No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is a
seperate story.)

What does "fidelity capability" mean?

For one thing, it means stereo.

The people who could have expected most NPR stations to end up on FM were
at
the FCC.

But the people who have made it sucessful were listeners on their radios.

And I know our local NPR station was broadcasting mostly mono into the
90s.
I believe it was NPR network policy to broadcast with the stereo pilot off
unless the program was in stereo.

I know some did that in the 70's...I have nvever heard of a station doing so
after that.

Plus, NPR does not define policy at local stations.

An excellent policy, in my opinion, as FM
mono is capable of a much better signal to noise ratio than FM stereo.

If it was purely technical, but most listeners would tune especially analog
dials, with the stereo light.

"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is a
seperate story.)

What does "fidelity capability" mean?

For one thing, it means stereo.

That's not clear, but I'm assuming you mean better stereo rather than stereo
capability.

And, since marketplace decisions have come up in this topic, it's clear that
radio buyers either think FM stereo is still superior to HD radio -- or
buyers don't care alot about stereo.


The people who could have expected most NPR stations to end up on FM were
at
the FCC.

But the people who have made it sucessful were listeners on their radios.

True. And there are also AM NPR stations who have shared in NPR's success.



And I know our local NPR station was broadcasting mostly mono into the
90s.
I believe it was NPR network policy to broadcast with the stereo pilot
off
unless the program was in stereo.

I know some did that in the 70's...I have nvever heard of a station doing
so
after that.

Around 1990 or so, I heard a "World of Radio" episode in which Glenn Hauser
complimented the FM NPR stations which turned off the carrier for mono
programming, and he complained about the majority of stations which
needlessly left it on all the time.


Plus, NPR does not define policy at local stations.

Could be. I recall an explaination from WBEZ (Chicago NPR) that they liked
to keep the pilot off unless they were playing stereo programming. They
started running the pilot on mono programming because that's how it was
coming in from the network.

But it was sombody's policy or procedure or whatever.


An excellent policy, in my opinion, as FM
mono is capable of a much better signal to noise ratio than FM stereo.

If it was purely technical, but most listeners would tune especially
analog
dials, with the stereo light.


The best visual aid for analog dial FM tuning is the center channel
indicator, which most listeners manage to do just fine without. A signal
strength indicator is almost as good an aid, but not so common as the stereo
light which can be shining brightly even when a station is audibly mistuned.
And, while the stereo light is an inferior visual tuning aid, it is an
excellent indicator of a stereo pilot.

None of this actually matters, as most analog dial listeners have learned to
get tuning feedback by listening to the radio, rather than looking at the
radio.

Frank Dresser

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is a
seperate story.)

What does "fidelity capability" mean?

For one thing, it means stereo.

That's not clear, but I'm assuming you mean better stereo rather than
stereo
capability.

AM HD is stereo.

The people who could have expected most NPR stations to end up on FM
were
at
the FCC.

But the people who have made it sucessful were listeners on their radios.

True. And there are also AM NPR stations who have shared in NPR's
success.

AM stations with NPR programming are marginally sucessful, if at all.

And I know our local NPR station was broadcasting mostly mono into the
90s.
I believe it was NPR network policy to broadcast with the stereo pilot
off
unless the program was in stereo.

I know some did that in the 70's...I have nvever heard of a station doing
so
after that.

Around 1990 or so, I heard a "World of Radio" episode in which Glenn
Hauser
complimented the FM NPR stations which turned off the carrier for mono
programming, and he complained about the majority of stations which
needlessly left it on all the time.

Glenn Hauser, another one living in the past. I can't think of one NPR
station that shut off it's stereo pilot for mono/talk programs

"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is
a
seperate story.)

What does "fidelity capability" mean?

For one thing, it means stereo.

That's not clear, but I'm assuming you mean better stereo rather than
stereo
capability.

AM HD is stereo.

