The Ten Myths of DAB

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I seem to recall (in the days of the R3 Messageboard) one of our contributors to this thread confessing to having an interest in the demise of FM, as he wanted to have access to the technology for community radio.

[Resurrection Man]

I seem to recall (in the days of the R3 Messageboard) one of our contributors to this thread confessing to having an interest in the demise of FM, as he wanted to have access to the technology for community radio.

What...as in BBC Hereford and Worcester or Mom'n'Pop ? Vanity channels - the latter - surely?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I assume the latter, or something similar.

[Globaltruth]

Natonwide coverage would help remove a negative....
from http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/covera...etransmitters/

The national commercial network currently reaches more than 8 out of 10 people in Britain. It has been designed to provide DAB digital radio reception for most large towns and cities as well as major roads and motorways.
Despite being one of the largest digital radio networks in the world, consisting of more than 135 transmitters, there are still some gaps in coverage.
Although there are no confirmed new sites, the radio industry, Ofcom and the Government are working together on planning a route to switchover for radio. Part of this plan will involve Digital One adding some new transmitters. Due to a recent change in the law, there is also a specific possibility that Digital One will extend coverage to Northern Ireland.
At the moment we are unable to provide details of the timetable or where further transmitters might be. As soon as our plans are finalised, we’ll publish them here and e-mail them to people who subscribe to our Stay in Touch newsletter.

[Resurrection Man]

Natonwide coverage would help remove a negative....
from http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/covera...etransmitters/

A negative point about DAB, it is true. But doesn't detract from the lack of any rational reason to switch off FM without forcing - what could be significant - financial penalties on a large part of the population.

One other thought....how about those living where there is a good FM signal but won't get a DAB signal? What are they supposed to do? Ah yes, forced to go out and buy a broadband connection plus an internet radio.

Let the commercial stations rot IMO. If their business model is so dire then they deserve to go out of business. Perhaps if their offering was more attractive to listeners then they would be able to charge more for advertising.

[teamsaint]

Follow the money.....DRM is the future for "income streams".

Keep the good work up on this one RM.

[Nick_G]

Thanks for this Resurrection Man. I plan to email several newspapers and my MP about this in the New Year. The way the DAB debacle has been handled has been every bit as disingenuous as the Newsnight scandal, even if the end results obviously aren't as devastating. Perhaps one of them will see a good story in it. The whole process needs some deep investigation IMO.

The BBC Trust states that anything that the BBC does must be in the interest of licence-fee payers. I can't see anything in the way that DAB has been marketed that is in the public interest. The waste of public funds is particularly galling.

[Resurrection Man]

Thanks, Nick. You might also like to consider emailing the BBC Today programme. If enough people do so then maybe they might just pick it up. I'd love to be invited to discuss opposite Ford Ennals!

[Flosshilde]

I have to confess that when I've listened to DAB I haven't noticed it being any poorer than HMV - but that's probably more to do with my hearing - & getting a good reception on HMV can be difficult sometimes. I suppose the only way to really compare the two is to have two radios on in different rooms & go from one to the other. The time lapse might be helpful for this.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

"VHF", perhaps, Flossie?

DAB reception on this side of the Pennines is much better than the FM signal here, but the plastic-y "feel" of the sound makes me long for the fuller, richer warmth of the FM signal I received when I lived in East Lancs nearly 20 years ago.

[An_Inspector_Calls]

Natonwide coverage would help remove a negative....
from http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/covera...etransmitters/
The national commercial network currently reaches more than 8 out of 10 people in Britain.

And the BBC has 93 % DAB coverage, soon to be 97 %

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/Annex_C.pdf

Looking good!

[Flosshilde]

"VHF", perhaps, Flossie?

Oops, yes. Must have been looking at the HMV thread just before.

[Bryn]

And the BBC has 93 % DAB coverage, soon to be 97 %

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/Annex_C.pdf

Looking good!

Now if they can just stop lying about the time whenever the pips are broadcast.

Oh and:

Disclaimer

All indications of coverage in this document, in both tabular and graphical form, are based on
computer predictions. While the prediction model used has been checked and, as far as
possible, verified, coverage in any particular location cannot be guaranteed.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And the BBC has 93 % DAB coverage, soon to be 97 %

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/Annex_C.pdf

Looking good!

It's looking very good. A pity about the sound.

[gurnemanz]

I only have DAB in the kitchen (Pure Evoke 2) and a small bedside radio. Both are perfectly good for speech channels, R4 and Five Live (much better for Five than on medium wave). I wouldn't expect those radios to be any good for serious music. I listen to Radio 3 mainly via VHF and sometimes Freeview and cannot judge DAB for hifi listening because I have never had any reason to invest anything up to about £600 in a DAB tuner that might deliver appropriate quality.