Ibiquity (re)inventa l'RDS per le stazioni AM

La National Association of Broadcasters americana ha contribuito a finanziare una ricerca di Ibiquity, l'inventore del sistema di radio digitale HD Radio, con l'obiettivo di escogitare una tecnica di trasmissione dati da associare alla portante di un segnale radio modulato in ampiezza. Questa forma di RDS per le onde medie potrebbe essere utilizzata dalle stazioni locali in onde medie per offrire ai loro ascoltatori analoghi servizi informativi, dal nome della stazione al titolo dei brani trasmessi. Il sistema, AM Digital Data Service (ADDS) si basa sull'impiego di un ristretto numero di sottoportanti modulate come nelle trasmissioni HD Radio, ma a differenza di quest'ultimo la banda occupata è molto limitata e consente di trasmettere i dati a un rate compreso tra i 90 e i 1.000 bit al secondo (contro gli 1,2 kilobit di RDS).

E' davvero possibile che una tecnologia del genere possa essere utilizzata per estendere le capacità delle trasmissioni in AM? Potrebbe essere accettata su vasta scala? Nutro parecchi dubbi al proposito, ma il mio punto di vista è molto europeo e diversamente dagli Stati Uniti, dove esistono ancora migliaia di stazioni in onde medie che potrebbero trovare interesse nello sperimentare nuove opportunità di svecchiamento del medium, qui in Europa le onde medie sono apertamente in via di progressiva estinzione. Sono in pochi - a parte forse i lettori di questo blog - a conoscere l'esistenza di una tecnica ETSI molto simile concettualmente all'ADDS proposto oggi da Ibiquity. Si chiama AM Signalling System e funziona in base a un meccanismo di modulazione in fase della portante di un segnale AM. AMSS, sviluppato cinque anni fa, supporta una velocità di trasferimento dati di circa 48 bit al secondo. A parte qualche trasmissione sperimentale della BBC, decodificabile con il software per DRM DReAM, non c'è stato alcun seguito alla cosa.

Lo studio americano proseguirà, avvertono quelli del NAB, solo se ci sarà una adesione da parte del mercato. In teoria, sviluppare i componenti e il software per decodificare le informazioni ADDS non dovrebbe essere complicato e neppure aggiungere questa funzione agli attuali ricevitori analogici. Da a qui ad aver voglia di farlo, ci passa. Ma tutto questo è interessante perché dimostra che se si vuole integrare un contenuto audio distribuito con tecniche analogiche, è possibile pensare di accompagnare tali flussi con metadati che aprono la strade a servizi e forme di integrazione di tipo digitale. L'obsolescenza della radio analogica soprattutto nelle onde medie è ovviamente legata al comportamento degli ascoltatori, dei consumatori. Ma tale comportamento è inevitabilmente condizionato dalle tecnologie, dai quadri normativi, dalle scelte industriali, dalle iniziative degli editori. Che succederebbe, ipotizziamo, se le onde medie fossero destinate, chessò, alla copertura di eventi sportivi di forte interesse locale, come le partite di calcio, con l'audio del commento e dell'interno dello stadio radiodiffuso e le informazioni di corredo visibili via Internet? O per applicazioni a carattere turistico, come le audioguide? Forse non tutte le idee sarebbero commercializzabili, ma perché negarsi l'opportunità di esplorarle? In ogni caso, potete leggere il documento tecnico relativo al sistema AM Digital Data Service scaricando questo pdf.

iBiquity Develops New AM Radio Data Service Concept

NAB FASTROAD (www.nabfastroad.org) last week announced the release of a report on a new AM radio data service concept, with the potential to provide AM broadcasters the ability to transmit low-rate data similar to what analog FM broadcasters can provide using the Radio Data System (RDS) subcarrier. This work was undertaken by iBiquity Digital Corporation (Columbia, Md, www.iBiquity.com), developers of the HD Radio IBOC system used by U.S. broadcasters to transition to digital radio, and was co-funded by iBiquity and NAB FASTROAD.

Called the AM Digital Data Service (ADDS), this new technology would utilize a small number of IBOC digital subcarriers (either two, four or six) to provide a data capability (but no digital audio) similar to RDS for analog FM. Because analog AM radio stations have no method for transmitting data such as song title and artist, there is a need for an AM data transmission service that provides capabilities similar to FM RDS and can support delivery of low data-rate text. This technology could be easily and affordably integrated into future versions of IBOC receivers but existing IBOC receivers (and analog-only receivers) would not be able to decode the ADDS signal.

As described in the report, from one to three digital subcarrier pairs would be used to transmit digital data, as shown in the figure. These subcarriers would reside “underneath” the existing analog AM audio signal, which is represented in the figure by the trapezoidal shape which extends symmetrically about the channel center out to approximately ±10 kHz.

Each subcarrier’s power level is set to ensure robust reception of the digital data, while minimizing interference to the host analog audio. The levels shown in the figure are based upon an analytical study which is summarized in the report, and would, in a future phase of the program (not currently planned), be verified in laboratory and field testing of the system. The ADDS system borrows heavily from the digital broadcast design defined for HD Radio AM Hybrid transmission. The design establishes symbol durations, subcarrier spacing, and sample rates consistent with HD Radio broadcasts. These design requirements ensure robust reception and allow for compatibility with existing HD Radio receiver applications.

Depending upon the number of subcarriers and the type of modulation, data rates from approximately 90 to 1000 bits per second would be supported by ADDS. By comparison, the RDS signal has a bit rate of approximately 1,200 bits per second. ADDS is designed to support text messaging and data transmission associated with audio program content. Proposed “use cases” include station service messages, alert messages, and program service messages. These system definitions are identical to the corresponding definitions in the HD Radio system standard; additional information on two of these use cases is provided here:

Station Message Service (SMS) – the station message service is intended to identify station-related configuration and important messages to the listener. The station message service provides, but is not limited to, the following: station call letters, station message (examples include public service announcements, weather reports or telephone call-in numbers). This service borrows definitions from the HD Radio Station Information Service (SIS);

Program Service Data (PSD) – the program service data is intended to describe the content of the current audio program. The PSD service provides, but is not limited to, the following messages: title, artist, album, genre, content, commercial. This service borrows definitions from the HD Radio Program Service Data (PSD).

One of the benefits of ADDS is that it would offer AM broadcasters a simpler and less-expensive way to provide a (limited) digital service compared to a full AM IBOC installation which at present is the only option. Also, the requirements on the antenna system for ADDS would be the same as for analog AM and not the more stringent requirements of AM IBOC. This is important because antenna tuning (usually necessary when upgrading existing AM broadcast facilities from analog AM to HD Radio specifications) has been one of the major tasks needed to get AM IBOC stations functioning and on-the-air.

The full text of the ADDS report and information on the NAB FASTROAD technology advocacy program are available at www.nabfastroad.org. Future work on this project will depend upon a number of factors including whether the broadcasting and receiver manufacturing industries embrace this concept.

HD "Persona" Radio, una nuova esperienza di ascolto

Devo ammettere che comincio a seguire con un certo interesse le iniziative che Ibiquity e National Association Broadcasting stanno costruendo intorno alla piattaforma di radio digitale HD Radio, per promuovere, oltre all'adozione del sistema da parte dei broadcaster locali americani, anche un nuovo modo di concepire l'ascolto della radio, la distribuzione di contenuti, la relazione tra ascoltatore e emittente.

All'ultimo Radio Show è stato presentato il modello di Persona Radio, che ora viene riassunto in un lungo documento scaricabile dal sito FastRoad. Persona Radio sfrutta le potenzialità di HD radio come sistema di diffusione di contenuti digitali per reinventare e personalizzare l'esperienza di chi ascolta la radio. Con un approccio che può ricordare quello di RadioDNS, che in pratica cerca di stabilire una connessione più diretta tra medium diffusivo (la radio) e interattivo (Internet), Persona Radio prevede modalità di interazione molto più etese sfruttando la maggiore capacità di trasporto dati di HD Radio. Come avviene per la televisione digitale, il canale più ampio viene sfruttato per far transitare dall'emittente al ricevitore tutta una serie di informazioni che possono essere testuali o grafiche, ma anche di vero e proprio contenuto. Il concept è anche molto flessibile. I diversi scenari di impiego immaginati prevedono per esempio la possibilità di registrarsi sul sito Web dell'emittente e personalizzare un proprio profilo. A partire da questa profilatura, l'emittente può offrire al singolo ascoltatore informazioni aggiuntive o addirittura "sostitutive". Come? Se il ricevitore non è connesso in alcun modo a Internet, è possibile fargli arrivare queste informazioni con un sistema di codici a barre bidimensionali (QR code) "stampato" sul sito Web della stazione radio e acquisito dal ricevitore equipaggiato con una fotocamera. Una radio dotata di interfaccia Usb o Wi-Fi potrebbe connettersi direttamente al computer.

Ma c'è una terza possibilità, che può comunque entrare in funzione: la deliveri di dati e contenuti Over the Air. E' un'idea molto suggestiva e prevede che il normale segnale trasmesso dall'emittente trasporti nei suoi canali alternativi digitali, continuativamente, una specifica offerta di contenuti (testi, canzoni, messaggi pubblicitari, offerte commerciali) personalizzati in base al profilo-utente, contenuti che vengono archiviati in background sui banchi di memoria del ricevitore. Questa attività di trasporto avviene mentre gli ascoltatori seguono i normali programmi e alla fine ciascuno ritroverà sul proprio ricevitore Persona Radio un contenuto esclusivo che andrà a costituire l'esperienza "personalizzata".

Troppo macchinoso? Il rischio ovviamente è questo, ma è un modello innovativo per trasformare un mezzo broadcast unidirezionale in uno strumento molto più interattivo. Probabilmente non richiederebbe neppure sostanziali modifiche dei ricevitori HD Radio attualmente sul mercato. Ma in fin dei conti il vero problema è che Persona Radio è un concept che scommette molto sulla sopravvivenza del modello broadcast e cerca di estenderlo con una forma intelligente di interattività applicata dall'esterno. Se viceversa - come personalmente ritengo io - continueranno a crescere le modalità di consumo della radio direttamente attraverso infrastrutture digitali interattive, Persona Radio potrebbe diventare solo un artifizio un po' barocco. Ovviamente c'è anche l'ipotesi della fruttuosa convivenza tra modalità diffusive e interattive e in questo caso un modello come questo potrebbe trovare davvero una sua collocazione.

New HD Radio Concept Provides Customizable Listening Experience

With the advent of the MP3 player, especially the popular iPod, consumers have embraced and in some cases come to expect a new level of control over their audio entertainment. Acknowledging this new listening paradigm, NAB FASTROAD and iBiquity Digital Corporation have undertaken a project to explore the concept for a new personalized service for in-band/on-channel (IBOC) digital radio. The results of this work were released today in a report entitled “HD Radio System Persona Radio Project Overview,” now available for download from the FASTROAD Web page at www.nabfastroad.org.

The Persona Radio is a proof-of-concept advanced receiver design that would allow users to create a customizable listening experience and create opportunities for behavioral targeted advertising. Aspects of the listening experience that are customizable include audio content, text displays and advertisements. The report released today details the concept of how the Persona service could work the necessary supporting broadcast infrastructure and a variety of possible listener use cases.

One of the principal actions upon which the operation of the Persona Radio is based is that of “content insertion.” The idea is that content would be downloaded to the receiver using the advanced data capabilities of the HD Radio system and then stored in memory on the device, for later use as directed by the listener or in some cases by the station.

