On 9/29/10 01:28 , SMS wrote:
On 9/28/2010 9:49 PM, RHF wrote:

Conclusion : Why DAB Eureka 147 failed in the UK :
Maybe the reason IBOC "HD" AM& FM Radio will
succeed in the USA.

Two things led to the IBOC solution in the U.S.:

1) There was no spectrum available for a digital-only service.

2) Broadcasters wanted an IBOC solution because it did not require the
purchase of additional spectrum or licenses.

Now there's talk of a new digital-only band in the space where analog TV
channels 5 and 6 used to be. This would be especially well suited to low
power FM stations. It would likely use iBiquity technology as well
because the silicon used for HD Radio could be easily modified for the
new band. With the low power stations moved off of FM there would be
less of an issue with increased power on HD FM causing interference to
those stations. The big issue with HD right now is that the power levels
are too low to provide equivalent coverage to FM.

The addition/adoption of HD has striking parallels to the
addition/adoption of FM radio in the 20th century. It took FM 40 years
to become as ubiquitous as AM. Those that complain that HD is taking too
long to become ubiquitous have no understanding of the radio business
and how hard it is to replace the installed base of receivers.

In any case, it all is coming together for HD in the U.S. with huge
increases in receiver sales, more vehicle manufacturers including HD,
and the HD consortium deciding to assist smaller stations with the
conversion to HD by helping with funding and engineering expertise that
the smaller stations lack.

Two areas where your analogy breaks down.

One is that FM worked. Hybrid Digital...not so much. FM
presented a listenable improvement in audio performance that even
the tone deaf could recognize. Many users of Hybrid Digital do not
agree that the audio performance measures up to the claims made for it.

The other is that the market has changed from the days of early
FM, when the listening opportunities were limited. AM, or recordings
that were noisy, of questionable reproductive quality, and irregular
availability. Further, receivers were bulky, heavy and not portably
operated with any convenience. Batteries were expensive.

Today, the reproduction of recordings is remarkably consistent,
and of very high comparative quality. They are also globally
available for a fraction of the cost of recordings in the days of
early FM. And a person can put his/her entire recording library in a
shirt pocket, on a device with a battery life of many hours,
rechargable at one's own convenience. Often from a variety of
sources. There are also myriad options for listening of programmed
content. AM, of course, and FM, as well as internet radio, streamed
audio on cell phones, satellite radio, and self programmed 'radio
channels' accessible, often at a whim.

None of these offers the dropouts, and the Hybrid Digital to
Analog to Hybrid Digital switching offered by IBOC.

So, while the lamp isn't out for HD radio, at least not yet, the
comparison with the early days of FM does not really possess the
parallels as claimed.

Going back to the beginning days of this discussion: for IBOC to
take off, there will have to be a mandate by FCC that analog
broadcasting is to end.