AM had stereo first, way back in the past. It was so good, the FCC approved
first one, then FOUR different methods for stereo modulation. Holy cats!
The FCC actually thought there might be enough consumer demand to support
four different AM stereo plans. The broadcasters and manufacturers all
jumped in, as well. Everyone loves stereo, right?

Problem was, people didn't like stereo enough to buy another radio. And
it's not as if the radios were real expensive. They wouldn't buy four AM
stereo standards. They wouldn't buy even one.

Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

There might be a lesson there for HD radio. Give it away and maybe people
will listen. But I really doubt ibiquity will give up licensing fees on
their patents and copyrights.


The people who could have expected most NPR stations to end up on FM
were
at
the FCC.

But the people who have made it sucessful were listeners on their
radios.

True. And there are also AM NPR stations who have shared in NPR's
success.

AM stations with NPR programming are marginally sucessful, if at all.

Yet the AM NPR-istas trudge on, day in, day out, relentlessly, against all
hope. At least, if the NPR AM operations fold, they are perfectly qualified
to become IBOC shills!



And I know our local NPR station was broadcasting mostly mono into
the
90s.
I believe it was NPR network policy to broadcast with the stereo
pilot
off
unless the program was in stereo.

I know some did that in the 70's...I have nvever heard of a station
doing
so
after that.

Around 1990 or so, I heard a "World of Radio" episode in which Glenn
Hauser
complimented the FM NPR stations which turned off the carrier for mono
programming, and he complained about the majority of stations which
needlessly left it on all the time.

Glenn Hauser, another one living in the past. I can't think of one NPR
station that shut off it's stereo pilot for mono/talk programs




Ah, living in the past. I can imagine in the future in which the endless
topic of discussion will be the "if only"s. If only the people stuck with a
mass media fractionalized into 100 pieces, rather than go with
individualized media. If only the advertisers didn't wise up to the fact
that the vast majority of mass media spending misses the target. If only
the magic modulation had come 10 years earlier, it would have kept that
internet thing from breaking up the party.

Lucky for Glenn, if he ever does start living in the past, he can look back
at a lifetime as an accomplished DXer and radio broadcaster.

Frank Dresser

AM HD is stereo.

AM had stereo first, way back in the past. It was so good, the FCC
approved
first one, then FOUR different methods for stereo modulation. Holy cats!
The FCC actually thought there might be enough consumer demand to support
four different AM stereo plans. The broadcasters and manufacturers all
jumped in, as well.

Broadcaster's weren't "on board" with the marketplace aspect of picking a
standard.

The "let the marketplace decide the stereo standard" was one mistake that
the FCC didn't make with HD. They named a standard, and all the brodcasters
are on board with the same standard.

With no standard chosen, there was no impetus for the public to buy one
standard over another, nor impetus for manufacturers to start making one
standard over another....in any real sense.

Problem was, people didn't like stereo enough to buy another radio. And
it's not as if the radios were real expensive. They wouldn't buy four AM
stereo standards. They wouldn't buy even one.

They WOULD buy one...IF they knew *which* of the four was the one to buy!
So they waited....and did nothing.

Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo
didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

That's what will happen with HD. Until it starts being included in the next
radio people will purchase, or in the next car they buy.

There might be a lesson there for HD radio. Give it away and maybe people
will listen. But I really doubt ibiquity will give up licensing fees on
their patents and copyrights.

Well, Volvo is making all their 2009's include HD as standard equipment.

Other manufacturers are including it as an option, and I'm sure some people
will buy their cars off the lot with it included without them having to
chose it specifically.

Lucky for Glenn, if he ever does start living in the past, he can look
back
at a lifetime as an accomplished DXer and radio broadcaster.

I'm sure his kids will be impressed.

"A Browne" wrote in message
...
Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo
didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

That's what will happen with HD. Until it starts being included in the
next radio people will purchase, or in the next car they buy.

That $50 licensing fee for each chipset will keep a lot of people from EVER
buying an IBOC receiver. The average radio sells for less than $50 now. And
only the most rabid of the early adopters will be willing to add $50 to the
cost of a radio.