Release of this report follows initial discussions of the Persona Radio project by iBiquity in their exhibit at the 2010 Radio Show produced by RAB and NAB, where a mock-up (shown in the images below) of a Persona Radio receiver was featured as part of iBiquity's hospitality suite. This Persona radio mock-up was implemented on an Insignia NS-01 portable HD Radio receiver. Some pictures of the mock-up’s receiver display are shown here:

Upper left – this is the highest level “main menu” which allows the user to configure the “behavior” of the Persona Radio. When each item is selected, it expands to provide the user with options for configuration and action;

Upper right – on the “My Profile” page the listener enters demographic information which will be used to customize the listening experience as well as for targeting advertisements. One of the options found here allows for entering favorite location information, potentially associated with the user’s home/work/visited categories;

Lower left – shows an example of targeted advertising, which would be selected and displayed based on the user’s profile information;

Lower right – this is a “QR code” which is delivered to the receiver and corresponds to a targeted advertisement. This can be scanned by a retailer and used as an “electronic coupon.” Additional information on QR codes is available on the Internet at www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/index-e.html.

Insignia, HD Radio da tasca a meno di 50 dollari

49 dollari e 99. Questo il prezzo del primo ricevitore HD Radio tascabile prodotto da Insignia e venduto a partire sugli scaffali online di BestBuy. Recensendolo su News.com John Falcone riconosce che a questo prezzo la radio digitale di Ibiquity potrebbe farsi interessante e io sono perfettamente d'accordo con lui. Ma avverte anche che per avere qualcosa di più ricco sul piano funzionale forse vale la pena attendere l'uscita di Microsoft Zune HD (che tuttavia potrebbe costare tre volte tanto). Il piccolo dispositivo Insignia è alimentato con una batteria ricaricabile non sostituibile dall'utente e anche questo è un segno di una radio che cambia.

July 11, 2009
Insignia's NS-HD01 is the first portable HD Radio--and it's only $50

The price of HD Radio technology has been dwindling over the past few years, with digital-capable car stereos and clock radios priced south of $100. But Insignia's new NS-HD01 adds two new wrinkles to the HD Radio equation. The iPod-sized unit is the first truly portable (battery powered) HD Radio, and its $50 price tag makes it the most affordable HD model to date. The NS-HD01 is scheduled to hit shelves at Best Buy on June 12, but we got an early look at the unit.
While it may look like an old MP3 player, the NS-HD01 is strictly a radio tuner that can pull in analog and HD (Hybrid Digital) stations on the FM band. There are 10 user-programmable presets.
(...)
The battery is rated for 10 hours of playback, and the screen auto-dims to save energy.
(...)
HD Radio has two big selling points. The first is that it's free--unlike satellite radio, there's no subscription fee. The other is multicasting--access to digital subchannels that aren't available on the analog band. On stations with multicast channels, you can toggle to the HD2 and/or HD3 subchannels. (The HD Radio Web site has a full city-by-city listing of available stations.) HD2 options here in New York City, for instance, include hip-hop, gospel, classical, oldies, 80s, country, and salsa. In New York and elsewhere, you'll also find simulcasts of several AM stations, which gives this the Insignia radio access to crystal-clear versions of many (but not all) local news, talk, and sports stations that would otherwise be unavailable on this FM-only radio.
(continua)

HD Radio, anatomia di un flop

Durissimo il commento di John Gorman, consulente dell'industria radiofonica americana, sulle ragioni per le eterne promesse mancate del sistema digitale HD Radio. Gorman sostiene che i soldi, quasi 700 milioni di dollari, che la HD Radio Alliance ha riversato in varie iniziative di marketing stanno per finire. E che le stazioni radio che hanno adottato il sistema venduto da Ibiquity dovranno fare da sole per promuovere una tecnologia che nessuno vuole.
Ce n'è davvero per tutti ma il primo colpevole sarebbe Peter Ferrara, il presidente della HD Radio Alliance, reo di averle sempre sparate troppo grosse sulle cifre relative ai ricevitori digitali venduti (l'ultimo comunicato stampa in effetti è assurdamente trionfalistico). A parte che le radio capaci di ricevere il segnale digitale IBOC sono brutte come un incrocio tra uno scanner della polizia e un parchimetro, sostiene Gorman, il vero problema è la mancanza di contenuti. Concludendo il suo intervento Gorman cita la nuova strategia CBS a favore dello streaming via Internet e senza menzionarla si riferisce certamente a strumenti di "radio digitale" come AOL Radio: forse è il segno che qualcosa sta cambiando, che il settore si sta finalmente focalizzando su contenuti radiofonici che la genta abbia davvero voglia (e possibilità) di ascoltare.
Non ho la sfera di cristallo e non ho proprio idea di come andrà a finire per HD Radio. Resto dell'idea che alla fine il sistema verrà adottato da una nicchia abbastanza consistente del mercato e a quel punto sarà il regolatore a decidere il destino della radio analogica. E sarà probabilmente un destino di graduale phase out: ormai l'idea che la radio analogica non possa reggere il confronto con gli media digitali è passata e anche se finora tutti i tentativi di digitalizzare la radio attraverso uno schema di modulazione diverso dai due sistemi covenzionali oggi utilizzati sono falliti, non credo che l'industria avrà la forza di continuare a scommettere sull'analogico. Ho ricevuto l'altro giorno l'ultima edizione della newsletter che Ibiquity invia per tenere aggiornati gli addetti ai lavori sull'evoluzione del sistema Ibiquity fuori dagli Stati Uniti. In Colombia è partito un esperimento di Caracol, a Bogotà. In Brasile sono in corso altri test. E curiosamente ci sono ben due costruttori italiani, RVR Elettronica e Elettronika Srl, forniscono apparati HD Radio su licenza Ibiquity. Tutto questo renderà sempre più difficile continuare a dare la caccia ai segnali (analogici) lontani. Pazienza, è stato un hobby molto piacevole finché è durato e personalmente mi sono divertito parecchio. Quello che mi interessa ora è che la radio possa recuperare il terreno perduto sul piano della creatività e della qualità. E non credo che i sistemi digitali possano, da soli, consentirle di raggiungere questo traguardo.

