FMeXtra
Encyclopedia
FMeXtra, now marketed as VuCast and oriented at the broadcast data market like MSN Direct
, is an in-band on-channel
digital radio
broadcasting
technology
created by Digital Radio Express, now VuCast Media. Unlike iBiquity
's HD Radio
system, it uses any FM
radio station
's existing equipment and transmitter plant to transmit digital audio
data
on subcarrier
s instead of sideband
s. It also requires no royalties
for its use, which run thousands of dollars per year for HD Radio.
The system is run from a single rack unit
box called the X1 Encoder, which is actually based upon a personal computer
server
and digital audio
hardware
from Lynx Studio Technologies (LST). Control is entirely via software, via gigabit Ethernet
, USB, serial port
, and SVGA video monitor
. All processing is handled internally by a Pentium 4
running Windows XP
.
FMeXtra is fully compatible with HD Radio, which uses additional radio spectrum
beyond the ±100 kHz signal. It is not compatible with all existing subcarriers. Thus, a radio station might have to remove its radio reading service
for the blind
, and replace it (and its dependent listeners' receivers) with a digital one. This would take up much less bandwidth, particularly since voice can be highly compressed. The signal is partitioned so that Radio Broadcast Data System(RBDS), stereo, or other existing subcarriers can be protected, at the expense of bandwidth. But if you transmit in mono mode only, you have no RDS protection for stations in Europe.
The codec
s used are AAC
and aacPlus v1 and v2 and sample rates of 8 kHz (telephone quality) to 96 kHz (surround sound
quality). The other codec
s used are AMR-WB+ that can create more multiple audio programs as well as limited multimedia
can also be broadcast, as with HD Radio and DAB
. The available broadcasting bandwidth for digital audio varies from 40 kbit/s while sharing the space with existing analog signals, or 156 kbit/s if all analog signals (except the base monophonic signal) are dropped. (For comparison, iBiquity's Hybrid Digital/analog system offers 100-150 kbit/s in shared mode, and 300 kbit/s in pure digital mode.)
The coverage is similar to FM Stereo, and therefore high ERP
is required in larger urban areas, as with normal FM transmissions.
and others
Minnesota Reading Services for the Blind has 25 FMeXtra encoders and 7500 special FMeXtra receivers without a visual display.
Benelux
resumed after a pause (http://radio.nl/2003/home/medianieuws/010.archief/2008/01/127675.html)
Rest of Europe
MSN Direct
MSN Direct is an FM radio-based digital service which allows 'SPOT' portable devices to receive information from MSN services. Devices that support MSN Direct include wristwatches, desktop clocks, in-car GPS satellite navigation units, and even small appliances such as coffee makers...
, is an in-band on-channel
In-band on-channel
In-band on-channel is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency....
digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
created by Digital Radio Express, now VuCast Media. Unlike iBiquity
IBiquity
iBiquity Digital Corporation is a company formed by the merger of USA Digital Radio and Lucent Digital Radio, with the goal of creating an in-band on-channel digital radio system for the United States and around the world...
's HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
system, it uses any FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
's existing equipment and transmitter plant to transmit digital audio
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
on subcarrier
Subcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
s instead of sideband
Sideband
In radio communications, a sideband is a band of frequencies higher than or lower than the carrier frequency, containing power as a result of the modulation process. The sidebands consist of all the Fourier components of the modulated signal except the carrier...
s. It also requires no royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
for its use, which run thousands of dollars per year for HD Radio.
The system is run from a single rack unit
Rack unit
A rack unit or U is a unit of measure used to describe the height of equipment intended for mounting in a 19-inch rack or a 23-inch rack...
box called the X1 Encoder, which is actually based upon a personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
and digital audio
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
from Lynx Studio Technologies (LST). Control is entirely via software, via gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
, USB, serial port
Serial port
In computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
, and SVGA video monitor
Video monitor
A video monitor also called a broadcast monitor, broadcast reference monitor or just reference monitor, is a display device similar to a television set, used to monitor the output of a video-generating device, such as playout from a video server, IRD, video camera, VCR, or DVD player. It may or...
. All processing is handled internally by a Pentium 4
Pentium 4
Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
running Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
.
FMeXtra is fully compatible with HD Radio, which uses additional radio spectrum
Radio spectrum
Radio spectrum refers to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding to radio frequencies – that is, frequencies lower than around 300 GHz ....
beyond the ±100 kHz signal. It is not compatible with all existing subcarriers. Thus, a radio station might have to remove its radio reading service
Radio reading service
A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a service of many universities, community groups and public radio stations, where a narrator reads books, newspapers and magazines aloud for the benefit of the blind and vision-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier, with...
for the blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, and replace it (and its dependent listeners' receivers) with a digital one. This would take up much less bandwidth, particularly since voice can be highly compressed. The signal is partitioned so that Radio Broadcast Data System(RBDS), stereo, or other existing subcarriers can be protected, at the expense of bandwidth. But if you transmit in mono mode only, you have no RDS protection for stations in Europe.
