HD Radio

This is the place for any magazine-related discussions that don't fit in any of the column discussion boards below.
Post Reply
User avatar
MicroRem
Posts: 208
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2001 1:01 am
Location: Vancouver, WA USA
Contact:
Contact MicroRem

HD Radio

Post by MicroRem »

I hear a lot of commercials touting the new HD radio as a free service. I also see receivers at around $300. My semi logical mind says there must be a cheaper way to recieve this free service, and i would think there would be no legal problems? Any ideas?


Regards

Tom
Top
User avatar
jollyrgr
Posts: 1289
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact:
Contact jollyrgr

Post by jollyrgr »

Depends on the service. Many of the IBOC (In Band On Channel) stations are using the iBiquity system which is proprietary. If you try and copy their system, expect to have them drop on you and beat you silly with the DMCA (corrected). IBOC is what you think it is; a way of adding a digital signal on the AM band along with the main carrier audio. As far as I'm concerned this only causes more noise. How do you expect to keep the main channel audio and two or three other programs in the same space without causing problems? Can't happen. While the programming is free it is still what you hear now on the radio. What bothers me is the content is "locked" in a proprietary digital format with this system. No more experiments, no more crystal radios.
No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. But billions of electrons, photons, and electromagnetic waves were terribly inconvenienced!
Top
User avatar
MicroRem
Posts: 208
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2001 1:01 am
Location: Vancouver, WA USA
Contact:
Contact MicroRem

Post by MicroRem »

gee, I was hoping the power of decent PC could descramble this stuff in real time. I suppose using proprietary CODECs makes sure "free radio" will cost us all a bundle. Sounds like a lot of companies stand to make a ton of money when the changeover goes to high gear. Same with the new TV's I suppose.

Tom
Top
VIRAND
Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:01 am
Location: New York
Contact:
Contact VIRAND

Post by VIRAND »

It's still legal to "fix" your free AM/FM radios.
You can even still buy mod-kits to get the old analog IBOC channels called "SCA-FM".
But I can see that the new signal is not quite as "fun" to tinker with.
Top
User avatar
jollyrgr
Posts: 1289
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact:
Contact jollyrgr

Post by jollyrgr »

VIRAND wrote:It's still legal to "fix" your free AM/FM radios.
You can even still buy mod-kits to get the old analog IBOC channels called "SCA-FM".
But I can see that the new signal is not quite as "fun" to tinker with.
The SCA FM question can be debated. Some stations charge subscriptions for these services. While not scrambled, they don't want just anyone to listen to the signals.


To get an idea about the HD modules, they DO have them but I have not found a way to buy them in single quantities. See this web site for examples: http://www.deltron-components.de/online ... _1225.html
No trees were harmed in the creation of this message. But billions of electrons, photons, and electromagnetic waves were terribly inconvenienced!
Top
Post Reply

Return to “General Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 37 guests