Saturday, September 6, 2008
Radio: The HD Radio Alliance's blame game

Welcome to the fantasy world of HD Radio where the alleged 1,700 or so stations broadcasting in a second-rate digital system were just told by the HD Digital Radio Alliance that they will now be on their own. Next year it’ll be up to the stations to do their own creative to supplement the national promo spots they’re committed to run by the Alliance. That’s their way of telling radio, “Don’t blame us for our failure.”
That was the edict proclaimed by Peter “Sgt. Bilk-o” Ferrara, President and CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance, which calls itself the “joint initiative of leading radio broadcasters to accelerate the successful (their prejudiced description) roll-0ut of HD Digital Radio.” Let's listen in as hacki di tutti hacki Bilk-o delivers the Alliance’s definition of “Mission Accomplished.” It’s purely Presidential.
"When we began putting the pieces in place for the Alliance in the fall of 2005, there was little attention being paid to HD Radio and the industry lacked a plan to make it a reality. There were only a few HD stations on the air, no automakers offered an HD Radio and no national retailers carried receivers," said Bilk-o. "Today, it is gratifying to know how far we’ve come in three short years. While there is still much to do, this has been an unprecedented effort with unparalleled success within the radio industry. It’s a testament to what broadcasters can achieve when the industry comes together with a clear purpose and mission."
The Alliance committed radio to an estimated $680 millions of dollars of free advertising for digital radios, which translated to little interest in the product and no retail sales to speak of. Now, everything is fair game. The gloves are off. The Alliance is leaving the future of HD Radio in the hands of the station owners.
I want to nominate this as the new slogan for the HD Digital Radio Alliance: We broke it, you bought it! Though they have not been able to produce a single document to back their seemingly illusory sales figures, the Alliance claims that 330,000 HD Radio receivers were sold in 2007 – calling that number a whopping 725 per cent increase over the alleged 40,000 sets purchased in 2006.
Stop me if you heard this one before. The only thing the Alliance has delivered on is a steady stream of b.s., exaggeration, and outright lies. Prove me wrong. How many non-radio people do you know that own one – even with those 75-80 percent of retail price discounts?
Even the hard core techno-geeks passed on this debacle. Consumers don’t buy into new technology blindly. They buy products they feel will in some manner improve their lifestyle. HD Radio isn’t one of them.
When you create new technology that people can use, the money always follows. Just ask Sergey and Larry at Google and Steve Jobs at Apple. Just don’t ask iBiquity President and CEO Bob “Booble” Struble. With exception to trustafarians, most of the wealthy people I know and know of got that way by breaking rules to give consumers something they wanted so badly that it becomes a need. HD Radio is needless.
Content? Most HD Radio formats are automated dreck. Granted, there's a few good experimental formats on HD Radio – but how can they be effectual if no one is hearing them?
Design? Most HD Radios look like a cross between a police radio and parking meter. Radio Shack is slowly – or perhaps not so slowly - phasing out their HD Radio commitment. Show me one retail outlet that’s added space to their HD Radio display. You can’t. Wal-Mart never committed to retailing HD Radio in the manner Bilk-o claimed they would. It was nearly impossible for retailers to sell consumers on HD Radio.
The few retail outlets that did carry them had difficulty picking up the digital signal in-store. History will look back on HD Radio as one of the greatest scams leveled on the radio industry.
Booble, who operates in the shadows of the company that landed the U.S. digital radio broadcasting deal in the U.S., may be the bagman – but it's the station chains that are stuck holding the bag. He eats the radio industry for breakfast, and lunch and dinner. And then he hands it the tab. It may not be as bad the Great Depression, but it’s a feast of burden in the radio industry.
Broadcast stocks bear an uncanny resemblance to penny stocks. Time buys are scarce. Rates are being discounted. Programming and talent has to be outsourced or voice-tracked. Those still employed are doing triple and quadruple duty, with no attention to detail. Now add the backdrop of the needless expense and time consumption created by the HD Radio folly.
The Alliance also made a not-so-unexpected announcement that effective January 1, 2009; Bilk-o will step down as President and CEO of the Alliance to become its Strategic Advisor. That’s a fancy way of saying “consultant.”
His explanation for exiting? Tell ‘em in your own words, Bilk-o: “Because the Alliance is moving more and more into becoming a marketing organization for HD Radio.” Pause for laughter. The real reason for his exit is his health. He’s hemorrhaging something far worse than blood. It’s credibility. It’s character.
Bilk-o's replacement was also bred at Clear Channel Radio. Meet Diane Warren.
She's the Alliance’s Executive Vice President and oversees its futile marketing campaign. Also like Bilk-o, she’s been with the Alliance since its creation three years ago. And what does Bilk-o say of his replacement? “I feel that my skill set is not as strong as Diane’s." Did he just call her a better liar?
Here’s what she said. “In 2008 we will have sold the one millionth HD Radio receiver” and “As we look forward, we’ll remember 2008 as a breakout year for HD Radio.” A million HD Radios will be sold this year? She's good.
For the sake of space and time, we’ll skip the fact that Sgt. Bilk-o said the same thing about 2007. Ms. Warren also came up with a dramatic and unaccredited claim that interest in HD Radio has “exploded” with 80 percent of HDRadio.com’s visitors going to the site for the first time. You can tell she’s a former Clear Channel exec. She declined to provide actual numbers.
In what we will come to know as Diane-etics, Ms. Warren offers this unsubstantiated claim: The number of HD Radio stations has increased from some unknown time when there were 300 to over 1,750 today – and that’s not counting another 800 multicasts, though we’re not certain if she counted each multicast twice. That’s Diane-etics – not to be confused with Diane’s ethics.
Have you noticed that on CBS Radio there’s been a whole lot more streaming audio promotion and a lot less HD Radio? Maybe they’re on to something.
The radio industry will be able to get back on track a lot faster once it concentrates on programming radio stations people can hear.

HD Radio, Ibiquity certifica un nuovo chipmaker

Sembra aumentare l'offerta di silicio destinato alla costruzione di apparecchi HD Radio. L'ultima società certificata da Ibiquity si chiama SiPort, un chipmaker "fabless" californiano. Lo rivela questo articolo di EETimes che contiene anche parecchi dati relativi alle prospettive dell'industria della radio digitale.

SiPort gains HD radio certification

Mark LaPedus
(08/20/2008)

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- SiPort Inc.--a supplier of digital terrestrial broadcast receiver ICs that is partly backed by Intel Corp.--said that its device has received ''HD Radio Ready'' certification from iBiquity Digital Corp. IBiquity is the developer and licensor of HD Radio technology.
SiPort's device, dubbed the SP1010, is a single-chip, HD radio receiver said to provide digital and analog FM performance for the mobile, tabletop and automotive aftermarket segments.
SiPort will begin shipping the receiver chip in volume in September of 2008. LG-Innotek is currently sampling its HD Radio module based on SiPort's SP1010. The company will be in production by year's end.
HD Radio was developed by iBiquity Digital. The technology allows digital radio signals to ride the same airwaves as today's analog AM and FM radio broadcasts, bringing additional content, crystal-clear sound, and location-based data services, the companies said.
That company is neither a content owner nor broadcaster; rather, its technology lets radio stations simulcast compressed digital audio and traditional analog audio without shifting to new frequency bands.
IBiquity recently claimed that the $100 price point for HD Radio receivers has been ''smashed.'' The new HD Radio receivers are made by Coby, iLuv, JVC, Pioneer, Radiosophy and Sony. The latest prices represent a 30 percent reduction compared to a year ago.
This could also be a major event for startup SiPort. "HD Radio certification is an important milestone for SiPort and validates our commitment to delivering the highest performance HD Radio solution," said Sid Agrawal, CEO of SiPort (Santa Clara, Calif.), in a statement. "The certification of the SiPort single-chip SP1010 HD Radio solution gives our customers a best-in-class solution for audio and data services on both mobile and traditional radio platforms."
Formed in 2004, SiPort is a fabless semiconductor company developing mixed signal RF and digital baseband wireless receiver chips supporting multiple Digital Broadcast Standards. Investors in the startup include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Morgenthaler, New Venture Partners and Intel Capital.
The startup is reportedly betting the first application for its chip will be portable GSP devices, given HD Radio's ability to datacast real-time traffic information from local radio stations in far more detailed and comprehensive fashion than is currently available via the analog FM band.
On the business front, there have been mixed results in the overall digital radio sector. Despite a six-year market presence, there remains confusion surrounding satellite and digital radio ''due to the introduction of multiple digital radio standards,'' according to iSuppli Corp.
Still, by 2014, global shipments of satellite radios will rise to 8.9 million units, nearly double the 4.6 million in 2007, iSuppli predicts. In 2008, shipments are expected to rise by 13.3 percent to reach 5.2 million units.
In March, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled in favor of a merger between satellite radio operators Sirius and XM Satellite Radio Inc.
''This is good news for strategic planners in the automotive business, as well as top-tier and aftermarket suppliers that have spent the last 18 months 'on hold' pending this merger,'' said Richard Robinson, an analyst for iSuppli, in a report.
''Satellite radio providers Sirius and XM have retained end-to-end control of their value chain, from hardware to content. This has allowed them to develop an entire ecosystem with the freedom to push through proprietary broadcast and receiver standards,'' he said. ''In contrast, most other digital broadcast standards have required significant buy-in from third parties. The result has been patchy acceptance of most other digital radio formats. With the merger approved, Sirius and XM now are free to expand their business using their successful business model to a wider audience.''
iSuppli also is encouraged by BMW's decision to roll out HD radio as a standard feature in all its U.S. vehicles starting in September. The market realizes ''that until car makers begin to offer digital radio technologies as standard features in vehicle head units, the additional cost of installing digital radio as an option will continue to be a deterrent to wider adoption,'' Robinson said.

La radio e il digitale, l'elefante e la quercia

"Come fai a far salire un elefante in cima a una quercia?" "Lo metti seduto su una ghianda e aspetti." Partendo da questa vecchia battuta dell'immaginario umoristico americano, Skip Pizzi su Radio World http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.9233.html affronta la questione del passaggio alla radiofonia digitale dicendo che i processi sono sempre più lenti di quanto ci aspettiamo. Almeno fino al raggiungimento delle famose "masse critiche" (non si capisce mai quali siano, ma in genere coincidano col punto di inflessione per cui un fenomeno prima lentissimo diventa precipitoso).
In questo senso che cosa è meglio, si chiede anche Pizzi. Che il processo sia guidato essenzialmente da standard interoperabili, o che ci sia ll ruolo guida di una singola impresa che inventa la tecnologia, vende le necessarie licenze ai costruttori e imbastisce la campagna di marketing? Nella radio digitlale il confronto è tra aree geografiche come l'Europa, dove il fatto di non riuscire a mettersi d'accordo su uno standard preciso rallenta l'adozione da parte del mercato. E gli Stati Uniti, dove però, avverte Pizzi, Ibiquity riesce a risolvere solo uno dei termini dell'equazione, l'accettazione da parte delle emittenti, ma non quelli, ancora più importanti, dell'industria dei terminali e del mercato dei consumatori. Con un rischio molto, molto significativo conclude l'esperto: concentrare tutto nelle mani di Ibiquity significa che se Ibiquity fallisce, la nave della radio digitale affonda con lei.

