Dumbed down consumer electronics: Adding DTV channels
in [Design]
|
From: Joel Koltner on 3 Aug 2010 20:12 "Joerg" <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message news:8broh2Ffl2U1(a)mid.individual.net... > At least it doesn't squeal like our Rio stereo after a power outage. > When we are home it's ok, you just power-cycle it. But when the dogs are > home alone it can really annoy them. Ouch! > Amazing. I never really understood the Sirius and XM market. Even back > then the writing was on the wall that the web combined with 3G and 4G > cell phone networks could eventually replace it. "Eventually" is still some time away -- even on I-5 there are still numerous where 3G/4G service is unavailable. Also keep in mind that 3G/4G provide no guaranteed bandwidth, so in other areas even though you effectively may have your Internet connection, the bandwidth and latency will be unacceptable for a good, solid audio stream. > Ok, doesn't work out in > the boonies but I think less and less people care about that. Nowadays > everyone flies across those areas unless there is no other way. Truckers will continue to be a good market for Sirius/XM -- they have to drive across those boonies, and even in areas with 3G/4G coverage, unless you have an unlimited data plan (and these are becoming harder and harder to obtain -- and more and more expensive when they are obtainable), it'll cost you rather a lot to use it. People were thinking about satellite radio in the very late '80s and early '90s; it took then until the turn of the century to get the birds up and running (XM began broadcasting to the entire U.S. public on September 25th, 2001, and Sirius did so on July 1st, 2002. Together Sirius/XM now has more than 15 million subscribers (a lot better than HD radio, eh?), so even though I think you're correct that it'll slowly die due to 3G/4G, overall it's a concept that will likely end up having lasted at least a good 25-30 years, which certainly isn't half-bad. ---Joel
From: Jim Thompson on 3 Aug 2010 20:16 On Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:01:06 -0700, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon(a)On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote: >On Tue, 3 Aug 2010 16:41:24 -0700, "Joel Koltner" ><zapwireDASHgroups(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > >>"Jim Thompson" <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon(a)On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote in >>message news:jo0h56pudo664p48ufhjbd4tt3695vajlo(a)4ax.com... >>> Panasonic CQ-C7103U... >>> >>> http://analog-innovations.com/SED/PanasonicHead+SiriusAdapter.jpg >> >>That looks pretty nice, although it's unforuntaely not the "style" I'm after: >>The SiriusConnect box there, literally is two separate "shells" and circuit >>boards that plug into each other -- the top (grey) half is a generic tuner >>module that all such SiriusConnect boxes use the same one of, and the bottom >>(silver) half contains the interface to go between the generic tuner module >>and the specific head unit you have. At some point Sirius decided to just >>split the box apart, letting you buy those two pieces individually, connecting >>them together with a mini-DIN cable -- this allows you to save the >>"investment" in the generic tuner module part... and that tuner can also be, >>e.g., one of the portable units like the Stiletto I have. >> >>Thanks for going to the effort to take a picture. From checking around on >>eBay it looks like you can still get some reasonably good money for the thing! >> >>---Joel > >Maybe I'll just put it in the truck as originally planned... can't >miss the most-popular news show of all time... "The O'Reilly Factor" >:-) > >KBAQ streams... Is there any performance differences between Media >Player and MP3? I'll see if the Roku can get it... some pages work, >some don't. > > ...Jim Thompson Got it to play on the Roku! ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | Spice is like a sports car... Performance only as good as the person behind the wheel.
From: Joerg on 3 Aug 2010 20:25 Joel Koltner wrote: > "Joerg" <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message > news:8broh2Ffl2U1(a)mid.individual.net... >> At least it doesn't squeal like our Rio stereo after a power outage. >> When we are home it's ok, you just power-cycle it. But when the dogs are >> home alone it can really annoy them. > > Ouch! > It's not super-loud, just annoying. They can retreat into another room if it goes on their nerves. >> Amazing. I never really understood the Sirius and XM market. Even back >> then the writing was on the wall that the web combined with 3G and 4G >> cell phone networks could eventually replace it. > > "Eventually" is still some time away -- even on I-5 there are still > numerous where 3G/4G service is unavailable. Also keep in mind that > 3G/4G provide no guaranteed bandwidth, so in other areas even though you > effectively may have your Internet connection, the bandwidth and latency > will be unacceptable for a good, solid audio stream. > Yep, the Siskiyou range is dead even for regular GSM or CDMA networks. Anyhow, I don't think mankind really needs the constant din of radio at all times. I am perfectly happy with AM/FM and a CD (or cassette) player. Often I turn all this off, roll down the window and listen to the roar of a Harley in front of me. Or I think about some circuitry or technical problem. There's always a little notebook in the glove compartment. The real thing, made from dead trees. >> Ok, doesn't work out in >> the boonies but I think less and less people care about that. Nowadays >> everyone flies across those areas unless there is no other way. > > Truckers will continue to be a good market for Sirius/XM -- they have to > drive across those boonies, and even in areas with 3G/4G coverage, > unless you have an unlimited data plan (and these are becoming harder > and harder to obtain -- and more and more expensive when they are > obtainable), it'll cost you rather a lot to use it. > Audio isn't very demanding in bandwidth. When I do layout checks I often listen to Bluegrass on an Internet station. The modem is right here in the office and the yellow traffic LED barely flashes. Not like when a fat PDF gets downloaded and it's constantly on for tens of seconds. The problem with unlimited plans is when people constantly watch ballgames or YouTube. I have no Internet cell phone but I can't imagine audio being very expensive even on a limited plan. > People were thinking about satellite radio in the very late '80s and > early '90s; it took then until the turn of the century to get the birds > up and running (XM began broadcasting to the entire U.S. public on > September 25th, 2001, and Sirius did so on July 1st, 2002. Together > Sirius/XM now has more than 15 million subscribers (a lot better than HD > radio, eh?), so even though I think you're correct that it'll slowly die > due to 3G/4G, overall it's a concept that will likely end up having > lasted at least a good 25-30 years, which certainly isn't half-bad. > That's true, one can make money with a technology that's only lasting a relatively short time. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Glenn Gundlach on 4 Aug 2010 00:00 On Aug 2, 4:38 pm, "Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgro...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > "Joerg" <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message > > news:8bouvnFvitU1(a)mid.individual.net... > > > Nobody is going to buy new FM radios. That's why I predicted HD-radio to > > fizzle, which it did. > > It hasn't really fizzled. While it's certainly not setting the world on fire, > there does seem to be slow but steady growth. See, e.g.,http://www.twice.com/article/455377-iBiquity_HD_Radio_Sales_More_Than.... > Shipping over a million radios per year should be enough to keep it viable! I > also see Crutchfield devoting a fair number of catalog pages towards pushing > it... > > I do find it a little disheartening that the FCC would license a proprietary > standard, though -- iBiquity owns the rights to the HD radio standard; every > single one of the ~3 million HD radios built out there resulted in their > receiving a royalty. > > Microsoft is releasing an upgraded, 64GB version of their MP3 player/HD > radio/widget, the Zune HD in August, and I have to believe they would have > dropped the HD radio chip in it is they didn't think it was continuing to help > their sales a bit, as a differentiator with iTouch/iPhone devices. (The > original Zune HD came out last September.) > > Oh, and STMicroelectronics is still interested:http://www.st.com/stonline/stappl/cms/press/news/year2010/t3044.htm. > > ---Joel It would help a whole lot if HD radio wasn't $125 fir a clock radio. Or perhaps someone thinks it isn't price sensitive. G²
From: krw on 4 Aug 2010 00:15
On Tue, 3 Aug 2010 21:00:17 -0700 (PDT), Glenn Gundlach <stratus46(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >On Aug 2, 4:38�pm, "Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgro...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> "Joerg" <inva...(a)invalid.invalid> wrote in message >> >> news:8bouvnFvitU1(a)mid.individual.net... >> >> > Nobody is going to buy new FM radios. That's why I predicted HD-radio to >> > fizzle, which it did. >> >> It hasn't really fizzled. �While it's certainly not setting the world on fire, >> there does seem to be slow but steady growth. �See, e.g.,http://www.twice.com/article/455377-iBiquity_HD_Radio_Sales_More_Than.... >> Shipping over a million radios per year should be enough to keep it viable! �I >> also see Crutchfield devoting a fair number of catalog pages towards pushing >> it... >> >> I do find it a little disheartening that the FCC would license a proprietary >> standard, though -- iBiquity owns the rights to the HD radio standard; every >> single one of the ~3 million HD radios built out there resulted in their >> receiving a royalty. >> >> Microsoft is releasing an upgraded, 64GB version of their MP3 player/HD >> radio/widget, the Zune HD in August, and I have to believe they would have >> dropped the HD radio chip in it is they didn't think it was continuing to help >> their sales a bit, as a differentiator with iTouch/iPhone devices. �(The >> original Zune HD came out last September.) >> >> Oh, and STMicroelectronics is still interested:http://www.st.com/stonline/stappl/cms/press/news/year2010/t3044.htm. >> >> ---Joel > >It would help a whole lot if HD radio wasn't $125 fir a clock radio. >Or perhaps someone thinks it isn't price sensitive. I don't think it is (price sensitive). I paid twice that for my XM radio. |