM 109.5 mi. Scranton, PA News/Talk
WIP 610 AM 9.3 mi. Philadelphia, PA Sports
WWJZ 640 AM 22.5 mi. Mount Holly, NJ Children's
WFAN 660 AM 93.1 mi. New York, NY Sports
WCBM 680 AM 100.9 mi. Baltimore, MD News/Talk
WPHE 690 AM 24.0 mi. Phoenixville, PA Spanish
WOR 710 AM 78.0 mi. New York, NY Talk
WWII 720 AM 96.6 mi. Shiremanstown, PA Religious
WKDL 730 AM 135.8 mi. Alexandria, VA Spanish
WVCH 740 AM 16.2 mi. Chester, PA Religious
WBMD 750 AM 88.1 mi. Baltimore, MD Religious
WABC 770 AM 83.2 mi. New York, NY News/Talk
WAVA 780 AM 130.8 mi. Arlington, VA Unknown Format
WAEB 790 AM 49.8 mi. Allentown, PA Talk
WTMR 800 AM 6.6 mi. Camden, NJ Religious
WEEU 830 AM 62.8 mi. Reading, PA News/Talk
WWDB 860 AM 16.1 mi. Philadelphia, PA Business News
WCBS 880 AM 93.1 mi. New York, NY News/Talk
WURD 900 AM 6.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA News
WSBA 910 AM 84.8 mi. York, PA News/Talk
WPHY 920 AM 23.2 mi. Trenton, NJ Sports
WPEN 950 AM 6.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Oldies
WTEM 980 AM 121.1 mi. Washington, DC Sports
WNTP 990 AM 9.7 mi. Philadelphia, PA Talk
WIBG 1020 AM 58.6 mi. Ocean City/Somers Po, NJ Religious
WCHR 1040 AM 36.2 mi. Flemington, NJ Religious
KYW 1060 AM 9.1 mi. Philadelphia, PA News
WBAL 1090 AM 96.7 mi. Baltimore, MD News/Talk
WGPA 1100 AM 44.7 mi. Bethlehem, PA Variety
WNAP 1110 AM 13.0 mi. Norristown, PA Gospel Music
WBBR 1130 AM 80.9 mi. New York, NY Business News
WDEL 1150 AM 24.0 mi. Wilmington, DE News/Talk
WBYN 1160 AM 63.6 mi. Lehighton, PA Religious
WOBM 1160 AM 49.4 mi. Lakewood Township, NJ Nostalgia
WPHT 1210 AM 8.5 mi. Philadelphia, PA Talk
WEEX 1230 AM 49.3 mi. Easton, PA Sports
WIOV 1240 AM 47.8 mi. Reading, PA Sports
WSNJ 1240 AM 37.4 mi. Bridgeton, NJ Nostalgia
WBUD 1260 AM 27.6 mi. Trenton, NJ Nostalgia
WWTX 1290 AM 27.4 mi. Wilmington, DE Sports
WIMG 1300 AM 24.7 mi. Ewing, NJ Gospel Music
WEMG 1310 AM 3.2 mi. Camden, NJ Spanish
WTKZ 1320 AM 44.7 mi. Allentown, PA Sports
WJSS 1330 AM 59.8 mi. Havre de Grace, MD Christian Contemporary
WHAT 1340 AM 3.4 mi. Philadelphia, PA Talk
WHWH 1350 AM 33.2 mi. Princeton, NJ Business News
WNJC 1360 AM 14.6 mi. Vineland, NJ Variety
WPAZ 1370 AM 32.0 mi. Pottstown, PA Oldies
WTMC 1380 AM 28.5 mi. Wilmington, DE Talk
WEST 1400 AM 46.8 mi. Easton, PA Nostalgia
WDOV 1410 AM 59.5 mi. Dover, DE News
WCOJ 1420 AM 35.5 mi. Coatesville, PA Oldies
WMVB 1440 AM 40.4 mi. Millville, NJ Adult Contemporary
WNPV 1440 AM 18.9 mi. Lansdale, PA Talk
WILM 1450 AM 28.5 mi. Wilmington, DE News/Talk
WIFI 1460 AM 19.4 mi. Florence, NJ Christian Contemporary
WKAP 1470 AM 47.6 mi. Allentown, PA Oldies
WDAS 1480 AM 3.6 mi. Philadelphia, PA Gospel Music
WBCB 1490 AM 20.2 mi. Levittown, PA Variety
WFAI 1510 AM 33.3 mi. Salem, NJ Religious
WCHE 1520 AM 26.0 mi. West Chester, PA Talk
WNWR 1540 AM 5.9 mi. Philadelphia, PA Ethnic
WISP 1570 AM 22.7 mi. Doylestown, PA Religious
WGYM 1580 AM 31.7 mi. Hammonton, NJ News/Talk
WPWA 1590 AM 18.5 mi. Chester, PA Gospel Music
WTTM 1680 AM 33.2 mi. Princeton, NJ Asian