"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"A Browne" wrote in message
...
Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo
didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

That's what will happen with HD. Until it starts being included in the
next radio people will purchase, or in the next car they buy.

That $50 licensing fee for each chipset will keep a lot of people from
EVER buying an IBOC receiver. The average radio sells for less than $50
now. And only the most rabid of the early adopters will be willing to add
$50 to the cost of a radio.

The fee is not $50, and your statement is absurd since many receivers have
been sold in the $50 to $100 price range, something that could not be done
were the fee that high.

Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo
didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

That's what will happen with HD. Until it starts being included in the
next radio people will purchase, or in the next car they buy.

That $50 licensing fee for each chipset will keep a lot of people from
EVER buying an IBOC receiver.

They will get them included in a car radio they will buy in the near future.
They won't have to decide to buy one.

"A Browne" wrote in message
...


AM HD is stereo.

AM had stereo first, way back in the past. It was so good, the FCC
approved
first one, then FOUR different methods for stereo modulation. Holy
cats!
The FCC actually thought there might be enough consumer demand to
support
four different AM stereo plans. The broadcasters and manufacturers all
jumped in, as well.

Broadcaster's weren't "on board" with the marketplace aspect of picking a
standard.

Yet there were different AM stereo standards being broadcast. If the
broadcasters believed that one system was superior to the others, than that
would have decided the issue for the FCC.


The "let the marketplace decide the stereo standard" was one mistake that
the FCC didn't make with HD. They named a standard, and all the
brodcasters
are on board with the same standard.

HD is ibiquity's copyrighted term. If we consider HD to mean IBOC, Kahn's
CAM-D system is supposed to be on the air right now.

http://www.kdylam.com/camd.htm

Don't ask me where to buy a CAM-D receiver, though. I'm sure they are even
less popular than HD receivers.


With no standard chosen, there was no impetus for the public to buy one
standard over another, nor impetus for manufacturers to start making one
standard over another....in any real sense.

The impetus would have been the desirability to upgrade to stereo. A person
would buy a radio to match the system broadcast by a favorite station or
stations.

Somebody with different favorites would have to buy different radios or a
multimode radio.

Such are the sacrifices we make for the things we really like.


Problem was, people didn't like stereo enough to buy another radio. And
it's not as if the radios were real expensive. They wouldn't buy four
AM
stereo standards. They wouldn't buy even one.

They WOULD buy one...IF they knew *which* of the four was the one to buy!
So they waited....and did nothing.

Didn't the stations say which AM stereo system they were using? Didn't they
tell people where to get radios? Didn't stores know which radios to sell?

There was some stupidity in this, but not that much.


Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo
didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

That's what will happen with HD. Until it starts being included in the
next
radio people will purchase, or in the next car they buy.

Right. Do you think the C-Quam car radio thing had anything to do with
Motorola?


There might be a lesson there for HD radio. Give it away and maybe
people
will listen. But I really doubt ibiquity will give up licensing fees on
their patents and copyrights.

Well, Volvo is making all their 2009's include HD as standard equipment.

If ibiqity is smart, they'll try to get HD radios in Fords and Chevys and
Toyotas.

If the really want to sell radios, they will go for the $15.00 clock radio
market.


Other manufacturers are including it as an option, and I'm sure some
people
will buy their cars off the lot with it included without them having to
chose it specifically.

Lucky for Glenn, if he ever does start living in the past, he can look
back
at a lifetime as an accomplished DXer and radio broadcaster.

I'm sure his kids will be impressed.


I'm sure they are.

Frank Dresser

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...
With no standard chosen, there was no impetus for the public to buy one
standard over another, nor impetus for manufacturers to start making one
standard over another....in any real sense.

The impetus would have been the desirability to upgrade to stereo. A
person
would buy a radio to match the system broadcast by a favorite station or
stations.

Somebody with different favorites would have to buy different radios or a
multimode radio.

Such are the sacrifices we make for the things we really like.


All anyone had to do was buy a Sony radio.. they received all the systems,
and had damn fine sound.