HD Radio Question

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

I've got a question about HD radio, or more accurately HD radio
capabilities.

The digital radio systems currently being advertised (based on
Ibiquity's technology) are capable of multiplexing several audio program
streams plus other digital data on one FM broadcast channel. One
popular(?) use of this is to include a text stream with the audio with
the station call letters, program description, current content (song and
artist) and advertising messages.

However, this last capability isn't really new. A friend of mine has a
'92 Audi with a Bose sound system. It has the same capability, at least
with respect to the text messages. This predates the Ibiquity system by
quite a few years. In addition, I took a peek at his owners manual
(there's a separate Bose sound system manual for the car) and there is
no mention of Ibiquity or HD radio. Oddly enough, there isn't even a
mention of the text capability at all. According to my friend, its
always done that and it works on about half of the FM stations in the
Seattle area.

Is there some other standard (other than HD) for broadcasting program
text along with the audio?

And what would motivate Bose to skip the description of such a feature
in their manual?

--
Paul Hovnanian mailto[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------
It's easier said than done.
.... and if you don't believe it, try proving that it's easier done than
said, and you'll see that it's easier said that `it's easier done than
said' than it is done, which really proves that it's easier said than
done.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Paul,


Can't speak about the digital radio standards because it never
interested me. IMHO mankind doesn't need it so urgently <ducking for

Is there some other standard (other than HD) for broadcasting program
text along with the audio?

And what would motivate Bose to skip the description of such a feature
in their manual?

In Europe that has been around for a long time on FM. My Audi over there
displayed stuff on its LCD. I never looked much but supposedly that was
the station ID and other things. When I bought the car I almost stalled
it at the gate of the dealer's lot which would have been embarrassing.
The reason was that the radio came on by itself and announced some
traffic jam on a nearby Autobahn, then turned itself on again. I thought
someone was in the back seat. Then I asked a neighbor how I could turn
that off. "Where did you live the last 10 years?" he asked.

Anyway, it's called Radio Data System (RDS) and you could start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System

The radio was from Blaupunkt and their explanations start here:
http://www.blaupunkt.co.uk/technology_1.asp

Regards, Joerg

 

[Michael]

Hello Paul,

Can't speak about the digital radio standards because it never
interested me. IMHO mankind doesn't need it so urgently <ducking for


In Europe that has been around for a long time on FM. My Audi over there
displayed stuff on its LCD. I never looked much but supposedly that was
the station ID and other things. When I bought the car I almost stalled
it at the gate of the dealer's lot which would have been embarrassing.
The reason was that the radio came on by itself and announced some
traffic jam on a nearby Autobahn, then turned itself on again. I thought
someone was in the back seat. Then I asked a neighbor how I could turn
that off. "Where did you live the last 10 years?" he asked.

Anyway, it's called Radio Data System (RDS) and you could start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System

The radio was from Blaupunkt and their explanations start here:
http://www.blaupunkt.co.uk/technology_1.asp

Regards, Joerg

Ah yes ... RDS. I experienced it back in 1981, in my German girl friend's car.
It was nice to know about the traffic "marmalade" - mixed-up-German for "jam"
;-) - near Muenchen, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt and other large cities,
before we got to them, but when the announcements interrupted our music cassette
too often it got annoying.

 

[Joerg]

Hello Michael,

Ah yes ... RDS. I experienced it back in 1981, in my German girl friend's car.
It was nice to know about the traffic "marmalade" - mixed-up-German for "jam"
;-) - near Muenchen, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt and other large cities,
before we got to them, but when the announcements interrupted our music cassette
too often it got annoying.

Also, it is usually too late. Once they announce the traffic jam you are
mostly already in it. Sometimes they use slang. For example, around
Duesseldorf they might mention dense traffic at the "Moersenbroicher
Ei". Only hardcore locals know where that is.

Where RDS can save lives is when they announce wrong way drivers on the
autobahns. I could also imagine it being quite useful in amber alert
situations.

I don't know whether RDS has been linked to some GPS units already. That
could benefit high-mileage drivers in giving them alternate routes visually.

Regards, Joerg

 

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

Hello Paul,

Can't speak about the digital radio standards because it never
interested me. IMHO mankind doesn't need it so urgently <ducking for


In Europe that has been around for a long time on FM. My Audi over there
displayed stuff on its LCD. I never looked much but supposedly that was
the station ID and other things. When I bought the car I almost stalled
it at the gate of the dealer's lot which would have been embarrassing.
The reason was that the radio came on by itself and announced some
traffic jam on a nearby Autobahn, then turned itself on again. I thought
someone was in the back seat. Then I asked a neighbor how I could turn
that off. "Where did you live the last 10 years?" he asked.

Anyway, it's called Radio Data System (RDS) and you could start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System

The radio was from Blaupunkt and their explanations start here:
http://www.blaupunkt.co.uk/technology_1.asp

Regards, Joerg

Thanks. That seems to fit what I've seen. We don't have any traffic
warning systems tied in to this in my area, so all it displays is the
station call sign, program type, artist name, etc.

I'm familiar with some of the advanced teletext (or whatever they call
them) features of European TV, so it doesn't surprise me to see this on
a high end European car radio. It also doesn't surprise me to see the
eventual American version of this system come as a proprietary, sole
source licensed technology. Expensive as well.

 

[Glenn Gundlach]

Hello Paul,


Can't speak about the digital radio standards because it never
interested me. IMHO mankind doesn't need it so urgently <ducking for
cover>. Neither do we need digital TV <looking for some body armor now>.

Regards, Joerg

Nah, you don't need body armor. I've worked commercial TV since 1976
and the feeds in the studio and from the networks blew away what you
got at home, particularly if you got to see serial digital or lowly
analog component. NOT ANY MORE !! Just getting rid of the
noise/ringing/smearing/color space limits is a MASSIVE improvement.
Granted, the shows still leave lots to be desired but they sure look
good. You'll see colors like never before. I'm not much of a sports fan
but football games are really impressive.

GG

 

[Deefoo]

Hello Paul,


Can't speak about the digital radio standards because it never
interested me. IMHO mankind doesn't need it so urgently <ducking for


In Europe that has been around for a long time on FM. My Audi over there
displayed stuff on its LCD. I never looked much but supposedly that was
the station ID and other things. When I bought the car I almost stalled
it at the gate of the dealer's lot which would have been embarrassing.
The reason was that the radio came on by itself and announced some
traffic jam on a nearby Autobahn, then turned itself on again. I thought
someone was in the back seat. Then I asked a neighbor how I could turn
that off. "Where did you live the last 10 years?" he asked.

Anyway, it's called Radio Data System (RDS) and you could start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System

The radio was from Blaupunkt and their explanations start here:
http://www.blaupunkt.co.uk/technology_1.asp

Regards, Joerg

They also use it for advertisements. Imagine driving your car watching your
radio for a Pespi commercial to scroll by. I've never understood why that
wasn't banned immediately.

--DF