HD digital radio-Benefits a few at the expense of the many.

2006-01-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES FAR OUTWEIGHS ANY BENEFIT.
The media is already over concentrated in the hands of far too few vested interests.
HD digital radio jamms existing analog stations by broadcasting modem type digital hissing noise all over the public's AM and FM bands.
Provides fewer stations, not more, by jamming popular stations you can now receive clearly and enjoy.
Jamms lower power local, community, and suburban stations most. The same stations that provide valuable choice, diversity, and otherwise unavailable, unduplicated, local news, sports, entertainment and information.
Reduces diversity, restricts local news, information, and free speech, by allowing powerful broadcast stations and conglomerates to control and jam independent voices with digital noise.
Has digital coverage limited to only a few miles from the station's transmitter.
Provides few benefits, but maximum destruction, of the current analog broadcasting system the public depends upon, especially in emergencies.
Is a seriously flawed, expensive, technology that benefits a very few group station owners, at the expense of the many.
Obsoletes almost 1 billion AM and FM radios the public already owns.
Provides little benefit for the general public, at the great cost of destroying their airwaves.
The internet already provides hundreds of thousands of iPod downloads and broadcast streams, wireless inernet is already on the way. There is no need for a destructive new proprietary digital signals to jam analog broadcasting.
http://worldsupercaster.blogspot.com/

HD digital radio-Just because it’s new and digital does not make it better.

2006-01-19T00:07:00.000-05:00

"I just can’t see ever upgrading my radio to HD."

"So one of the things you’ve probably heard about today is that your existing radio stations are converting to digital. What that means is that you’ll get the same clear stations with the limited programming you get now, but in crisp digital, as opposed to that lame analog you are listening to now. Of course you’ll need a new radio to enjoy this."

Here is the link to the complete article:
http://www.atmasphere.net/wp/archives/2005/01/05/hd-radio

HD digital radio-Jamms your neighbors-FOR BROADCAST ENGINEERS

2006-01-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

It is a matter of record that 2nd adjacent interference to analog was observed in both the AM and FM IBOC systems, under laboratory conditions with pristine signals.
We've been through this one before, but I guess I'll have to say it again.
It is not necessary to postulate Tx problems in order to have 2nd adjacent issues. It is a matter of record that 2nd adjacent interference to analog was observed in both the AM and FM IBOC systems, under laboratory conditions with pristine signals. Obviously IMD from the transmitter canmake matters worse, but problems may exist even when the IMD is insignificant.
Barry-- Barry McLarnon VE3JF Ottawa, ON
Source:
http://lists.radiolists.net/pipermail/tech-zone/2005-November/000176.html

HD digital radio-FAILS AGAIN!-(for broadcast engineers)

2006-01-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

A large bird squatting on the tower can change everything, and IMHO "annual" mask measurements have become a joke with the advent of NRSC-5.
On 26 Nov 2005 at 3:00, Alan Alsobrook wrote:> In actual practice it does seem to be hitting up to the 3rd on a few > I've listened to. I must admit that this was simply consumer receiver
> listening. So I can't say much as to the reason, be it receiver induced > or excessive bandwidth from the source.All I can say is I've seen Richard Hinkle's demo of adaptive predistortionwhere there was plenty of garbage at +/- 20 kHz around -70 with some showing up at +/- 30 kHz; then about 30-45 seconds after doing the Capt.Picard "Engage" number, all is clear above -90 at both second and third.Truly amazing.Considering the variations typical in DA operation, and for that matter,in a simple ATU/tower combination with temperature and moisture variation,I don't see how it will be possible to operate MW-IBOC/HD without a predistorter and continuous monitoring such as Belar is bringing to marketsoon.Maybe it's just me, but I don't see how you can KNOW what your emissions are unless you watch them. A large bird squatting on the tower can change everything, and IMHO "annual" mask measurements have become a joke withthe advent of NRSC-5.
Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMDBroadcast Engineering Services and Technology (a Div. of Advanced Parts Corporation) Ph. (317) 335-2065 FAX (317) 335-9037