The codec
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau of "compressor-decompressor" or, more commonly, "coder-decoder"...
s used are AAC
Advanced Audio Coding
Advanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
and aacPlus v1 and v2 and sample rates of 8 kHz (telephone quality) to 96 kHz (surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
quality). The other codec
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau of "compressor-decompressor" or, more commonly, "coder-decoder"...
s used are AMR-WB+ that can create more multiple audio programs as well as limited multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
can also be broadcast, as with HD Radio and DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
. The available broadcasting bandwidth for digital audio varies from 40 kbit/s while sharing the space with existing analog signals, or 156 kbit/s if all analog signals (except the base monophonic signal) are dropped. (For comparison, iBiquity's Hybrid Digital/analog system offers 100-150 kbit/s in shared mode, and 300 kbit/s in pure digital mode.)
The coverage is similar to FM Stereo, and therefore high ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
is required in larger urban areas, as with normal FM transmissions.
USA
- KBAYKBAYKBAY is a radio station licensed to Gilroy, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Its current format is Soft Rock It is owned by NextMedia Group along with sister station, "Mix-106.5" KEZR-FM...
, 94.5 FM, San Jose, CA - KRPRKRPRKRPR is a non-commercial Classic Rock radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the community of Rochester, Minnesota.-History:...
, 89.9 FM, Rochester, MNRochester, MinnesotaRochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the... - KNXRKNXRKNXR is an easy-listening FM radio station in Rochester, Minnesota, US. It was founded by president and general manager Thomas H. Jones, and was first heard Christmas Eve 1965...
, 97.5 FM, Rochester, MNRochester, MinnesotaRochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the... - WBUZ (FM), 102.9 FM, La Vergne, TNhttp://rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=7993
- WHBQ-FMWHBQ-FMWHBQ-FM and its simulcast, WIVG, are a pair of Memphis, Tennessee, USA-based radio stations broadcasting a top 40 musical format. WHBQ's main antenna is in Cordova, Tennessee covering the central and northern portions of the Memphis area, while WIVG's antenna is based in Tunica, Mississippi, where...
, 107.5 FM, Germantown, TN - KBNL, 89.9 FM Laredo, TX
- WLYFWLYFWLYF is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station that broadcasts in Miami Gardens, Florida. The station targets women aged 25-54...
, 101.5 FM, Miami, FL
and others
Minnesota Reading Services for the Blind has 25 FMeXtra encoders and 7500 special FMeXtra receivers without a visual display.
BeneluxBeneluxThe Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
resumed after a pause (http://radio.nl/2003/home/medianieuws/010.archief/2008/01/127675.html)
- 93.9 FM, Megastad, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, carrying Megastad Classics
- 96.5 FM, Imagine FM, Brussels, Belgium, simulcast
- 98.4 FM, Radio 538Radio 538Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
, Goes, The Netherlands, carrying Radio 10 Gold & JuizeFM - 100.4 FM, Q-music, Rotterdam & Oude Polder, The Netherlands, carrying Radio Bem Bem
- 100.7 FM, Q-music, Lopik, The Netherlands, carrying Radio Bem Bem
- 101.2 FM, Sky RadioSKY RadioSky Radio is a Russian-language radio station in Estonia. Launched in 1995, Sky Radio is the oldest radio station owned by Sky Media Group. Its sister station in Estonian language is Sky Plus....
, Hilversum, The Netherlands, carrying TMF Radio & Kink FM - 101.9 FM, Radio 538Radio 538Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
, Alphen, The Netherlands, carrying Radio 10 Gold & JuizeFM - 102.1 FM, Radio 538Radio 538Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
, Hilversum, The Netherlands, carrying Radio 10 Gold & JuizeFM - 102.4 FM, Radio 538Radio 538Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
, Terneuzen, The Netherlands, carrying Radio 10 Gold & JuizeFM - 102.7 FM, Radio 538Radio 538Radio 538 is a Dutch commercial radio station aimed at young people. It has a broad format which includes Top 40, dance, R&B and recent hits...
, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, carrying Radio 10 Gold & JuizeFM - 105.3 FM, Delta RadioDelta Radiodelta radio is a radio station from Kiel, Germany. It is a branch of Mach3 broadcasting along with Radio Schleswig-Holstein and Radio Nora . Delta radio prides itself for its different, and alternative image, as its slogan "Klingt anders" sums up...
, Twente, The Netherlands, carrying Delta Piraat - 106,1 FM, Gold FM, Brussels, Belgium, simulcast + carrying Jet FM
Rest of EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
- Antenna 1, 89.1 FM, Heilbronn, Germany (soon on air)
- Otto FM, 103.4 FM, Varese, Italy, carrying Chic FM