On Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:09:37 -0800, SMS
wrote:

It's nearly four years old, but since the satellite radio providers
obviously don't want to talk about bit rates, it'll have to do.

Actually, I'm not all that interested in bit rate. What methinks is a
problem is the error rate. You could be running the full 64Kbits/sec
per channel, but with a sufficiently high uncorrectable error rate,
the quality will suck. FEC helps, but isn't a cure all. Same problem
with HD Radio. It's difficult enough to find the data rate without
ripping open the receiver and probing the guts. Getting the error
rate is even more difficult.

It's
pretty clear where the complaints of audio quality on satellite are
coming from.

Ummm... the complaints are coming from listeners. Should they be
coming from elsewhere?

... obviously there are many consumers for whom audio
quality is of minimal importance.

I guess that includes me. You wouldn't believer the OTA FM noise I
have to tolerate. Driving through the hills, the stations alternately
appear and disappear. In between the radio just belches noise. Trying
to hear anything over the road noise, scanner, and 2way radio noise is
difficult. Meanwhile, the GPS mapping display is yelling at me to
turn here and there. At the same time, my Droid is mumbling something
about email and reminders. Even if the music were distortion free, I
probably wouldn't notice.

On long trips we like to listen to audio books, and most libraries have
a very good selection.

Well, they've passed laws against driving while talking on the phone.
Perhaps the next step is to pass a law against driving while listening
to audio books. It's too much of a distraction for the GUM (great
unwashed masses).

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