The Elephant and the Oak Tree

An Old Joke Reflects a Growing Realization About IBOC
by Skip Pizzi, 10.24.2007

Sometime in the fourth or fifth grade I first heard the elephant joke that asks, “How do you get an elephant into an oak tree?” Answer: “Have him sit on an acorn and wait.”
The joke stuck with me through the years, not because it was funny, but for its aptness as a metaphor to many of the processes around us — that is, those that occur more by attrition and passive shifts rather than by proactive choice. The joke’s image also illustrates the lengthy development time involved in such cases.
As an Oct. 10 RW editorial noted, we are now beginning to recognize that the transition to digital radio in the U.S. may follow this course, as well.
Broadcast transitions are slow
Actually, this behavior is fairly normal, given that it follows the path experienced by almost all broadcast format introductions.
Perhaps we have become accustomed of late to digital consumer electronics introductions advancing more rapidly, and so we tend to measure all new systems by such metrics. Yet examine the recent advances in broadcasting systems, and you will see consistently slow uptakes at best.
Because broadcast formats change so infrequently, however, low speed is not necessarily tantamount to failure. As long as there is some continued forward movement, attrition ultimately prevails and the new format eventually becomes well established.
Consider FM radio, FM stereo, stereo TV and RBDS. None of these experienced meteoric growth out of the box, but eventually became the norm. (Digital television in the U.S. is a current example that is just now turning the corner after a slow and rocky start, and its natural progression has even been accelerated by government mandates.)
Slow and steady typically wins the race in the broadcast world.
At least that’s the way it’s worked in the past. Some argue that today such wisdom no longer applies because the competitive context has been so radically altered. These pundits point out that current broadcast formats have never had to cope with so many other potentially competitive introductions, most of which are enjoying far faster growth.
Others counter that while this may be true, it simply sets the bar a bit higher for broadcast formats to break through.
Witness DAB in the U.K., which after years of malaise — there and elsewhere, including Canada — the addition of new, compelling content (along with plentiful, cheap receivers and strong, multifaceted promotional campaigns) from U.K. broadcasters finally established a beachhead, and the format is now enjoying strong success there.

Replacement cycles

Radio is also in a unique position, for a number of behavioral reasons.
First, it already has such high penetration among U.S. households that conversion of a critical mass of receivers to digital — even with rapid uptake — will take a very long time.
Second, consumer satisfaction with radio, especially FM service, is quite high, so there is little motivation to upgrade.
Third, and somewhat contravening the first two points, many new radios are purchased today as part of something else (e.g., cars, clocks, MP3 players, cell phones, etc.), and not acquired as radio purchases per se.
Thus the conversion process for transition to digital receivers among consumers is necessarily slow and complex, and therefore difficult to predict with any degree of accuracy.
The best approach to take for ensuring an ultimately successful transition is to quickly include IBOC capabilities in as many new radios as possible, without significant price impact, such that digital receivers become the default design in home, car and portable devices. Thereafter, it’s a matter of waiting for the replacement cycles to run their course.
Even under a best-case scenario, this two-step process will take substantial time to complete. Again, this is as it’s always been for broadcast transitions, but the many variables involved this time could slow or speed its pace beyond the norm.

There’s more uniqueness here

Of course, there is one other critical element in this transition that is unusual, and it could also affect the ultimate outcome.
No other broadcast format transition has ever been driven so overtly by a single corporate entity. Certainly other companies were involved in the development of past transitions, and had a stake in their success or failure, but the technology involved in a broadcast transition has never been so closely held and exclusively managed by one company as it is for IBOC.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. The existence of a well-established company that is exclusively focused on the success of a format can help drive it to early success.
Indeed, the lack of such singular focus has been blamed for the slow pace or even the failure of previous (i.e., purely standards-driven) broadcast formats. Particularly in the United States, a proprietary steward can establish a new format quickly and decisively. In the absence of such an entity, promotion of the format has to be taken up by trade associations or an industry consortium, and/or is left to the often uncoordinated marketing of various interested manufacturers.
The existence of a single entity also simplifies the licensing of required intellectual property to manufacturers, and can provide well-orchestrated implementation support to such licensees. (In the standards-based case, a patent pool can provide the one-stop IP licensing, but it typically does not offer any implementation help.)
Moreover, the ongoing development of the format is enhanced greatly by the continuing existence of a single commercial developer. The relatively quick deployment of incremental improvements to the HD Radio format subsequent to its initial design (e.g., multicasting, surround sound, conditional access) already provides ample testimony to this.
It could be further argued that the double-barreled power of such commercial drive coupled with the FCC’s regulatory assent creates the perfect storm for digital radio’s rapid establishment here.

You knew there was a ‘but’ coming

On the other hand, the concentration of an entire broadcast industry’s transition in the hands of a single corporation brings unprecedented risk. If Ibiquity Digital were to fail as a company, the entire U.S. radio industry’s future could be threatened.
Such a dire outcome is unlikely, given that several large radio broadcasting companies are major investors in the firm. And even if the current corporate structure were to suffer reorganization, administration of the IP and other processes critical to the ongoing transition likely could be carried on by one or more other firms.
Nevertheless, as we acknowledge that, like other broadcast transitions, this one is taking its good sweet time, it remains the first one to run its course with a corporate clock ticking over its head.
Ironically, the unusual licensing structure of IBOC may also be slowing the transition because it has kept some (particularly the larger) consumer electronics manufacturers from adopting the format due to their lack of comfort with the unorthodox approach.
The impact of this licensing process on pricing also is an issue. As noted above, for digital radio to achieve the default status it needs to begin achieving wide-scale penetration, its incremental cost over analog radio components must approach zero.
Any such obstacles to rapid growth are particularly problematic because the transition needs to be seen as having consistent new wins in deployment, both on the broadcast and the CE sides. Any perceived slowing in momentum makes those on the sidelines stay put rather than jump in. So forecasts of slow growth can become self-fulfilling prophecies and add to the servo effect that could drag the transition down, perhaps even to a halt.
Clearly the current U.S. transition to digital radio possesses a unique structure that serves as a two-edged sword. Whether its forehand or backhand action wins the day remains to be seen.

