[BC] IBOC hardware suggestion

[Michael Bergman]

Phil,

> Why not build the car and home radios with one (or more) plug-in slots?
> The consumer can purchase which module they want for their receiver. XM,
> Sirius, IBOC, iPod, whatever format adapter, can be built by the
> receiver manufacturer and third parties. Front panel access, automatic
> detection, auto change of display. 

This idea comes up frequently.  For higher-end radios, it is certainly a
possibility--think XM's Connect And Play system, which is becoming quite
popular.  That is a relatively small cost to the hardware maker, since the
"antenna" has a full receiver (RF, baseband, decoder).  The hardware maker
adds an ASIC from XM, under $1, and a connector, also under $1.

Could IBOC be done this way?  Yes and no.  At the mid- to high-end, you
could make a case for it.  At the low end, no, it's not cost effective.  A
$149 radio doesn't have room for $1 of cost unless the feature is really
compelling (if that's not clear, I could post something longer on the
margins of the hardware industry).  "Compelling" means "people want it", not
"manufacturers and/or broadcasters want it", of course--the market rules.  

There are other issues, such as the nature of the connection, who does the
install, reliability in a mobile environment or suitability for the
fit&finish of a home product.

> While we're at it, each IBOC stream
> should allow for the station to format it's street slogan for the
> receiver display.

This is already in the works.  Broadcasters requested this last year when
multicasting was getting close to launch.  It can be done in a backwards
compatible way, so newer radios and exciters will support this in the future
(sorry, don't have the due date yet).

Mike Bergman