[BC] RAIN report: HD Radio s Creative Thinking

[DANA PUOPOLO]

Okay, let me get this straight..

IBOC-FM has 96K of data available. Period.

Have any of you listened to a 128K MP3? it's BARELY decent quality compared to
CD's. Or how about a 64K Windows Media Stream? Barely FM analog quality if you
ask me - and I used to run a bunch of 64K WM streams when I was engineer for
www.worldclassrock.com.

NOW..we're going to take that 96K data stream (which with ONE stereo channel
has somewhere between FM and bad CD quality) and run TWO OR MORE stereo audio
streams with it? That doesn't make sense...

Why? because it you run only TWO (stereo) streams, the bit rates will be 
96/2 = 48 Kbits. That's WORSE QUALITY then analog FM!!

What's the purpose of IBAC if the quality you end up with is LESS then the
analog FM quality you started with?

If I were a customer who paid a premium of hundreds of dollars for an IBAC
radio that sounded worse then a cheaper analog one, I'd be PISSED!

That radio would be going back to the dealer pronto - and if that begins to
happen, IBAC will quickly be dead in the water.

Why do radio people have to be so greedy? Why do we always want MORE?
Why is the biggest selling point of IBAC that it allows more radio stations?
For chrissakes, most companies can't program the main channel well! Why not
get THAT one right before running to start another one?

If we're going to have FM IBAC - and all the trashing of (its) neighbor
stations, then why not at least give the listener better audio quality, as
opposed to more streams with inferior quality?

But then again, i'm just a lowly engineer - what the Hell do I know?

-D


------ Original Message ------
Received: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 02:05:25 PM PDT
From: "Michael Bergman" <mbergman42 at comcast.net>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: [BC] RAIN report: HD Radio s Creative Thinking

Rich,

I'm running out of time to keep addressing these issues.  In short-there's
no reason to assume HD2 channels are dead in the water, as you say, since
Arbitron has already met with broadcasters and assured the NRSC that this is
not a problem.  You can do your own research to understand their thinking.

Infinity is launching HD2 channels, as are others at a rate of several per
week since July.  You can make dire predictions about the demise of AM, the
end of FM, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria, but the industry is
moving forward anyway.  

I'd like to spend less time debating the end of radio as we know it due to
IBOC, and more time talking about the future of radio.  People have posted
complaints on this list about not being consulted on key issues.  

So much time is being spent on IBOC pros and cons--and clever, witty ways to
insult the people and companies that put time and energy into digital
radio--that there's little left for discussions on surround sound, data
casting, broadcast program guides...


Mike Bergman



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