[BC] HD receiver available at J&R

[Robert Orban]

At 12:17 PM 12/16/2005, you wrote:
>From: Mark Earle <wa2mct at mearle.com>
>Subject: Re: [BC] HD receiver available at J&R
>To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20051216081522.02780490 at pop.juno.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
>  >My comment yesterday was as much about the
>  >publicizing the availability of the set, as anything.
>
>My take on this, thinking as a consumer:
>$500 would get me:
>          A Bose Wave with CD/MP3 player
>          A DVD recorder to replace my tape based VCR
>          A pretty decent flat faced CRT TV
>          A set top box for HD off air and a small TV set
>          Two IPODS of various flavors
>          A really fine install of a sat receiver and amps, etc in a vehicle
>
>In other workds, I see the consumer choosing to spend their $500 on
>anything but a receiver, to get "more of the same".

The Recepter is priced for industry insiders and for early adopters / 
gadget freaks. Everyone knows that HD radio receivers are going to have to 
go way below that kind of price point if the system is to receive mass 
market acceptance.

It will be very interesting to see what Bose's plans will be in this arena 
because they are very experienced marketers and know the "premium 
clock/table radio market" better than anyone.


>The fact that the HD1 is being crafted to sound THE SAME as the
>analog..perhaps w/out mulitipath..

I don't know what's wrong on the East Coast. In San Francisco and Los 
Angeles, it is NOT the same on most stations. Snare drums have snap and 
punch on the HD channels. Tambourines and other high-pitched percussion 
doesn't get lost in a weak, non-tonal hash of clipping. There is at least 5 
dB high peak-to-average ratio on the HD channels, and this makes a 
significant difference in the "feel" of rhythmic music. There is simply 
more punch.

Bob Orban