On 1/13/2012 8:58 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

Methinks content is everything with one big catch. Polluted content
is a big problem. Having the correct content will attract listeners.
Interleaving the content with advertising, irritating announcers, and
worthless PSA's, will drive them away. I've noticed that I tend to
always change stations in the middle of commercials and announcements
and rarely in the middle of a song or tune. I'm sure there's a study
somewhere on WHEN listeners change stations, but I can't find it.

You're right, and ironically, at least for now, the HD sub-channels do a
wonderful job of solving that problem. There are sufficiently few HD
receivers that the stations can't or don't sell advertising on the
sub-channels.

Another problem is convenience. I've only played with HD Radio in the
stores and in a friends vehicle. I forgot the exact ordeal process
required but one thing stood out. It was not possible to tune or scan
across the band, catching all the regular FM and HD stations in
sequence. You had to tune to the regular FM channel, and then switch
to HD1 or HD2. As long as HD1 and HD2 are the poor step child of the
regular FM station on the dial, people are not going to listen.

I can't speak for all receivers, but the ones I have don't work that
way. When you scan, it scans in sequence by frequency and then by
sub-channel. And of course you can preset and HD2 channel which is what
I do, and what I suspect most people do on car radios, whether it's an
analog or a digital channel.

Incidentally, it was really irritating to listen to HD1 while moving.
Every time the error rate climbed to an unacceptable level, it would
switch to the regular FM audio. No provisions for locking it on HD1
or switching to dead air. I forgot the maker and model, but I can ask
the owner if necessary. I will admit that when the signal was strong
enough, HD1 sounded quite good.

You're also right about reception. At 1% power, reception is poor
outside urban areas. That will be solved with power increases. Many head
units do allow you to go to analog only mode.

Installing an HD Radio is also not a trivial exercise.

On older vehicles, which have a standard single DIN or double DIN
opening, it's quite easy to change the head unit. You buy the harness
that matches your vehicle and attach it to the wires from the head unit,
and it all plugs right in. In most vehicles it's very straightforward.
On newer vehicles where the audio system is non-standard, you're right,
adding HD is more of a pain. You can usually find an adapter that plugs
in to a port on the back of the unit intended for a satellite tuner.

But the bottom line is that most people are not going to change their
vehicle's head unit unless it fails. The big increase in digital
receivers is coming from new cars where they are standard or optional
equipment from the factory.