On 9/29/10 09:12 , SMS wrote:
On 9/29/2010 6:21 AM, D. Peter Maus wrote:
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.

No, not true. Many people that have never listened to HD claim poor
audio performance, but they have no experience with HD. Many have a
vested interest in the failure of digital radio. Every independent
review of HD FM has noted the superior audio quality and the lack of
interference.

While it's true, there are those who have a vested interest in teh
failure of IBOC, I"m not referrring to those. I refer specifically
to those who have heard Hybrid Digital, and have attempted to use
Hybrid Digital Radio, and have found that it's audio performance
fails to meet what's been claimed for it.

I'm one of them. And I've participated in conducting listening
tests. I've also read page after page of complaints of users not
impressed by HD's performance.

I've been in stores when Hybrid Digital receivers have been
returned for non performance.

So...Yes, true. Many users of Hybrid Digital do not agree that the
performance measures up to what's been claimed for it.




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.

Not really necessary. Sufficient numbers of stations in the urban
markets have voluntarily added HD. What would be helpful is the
elimination of royalties on the receiver side combined with a mandate
that all receivers after a certain date be able to receive HD. Financial
incentives for stations to increase their HD power levels to the maximum
allowable levels would also help. But he HD consortium deciding to
assist smaller stations with the conversion to HD by helping with
funding and engineering expertise that the smaller stations lack, is
going to help as well.

What broadcasters choose to do is one thing. What listeners
choose to purchase is another.

Listeners have not embraced HD. Streams are being discontinued in
markets across the country.

But you have conveniently not addressed the issue of marketplace.
There are dramatically more sources for listening to content than
there were in the early days of FM. The audio quality of recordings
can now exceed the audio performance of broadcast en masse. And
users can now put their entire library of recordings in their pockets.

All of which paints a much different picture than that faced by
FM in it's own infancy.

Hybrid Digital Radio may, indeed, become a success.

But, dramatically more likely, is that, like DAT, it's a solution
for which the problem has been more effectively, and more
efficiently addressed by newer, and more readily accessible
technologies.

In any event, for users to make that conversion, en masse, and
make Hybrid Digital Radio a going concern, there will have to be a
mandate that the current scheme of broadcasting will end. Which may
happen. There is powerful money behind Hybrid Digital. And
considerable political will.

But it will take a political solution to make the investment pay
returns before The Money goes in a different direction.