Poll: DAB+ is the future? Digital terrestrial radio broadcasting

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Neighbouring France is developing its digital radio network - DAB+ is planned to expand this summer - possible reception in the south of UK, too.

Nicolas Curien reasserts France's DAB+ plans at Radio Week
https://www.lalettre.pro/RadioWeek-le-top-depart-donne-par-Nicolas-Curien_a25147.html?TOKEN_RETURN

"Looking back at his six years at the head of the CSA, Curien noted the significant progress of DAB+ radio in France, where the start of national DAB+ services is set to be marked with the launch of two multiplexes this summer."

 

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DRUK Digital Radio Tick Mark: Evolution of the Scheme

"In 2021, the DRUK Tick Mark for both radio products and core technologies will make a transition from technical alignment with ETSI TS 103 461v1.1.1 to technical alignment with ETSI TS 103 461v1.2.2. This change is being made to ensure that the DRUK Tick Mark is up to date with the international DAB standards."

"The changes to the Digital Radio Tick Mark, outlined in this document, will ensure that it remains consistent with international DAB standards across multiple markets. Manufacturers are encouraged to transition their products and core technologies to align with the revised version as soon as possible."
https://mcusercontent.com/57b27005f...fadd97bc183/DRUK_Tick_Mark_Evolution_2021.pdf

Australia - 13% rise in audiences for DAB+ only stations in 2020
"Commercial DAB+ only stations attracted nearly 1.6 million listeners, an increase of 13% or 180,000 people compared to 2019. More than half of those listened to DAB+ stations at home and 676,000 listened in the car."
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news...dio-audiences-have-grown-10-over-past-5-years

 

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"The French media regulator CSA has announced that the launch of national DAB+ services in France will take place on Thursday 15 July 2021. A total of 25 stations are set to broadcast their services across France on DAB+ digital radio."

Air Zen
BFM Business
BFM Radio
Chérie FM
Europe 1
FIP
France Culture
France Info
France Inter
France Musique
Fun Radio
Latina
M Radio
Mouv'
Nostalgie
NRJ
Radio Classique
RFM
Rire et Chansons
RMC
RTL
RTL 2
Skyrock
Skyrock Klassiks
Virgin Radio


Le CSA fixe le démarrage officiel du DAB+ métropolitain au 15 juillet 2021 - DAB+ en France (dabplus.fr)
Les radios en DAB+ en France métropolitaine - DAB+ en France (dabplus.fr)

8B and 8C should be possible for reception in London, Southampton area.

 

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DAB in this country is a complete joke.

The problem is in the people, not in the technology. If you are using low quality compression codec and mono sound, what else can you expect?!

It continues to develop and you can ask for HE-AAC v2 or v3, and stereo sound, might your experience get better.

But blaming the wrong thing won't help you.

 

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The bandwidth of a multiplex is 1,136 kbit/s which is enough for up to 10 stations at 114 Kb/s or up to 17 stations at 64 Kb/s

There are lossless compression algorithms - Category:Lossless audio codecs - Wikipedia
FLAC, Ogg,

 

[4K8KW10]

Neither of which are sufficient to provide a signal quality free-enough of compression artefacts to match or better FM; so really, what's point?

Its not for consumer benefits. Which then leaves the other reasons which are it serves the commercial interests of the broadcasters and it pays more revenue in to the Government coffers.

The bottom line then is it's all about money. This is what some/many of us have said all through this thread...

.... and you've finally shown your true colours.

I begin to think that you are a troll.
FM cuts very large range of the high and low frequencies and have very strong disturbances / interferences in the sound which make the effective bit rate close to 10 or 20 Kb/s.
DAB+ offers many times more.

 

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Yup.

There is an evolution from FM to be had, it's called Internet Radio -- Dab is worthless tatt that requires more expenditure for the consumer in the end. Internet coverage is built into everything now, it's a growing eco-system that will constantly improve and offer more. Somewhat hilarious as he claimed Internet Radio was a negative because it cost more than going DAB for the consumer. More...? Almost everyone has access to the internet now and more will, and there's no silly bandwidth limitations in the same sense as DAB. Sort of hilarious as he was claiming at one point that DAB was cost effective as people might not have internet access (in the UK, or any first world country, or London which he seems obsessed with). Almost everyone has an internet capable device now, very few people have DAB devices by comparison.

Lunacy.

This is not true - there is no standard for internet streaming and the internet streams are up to 40-50 Kb/s, too. So, even worse than terrestrial FM.

Internet is private, so this is why you will never see it used by the government for national services.

Today, a German province switched off its FM and DVB-T2 transmitters but left the DAB+ ones turned on.

INFODIGITAL - Empfangsstörungen bei UKW und DVB-T2 – DAB+ Empfang nicht betroffen (infosat.de)
Reception disturbances at FM and DVB-T2 - DAB+ reception not affected

 

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Congratulations on making things up and talking about/linking unrelated nonsense buddy^

DAB+ is a digital standard for terrestrial radio.

Internet is made for sharing data between people and streaming will never be used for official national radio broadcasting.

You must think more than your personal interests and who pays you to write your opinion.

The European Commission has a decision already and it is to make DAB+ a univeral radio broadcasting standard of new generation for the European Union.