HD Radio al supermercato, DRM fantasma

A margine delle considerazioni sul calo dell'audience radiofonico negli USA, ecco un paio di notizie (con dichiarazioni degne di nota) sugli accordi tra Ibiquity e Wal-Mart, la più grande catena di supermercati del mondo, per la vendita di una autoradio HD Radio a un prezzo di 190 dollari. Il prezzo è ancora alto ma l'iniziativa sottolinea come Ibiquity abbia ormai intenzione di spingere sull'acceleratore della disponibilità dei terminali nei negozi per promuovere la sua tecnologia. I DXer americani, sempre molto preoccupati delle conseguenze di questo standard sull'etere delle stazioni AM sono comunque perplessi sulle reale possibilità commerciali.

HD Radio gets big boost from Wal-Mart
By David Lieberman, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — Radio stations eager to promote their growing array of free digital broadcasts get a potent new ally Monday as Wal-Mart (WMT) starts selling receivers for the technology known as HD Radio.
The world's largest retailer will carry a high-definition car radio from JVC in 1,989 of its stores in 85 markets, priced at about $190. Being on the shelf at Wal-Mart "underscores that HD Radio is ready for prime time, it's ready for the masses," says Peter Ferrara, CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance, a consortium that includes radio broadcasting powers such as Clear Channel and CBS Radio.

HD Radio offers CD-like sound quality and requires a digital tuner.

Stations in the 85 markets will donate airtime for Wal-Mart-produced ads about the HD Radios. The ads fit into the larger effort to popularize HD Radio. Stations have pledged $250 million in ad time in 2007, an average of 126 ads a week on each of the alliance's 700 stations. "HD Radio will be the No. 1 advertiser on radio in 2007," Ferrara says. "We will spend more money … than Geico will, than McDonald's will, and than General Motors will."
Wal-Mart says the free ads didn't tip the scales in its decision to make room for the new radios. "The factor for us is what we believe customers want to see," spokeswoman Tara Raddohl says. She adds that the chain will see how the radios sell before making room for other models or home high-def radios.
Still, landing Wal-Mart is important. Since 2004, when HD Radio became available, "It's been a niche product," Ferrara says. With prices for HD Radios ranging from $250 to more than $300, "Some of the devices have been pretty expensive."
He hopes that will change now that "Wal-Mart identifies it as something that is on target for its customer base."

More than 1,200 stations have invested in HD Radio

They see it as a way to help keep listeners from moving to satellite radio or iPods, and advertisers from diverting dollars to the Internet, cable TV and direct mail. The industry's ad sales last year rose just 1%, to $21.7 billion, vs. 2005, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau. Digital broadcasting makes it possible for station owners to piggyback multiple high-def channels on the same airwaves used for a single AM or FM transmission.
That appeals to station owners who hope to boost market share by offering subsidiary channels for niche audiences. For example, KLOS in Los Angeles offers Fusion Hispanic and Anglo Rock. New York's WKTU serves country music fans, who don't have an outlet on AM or FM. And St. Louis' KYKY offers a format called Eclectic Chill-out Music.

Il pubblico generico vuole davvero queste benedette radio digitali, come sostiene Tim Clark di Wal-Mart? In onde medie il salto qualitativo del segnale e soprattutto il raggio di effettiva copertura di una stazione, farebbero pensare diversamente. Sottolineo però la grande diversità tattica tra Ibiquity e il consorzio DRM: la prima ha curato fin dall'inizio la presenza quasi simultanea sul mercato di apparati per la digitalizzazione delle trasmissioni radio e di apparecchi capaci di ricevere queste trasmissioni. Le prime trasmissioni DRM, viceversa, sono partite tre o quattro anni fa e ancora oggi possono essere ascoltate dai tecnici degli impianti in onde corte e medie che effettuano le prove (molto deludenti sulle corte, su questo concordano in parecchi) e da qualche appassionato fornito di computer. Se HD Radio è poco noto negli USA e i potenziali acquirenti non hanno ancora ben capito di che si tratta, il DRM è una tecnologia sofisticata e completamente arcana, conosciuta - letteralmente! - da poche centinaia di addetti ai lavori. Come può rappresentare il futuro a brevissimo termine di un mezzo utilizzato, magari con qualche calo di interesse, da miliardi di persone? Mi pare una situazione tragicomica.

WAL-MART STORES INC. and the HD DIGITAL RADIO ALLIANCE announced that HD digital radio receivers are launching today in 1,989 WAL-MART stores in 85 markets. WAL-MART will initially stock the JVC HD-W10 Mobile HD Radio receiver, which will retail for less than $190. The store has also created a variety of programs and educational tools around HD RADIO.
"We know our customers want mobile HD digital radio products," WAL-MART automotive buyer TIM CLARK. "We're thrilled to offer a high-quality unit like the JVC stereo at a competitive price that will make it easy for customers to discover the great benefits of HD RADIO."
The move by WAL-MART will be supported by new radio spots that represent the next phase of the ALLIANCE's $250 million marketing campaign announced in DECEMBER. The spots will include a mix of :15s and :30s in all 85 markets.
"WAL-MART brings HD RADIO to an incredible new level of reach and power and we are very grateful for their leadership," said ALLIANCE Pres./CEO PETER FERRARA. "This underscores that HD RADIO is now within easy reach of millions of consumers nationwide and WAL-MART is an ideal partner to make that possible. WAL-MART customers not only get a terrific HD digital radio at a great price, but they can hear lots of new radio stations on the dial for free!"

