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

[Robert Orban]

At 09:00 PM 10/20/2005, you wrote:
>From: WFIFeng at aol.com
>Subject: Re: [BC] HD Radio -- Folks we have to get it right!
>To: broadcast at radiolists.net
>Message-ID: <1de.4643f103.30899b94 at aol.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
>In a message dated 10/20/2005 5:44:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>rorban at earthlink.net writes:
>
> > The only assumption on the digital side was that
> >  the BER was low enough to present the digital signal error-free to the
> >  receiver codec.
>
>I think this was the point of Bill Sepmeier's post... When, in the "real
>world", is a signal on the MW band *ever* going to be received without any
>interference, outside the 500mv/m contour of the station? You mentioned 
>that the
>comparison was made against a "perfect" AM signal, then listed a number of 
>common
>RFI generators as being absent for the test. (Lab conditions, basically.)
>
>In the "real world", those noise sources abound. Thus, the only place you're
>going to see that error-free digital signal, is either parked right next to
>the station's antenna (array) or in a lab.
>
>Bill can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's what he was driving at.
>(Bad pun, sorry.) <G>

If those noise sources were present, they would make the analog AM 
reception seem worse compared to the digital unless the digital was at the 
point of failure due to low signal strength and/or serious interference. 
One of the MAJOR advantages digital reception of HD AM is a much lower 
noise floor than analog AM right up until the point of failure of digital 
reception. Tom Ray reports that WOR's digital signal is quite robust; as I 
don't have an HD receiver in my car yet, I am going to take him at his word.

At this point, I am going to bow out of this thread. I've made my points 
and I really don't want to get involved in another endless, circular 
argument. This thread is beginning to remind of the USENET group 
rec.audio.high-end, where nothing seems to get discussed except sighted vs. 
double-blind listening tests. You can leave the group, come back a year 
later, and nothing will have changed. The same regulars are still arguing 
the same points about the same things. The movie just keeps repeating in an 
endless loop.

Bob Orban