Galaxy NationExplore the other side of the universe. Discuss AM/FM, XM, DISH, DirecTV, HD Radio, and all mp3 players. Here you can also discuss the ins and outs of tomorrow's radio technology...where music and satellites collide. Who said it's not rocket science?!?
HD Radio technology adds "side bands" to existing AM and FM radio frequencies. The side bands carry additional signals that enable conventional AM radios to produce "FM-type" sound, and enable FM radios to produce "CD-type" sound, iBiquity said.
Its still going to be commercial radio, but it will be one less selling point for satellite if you can get better quality from your AM/FM dial. I hate the term "cd-quality" and "CD-type" sound(lol Ibiquity, i havent heard that one yet). every music format in the past 5 years has been touted as "cd-quality".
iBiquity is a spin off of Lucent.. Sirius uses Lucent's PAC codec, which is nearly the EXACT same codec that IBOC was slated to use!
Right now, they've decided PAC wasn't good enough and started talking about AAC. So, we'll see what they finally decide on.. If and when IBOC ever gets to be mainstream.
As for cd-quality commercial radio, high quality crap is still crap. 18 minutes of commercials per hour is still 18 minutes of commercials per hour.
And many of the commercial stations simply can't afford to convert, so even more commercials? Some one is going to have to pay for it.
So what will digital commercial radio be like? No jazz, no classical, no old country, no new country in many parts of the country, no r & b, no rap (it all depends on where you are), nothing but religion some places, nothing risque or way too much in the morning that is (depends again where you are), no BBC, no news, no choice. Digital isn't going to fix this.
No reception 50 miles down the road.
Can't pick up WSM in Wisconsin during the day.
The bad news is that this digital radio is going to require new receivers, and most people aren't going to upgrade but once. Better get the satellite subs going NOW. It will be much harder for XM and Sirius to get converts later on...
The dealerships and car companies are instrumental. People who have XM or Sirius in their cars are going to want it other places, too.
Signal Fades and commercials are two reasons I didn't listen to FM. Now why would I want to listen to Digital broadcasts that suffer from the exact same limitations? Sat radio is going to thrive even with digital broadcasts.
The new Digital AM/FM is also supposed to have Text Display. But it's still going to be the crappy programming, with the crappy commercials. With the same 100 or so songs 24/7 with crappy DJ's talking over music and then playing ads. But it will sound good.
Or pay $12.95 a month and be away from commercials and have channels where they can curse and talk about anything. Like OutQ I've heard them talking about taking a shit reading the tabloids and then going to look at porn. Bleep free radio is best.
Also the structure is here for Satellite Radio they are already setup and going right now. Every station in America is going to have to spend $$$ to upgrade. Another reason Digital TV isn't everywhere yet people don't want to upgrade.
I still have a 486 crunching away doesn't mean it's going to do everything at one time it was good enough. But I couldn't install Windows XP and type a Word Document on it now. Sirius is the way to be for me.
Am I correct to say that digital quality is well and good, but unless you are listening to it through a good stereo system, it will still sound like AM/FM. And I agree with the above posters -- the greatest sounding channels are still garbage if you are listening to 20 minutes of music and hour and 40 minutes of yacking, weather, contests, commercials, etc, etc, etc.
In its current form, I see digital radio as a failure waiting to happen. It will go the way of AM stereo. Except, this time, the radio industry will feel compelled to respond to Satellite, and will in part, buy into the idea that being digital will somehow be better. In fact, digital will not necessarily sound better than analog FM. An FM station with a well thought-out and designed audio chain will beat digital any day - and still beats any Satellite stream hands down.
But listeners are voting with their wallets. They will pay for a variety of commercial free programming - even at less than perfect sound.
They will not feel compelled to go buy a new receiver and listen to the same unimaginative programming brimming with 23 minutes of commercials/traffic/sports/promos...
For some good inside views on digital radio go to Radio World magazine's website at www.rwonline.com.
Commercial radio has 3-5 years before it "hits the fan" and some radically new digital proposals come to save the day. Imagine what just one commercial FM station could do with its 200khz of spectrum?
CD-quality AM/FM Radio in 2004
Linear Mode
