Is HD Radio going to be killed by manufacturers' desire to keep it a premium-priced upgrade?

[Current.org moderator]

It doesn't have the huge appeal of the DVD player or other product introductions that can command high prices at first, grow fast and then become mass-market. Why don't electronics companies treat digital reception as a desirable but not high-priced competitive advantage in lower-priced radios? Wouldn't it spread faster that way? Are IBiquity patent licensing fees too high?

What's your scenario based on experience so far and developments you expect to make a difference? What, if anything, will cause/enable HD Radio to take off?

[Greg Fitzgerald]

Looks prices are coming down. Take a look here: http://www.publicmediadigest.org/index.php?option=com_content&t... Finally an HD receiver breaks the $100 price point. Hopefully more on the way.

GF

[John Proffitt]

My understanding is that iBiquity is charging around $50 per radio for the licensing fee. That's way freakin' too high. Nothing will be cheap if they stick to that.

Plus HD Radio still has little to no payoff for real people with real lives. I hold out hope that someone will figure out what to do with this technology and that iBiquity will come to its senses on licensing fees.

But it's a slim hope. Other technologies, such as WiMax, may kill HD Radio before it's out of the crib.

[Rob Paterson]

My son is I think a typical 28 year old Pub media consumer - he gets all he wants via the web - he does not live in a broadcast area where HD would reach - he is not used to paying a lot of ra very limited channel - what would he get from HD?

[John Sutton]

I would imagine the name iBiquity is derived from the word "ubiquitous" which makes this thread ironic. Selling one radio per household doesn't really help the broadcasting business one bit. That's partially the reason why satellite radio hasn't put a dent in broadcast audiences, each radio and subscription cost extra. Most people listen to their favorite station on multiple radios -- bedroom, kitchen, car 1 and car 2 for example. Three to four radios is probably the minimum average per household for HD content to be meaningful in the average household.

[Steve Behrens]

So if the HD Radio premium is turning out to cost more than it's worth to consumers -- and to broadcasters -- is Ibiquity going to start charging less? Demand is LOW, how about the price? Are broadcasters going to demand that?

[John Sutton]

Let's talk about the word "demand." HD Radio is a consumer product. Content, not technology, will drive consumer demand for it and the content isn't there. Low consumer prices alone won't be enough. The value equation for consumers has to be new and essential content at a price that makes it easy to own 3 or 4 radios. For HD Radio to work broadcasters have to spend more on programming and Ibiquity has to charge less for radios. I suspect the odds on that happening are extremely low.

[John Proffitt]

Agreed. This has been a chicken/egg problem from the start.

iBiquity touts technology as a reason to get the radio, then hopes stations will come up with new content to fill in the additional outlets and make iBiquity's dream -- not the consumer's -- come true.

Maybe if there were a bunch of new streaming audio entrants in the market... but if you're new, you'll go straight to web where the costs are lower and the FCC isn't breathing down your neck.

It's a technology in search of a problem to solve.

[PocketRadio]

HD Radio is a farce!

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com

Lots-of-luck!

[Keith Hopper]

I just embarked on my twice-per-year online shopping trip to see if it's time to upgrade my car stereo to HD. Saw a sudden shift to car radios now being "HD-Ready" instead of HD for a number of radios. This appears to require the purchase and professional installation of a separate, compatible unit.

Anyone know why this appears to be a sudden new direction and what this might mean for the future of HD radio? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[PocketRadio]

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

Oh, that's a good thing! Manufacturers, retailers, consumers, broadcasters, and automakers have all been burned by this farce called HD Radio. False claims of coverage and audio and programming quality by iBiquity/HD Alliance is coming back to haunt them. Anything that helps to destroy this deception, and the hijacking and jamming of our free airways is a good thing! Here is the list of countries that have visited hdradiofarce.blogspot.com in the past six months:

1. United States 9,176 1.89 00:05:00 74.56% 73.57%
2. Canada 231 1.35 00:01:36 87.01% 83.55%
3. Germany 62 1.10 00:00:45 95.16% 91.94%
4. United Kingdom 58 1.28 00:01:17 98.28% 89.66%
5. Brazil 39 1.41 00:00:41 92.31% 89.74%
6. Romania 23 1.09 00:00:03 95.65% 91.30%
7. France 22 1.32 00:00:33 100.00% 77.27%
8. Australia 19 1.42 00:03:01 100.00% 78.95%
9. Japan 17 1.06 00:00:14 94.12% 94.12%
10. Taiwan 15 1.47 00:02:08 80.00% 73.33%
11. (not set) 14 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
12. Malaysia 13 1.08 00:00:04 100.00% 92.31%
13. Netherlands 13 1.46 00:01:09 100.00% 69.23%
14. Mexico 11 1.09 00:00:01 90.91% 90.91%
15. India 11 1.09 00:00:06 90.91% 90.91%
16. Sweden 11 1.00 00:00:00 90.91% 100.00%
17. Italy 11 1.09 00:00:03 100.00% 90.91%
18. New Zealand 10 1.20 00:00:18 100.00% 80.00%
19. Spain 9 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
20. Switzerland 9 1.33 00:00:13 88.89% 77.78%
21. Portugal 9 1.22 00:00:18 88.89% 77.78%
22. Puerto Rico 8 1.25 00:00:35 62.50% 75.00%
23. Argentina 7 1.29 00:03:16 100.00% 71.43%
24. Belgium 7 1.29 00:00:08 100.00% 71.43%
25. Norway 6 1.17 00:00:05 100.00% 83.33%
26. Russia 6 2.00 00:14:49 33.33% 50.00%
27. Poland 6 1.17 00:00:14 100.00% 83.33%
28. Philippines 6 1.33 00:00:27 100.00% 66.67%
29. Finland 5 1.20 00:00:52 100.00% 80.00%
30. Hong Kong 5 1.00 00:00:00 80.00% 100.00%
31. Hungary 5 2.00 00:00:39 100.00% 80.00%
32. Latvia 5 1.20 00:00:19 80.00% 80.00%
33. Greece 5 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
34. Austria 5 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
35. China 5 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
36. Singapore 4 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
37. Pakistan 3 1.33 00:01:29 100.00% 66.67%
38. Slovakia 3 1.33 00:01:12 100.00% 66.67%
39. Czech Republic 3 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
40. Indonesia 3 1.33 00:02:35 100.00% 66.67%
41. Bulgaria 3 1.33 00:01:07 100.00% 66.67%
42. Morocco 2 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
43. Ireland 2 1.50 00:02:12 100.00% 50.00%
44. Slovenia 2 1.00 00:00:00 50.00% 100.00%
45. South Korea 2 1.00 00:00:00 50.00% 100.00%
46. Colombia 2 1.50 00:01:31 100.00% 50.00%
47. United Arab Emirates 2 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
48. Dominican Republic 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
49. Ukraine 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
50. Botswana 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
51. Ghana 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
52. Samoa 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
53. Israel 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
54. Egypt 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
55. Somalia 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
56. Tanzania 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
57. Malta 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
58. Luxembourg 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
59. Chile 1 5.00 00:02:58 0.00% 0.00%
60. Serbia 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
61. Bangladesh 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
62. Sri Lanka 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
63. Thailand 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
64. Costa Rica 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
65. Iran 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
66. Lithuania 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
67. Jamaica 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
68. U.S. Virgin Islands 1 2.00 00:02:04 100.00% 0.00%
69. Trinidad and Tobago 1 2.00 00:05:40 100.00% 0.00%
70. Tunisia 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
71. Denmark 1 1.00 00:00:00 100.00% 100.00%
72. Turkey 1