High Definition Radio

[mel]

Radio station firms such as Clear Channel are clammering in a race to bring high definition radio (HD Radio) to the masses. HD Radio is broadcast radio's latest effort to compete with the growing popularity of satellite radio (currently unavailable in Hawaii). Which broadcast format will prevail?

Yesterday several major broadcast firms formed a new coalition to allow them to market new digital radio sevices.

Broadcast Giants Join Forces on HD Radio

A group of major broadcast radio networks said Tuesday that they created a coalition that will allow them to jointly market new digital radio services.

The networks also said they will collaborate closely as they divide up programming formats.

The big radio companies are the midst of a technology transformation--similar to what's happening in the television industry with HDTV--as they begin to broadcast in a new format called HD Radio. The new, high-definition format allows static-free signals on both AM and FM bands, and also allows multiple audio streams to fit into the same slice of airwave spectrum used for a single station today.

Anyone care to speculate when HD Radio will be available in Hawaii? Or is it available already and I'm not aware of it? If not, will HD Radio arrive in Hawaii before Satellite radio?

I'd be inerested if HD radio receivers are reasonably priced and the services stick to the current free over the air, ad-supported broadcast model.

[adrian]

Re: High Definition Radio

So, does this mean that we need to upgrade our radios anytime soon?

[Pomai]

Re: High Definition Radio

According to iBiquity, they are the sole developers of HD radio technology.
http://www.ibiquity.com/hdradio/whatishdradio.htm

Lots of great info' at that site.

FREE for consumers sounds good. Cable TV, broadband and cellphone services are as far as I'm going to pay for telecommunications.

I checked out Crutchfield's website, and they had a few HD car tuners available that ranged from $300 and up.

Wouldn't be surprised if Apple grabs the ball first by mass-marketing HD tuners on their iPod products.

[Kimo Akane]

Re: High Definition Radio

The big radio companies have all fast tracked the HD technology.

For some radio properties this will require a substantial investment because they need new transmitters, processing, STL's and studio equipment.

Right now there is a backlog on the HD exciters and the Cox engineers hope to have ours in January.

From what I'm told features of HD radio will be implemented in stages... initially stations will simulcast thier main channel, then create custom programming and then implement some form of surround sound.

We are all excited about the new arenas for creativity and competition that HD will make possible.

I do caution you not to expect the perfect radio station for you. As I read these posts it is obvious that everyone wants a personalized radio experience based on radio the way it was when they were most musically aware or the way it was when they worked at K??? or when they lived in city,state.

While HD will create new channels and new programming... radio in all it's current incarnations will remain a mass medium and subject to the boundries of the medium.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: High Definition Radio

How will HD radio affect marketing such as Arbitron?

[maximumradio]

Re: High Definition Radio

The FM HD system sounds awesome..and there an increasing number of secondary program channels coming on the air. The AM system on the other hand is far away from being usable. On the mainland some stations have ceased to use it because of splatter on both sides of a station transmitting with it and because on analog radios the 5khz audio sounds really bad unless listened to on a $10 clock radio. It is only authorized for daytime use currently while these problems are being worked out. Leonard Kahn has a system called CAM-D which is said to produce superb audio on all AM radios-His site <www.thewrathofkahn.org> has a more detailed explanation of the CAM-D system as well as some third party reviews/commentary on it.