Source:
http://lists.radiolists.net/pipermail/tech-zone/2005-November/000147.html

HD digital radio LLL-LIES, LIES, AND MORE LIES!

2006-01-18T06:08:00.000-05:00

"I’m concerned for the future of AM IBOC with the Ibiquity system. If adopted as-is, multiple lawsuits from aggrieved and irate parties seems likely."
"P.E. Timothy Cutforth of Vir James Engineers spoke of severe 2nd adjacent interference posed by the 6 Denver AM’s that were operating with HD Radio. Some of this was within the 2 mV contour of the "desired" station. Tim also charged that the present STA operations do not properly comply with the NRSC-2 mask, which uses a 10 minute peak detection."
The comments and replies on HD Radio-IBOC in general, and the NRSC-5 standard in particular, continued to roll in right up to the August 17 deadline. Nearly 1000 comment postings are listed in Docket 99-325. A number of Consulting Engineers and smaller broadcasting companies expressed concerns about interference with the AM system. P.E. Timothy Cutforth of Vir James Engineers spoke of severe 2nd adjacent interference posed by the 6 Denver AM’s that were operating with HD Radio. Some of this was within the 2 mV contour of the "desired" station. Tim also charged that the present STA operations do not properly comply with the NRSC-2 mask, which uses a 10 minute peak detection. Tim stated: "The very manufacturers setting up IBOC equipment are specifying that the spectrum analyzer should be set for average not peak detection as specified in NRSC-2. The new proposed NRSC-5 standard calls for several allowable spikes 20 dB above the (averaging detector) mask level. The present FCC rule upon which the IBOC STA operation is based specify peak detection and NO SPIKES above the mask level over a ten minute observation period. Again the broadcaster and the FCC has been mislead into believing that the IBOC STA operation complies fully with the present NRSC-2 emission mask when in fact it may miss the mark by 20 dB or more as actually installed and measured."
Broadcast Company of the Americas (BCA), which programs 50 kW 1090 XEPRS, was particularly concerned. Thanks to favorable propagation over the ocean, this Mexican AM has a 5 mV/m signal over much of Los Angeles, but received severe interference over large areas within that contour when Infinity's 50 kW KNX 1070 Los Angeles and Disney's 50 kW KDIS 1110 Pasadena turned on their HD exciters. BCA mirrored Cutforth’s concerns: "Whereas NRSC-2 used peak weighting and 10-minute spectrum storage for spectrograms, the proposed NRSC-5 uses average weighting and 30-second storage. The relatively lax NRSC-5 standard thus tends to gloss over what the ear actually hears as "hiss/noise" and what the spectrum analyzer displays. The NRSC-2 spectrum was never "maxed out" within a few seconds of storage time. It took many minutes to build up the NRSC-2 spectrum mask, unlike NRSC-5’s instant build up with constant digital signals. Additionally, NRSC-5 allows for two discrete "spikes" within 75 kHz of the carrier frequency to be 10 dB above the emission mask, with the result that a hybrid transmission that is barely meeting the proposed mask can claim compliance with the NRSC-5 standard. The ear hears these vast differences in digital and analog sidebands." (XEPRS was formerly "The Mighty 1090" XERB, with the inimitable Wolfman Jack.)
Having done hundreds of AM NRSC measurements over the years, I can verify that a station that meets the mask in a 10 minute peak test will normally have average sidebands many dB lower. The mask was never intended to be a limit for "good" operation, but a maximum for a "worst case" station operation. Some really lousy sounding AM stations with very audible sideband splatter can still pass the NRSC mask. While I’m still optimistic about the FM system, after reading many of these comments I’m concerned for the future of AM IBOC with the Ibiquity system. If adopted as-is, multiple lawsuits from aggrieved and irate parties seems likely.

