HD vs. satellite radio: Readers sound off

Gary Krakow Columnist • E-mail

Last month I told you how much I liked the Boston Acoustics HD Receptor, the first HD table radio to hit the market.

I said the sound quality is much better than I ever thought possible from local AM or FM stations.  And, I thought that the possibility of new, varied programming channels might give satellite radio services a run for their money.

I was amazed to receive a slew of poison pen (poison key?) e-mail telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about. That may be. But I think many of the satellite radio fans who wrote in missed my point.

Several people told me that they preferred satellite service because of the content:

Erik Larsen: Nothing’s free — you have to listen to all the crappy commercials and all the same crappy spun out top 40 hits. Not to mention that I listen to satellite radio in the middle of the Eastern Oregon desert. I doubt XM or Sirius are overly concerned. I’d spend $50 a month for satellite if that’s what they were charging.

Jeff Gruenhut: You miss the whole point about satellite radio. It’s less about the “sound quality” and much more about the CONTENT. No commercials, sports stations, Opie and Anthony, etc. ... I will never listen to local radio again.

Bevin Hooper: You are so “out of touch” you don’t even realize it. The lure of satellite radio (I am an XM subscriber) is not the quality of the broadcast. IT’S THE CONTENT!  I get scores of music channels that play the exact genre when I feel like listening to it ... WITHOUT COMMERCIALS!!

I agree that AM, FM or HD radio cannot compete with XM or Sirius when it comes to content choice. As I've written many times before, you have to try really hard not to find something you like listening to on satellite radio. At the moment, there’s no way for local radio to compete. And in places like New York City, where diverse programming doesn’t exist, fans of genres such as country music, for example, have no choice but satellite radio.

That said, I think HD radio is in the exact same place where satellite radio was five years ago. That means not only are the first receivers quite expensive, but that station programming is still being ironed out. One of the promises of HD radio is multicasting, which means more channels and hopefully, eventually, more content choices. Also, note that for now, most of the current HD feeds are coming from non-commercial stations, so much of this content is also commercial-free.

Whether the giant corporations who ruined and currently run most of our radio stations will get it right going forward is another story. But for now, I’m excited about HD’s promise of new and diverse programming over our current AM and FM bands — and all without having to pay a monthly fee.

A number of respondents cited the freedom they think satellite broadcasters have from the Federal Communications Commission:

Charles P. Mandeville: You have missed the point: Regardless if there is HD radio or not, it will still be loaded with advertising and subject to FCC regulations. I have purchased my Sirius over a year ago and have said goodbye to old fashion radio and FCC interference. Sirius has noting to fear.

Rose Marcus: I believe that (satellite service) sounds great, and that if you get the right radio, it will be quite the listening experience. I love it. The millions of people who subscribe love it. Terrestrial radio can spin its wheels and come up with all this new “technology” they want. Bottom line is ... commercials and free speech. Satellite doesn’t have to worry about either issue. And the FCC cannot do a thing about it because we pay for it. Just like HBO and that’s why shows like "Sex in the City" do so well at the award shows ... it’s because they are not subject to the foolishness of the FCC.

While the issue of whether removing FCC regulations automatically improves quality is an open one, I wouldn't count on a permanent holiday. Lawmakers have been taking a look at the exceptions for cable TV and pay radio and many would like to extend the FCC's control.

MORE FROM TECH AND GADGETS

Tech and gadgets Section Front

Apple can see Microsoft on the horizon Online holiday shopping is trickier this year What your Facebook photo says about you Auction site launches for millionaires only Tagged.com settles with states in invite fight   Sony offers ‘Cloudy’ for buyers of Internet TVs French president's Facebook photo disputed Google book-scan deal deadline is now Friday 16 Apple products we can only dream about 5 Apple marketing tactics that lock you in Tech and gadgets Section Front   Add Tech and gadgets headlines to your news reader: