Global terrestrial radio broadcasting is transforming from analog technology to digital technology. Different regions have different ways of transforming. For example, the United States is adopting HD Radio technology (HD radio broadcasting), officially known as IBOC (in-band intra-frequency broadcasting); Canada, part European countries (including the UK and Germany), parts of Asia, Australia and Africa use digital audio broadcasting (DAB), officially known as Eureka 147 DAB; South Korea uses digital media broadcasting (DMB), using H.264 The decoder is a DAB superset that conforms to the recognized ETSI standard. In addition, there is a digital radio broadcasting (DRM) technology that allows a station to serve a wide area (such as the entire continent) through a short-wave spectrum.
In the United States, digital radio content broadcasting has begun in markets in different regions, and low-cost portable receivers have also been provided to consumers. For example, hundreds of radio stations have started broadcasting HD Radio content, and receivers around $250 are also available. In the European market, multi-format receivers supporting content such as DAB, DRM, AM and FM will be available for the mass market. This article will focus on the new concept and application prospects of HD Radio technology, and provide reference information for electronics manufacturers focusing on exporting to the United States.
HD radio broadcasting technology does not require a new spectrum because the technology still utilizes the existing AM and FM bands. The current frequency bands of AM and FM are 540 to 1,700 kHz and 88 to 108 MHz, respectively. For HD radio broadcasts, there are two modes, hybrid and pure digital. The hybrid mode broadcasts the existing analog signal in the digital information of two adjacent sidebands. The pure digital mode cancels the analog channel and replaces it with a pure digital transmission. Compared to FM or AM signal extraction, HD signal reception requires a large amount of digital signal processing.
One of the main differences between analog radio broadcasting and HD radio broadcasting systems is also the transmission of data. We can use the similar digital technology described above to provide data signals containing a variety of information, what type of information can be transmitted, and how this will affect broadcasters and radio broadcast manufacturers, which is relevant to the market. Future success is crucial.
Are there chickens or eggs first?Are there chickens or eggs first? This problem is just a metaphor for the US terrestrial digital radio broadcasting technology. That is, is the broadcaster producing content before the receiver goes on the market, or should it be provided before the broadcast content is produced? In fact, there is no doubt at this point. A large number of empirical examples, such as US satellite broadcasting and the UK DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), show that specific markets only occur when digital radio broadcasters promote content efficiently. Consumer electronics OEMs recognize, or have come to realize, that there is no ready-made content, and even if digital radios are inexpensive and attractive, consumers will never invest in them.
There are several ideas (some of which have already been validated when DAB technology is promoted) that can be applied to HD Radio broadcasts, which will help accelerate the mass market and accelerate profitability.
HD radio technology innovation conceptAt first, the most important reason why global digital radio broadcasting technology can be quickly promoted is its excellent quality. By using advanced codec technology, digital radio broadcasting can achieve CD quality and even higher levels of sound quality even for existing AM and FM bands. However, the reasons for sound quality have gradually become less important than before, because more and more broadcasters are more concerned with the content advantages of digital radio, and this is the core value of new technology.
One of the major innovations in HD Radio technology is the ability to provide richer content in the same frequency bands as traditional AM/FM terrestrial radio broadcasts. By adopting technology now known as supplemental audio services, broadcasters can now offer content for two (or more) channels using bands that previously could only provide one channel. We further divide the available audio bandwidth into subchannels, similar to the case of DAB multiplexing, to achieve more channels. In this way, we have doubled the content without double the cost of broadcasting, which is an important driving factor in the development of HD radio broadcasting technology. Broadcasters can offer consumers more choices while increasing the number of listeners and increasing revenue.
Broadcasters and receiver manufacturers planning to adopt HD radio broadcasting technology are committed to advancing the success of this technology. They can learn from DAB and use the advantages of data from the beginning to launch some attractive applications to convince consumers. Switch to the HD radio receiver. For example, data-related programs such as song titles and radio station formats can serve as basic data characteristics for all HD radio receivers. To achieve the above objectives, the receiver needs to have an LCD that at least supports the scrolling function so that the user can see all the information of the broadcast track. For broadcasters, an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) can be used to display periodic updates of the selection. This feature has become a standardized feature of DAB products.
