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Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Topics of general interest that just don't fit anywhere else.
Marcus
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Location: Sarnia, Ontario

Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by Marcus » Mon May 09, 2022 2:04 pm

I'm looking at this from a business standpoint. Does it cost a great deal extra for manufacturers to add it to a radio. Why are there so many radio stations that are not interested in it.

For a listener in the Greater Toronto Area there is somewhere around 8 or 9 extra ethnic radio stations that are HD only and at least 7 of the AM radio stations are on HD-2's and HD-3's. In Detroit there is also extra HD only content and AM simulcasts.



Realist
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Location: Northern Michigan

Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by Realist » Thu May 12, 2022 11:25 am

I don’t think it has a chance due to the car manufacturers. While my 2014 GMC Sierra has HD radio, my 2017 Chevy Impala premier doesn’t as GM had discontinued it as an option



Marcus
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Location: Sarnia, Ontario

Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by Marcus » Thu May 12, 2022 1:17 pm

The tiny percentage of people with a HD Radio is the main problem. I also found that weak signals drop out too much.

Here one of the costs that broadcasters have to deal with.

https://www.nautel.com/content/user_fil ... s-2020.pdf

The limited selection of portables start at about $100 new. I'd have to say that marketing (or there lack of) is hurting HD Radio more so than the technology itself. Now if it were to become inexpensive and widespread like FM stereo became, that might be a different story.



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Plate Cap
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Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by Plate Cap » Sun May 15, 2022 11:29 am

HD1 is a wonderful product; done right it really enhances the audio. HD2-3-whatever is also great idea....the variety of programming can be great.....in Michigan, the Grand Rapids and Detroit markets have a lot of interesting content.

That said, Ibiquity has always done a horrible job of marketing it. It is done just as poorly as FMX was way back in the day....the proponents only want the licensing fee....they are not big on helping your success. Ask your neighbor or relative what HD radio is....they will likely think you are asking about Sirius / XM or CDs. Very poor consumer awareness.

They should have had "HD Radio Only" programming that would have drawn consumer awareness and interest.

Next is the additional music licensing costs, ongoing HD licensing cost, and that problem that your stations are really and truly competing with one another for the listener's ear.

Last is old-time broadcaster acceptance. Just like (in the day) the implementation of stereo, then RDS, small broadcasters don't understand / unreasonably dislike / don't give HD a chance. I have good friend with a fleet of rural stations who feels that way. He thought RDS was a 'newfangled, big-city thing' that would never fly, and now he embraces it. I don't think HD will be around long enough to turn him, though.

I hate to see it go, but it will. I'm super-aware of HD, and spent 77 days on Maui this spring. Never even thought to scan the band for HD stations. I guess that says it all, doesn't it? I was streaming from the phone to rental car before I left the airport, and occasionally enjoyed KONI-FM, but never thought to look for HD.


The box that many broadcasters won’t look outside of was made in 1969 and hasn’t changed significantly since.

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tc
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Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by tc » Wed May 18, 2022 1:54 pm

Marcus wrote:
Thu May 12, 2022 1:17 pm
The tiny percentage of people with a HD Radio is the main problem...
I've had one in my rack for about 5 years, I think I've only turned it on and messed around with it once.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jun 19, 2022 9:45 am

I agree with many of the thoughts in this thread.

I guess I've yet to discover the superb audio quality that Plate Cap, describes. Several of the HD1 stations here in Metro Detroit have artificially tinny sounding treble or other digital artifact issues. WRIF's HD1 has long sounded atrocious, with almost zero bass response and insufficient loudness.

WUOM-HD1 does have audio quality that sounds a bit better than the analog FM, and WOOD-FM in Muskegon has audio quality that sounds better in HD than in analog (the analog sounds perfectly fine in its own rite most of the time).

In most cases, the HD1 / HD2 / HD3 signals I've heard sound no better than analog FM , and in a number of cases, such stations have a sound that is very inferior to analog FM. Heck, there are a number of instances where I've come across HD FM signals that have much crappier sounding audio than Sirius XM.

Many owners devote minimal resources to HD2 or HD3 programming for obvious reasons, and in some instances, HD2 or HD3 signals have become an outpost for ultra niche programming.

Here in Metro Detroit, HD2 and HD3 streams often disappear without warning, too.

Bottom line - I'll stick with Sirius XM, thank you very much. :)

In the past couple years, I've had HD mode on my car radio disabled 90%+ of the time.



ChrisWL1980
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Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:36 pm

Very much doubt it. Many HD side channels exist only to feed analog translators these days (see: 94.7 HD2, 105.9 HD2).
I listen to 98.7 HD2 for smooth jazz and 100.3 HD2 for soft AC. Sometimes 104.3 HD2 and 3. That's about it. All the other side channels could disappear and I wouldn't miss them, and I doubt anyone else would either. The ones that aren't AM simulcasts are mostly redundant music formats that serve no purpose.
I really don't see the point of spoken-word stations running HD. WUOM's HD is not only pointless, it makes DXing neighboring frequencies impossible since I live so close to their tower.
Speaking of which, over the last couple of weeks I've noticed Channel 955 running an HD2 and HD3, which are both delayed simulcasts of the main signal. What would be the point of this? 105.1 The Bounce's HD seems to be off.



k8jd
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Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Does HD Radio still have a chance?

Post by k8jd » Tue Jun 28, 2022 1:24 pm

Seems odd that my 2011 Ford F150 has a GREAT HD radio , but when I bought a 2021 Buick , the saleperson said HD radio was not an option ! :shock:



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