HERE IS THE LINK:
http://www.sbe124.org/newsletters/pdx0905/

HD digital radio-Out of 940 comments filed with the FCC, MOST ARE AGAINST HD!

2006-01-18T05:46:00.000-05:00

MOST OF THE 940 OFFICIAL COMMENTS FILED WITH THE FCC, BEFORE THE FILING PERIOD CLOSED, WERE AGAINST ACCEPTING THE STANDARD AS SUBMITTED.
Here is the link:
http://www.nab.org/newsroom/PressRel/Releases/nrsc041605.htm

HD digital radio-"INTERUM AUTHORITY" NOT THE SAME AS "FINAL APPROVAL"

2006-01-18T05:18:00.000-05:00

ANOTHER HD DIGITAL RADIO LIE DETECTED!
The FCC has given broadcasters interim authority to implement iBiquity's HD Radio™ system, which is a specific implementation of NRSC 5.
Source:
http://www.nab.org/newsroom/PressRel/Releases/nrsc041605.htm

HD DIGITAL RADIO-Encryption requirement to prevent downloading.

2006-01-17T04:17:00.000-05:00

"The RIAA has suggested broadly empowering the FCC to mandate that all radio broadcasters encrypt their digital content at the source."
The NAB objects claiming millions of HD digital radios would become obsolete.
Some would argue that this is wishful thinking on the NAB's part because there are few HD Radio receivers actually in the field.

Here is the link to the full article:
http://beradio.com/currents/radio_currents_010906/index.html#riaa

FMeXtra vs HD Radio-Comments

2006-01-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

Independent comments from broadcast engineers comparing the two FM digital systems.

"> > Thats a cool system, it seems much more superior to IBOC. > > Why havent we heard more about it? > > Because our pals at Ibiquity wouldn't be able to charge > their superior licensing fees for their inferior product > they are sticking us with... > At least with the whole HD-2 thing we might gain enough > extra revenue to recover all the fees someday... Maybe. Thats just it. FMeXtra is superior in several ways to HD. First off, the Codecs sound much better. Why can't iBiquity get it right. How come the FM codec doesn't sound much better than the AM codec. FMeXtra managed to squeeze two really good sounding stereo streams in the subcarrier band. Even TieLine Technology http://www.tieline.com/ was able to develop a codec that gives you quality stereo audio over a POTS Dialup connection! Where has (or why has) iBiquity gone wrong? Secondly, all the radio station has to do is buy the FMeXtra encoder/generator. Once you have it, you got it. Plug it in, configure it, and you're done, its on the air. With HD, stations need to spend money on combiners or additional antennas. Thirdly, There is the annual licensing fee for HD. There are no fees with FMeXtra. Fourthly, there is no issue of adjacent channel interference from FMeXtra as it uses the existing subcarrier part of the channel, and not the sidebands. Drawbacks: You need to keep the Analog Modulation in check. No more overmodulating. Also the range doesn'treach quite as far as the usable main channel Analog signal. This however is no different with the current HD system. Other Perks: FMeXtra is fully compatible with HD, so a station could use both at the same time if they wanted. The system supports ancillary data as well. It can also be configured to allow for use of RDS. So why haven't we heard more about it? The problem is that it is a superior system that would allow the little independant and college/community stations to remain on a level playing field with the big corporate broadcasters. FMeXtra is developed by DREinc which itself is a small private company. iBiquity is a conglomeration supported by all the big corporate broadcasters and then some. There is too much invested in iBiquity's system to let some little independant guy come along and steal their corporate thunder. By advocating a system that requires major technical upgrades, expensive equipment, and "superior licensing fees" they basically edge out the little broadcasters who can't aford it, thus allowing more room for big bucks corporate radio. Tell everyone you know about DREinc and FMeXtra! "
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board?Post=628373&Board=engineering

HD digital FM-POOR QUALITY-JAMMS OTHER STATIONS!

2006-01-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a link providing engineering proof that HD digital radio is a seriously defective system.
http://users.tns.net/~bb/iboc.htm