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Will HD always be free?

J

jras20

I bet this has been posted, but I would like to know will it always be free? What is everyone's thoughts? I really want to get a HD radio, but I dont want to pay extra per month (if ever happens) because at my place its in the fringe, but I can pull them in locally with my outdoor antenna, and sometimes I'll get another city over the top of them. I heard some people saying it wont, but a lot of places said it would be always free, lets hope it will be always free!!
J<P ID="signature">______________
jras20</P>
 
Anything can happen, but it seems VERY likely that HD will be free for many, many years to come.

Any sort of pay-HD would instantly obsolete the first generation of HD radios. If the radio conglomerates had intended to do pay radio, they would have made sure iBquity included some sort of radio ID feature in their system. To my knowledge, there isn't one.
 
> Anything can happen, but it seems VERY likely that HD will
> be free for many, many years to come.
>
> Any sort of pay-HD would instantly obsolete the first
> generation of HD radios. If the radio conglomerates had
> intended to do pay radio, they would have made sure iBquity
> included some sort of radio ID feature in their system. To
> my knowledge, there isn't one.
>

Advertising eventually will pay the freight, right? The question is how many minutes per hour before the listeners start going back to their mp3 players or subscribe to satellite.
 
There will probably always be some free HD channels. I would wait to buy for two reasons. Price will drop, and the receivers will get much better. Right now, HD for the most part does not have the range that analog has. So, just because you can hear the analog channel does not mean you will get the digital. I made a mistake and bought a first generation HDTV tuner. I paid 700.00 for it. Yeah, I know what PT Barnum said... The newer stuff runs circles around the first one. I think HDTV is on generation 5 now. So, I would wait. Remember too, that the FCC has NOT approved HD or IBOC or digital whatever you want to call it yet. It is operating under STA's or special temporary authority. There is still a major problem with AM HD. The interference issue is a major problem.



> I bet this has been posted, but I would like to know will it
> always be free? What is everyone's thoughts? I really want
> to get a HD radio, but I dont want to pay extra per month
> (if ever happens) because at my place its in the fringe, but
> I can pull them in locally with my outdoor antenna, and
> sometimes I'll get another city over the top of them. I
> heard some people saying it wont, but a lot of places said
> it would be always free, lets hope it will be always free!!
> J
>
 
> ...lets hope it will be always free!!
> J
>

No it will not always be (commercial) free!
Why would you want it to be free if that means slamming you with a constant barrage of nonprogram material?
I did not say commercials.
I said nonprogram material.
Those things that have nothing to do with what you tuned in to listen to.<P ID="signature">______________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology
_______________</P>
 
> There will probably always be some free HD channels. I
> would wait to buy for two reasons. Price will drop, and the
> receivers will get much better. Right now, HD for the most
> part does not have the range that analog has. So, just
> because you can hear the analog channel does not mean you
> will get the digital. I made a mistake and bought a first
> generation HDTV tuner. I paid 700.00 for it. Yeah, I know
> what PT Barnum said... The newer stuff runs circles around
> the first one. I think HDTV is on generation 5 now. So, I
> would wait. Remember too, that the FCC has NOT approved HD
> or IBOC or digital whatever you want to call it yet. It is
> operating under STA's or special temporary authority. There
> is still a major problem with AM HD. The interference issue
> is a major problem.
>

Actually you are no longer need an STA for FM IBOC. You simply notify the commission that you have commenced operation. As for range, in these parts HD certainly covers our "areas of interest" which exceed our city-grade contour.

IF (and that's a BIG if) the IBOC spec changes (extremely unlikely for FM, more likely for AM), most radios are designed to be flash upgraded with new firmware.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
>
> IF...the IBOC spec changes...most radios are
> designed to be flash upgraded with new firmware.
>

Does this mean over the air, downloadable from a PC, or send the radio in to meet its maker?<P ID="signature">______________
Proud 2 B a pioneering satellite radio subs¢riber
Ai4i is always on the trailing edge of technology
_______________</P>
 
> IF (and that's a BIG if) the IBOC spec changes (extremely
> unlikely for FM, more likely for AM), most radios are
> designed to be flash upgraded with new firmware.

Which receivers are those? I was told by Kenwood that their receivers would not be upgradable. The reasoning was that consumers were unlikely to upgrade. If it were done via a data stream you couldn't guaranteee the receiver would be tuned to the same station for the duration of the upgrade. If an upgrade is aborted, as in computer equipment, it often needs factory service.

In the case of a car receiver, no dealer is going to want to waste the time on a free upgrade. My family is in the car business. It's not a profitable option to perform an upgrade.

Which receivers are upgadable and how will it be done?

Rich
 
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