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How Long Before FM Tuners Become “Typewriters”?

x3workshop said:
Almost every cellphone/smartphone actually has an FM tuner built in. In the US, cellular providers have mandated that those chips be deactivated so that you MUST use cell data to stream any music. That's part of their revenue stream. In most other countries, you are able to use those tuners over normal airwaves and receive all of your local stations. It also uses less battery resources.
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Not Samsung, last time I checked.
 
Something similar happened with nokia lumia 920 and other similar models. Although it had an FM tuner, at first it was not activated by the OS. In an update that followed they activated it and you could listen to the radio stations. There are still areas where is hard to get a steady signal let alone an internet connection. At least where I live cell data is a joke. You can't stream videos or internet radio and the phone will heat up and eat your battery because it is constantly trying to get a steady connection.
 
I live near Philadephia, PA and have a fantastic public FM radio station in WXPN 88.5 that is the sound track to my life. My SX-880 and my car are tuned to it exclusively and I pray that it is here for a long time. I count on it to expose me to new music that I may not hear, otherwise. I do love listening to my records but treasure the feeling and experience of listening to a terrestrial radio station.
 
FM is alive and well in Portland, Oregon. Plus, I still have an old Royal typewriter that I occasionally use.
 
Pio1980 said:
Not Samsung, last time I checked.
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All Galaxy S models have tuner. At least in "international" versions of these phones. Since mobile providers practically stopped subsidizing phone purchase, there is little insentive NOT to buy international version.
 
x3workshop said:
Here's a link to an NPR story about it which also contains a link to NextRadio.

http://www.npr.org/sections/alltech...io-inside-your-pocket-and-why-you-cant-use-it

NextRadio is an app than can enable FM on some devices. SAMSUNG is one of those supported. It utilizes some data for pics & track info. Wish it was iOS supported.
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You might be interested in the linked study in post #1 that prompted this thread. There's an interestibg video about NextRadio and the respondents.
 
I didn't read the whole thread but what happened to H-D radio, never really knew that the hell that was supposed to be any way......Cheers
 
HD Radio is still alive, but suffers from the same neglect of OTA broadcasting. It is a digital signal that was meant to be near CD quality and it can actually sound damn good if it isn't broken out into more than 2 sub channels.

Some AM & FM stations broadcast their normal programming digitally, but then also offer the HD2, HD3, and sometimes HD4 variations of programming. They try to max out their allotted frequency to sell more ad space. If you have a good HD tuner and a good digital broadcast it sounds very, very good. AM stations broadcast in HD are much improved over analogue.

I use a modified Sony XDR-F1HD that has one of the best analogue FM tuner sections in it as well as a very good HD Tuner. The audio path was upgraded as well as adding a switch forcing the unit to stay in analogue mode if the digital signal wasn't great.
 
One of the buildings I manage was vacated by two former fm radio stations. It was very difficult finding buyers for the stuff they left behind even at fire sale prices. Most of it was just thrown away. The gigantic dishes they left behind cost too much to remove. If anyone wants them, and will remove them message me lol.
 
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