Another possible innovation brought by the EPG mechanism is the combination of storage capabilities (if the receiver also has an integrated hard drive) for delayed playback of content. As a simple example, the user can pause the program while on the phone, and the receiver will store the program and wait for the user to finish the call before playing the recorded program.
More advanced receivers will help the user implement programming functions that automatically record the program at a time that is inconvenient for the user to listen to for later viewing. If the EPG can track a single song list, the user can also program the receiver, scan the available broadcast channels, search for the user's favorite songs, and store it after finding it.
Note that the program cache and time shifting features require the receiver to be able to encode content. Instead of storing the native broadcast signal, the receiver performs code conversion to convert the original signal into a more efficient format such as MP3 through a sound model to make better use of the storage space.
In addition to time-shifted audio and EPG functions, we can also send traffic information when transmitting HD Radio broadcast signals. The main feature of US terrestrial radio broadcasting is locality, which can meet the specific needs of the local community. For large and medium-sized cities, traffic information is naturally essential. When combined with GPS traffic navigation system, sending traffic information through HD Radio broadcast has strong practicability and feasibility, which can help drivers to drive around the accident area or road construction. This is more helpful for quick updates of relevant data than other competing solutions. HD Radio broadcast data transmission can achieve the above functions, but we have to design the corresponding application layer.
Mobile TV applicationLet's take an example of how to use data sideband channels in an innovative way to provide users with very attractive content. BT LiveTIme is a joint venture between BT and UBC Media. In addition to providing multiple audio channels, it also provides news headlines and video services via DAB data channels. If the display function of the device is limited, for example, the receiver LCD of most car hands-free series can only display two lines of content, then the news title service can scroll on the LCD without affecting the broadcast.
More attractive is the use of data channels for video content broadcasts for mobile TV applications. For example, mobile phone users can listen to the radio to watch TV no matter where they go.
For program-independent data such as pictures and videos, we need to consider the problem of increasing the cost of display devices, and may also need to increase storage space for files provided by the broadcast. However, we will provide the above data application services according to the needs of local content, which will promote the rapid promotion of HD radio broadcasting technology. In addition, receiver manufacturers should consider how to display standardized data formats safely and efficiently. When broadcasting companies use new technologies to generate revenue, they should evaluate what information is transmitted and how to make the information simple.
Flexible platform for HD Radio broadcast receiversOur exploration is just beginning with the most exciting and innovative potential of digital radio broadcasting, such as complementary audio services provided by digital sidebands and other new data services.
There must be differences in the promotion and implementation of data applications, so we should provide a flexible platform for radio broadcasting technology. In addition, radio manufacturers want to differentiate themselves from their competitors by adopting a distinctive HD Radio broadcast technology implementation to increase their specific intellectual property. If the HD Radio receiver can only implement HD Radio demodulation and decoding, it will be detrimental to the receiver manufacturer and will not be value-added. The advantages of HD Radio data and audio content also make it difficult for broadcasters to transmit different forms of HD radio data and content, which is not conducive to consumers adopting HD radio broadcasting technology. At the same time, this is not conducive to the introduction of attractive products, it is difficult to achieve the functions required by consumers such as recording, time-lapse broadcast and so on.
The size of the receiver is as important as the target market. The programmable architecture can be used as a design basis, and developers can quickly launch a variety of new product lines, including in-vehicle devices, home stereo devices, and even handheld devices, while leveraging existing software and hardware investments.
HD Radio is an exciting new technology that presents unique digital signal processing requirements that are distinct from current analog radio broadcasts. With this new technology, the demodulation and decoding of basic audio signals will be more complicated, and at the same time, the problem of data broadcasting and more audio content will be solved. DAB and satellite broadcasting provide useful experience for how the HD Radio broadcast market can efficiently integrate audio and data, and broadcasters can use the experience to effectively promote new technologies. In addition to expanding content and active advertising, the success of the HD radio market depends on the ability to choose the right platform for HD radio signals and whether the platform is flexible enough to take advantage of and extend audio and data capabilities.
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