Scelta digitale per Corea e Canada

Le prospettive per la tecnologia HD Radio/IBOC si fanno più rosee. Altre due nazioni, una di assoluta avanguardia sul versante delle tecnologie e dei servizi digitali, l'altra singificativa perché finora ufficialmente impegnata sul fronte del DAB/Eureka 147, stanno prendendo seriamente in considerazione la radio digitale ibrida inventata da Ibiquity. Parliamo di Corea del Sud e di Canada, che si stanno dando da fare in sede regolamentare per facilitare il più possibile l'adozione di uno standard proprietario (e questo non è mai bello per l'industria dei terminali, a meno di non adottare approcci stile VHS) che ha un vantaggio fondamentale: la retrocompatibilità con la sterminata base di ricevitori già in funzione grazie alla possibilità di combinare segnali analogici e digitali. In Corea uno degli argomenti utilizzati è di natura gestionale. Le frequenze analogiche non sono in grado di garantire spazio sufficiente per i newcomers, dice il locale ministro delle comunicazioni (è un po' pesante ma forse vale la pena scaricare questa presentazione del ministero coreano sul digital broadcasting nella nazione asiatica, dove proprio lo scorso ottobre si è tenuto il forum mondiale del DAB/Eureka 147). Lo spazio, secondo i coreani si troverà con il digitale anche se non è ancora chiaro se si tratterà di un sistema all'europea, DAB/DMB o all'americana. O entrambi.

In Canada è in corso un ampio processo di revisione delle politiche di regolamentazione della radio e l'Authority canadese, la CRTC ha bandito una consultazione pubblica i cui risultati si possono leggere sul sito Web ufficiale. Qui le chance di adozione per IBOC sembrano molto consistenti. Inutile nascondersi che la proposta di Ibiquity può suonare molto allettante alle orecchie di chi ha il problema della ripartizione di frequenze e servizi. Va però detto che se facciamo fare tutto ai responsabili marketing, tutte le tecnologie diventano miracolose. Sulle onde medie la sperimentazione di IBOC negli USA sta dimostrando che la capacità di mescolare a piacere modulazioni analogiche e digitali non è poi così scontata. Gli effetti negativi sull'ascolto delle stazioni non-IBOC adiacenti possono essere molto antipatici in condizioni propagative notturne. E fino a quando i ricevitori digitali saranno così minoritari, il rischio è quello di dare la stura agli svantaggi del digitale senza coglierne i vantaggi. Bisogna però dire che cominciano a esserci i primi timidi segni di una piccola rampa produttiva per i ricevitori, mentre il campo avversario del DAB deve affrontare la non facile problematica del passaggio ai nuovi codec.
Sullo sfondo di tutti questi discorsi aleggiano infine i discorsi sulle politiche di switch-off delle trasmissioni analogiche. Che possono non piacere, ma intanto emergono sempre più frequentemente.

Canada Rules to Allow HD Radio

Dec 27, 2006 9:50 AM
(RadioMagazine)

Ottawa - Dec 15, 2006 - The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the independent, public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada, has revised its policy for digital radio broadcasting to consider the HD Radio in-band on-channel (IBOC) system. In its Public Notice CRTC 2006-160, the Commission commented that it would be prepared to authorize services using IBOC technology for the AM or FM bands if the Canadian Department of Industry authorizes services using the technology under the Radiocommunication Act. The commission added that "an expedited process would be adopted for stations that propose to transmit a digital simulcast of their analog service."
Robert Struble, president and CEO of Ibiquity Digital said, "The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) began HD Radio testing in September 2006, focusing on transmissions from Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario. Full results have not yet been published by the CBC, but early feedback has been very positive. There are plans to begin testing on MW-AM operations in early 2007."
The ruling also considers other forms of digital radio, including DRM, DMB and DVB-H. The decision to consider HD Radio specifically was based on the advanced stage of the HD Radio rollout compared to other technologies in the United States. Canada has authorized Eureka-147 as a digital radio standard, but the rollout of that technology has not progressed very rapidly and is not seeing wide acceptance.

Korea seeks to adopt digital radio broadcast system

Analogue system has too few frequencies, says Ministry of Information and Communication official

Saturday, December 23, 2006
By Hwang Si-young (Asiamedia)

The Ministry of Information and Communication is set to launch a committee to accelerate the application of digital technologies to the nation's radio broadcast system. "Under the current analogue system, newcomers can hardly find available frequency resources. Frequencies have almost been used up, and that's one of the reasons why we are trying to digitalize the whole radio broadcast system," Lee Jung-gu, head of the ministry' broadcasting-satellite division, told The Korea Herald. There are currently 51 radio broadcasters in Korea, including region-based ones. "There are a number of problems left to be examined before converting to digital, including whether to choose Europe's Digital Audio Broadcasting and the United States' In-Band On-Channel as the technology standard." Adopting IBOC will not require the hassle of changing radio sets across the nation to new ones. However, except in its competitive edge, the U.S. technology can not be viewed as a better match than its European counterpart that shares similar technical qualities with Korea's de facto mobile TV platform called digital multimedia broadcasting, Lee said. The digital radio broadcast system is expected to provide CD-level high-quality stereo sound and data services. The new system will also help create fresh market demand and develop related industries. Electronics makers, for instance, will be able to launch digital radio devices into the domestic market.
The committee will consist of three working groups, each discussing technological requirements, legal frameworks and industrial demand. About 18 experts from the industry, academics and research institutes will work for the committee. The committee will focus on the future technology standard, particularly regarding transmission frequency band, sales of capable terminals, re-division of broadcasting areas, legal issues, as well as the most appropriate timing to digitalize the national radio broadcast system. There had been several working groups within the ministry that discussed various related issues ranging from market demand to system specifications, utilization of the existing frequency resources, broadcasting areas, and radio broadcasters' legal status. But it was difficult to narrow down all of the diverse opinions into one, the ministry said.
The new committee will start working in January next year.