[BC] HD Radio -- Folks we have to get it right!

[Cornelius Gould]

  The next batch of
> returns will be the constant quality difference switching from digital 
> to analog, especially on AM, especially in the near fringe of a signal. 

I don't see this as much of a problem for FM as the difference is 
extremely subtle in most people's ears.  I can pick it up like passing a 
dead skunk on the road, but the Joe six packs that have ridden with me 
in my car listening to my HD Radio set couldn't tell any difference at 
all.  This is where Multicast becomes a key player in the tech.

But if the normal "HD-1" is going to be so screwed up because of 
stations refusing to time-align, then HD-2 is in serious risk of not 
becoming a possibility as the OEM radio manufacturers would have said 
"enough is enough why are we wasting our money on this pain in the arse 
old tech?"

Nothing is bothering me more than seeing broadcasters whine about why 
the radios are not coming out...and when they do, many broadcasters
aren't even using the system right.  Makes us look like the Keystone Cops!

As for AM, none of the local AM's here are running HD, and the one time 
I got to work on one of our AM stations, I found that the blending thing 
happens less than on the FM.  But that's only ONE station.  I haven't 
experienced much beyond that one facility, so for all I know, my 
comments may be the exception to the rule...

I would have to agree that when the HD-AM receiver does roll back to 
analog it is very noticable.

>Unless 
> both modes have the same coverage the cars will come back. Trust me. I 
> come from a car dealer family. 

If the HD Radio transmission system is designed correctly, the HD Radio 
signal will blanket the area suprisingly well.  On my sticks, the HD 
signal doesn't start to break up until you are in areas where the analog 
signal gets somewhat irritating to listen to (due to multipath, etc.).

Where I do see really uneven (not favorable)FM-HD coverage is from folks 
doing space combining (separate antenna aparature for the HD component). 
  Boy is that a crap-shoot as to whether or not your HD signal coverage 
matches analog!

-Cornelius

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- Cornelius Gould
________________________________
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of
thinking we were at when we created them."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)