Today, at last! DAB+ but....

[Gordon]

The new national [commercial] DAB multiplex gets switched on today and the "official" launch by none other than John Whittingdale is at the Drive to Digital event tomorrow. See here for details:

http://www.sounddigital.co.uk/

Reading the blurb shows that one's worst fears for DAB+ are realised - it enables more new channels [18] not better quality. Well, it is a commercial enterprise .

Not much for us to rejoice about of course [I doubt that the BBC will promote this launch] but at least some small encouragement for DAB+ to get a small foothold. Receivers have been available with DAB+ in them for some time but useless until now. We shall see how the public respond. Anyone wishing to get at these new channels will need to retune their DAB+ready receiver. I had to retune ours [it is DAB+ able] the other day probably because of a local multiplex change connected with this launch.

[french frank]

it enables more new channels [18]

Well, there's a piece of good news

[Dave2002]

Mmmmm!!

So that's around 16 new channels/stations I'll have absolutely no interest in listening to!

I note that there seem, according to the listing, to be two DAB+ stations, which are Fun Kids, and Jazz FM.
I can't figure out, from the information on that web page, whether that means that Jazz FM and Fun Kids will be at a lower perceptual quality or not. A lot would depend on how compressed those stations are.

Does this mean that the remaining stations will eat up spectrum until they too are finally squeezed onto DAB+ or what? It's not at all clear.

What I'm trying to suggest is that some content programmes, e.g speech and perhaps some other kinds of music, could be put onto DAB+ and squeezed - but that would render them less accessible to people who only have DAB compatible equipment, while for content which really does require good quality audio, the channels should either remain on DAB, or be on DAB+, but with high quality settings at the broadcast end.

There will almost certainly be people who would like Jazz and Rock music to be at high quality levels - I'm not trying to suggest that only classical music should have such settings. Speech, on the other hand, unless very poor (oh - dear - that'll probably happen ....) can be compressed quite hard before it becomes too much of a problem.

[Gordon]

Some good points there Dave - there are actually 3 in DAB+ there is also Magic Chilled!! Hardly likely to cause a stampede to Currys, well I can't see FF on her way at this very moment anyway!! Just think, more in DAB+ and they could have had even more than 18 new channels! Their strategy is interesting to explore.

Any migration to DAB+ will depend on how well this launch is received by the public, one could argue 3 in DAB+ is far too little but then it's commercially driven. If it goes well - ie take up of listening and people buying new receivers - there could be a more widespread migration but how that would be planned is a tricky business, as you have suggested, and that's what I would like to hear about. Ask that question now and you'll get little encouragement from the broadcasters.

[Dave2002]

Some good points there Dave - there are actually 3 in DAB+ there is also Magic Chilled!! Hardly likely to cause a stampede to Currys, well I can't see FF on her way at this very moment anyway!! Just think, more in DAB+ and they could have had even more than 18 new channels! Their strategy is interesting to explore.

I still can only see 2 listed as DAB+ on the web page link http://www.sounddigital.co.uk/ , though I agree that Magic Chilled is one of the new offerings. I am thrilled!

[Quarky]

I still can only see 2 listed as DAB+ on the web page link http://www.sounddigital.co.uk/ , though I agree that Magic Chilled is one of the new offerings. I am thrilled!

In a minority here, but Magic Chilled is of interest, because I am obliged to listen to Chill over dinner. Previously the lady chef would listen to Magic, so perhaps Magic Chilled will give us a little variation. Magic is of course perhaps the largest UK Station in terms of listeners.

I'm assuming that Jazz fm will retain its presence on plain old DAB - there is nothing about DAB+ on its website. Jazz fm has been improving of late, particularly in the time slot 6-7 pm, where real jazz is regularly played (Vinny Moreno...). However it remains 80% dross.

[Frances_iom]

... However it remains 80% dross.

wow! R3 finally has some competition.

[Anastasius]

wow! R3 finally has some competition.

Excellent!

[Frances_iom]

LG have just announced a smartphone that can handle DAB+ - https://thestack.com/world/2016/03/1...chip-released/ - maybe hitting the yoof on the hoof will get Digital into the usage that sees the govt's dream of switching off FM finally realised - tho I suspect R3 will be dead before then - I note that Whittingdale gave a talk to his backers in which he described use of adblockers as akin to theft - maybe along with encryption they too will be shortly banned on the argument that a privatised BBC will need the ad revenue to survive.

[Dave2002]

I note that Whittingdale gave a talk to his backers in which he described use of adblockers as akin to theft - maybe along with encryption they too will be shortly banned on the argument that a privatised BBC will need the ad revenue to survive.

What do you expect? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Whittingdale I wondered who he was/is.

Appalling!