Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

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Ace Purple
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Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by Ace Purple »

I found this today looking online for information about the Insignia NS-HD01 and Insignia NS-HD02 radios from Best Buy. The video below is from July 2009, with a man in Cleveland narrating a look through the Cleveland FM/HD radio selection via an NS-HD01.

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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

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Wow, I should have made some popcorn and watched this instead of my usual Saturday night movie. 8O That guy may be the only one listening to HD in Cleveland! Malrite and the Buzzard are gone, and the HD-2 has the same album playing over and over. That guy must have said three or four times, "that station is supposed to have HD, but for some reason they don't." Ok folks, we need a few more dB of HD to solve this problem! The guys at NPR labs will figure this out. :twisted: I won't mention the calls, but a few months ago my partner had the HD off for 31 hours at a major Pittsburgh FM, and did not receive one single call about it. Well, actually the remote control called since system is combined, and the carrier status alarm went off. Right now the best option seems to be improving the analog side which is what people are actually listening to. The single-sideband, stereo- composite being studied by Frank Foti and the NRSC looks promising.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by Tom Taggart »

I can see some possible use for that in markets where there are short-spaced signals (classic example: WJFK). Otherwise, sounds like another solution seeking a problem.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

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Tom Taggart wrote:I can see some possible use for that in markets where there are short-spaced signals (classic example: WJFK). Otherwise, sounds like another solution seeking a problem.
Tom,

Take a minute to read Frank Foti's white paper on this. Basically, you would drop one 38kHz sideband (L-R) and double the amplitude of other to equal the (L+R). This, at least in theory, would be less prone to multipath type effects. No change is needed to existing receivers. Let us know what you think. http://omniaaudio.com/downloads/white-p ... -Paper.pdf
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by Tom Taggart »

That would definitely be an advantage, especially here in WV. Might also extend the effective stereo range in car radios, as the point where the car radio blends to mono is moved out.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

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I know that WKAZ's HD has been off for a few months.

The Wolf has high-end artifacts in their HD audio.

V-100's HD is as clean as anything I've ever heard in larger markets.

Nobody's doing song tagging, or broadcasting HD-2.

So there. There's a few of us who do pay attention.

Of course, at this point, I have to wonder how many people have HD in their cars and are not even aware that what they have is something "different"... But in markets where HD has been pushed hard, I cannot imagine anyone who at least has not at least heard of HD Radio.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

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Scratch that V100 comment. The HD audio levels is much lower than the analog.

Not very listenable when it blends.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by Ace Purple »

AmpedNow wrote:Nobody's doing song tagging, or broadcasting HD-2.
Does anyone know of any West Virginia station planning to launch an HD2 (and/or HD3) station in the near future? Interesting that there aren't any HD-2 stations on in the state as of yet.

Also, what are the rules for advertising for stand-alone HD2/HD3 stations? It seems that most, if not all, are commercial-free, save for simulcasts of existing stations. For example, in Nashville 105.9 WNRQ-HD3 simulcasts 1510 WLAC, and thus broadcasts commercials. I'd think that the HD coalition would want there to be advertising available for HD2/HD3 stand-alone stations, since that would give incentive for station owners to put effort into them and in turn create a product that would be of interest to a larger segment of the population, in turn creating more demand for HD radio sideband channels.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by engineer »

Ace Purple wrote:
AmpedNow wrote:Nobody's doing song tagging, or broadcasting HD-2.
Does anyone know of any West Virginia station planning to launch an HD2 (and/or HD3) station in the near future? Interesting that there aren't any HD-2 stations on in the state as of yet.

Also, what are the rules for advertising for stand-alone HD2/HD3 stations? It seems that most, if not all, are commercial-free, save for simulcasts of existing stations. For example, in Nashville 105.9 WNRQ-HD3 simulcasts 1510 WLAC, and thus broadcasts commercials. I'd think that the HD coalition would want there to be advertising available for HD2/HD3 stand-alone stations, since that would give incentive for station owners to put effort into them and in turn create a product that would be of interest to a larger segment of the population, in turn creating more demand for HD radio sideband channels.
Well, look how bad some of the main channel programming is, much less trying a second or third channel. While some may be considering adding HD2, other major and mid market groups are starting to consider shutting down HD for several reasons. The number one is no one is listening. Bad levels, coding artifacts, blend sync problems, weak signals, just to mention a few. I would not pay to advertise on something that no one listens to. You would be better off sponsering a stations web stream or website.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by AmpedNow »

KAZ turned their HD back on.

A WCHS simulcast on the HD-2 would still be interesting.

And V100's audio is good again.

The number of HD receivers is steadily growing because the chipsets are winding up in more and more factory car radios, as well as aftermarket.

HD in its current development is more of a "value added" technology rather than something listeners will specifically seek out, imo. But future concepts include album art and other real-time data streaming services such as news, traffic and weather, and whatever else.

As antenna/transmitter equipment is naturally replaced and upgraded, why not add HD...at least on strong signaled, profitable FMs.

As for HD-2s being worth it to run, there are a scant few in large markets with highly-targeted formats that are making some money, but not very many.
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Re: Cleveland HD radio scan - summer 2009

Post by Ace Purple »

I received an Insignia NS-HD01 radio as a Christmas gift, and I really like it. No AM and some limitations inherent to not having an external antenna, but I was impressed by being able to pull in an HD3 station from my girlfriend's parents' place in Scottsville, KY that was simulcasting an AM ESPN radio affiliate which I otherwise wouldn't have been able to pull in there.
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