Sunday, February 25, 2007 |
Tech: The Aftermath Of KMZT: HD Radio And Its Discontents
Introduction
Those of us who fondly remember KFAC (and its cast of characters) recall that this is not the first time commercial classical radio has left the airwaves in Los Angeles; that Saul Levine was able to resuscitate it for as long as he has was something of a wonder.But say you hadn't given up on KMZT on the FM dial, that you were interested in listening to what's left at 105.1 HD2. That means you first have to get hold of an HD-compatible radio. That immediately leads to a question:
What Is HD Radio?
Glad you asked.HD Radio broadcasting is dramatically higher quality audio, far more programming choice and compelling new wireless data services brought to you by your local AM and FM radio stations. No more static, hiss, pops or fades.There are two kinds of HD radio, then: AM (which claims to provide FM-quality broadcast over existing AM channels), and FM (which claims to provide CD-quality audio and a second digital broadcast using the FM subchannel already available). Both are proprietary products of iBiquity Digital Corporation and have only been approved by the governments of the United States and Brazil. This limited applicability is problematic, for two reasons: first, it is incompatible with the digital standards already adopted by the rest of the world. Second, it uses proprietary technology, including non-standard codecs. That is, iBiquity has managed to saddle Americans with something that could easily become the Betamax of broadcast. You might conclude that this isn't a big deal given that you don't travel to Europe with your radio, but considering how much programming eminates from just south of the border, it's a non-trivial concern. Finally, HD also causes interference for listeners of distant stations who have to contend with a nearer or more powerful station on an adjacent channel.
Would You Like Your HD Radio In Ecru Or Beige?
But the claim that this will lead to more choice needs more investigation. Clearly in the case of KMZT, the obvious answer is that it does, because otherwise LA is still without a country radio station, and there's no commercial classical, either. But in general, it looks more like a case of meet the new choice, same as the old choice. That is, the fundamental problem is that it only really applies for stations that already have a strong signal in your area. And, you have to be accept whatever timid "choice" the national broadcasters are willing to give you. That's because the big boys own the huge majority of LA airwaves:The "Other" total includes Arte Moreno's KLAA, operating under the name of Radiovisa, and both FM channels of Levine's entity, Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters, Inc. But lest you think I'm one of those raving lefties who loves to gripe about media consolidation (and I think there's an interesting case against it in a circumstance where government has set itself up as a limiter of competition), I will say this in the defense of the present order: at least Clear Channel gives us an all-80's format, something I might even tune in. But in general, the programming on the alternate HD channel parallels that of the analog FM channel. For instance, KROQ has "ROQ Extreme/Active" listed for their HD2 channel, though there are conflicting reports that it's actually an all-80's format. Either one would be a logical spinoff, just as "Classic Jazz" is a logical parallel channel to 94.7's "Smooth Jazz". So, choice, yes, but largely of the hair-splitting kind.Owner Channels ========================== ABC Radio 5 CBS Radio 10 Clear Channel Radio 11 Emmis 4 Entravision 8 Radio One 1 Univision Radio 7 Public Radio 7 Other 5
A Dearth Of Hardware
A quick look at my employer's website for home stereo gear that is HD compatible shows just how obscenely difficult it is to find anything. And let's not talk about price: only one of the units, the Pioneer SX-1016TXV, clocks in at under $500 — and even then our specs say it's only "HD ready", which I suspect means either that (a) our tech specs guy was asleep at the wheel when he entered that, or (b) it's of the "yeah, you can hook up an HD Radio tuner to this".Assume, as I think is reasonable, that you don't want a separate tuner. If that doesn't bother you, then the Sangean HDT-1 might be your speed, and at about $200, the price is certainly right. But for many people — myself included — adding one more piece of hardware to an already cluttered stack is not really feasible. So it's replace or go without.
Which brings me to the Denon DRA-697CIHD, which actually does support HD radio. At $899, it's not exactly cheap, but it goes up — way up — from there. But in all — and I would consider our site to be pretty representative — there's only ten listed products, and of those, only eight that I could really consider for the reasons already given.
To some degree, the limited choice in the home audio market stems from the conscious choice of hardware vendors to support HD radio in car stereos. That's all fine and good, but again, when I went yesterday to Best Buy, I was only able to find two HD Radio-capable units in stock, and those at the higher end of the price scale. The pickings online were appreciably better, although I do have my doubts as to what "HD Ready" really means. Overall, the market seems to be still very immature, it's far from clear that the technology is going anywhere, and for many people, the lack of compelling content is a significant issue.
: 2/26/2007 01:18:00 PM
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