IBOC

[electronicdx]

I have been reading about IBOC on the net and the magazines. How can I get a digital decoder for the new broadcasts? I mean is there going to be something ramsey that would be helpful for the FM radio broadcast kit. Adam.

[DigitalJunkie]

I'm not sure IBOC ever "made it" onto the scene because of severe interference problems.I think there are a couple stations still using it,but i'm not sure.Thee doesn't seem to be much demand for recievers,since they aren't using it (atleast not in many places).

[TerryInMD]

Actually, "HD Radio" (formerly IBOC), is slowly taking off. Every major market now has a radio station transmitting using the IBOC / Ibiquity technology. But for now, the receivers are VERY expensive ($1000). This will probably drop quickly.

You're right about interference, but that's mainly an issue with AM radio, not FM. I heard some incredible demos of HD Radio while at NAB in Las Vegas this year. Wow!

[DigitalJunkie]

Hmm,maybe they have ironed out the bugs recently.
Last bit I read said the audio quality wasn't that great,the links to the transmitters were either going to be 112,or 128kbps,with 96kbps for the audio stream,and the rest being used for "control" of the remote TX site.It also said that the interference was horrible,and that only 1 or 2 companies at the time even made a "true" reciever for it.(I think Sony was one of them.) It sounded like a nightmare,and a waste of time and money,plus everyone would have to buy a new reciever to listen to it.
Supposedly it is/was supposed to be compatable to some degree with regular am/fm tuners,but I dunno if that was hot air or what? I recall a post somewhere (rec.audio.* ?) by a guy who was picking up a local IBOC station on his reciever,but the sound quality was really bad,and there were "ghosts" of the station at other spots on the dial.
Bah,and they won't allow us to use 1 clean watt. :( :rolleyes: