[BC] IBOC "secrets" and my opinions.

[WFIFeng@aol.com]

In a message dated 03/25/2007 4:21:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
padrino at telos-systems.com writes:

> Sadly, I'm disapponted in our fraternity of engineers who choose not to
>  rally around new tech. If it has warts, then let's band together and make
>  the lemonade. Color TV had issues when it rolled out, but those 'in the
>  know' made it work. Had the internet existed when Color TV debuted, it
>  would have been skinned-at-the-stake.

Hello, Frank. I admire and highly respect you and your work with audio 
processing! I think we have some disagreement over "IBUZ", tho. ;)

Even if, "to-a-man" every single Engineer in the entire NA Continent were to 
rally together, singing kum-ba-ya around some great campfire, praising this 
system and laboring fast and furious to "make it right"... there's those pesky 
Laws of Physics, again. This emporer ain't got no clothes. If lack of consumer 
interest and response is mostly to blame for the death of AM Stereo, then what 
chance does this monstrocity have?

I like Rich Wood's description of the FM system, "Seedy Quality". We are used 
to data-reduced audio, true, but how many of those in this Forum absolutely 
balk at the sound of 128Kbps audio? Despite an improved algorythm, I still 
can't imagine how 96Kbps can even "touch" the audio quality of 1,411Kbps raw 
audio... true "CD Quality". The AM system's 20-something Kbps doesn't even come
 
close to "FM Quality".

Powell pointed out the promises that were made... and not kept, which now are 
not even mentioned anymore.  "No interference on AM." It's downright 
*laughable*. We're back to those pesky Laws of Physics, again. Promises, indeed
.

Then we have the issue of approx. 800,000,000 receivers that need to be 
replaced. AM Stereo didn't mandate that you throw existing radios into the tras
h. 
FM Stereo didn't, either. Color TV didn't mandate the discarding of B&W 
receivers. Color was such a dramatic improvement over B&W, consumers saw genuin
e value 
in the upgrade. Same with HDTV, there is enough improvement that it is seeing 
success. They're still going to make converter boxes, and even subsidize them, 
for those who don't want (or can't) afford the new HDTV receivers. (Which they 
even have *battery portables* for, now!)

The business model of IBUZ reminds me too much of VHS vs Sony's Betamax. The 
Beta system was superior. The tapes were smaller, and they recorded/played 
longer. Sony held the whole thing, lock-stock-and-barrel, refusing to license 
their technology to other manufacturers. The VHS system, OTOH, was licensed to 
*numerous* manufacturers. The prices dropped dramatically, and the inferior 
system swept the market. Beta was essentially dead, it was just clinging to lif
e 
until the very bitter end. What was the difference? A few percent in price at 
first, then the difference became greater. Consumers voted with their wallets, 
bigtime. Superior quality meant squat, they wanted the lower prices. (Witness: 
WalMart- despite controversy, their fractionally-lower prices draw consumers 
like magnets!) Ibiquity has this thing totally locked-up and grossly 
over-priced. I don't think the consumers are going to buy it. Literally.

Here we have a system that has absolutely no battery-portables, (and evasive 
or total NON-answers from the company regarding such), *much* more expensive 
radios, no compatibility with existing radios, and causes significant 
interference to others on the dial... and we're supposed to be enthusiastic? AM
 Stereo 
and Beta failed for far lesser reasons than these! Consumers are going to vote 
with their wallets, just like they've been doing all along.

Now, we also throw into the mix the up-and-coming WiFi systems, 
cell-phone-based systems, and iPods. They're growing at a phenominal rate. They
're 
relatively inexpensive and they are available in quite a few places, and growin
g 
rapidly. IBUZ is too little, too late to even have a chance of competing.

Willie...






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