[BC] Creating the right sound on HD

[Jim Tonne]

James:

Your comment

> A little more can be "hidden" in the price of a car radio but Detroit 
> needs
> motivation to push HD.
> They don't have it now.

hit the nail on the head from my viewpoint.
And there are other car radio people too.  But each one is extremely
cost-sensitive.

I had a brief exchange with a fellow at Ibiquity, asking him questions
about what the cost of a manufacturing license was (was basically
told to go to Hell), what the cost of a receiving license was (was
basically told to go to Hell), when the power of the processor
would be reduced (and was told a 100 mW version should be
released for evaluation in the coming months, but meanwhile go to
Hell).  Being a gentleman, I removed his name from my address
book and degaussed my brain for all instances of "Ibiquity."

But his remark about 100 mW made be stop and think that all of a
sudden we have an explanation about why battery-operated radios
are not available.  How much power does an IBOC radio take?
5 watts?  If so then little wonder it won't run from a 9 volt battery!

I am under the impression that unlike GE, which had a rational plan,
Ibiquity operates under two dubious principles.  One is greed.  (And
I will not be receptive to comments about the cost of system
development.  That is a business issue and should have been thought
out better and earlier.)  The other principle is that they seem to be
operating under the cover of the FCC and Congress, neither of which
seem to think outside of  the "Big Business Is Best" box.  They seem
to think that IBOC is the way to go, technically sound or not,
financially rational or not.

- JimT