November 28, 2006
Pioneer Press Puts HD Radio on Front Page
As receivers appear, so, too, does coverage in local newspapers: The St. Paul newspaper writes about what's available in the local market and looks briefly at receivers. Local stations are using multicasting to gain new listeners. I expect, as this Pioneer Press reporter does, that HD Radio will make people interested once again in listening to whatever comes across a radio instead of what feels to me sometimes like the obligation to handle my own programming on an iPod.
There's more in reporter Julio Ojeda-Zapata's blog about the four receivers that he tested and his reactions to their features.
Welcome to a Brand New Sound
Welcome, new readers: If you've just heard about this blog, welcome to coverage of the best radio you've never heard. HD Radio, digital AM and FM, is likely to cause big changes in the broadcasting world. It's not yet clear, of course, whether it will be a great success or an also-ran, but it's now inevitable with receivers finally hitting the market that can tune in the higher quality sound. Over 1,000 stations, mostly FM, now push out HD Radio signals alongside their normal analog transmissions, and in 2007, millions of listeners will finally tune in--and that number of stations will likely double.
In my market, Seattle-Tacoma, 20 stations now offer digital programming. The same is true in most major urban markets. Next year, we'll see smaller markets, most likely college tunes, go digital as well (some already are) as competition will increase among stations.
If you're trying to get started with HD Radio, my top pick for a starter radio is the Radio Shack Accurian. At $200 and a $25 rebate until mid-January, it's the cheapest radio and has terrific quality. If you need more features than the Accurian offers, such as a clock alarm or even DVD playback, the options abound, and I'll be writing more about those receivers soon.
November 23, 2006
$100 HD Radio over Weekend
Radio Shack is having a huge Thanksgiving weekend sale, halving the price of its new HD Radio: The Accurian Tabletop HD Radio, normally $200, will be just $125 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, whether purchased online or in stores that stock the unit. There's a $25 rebate that should still apply, too, bringing the price down to $100!
Update: I just went over to the local mall where parking was scarce, but all but department stores empty, and bought the last Accurian at Radio Shack.
November 22, 2006
Cambridge SoundWorks Takes Pre-Orders on 820HD
The stereo/clock radio with digital AM/FM from Cambridge SoundWorks is nearly out the door: The company will charge $300 for its all-in-one unit, putting above the cost of the Radio Shack Accurian ($200, but no clock radio features, just a clock), and at the same price as the Boston Acoustics Receptor Radio HD. The radio qualifies for a $50 mail-in rebate from iBiquity if purchased by Jan. 14, 2007. (Boston Acoustics buyers get $50 off, too, and Radio Shack Accurian acquirers, $25.)
The 820HD has two alarms, a clock display and a snooze bar; and it offers a mini-jack auxiliary input for playthrough as well as a standard jack for headphones.
The unit comes with an integral telescoping FM antenna--like the Sangean and Radiosophy receivers--but from the illustration, it's clear an external 75-ohm FM antenna can be attached as well. (Sangean's telescoping antenna unscrews; Radiosophy has a separate set of terminal to attach a 75-ohm adapter.) The radio comes in black and white--Onyx and Arctic White, rather. The firm expects to ship shortly.
November 20, 2006
Radio Shack Officially Launches Accurian HD Radio
While the radio was on sale in stores, according to reports I received, and on their Web site, Radio Shack now offers a press release to make it official: The company says the Accurian HD Radio (model 12-1686, but sometimes called the Accurian Tabletop HD Radio) is on sale at 2,400 Radio Shack stores. The company told me that they are selling the radios primarily in markets that have HD Radio broadcasts, which only makes sense. The chain operates about 6,000 stores in total. The radio lists at $200 and a $25 mail-in rebate from iBiquity (good on radios bought by Jan. 17) takes it down to $175.
WAMU-FM Adds Two Multicast Channels
American University Radio's WAMU 88.5 offers adult album alternative (AAA) on HD2, and bluegrass country on HD3: The HD2 broadcast is actually pulled from WTMD, a Maryland radio station. This kind of cross-station collaboration is obviously going to make it easier for independent and public stations to have more of a mix of multicast programming without the early expense of additional programming staff and on-air talent.
KVOD-FM Adds HD2
The Colorado classical station puts news on HD2: KVOD-FM runs classical music 24 hours a day across the state on FM on several frequencies, as well as streaming via their Web site. They also offer both AM and FM news broadcasts on a sister station, KCFR. KCFR's main broadcast will now be the HD2 multicast offering on all of KVOD's transmissions.
November 9, 2006
HD Radios Start to Move Out
The tabletops are on the market, at last: Radio Shack started selling its Accurian Tabletop HD Radio in as many as 2,500 of its 5,000 stores either last week or this week for $200; it's eligible for a $25 mail-in rebate. Circuit City is now carrying HD Radio receivers in its stores, too. For a review for a print publication, I have four HD Radio tabletops in my office now with a fifth expected. Two more should be in channels later this month. More automotive HD Radio is coming as well, and JVC has dropped its in-dash HD Radio receiver to $200 and it's eligible for a $50 rebate.
November 4, 2006
Brazil Expands HD Radio Interest
HD Radio a US built and deployed technology, but Brazil and the rest of South America may wind up being significant components of the mix: Brazil allows HD Radio's IBOC (in-band, on-channel) digital broadcasts, and the country is ramping up for more service. Just 16 stations broadcast HD Radio signals, but they serve 30 million listeners. A Brazilian broadcaster group has formed a local digital alliance to extend interest. While the press release includes a list of countries "deploying or testing HD Radio technology," I heard this week that Argentina is a likely future adopter as well. Having two massive South American countries add this option could do wonders for volume production of radios. Adoption will be limited in both countries until radio costs go way down as there's already an income disparity between the US and those nations, making an exported $200 radio cost far more in buying power.
November 1, 2006
More Regulatory Problems for Satellite Radio
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and National Public Radio lodge complaints against XM, Sirius: NAB alleges that many of the terrestrial repeaters used by XM and Sirius are out of compliance with FCC rules. The dirty little secret of satellite digital radio--we'll get to HD Radio's secrets in the future, of course--is that hundreds upon hundreds of ground stations rebroadcast the satellite signals in urban areas where reception would otherwise not exist. "Satellite" is really "satellite in the wide open spaces with lots of terrestrial stations." NAB alleges that 21% of XM's terrestrial stations are out of compliance. XM says they're working to fix problems, which don't interfere with terrestrial radio stations.
NPR's complaint, by contrast, is about interference from low-wattage FM modulators that allow you to listen to audio via unused or less-used FM frequencies. These devices have long been used to retrofit car audio receivers that have no inputs; it's a frequent way to bridge iPods to an automotive stereo system. NPR says based on their testing that some FM modulators exceed allowable limits by 20,000% (200 times the limit). The FCC previously halted shipments of some XM and Sirius gear for just these problems.
Now neither of these situations per se benefits HD Radio, but if satellite broadcasters are forced to make changes that make their service harder to receive and harder to integrate with existing equipment, it makes it less likely people will pay the monthly service fees to receive satellite programming--which could drive more listeners to try HD Radio as the receivers start to roll out.