How popular is RDS among viewers?

**Jrd** · 09-04-2011, 11:07 PM

How popular do you think RDS really is among your viewers?(%?) I've seen a lot of talk about RDS and I'm wondering if it's really worth all the hassles, and extra expense.

**dirknerkle** · 09-04-2011, 11:53 PM

Two-part personal opinion here...

A. I think it's cool technology.

B. I think it may cause the viewer to look at the radio instead of the display. I think they know what tune is playing -- maybe not the performers, but certainly the song itself.

**jrock64** · 09-05-2011, 12:51 AM

I got one of the first RDS's in the group buy when they came out.

A cute story... http://doityourselfchristmas.com/for...light=proposal

That being said, you want people to look at your lights.
Why would you want their heads down inside the car trying to look at the radio.

JOel

**budude** · 09-05-2011, 02:00 AM

I completely agree with Dirk - it's definitely neat - but really - what's the point? I'd rather get proper voiceovers done...

**Jrd** · 09-06-2011, 04:38 PM

I agree with you three, but would like to hear some opinions from both sides, hopefully some more people will come by.

RDS is cool but I don't own an RDS radio and I don't know that any of my friends do either.

Now I could see RDS being useful to draw people to your display in case they happen to be scanning the radio within range of your house but your station would probably have to be pretty strong for that to happen and there are a lot of variables in the whole thing.

**dmcole** · 09-06-2011, 06:24 PM

OK, what percentage of your viewers are in cars? Mine hovers somewhere around 99 percent (the people across the street from me pulled the blinds after the second night last year, but that may have been because the show was too bright).

The best percentage of age of cars I could find was from 2001, but I'm sure current figures are off only a small percent one way or another:

*38.3 percent are older than 10 years -- no RDS in those cars.

*22.3 percent are between seven and 10 years old. No RDS in these either.

*25.8 percent are between three and six years old. There is some RDS here.

*13.5 percent are two years old or younger. All have RDS.

I think RDS became commonplace in car radios in about 2006-2007, so let's halve that 25.8 percent of the three-to-six and call the entire universe of RDS-capable 25.5 percent.

So, because this is all back-of-the-envelope analysis, if I were to say that a quarter of all the cars that visit your display had RDS, who would be able to dispute me?

\dmc

**LabRat** · 09-06-2011, 06:42 PM

At the risk of hi-jacking the thread...

I agree that it's a cute/geeky think to have as part of the "package" that is offered. However the DIY in me says I can't buy the PIRA transmitter. I will be trying to build my own for next season...

**Andy.wpg** · 09-06-2011, 07:54 PM

I'm not sure if ANYONE except my friends, relatives and neighbors stopped to watch my show last year (first year - quite small).

That being said, I'm going to have RDS on my signal - 'cause I'm basically doing the whole thing for me - at least so far. For the challenge and the learning.

**Aurbo99** · 09-06-2011, 07:54 PM

LabRat,

Send me a pm, I'll ship you the files for a working transmitter that meets Ottawa's rules for us under RS-210.

**Jrd** · 09-07-2011, 05:04 PM

Well for me personally 100% of my viewers are people I invite because of my display location and all of them get out of their cars right now so for me RDS would not be a great use of money but I want to get other peoples opinions on why to have RDS.

For most people RDS can probably be worth it according to DMC's stats, unless of course you don't want your viewers looking at there radio.