HD Radio & FMeXtra Aaron Read / WEOS Ed Bukont / Comm-Struction

No, your presenters are not “drinking the iBiquity Kool-Aid”

HD Radio & FMeXtraAaron Read / WEOS Ed Bukont / Comm-Struction

Digital Broadcasting :HD RadioTM, FMeXtraTM engineering, content &

future planning. Leverage Multicasting for Yourself and Others !

Plus what HD RadioTM means for your signal in terms of coverage, fidelity, reception, etc.

See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

What is HD Radio?Hint: the “HD” doesn’t stand for anything!

Requires a new transmitter, may require a new antenna, xmission line. Doesn’t require a new STL, processor or studio

facilities, but you may want to seriously consider them to fully take advantage of IBOC’s benefits.

Two-stage migration path: “Hybrid” phase: analog + digital; less

bandwidth, back-compatible w/existing radios. “All-digital” phase: more bandwidth, requires

HD Radio tuners. FCC is not authorizing all-digital stations (yet).

HD Radio is a brand name by iBiquity Digital Corp. Technical term is IBOC : In-Band/On-Channel.

Uses digital sidebands on your existing analog signal.


Must my station install HD Radio? The FCC is not mandating migration to HD Radio (unlike

Digital TV in Feb.2009) However, your listeners (or donors, or college admins)

may effectively demand that you do it! You are always competing with satradio, iPods, podcasts, etc. Content is King, but HD Radio features are Queen Market-Driven solution = You don’t decide, the Listeners do,

may take YEARS to install…must start planning/fundraising NOW.

HD Radio is the only “official” digital broadcast solution to receive the NRSC’s blessing. BUT…technically there could be other IBOC solutions that are

not HD Radio, but none exist as of now.


HD Radio’s benefits: FM & AM Audio fidelity (not quality)

AM sounds like FM, FM sounds like CD (20kHz audio B/W) Elimination of multipath interference

Audio sound is consistent across your broadcast range. Very noticeable for AM. Fading, pops, clicks, stereo hiss are just gone.

FM has multicasting – HD2, HD3, etc in one signal! PSD (aka PAD) – Artist / Title & more Data Services:

Conditional Access, On-Demand Audio, One-Button Buying, Downloads, Images/Video…what else?


HD Radio’s problems: FM & AM HDC algorithm is lossy = Source material quality

considerations / cascading algorithms. AM digital sidebands = noisy band (nighttime, esp)

Also true for FM, but not as problematic TIGHT tolerances = Requires GOOD Engineering Initial costs are not cheap: $75,000 - $250,000

Ongoing licensing fees to iBiquity (a different paradigm) Getting in over your head: what exactly you going to do

with those extra channels/features? “Is the ROI really there for you?” vs.

“Is your station’s mission/operation suddenly obsolete?” (eek!)


Changing Perceptions

IBOC “breaks the norms” of radio. Coverage only to ~60dBu = NO FRINGE!

The FCC’s warned us for years not to count on fringe!! Digital = ON or OFF…no gradual fade to static

Old worries: multipath interference, stereo hiss, not sounding “loud enough”.

New worries: cascading algorithms, bad processing, poor antenna placement / receiver quality, PAD/PSD done right/wrong.


What is FMeXtra?

FMeXtra is like a digital subcarrier/SCA. Gives you 1 – 7 extra audio channels

Depends on RDS, analog SCA’s and stereo/mono “Multicasting on the cheap”

Backwards-compatible like IBOC, but only works for FM, not AM

Is an add-on system to analog FM IBOC is more a replacement system


FMeXtra benefits

Flexible! You control how much bandwidth you want to have (24-120kbps), allocate it to multiple audio channels.

Codec is arguably better audio quality than IBOC. Very easy to install. 1 hour and yer on-the-air! One-time cost (~$10,000) no ongoing licensing fees. Supports conditional access today! In theory, can do

data services (nothing created for it yet) Signal tends to reach further than IBOC does…the

50dBu contour or so. Compatible with HD Radio – you can do both!


FMeXtra problems

Only works with FM, not AM. Requires an analog signal, so doesn’t work with all-digital HD Radio signals.

No improvements to the main analog channel. No NRSC approval, so convincing OEM’s to make

receivers is harder. Only one receiver (Aruba) on the market (barely) right now. No receivers that do both FMeXtra and HD Radio exist yet,

although DRE is pushing OEM’s. Designed to be an SCA improvement…

…not really a multicasting solution.


HD/FMX Multicasting: the Killer AppBut just WHAT exactly you gonna put on the air? Put your/someone else’s music on it?

You got the resources to do it without sucking? Does this really compete against iPods, et al?

HD2 barter with another station? Competition, marketing issues vs. cash / extra listeners

Rent to Someone Else? Competing with yourself vs. Cash for you.

Thinking outside the box: the 5 min. loop Conditional Access: The Fundraiser’s Dream Don’t forget: HD2, etc channels mute when the digital

signal is lost (unlike analog, it’s either there or not)


Future Thinking: HD Radio(also FMeXtra to some degree)

FCC doesn’t mandate it, but your listeners might! Costs are high = Long term planning needed!

Probably longer than you will be at your college. IBOC and/or Multicasting may effectively require

substantial upgrades in automation / studios / STL / processor / xmitter plant IBOC for AM – suddenly that squeaky chair is quite audible! Very different processing vs. sound the same for analog-blend.

Despite greater B/W (~15kHz vs. 20kHz) & no pre-emphasis.

Professional Engineering Support is a MUST!


Shameless Self-PromotionThe IBOC Handbook : Understanding HD RadioTM Technology

Looking to really learn the engineering of IBOC / HD Radio? Read this book! First & Only Overview of the

Newly-Approved NRSC-5 (IBOC) Standard.

Authored by David Maxson Illustrated by Aaron Read

Available on Amazon.com


Final Thoughts

Questions – and please no: Rants, Screeds, Diatribes, Harangues, Raving, Tirades,

Bullyragging, Vociferation, Bloviating, Railing, Objurgating, Badgering, Molestation, Nettling, Ruffling, Badgering, Pestering, Heckling or Persecution.

Tell us your situation, we’ll opine if HD Radio or FMeXtra is right for you!

Aaron Read can be reached via www.friedbagels.com/blog Ed Bukont can be reached at [email protected] an engineer? www.sbe.org

HD Radio & FMeXtra Aaron Read / WEOS Ed Bukont / Comm-Struction

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