[opendtv] Re: FCC on revitalizing the AM band

  • From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2015 01:58:40 +0000

Craig Birkmaier wrote:

Perhaps, but how do you then explain why it is nearly impossible to
find HD capable radios in anything but cars?

The usual consumer ignorance? Ultimately, the same question applied to other
devices, such as PVRs for OTA TV, or even ATSC STBs, way back in the early
days. It was like pulling teeth. I usually suspect this happens when middlemen,
stores, or even CE vendors, are on the take. But with radio, it may be simply
that FM is "good enough," and general indifference and apathy pervades that
sphere. Much like TV. When the Internet brings with it so much extra
flexibility, the one-way broadcast option sort of loses its luster. Although
here too, the survivability of the one-way broadcast OTA scheme is unbeatable.

Which should be a travesty, in the longer term. Last I saw, the
FCC *forbids* individual stations from broadcasting only-digital.
This is part of the problem. It's a bit like the introduction of
DTT. Initially, to continue supporting analog, the digital is so
compromised that a lot of people assume digital doesn't work.

Why is efficient spectral reuse a travesty?

This is what I was responding to, Craig:

I tried a search to see if anyone is broadcasting only in digital
with HD radio. What I found was something quite different. In
many markets stations are simulcasting their HD-1 and HD-2 content
on low power analog translators that can be received on all radios.

(What should be) unnecessary simulcasting is the travesty. If your HD Radio is
transmitting multiple program streams to the market area on one 400 KHz channel
(including the analog spectrum in the middle), you shouldn't need to waste
spectrum with many FM analog translators, taking up additional 200 KHz
channels. You could instead use those frequencies for hyper-local LP stations,
for example. And, last I saw, the FCC does not allow radio stations to go
all-digital. THAT'S why you don't find any.

If the AM and FM bands are repurposed using digital technology,
what should the infrastructure look like, and what services can
be created that the public will support by buying new gadgets
that use this new infrastructure?

For one-way broadcast, the infrastructure doesn't need to change. For two-way
service, the AM and FM frequencies are far from ideal for cellular service, and
worse, there's not much spectrum there to begin with. A single LTE channel is
at least 20 MHz wide, but for the fast speeds, aggregated to 40 MHz, 80 MHz, on
up to 160 MHz. The entire FM band is just 20 MHz. The entire AM band is just
barely over 1 MHz wide. Not auspicious for 2-way service.

Even with video streaming we don't use all of that data; audio
is just noise level stuff. And it is important to consider the
fact that un-metered WiFi is typically available at home, work
and in most businesses.

Well, unmetered WiFi is hardly the answer for car radios, right? But the other
part is true enough. As 4G signals become truly ubiquitous, the need for
broadcast radio goes away. That's the same argument I've been making for
broadcast TV, Craig. Of course, it means you have to pay for a wireless
Internet service, where radio is FOTA. But at least this monthly fee would be
used for other things than JUST a car radio.

And yes, I do have a tiny HD Radio tuner, the size of a matchbox, that I've
plugged into the car's aux input connection. It sounds great, and at least in
my tests in the suburbs, the signal was good even on the subchannels. But it's
a nuisance to have to plug that in every time. So I only used that scheme one
time. If the car had a built-in HD Radio, though, I'd use it for sure.

Bert



----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:

- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at
FreeLists.org

- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
unsubscribe in the subject line.

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. opendtv
  3. Archive
  4. 10-2015