Digital AM/FM challenges satellite radio

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Digital AM/FM challenges satellite radio

One of first receivers on the market makes a great case for new system

[suggested Retail Price: $500.00]

By Gary Krakow

Columnist

MSNBC

Updated: 8:41 a.m. ET Dec. 16, 2005

NEW YORK - Howard Stern might be leaving terrestrial radio at the wrong time. With the release of the first real digital AM/FM radio receiver, satellite radio may have some real competition to worry about.

HD is the digital system that the U.S. government has approved for broadcasts of local AM and FM radio stations. That's broadcast, not satellite — no subscription fee is required. You may not be aware of it, but a number of your local stations have already begun to broadcast a HD signal, in addition to the analog signal you’ve been listening to for years.

For the past few days I have been testing the first digital, terrestrial, table/clock radio to hit the market — Boston Acoustics’ Recepter Radio HD. My immediate first impression is that satellite radio broadcasters better start worrying.

Like its analog version, the Recepter Radio HD is in the mold of high-quality table radios made famous by the legendary Henry Kloss and his line of Tivoli receivers. But this radio has circuitry inside that not only receives regular AM and FM stations, but also the new digital versions of those stations.

The Recepter HD uses the digital broadcasting system created by iBiquity. It’s a system only approved in the United States. Other countries around the world (including Canada) use different digital radio broadcast technologies.

The iBiquity system allows U.S. radio stations to broadcast one or more digital feeds on the exact same frequency they use for their regular (analog) signal. Your new HD radio receiver sorts the different signals and lets you listen to the best one you can receive. The idea here is to set the radio dial to your favorite radio stations, wait 5 seconds or so and then begin listening to the radio station in full-blown digital splendor.

I’m happy to say that’s exactly what the Recepter HD radio does. I wasn’t impressed hearing iBiquity’s early attempts at digital broadcasts at the last few Consumer Electronics Shows, but the sound quality of HD on the Recepter HD has won me over.

For those of you who need to see numbers, here are some: The main Recepter HD box is 4.4 by 7.6 by 6.75 inches, with an extension speaker that is 4.4 by 4.4 by 6.0 inches. The whole thing weighs 1.6 pounds. There's also a tiny little sliver of a remote control that runs on one CR2025 button battery.

Setup is very straightforward. You plug in the wire FM antenna (or your preferred external antenna), plug in the external stereo speaker, attach the AC adapter and you’re all set. Included in the box are an external AM loop antenna and a long extension cord for the second speaker.

Turn on the radio and tune to a station in your area. If the station is broadcasting in HD, you’ll see a little logo flashing on the radio’s screen. Within seconds, as soon as the radio locks onto the digital signal, the flashing stops and you’re listening in digital. That works for both FM and local AM stations.

But that’s not all. IBiquity’s HD system also allows for multicasting. That means in addition to an analog and digital version of your favorite station, there might also be other digital programming channels available on your newfangled radio.

For instance, here in New York, Infinity Broadcasting switched their top-10 rated oldies station WCBS-FM to their new "Jack" format. To stop complaints, Infinity started a feed of oldies music on the Jack Web site. On my Recepter HD radio, WCBS-1 plays Jack and WCBS-2 plays that oldies feed. Imagine the possibilities.

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