Norway and Switzerland despite not being EU member states but being the most developed countries in the world already joined this.

 

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"Tuesday 26 January 2021, London, UK: WorldDAB announces the appointment of Martin Koch, Head of Development Entertainment & Car Functions at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG, as the Chairman of the WorldDAB Automotive Working Group.
The WorldDAB Automotive Working Group brings together radio broadcasters and auto makers to collaborate on improving the DAB+ digital radio experience for drivers. Under his chairmanship, the Automotive Working Group will continue its work to:

• Provide guidelines on implementing the DAB+ features which allow broadcasters to offer a richer audio and multimedia experience to the in-car listener
• Develop further the Group’s ongoing work on enhancing the in-car user experience for DAB+ and hybrid radio
• Expand the Group’s focus to cover the DAB+ user experience via voice control

“I am honoured to take over chairmanship and continue the work of the WorldDAB Automotive Working Group” said Martin Koch. “As cars become increasingly connected, we need to ensure that drivers have access to a complete multimedia experience that combines a great user interface, rich content, and more importantly, a truly hybrid experience that offers seamless transition between broadcast, IP and on-demand.”

Martin Koch replaces Laurence Harrison, who chaired the WorldDAB AWG from 2015 to 2020 and leaves a strong legacy of developments. Under his leadership, the Group produced globally adopted industry guidelines on the best user interface for in-car digital radios, made advances in enhanced antenna and network performance and, more recently, increased broadcaster awareness on the importance of metadata in improving the visual experience of radio in the car.

Alongside Martin Koch, Gregor Pötzsch, Product Owner DAB at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG, becomes the Chairman of a sub-group of the Automotive Working Group that is focused on further enhancing the in-car digital radio user experience.

These appointments underline the important role that WorldDAB plays in keeping radio prominent in the digital dash, supporting the radio and auto industries in bringing new content and an improved listening experience to the driver."

https://mailchi.mp/51c305419e2e/worlddab-automotive-news-december-812362

 

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No. One. Cares.

You are free to leave the thread instead of spamming it

 

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Sales of DAB+ devices increase by almost a quarter
https://www.radiowoche.de/absatz-von-dab-geraeten-steigt-um-fast-ein-viertel/

"According to the GfK retail panel, 4.2 million audio devices (home theater systems, radios, tuners, receivers, after-sales car radios) were sold in Germany in 2020 as a whole. 38 percent of them are able to receive DAB+, compared to 2019 the entire digital radio segment grew by 23 percent. Around 70 percent of all portable radios sold last year are DAB-compatible."

DAB+ is free-to-air. No SIM card required, no annoying contracts with greedy GSM operators.

StarLink internet solving geographic issues

lol 100$ monthly charge.

 

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I have no such expectations - internet connectivity is not needed in the cars and I am generally against it.

 

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BIB: Really. Why?

Because it's expensive, closed in private networks and very inconvenient.

Car manufacturers have to give customers what they want.

No, they give the GSM operators what these want. Large scale of corruption.

 

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Are you saying that you think GSM access is simply being purchased solely as an alternative to your "free-to-air" DAB?

I don't purchase data plans from my GSM operator.
I have my phone for calls only and rarely use Wi-Fi connectivity which is limited to indoors, as it should be.

Are you saying it's inconvenient to step in to a car and have the phone connect to the car audio system?

Of course it is more inconvenient than to step in to a car and simply push a button to play the DAB+ radio.


Let's not mix technologies and put technologies to areas which don't belong to them.

 

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I concur, however he's been like that since joining the forum and I don't think any reasonable, well written, factual response will change his mind.. scratch that lead him to the light.

Remember this is the guy that posted the below.

You are wrong - HDR is nowhere near as important as going fully digital for the terrestrial radio broadcasting.
HDR doesn't give you more options like the DAB+ - with a DAB+ multiplex there can be many more stations - remember that FM has very limited range of frequencies and these frequencies very easily interfere.

 

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Nope.

Yes, yes

"In Central Germany, the FM successor DAB+, which combines classic radio reception without Internet costs with the variety of digital programming offers, is already available on more than 98 percent of the area; the motorways are almost completely supplied. Indoor care reaches around 90 percent of the population.
Radio on
the digital growth path DAB+ is not only an internationally or Europe-wide established standard for digital radio distribution, digital radio has also made a name for itself in Germany as a free-to-air radio standard of today, which puts an end to the analogue spectrum shortage. This is demonstrated, among other things, by the figures of the latest audio digitalisation report from the media institutions: DAB+ is still the fastest growing transmission route, with an increase of 14 percent. More than a quarter of the German population, or about 17.9 million people, has access to at least one DAB+ device. This means that more than one million people will be able to receive more digital terrestrial radio services than in 2019. In households that are already equipped with a DAB+ device, DAB+ is the most commonly used type of reception before FM.
The increasing success of DAB+ is also demonstrated by the latest media analysis audio: According to this, DAB+ is currently the radio distribution channel with the largest increase in usage in Germany.
GfK reports a 23 percent increase in equipment sales for the entire DAB+ segment in 2020.
Milestones in the establishment of DAB+ last year were the launch of the second private nationwide channel chain for DAB+ as well as the Europe-wide commitment to equip new cars with DAB+ reception. Germany has enshrined this new EU requirement in the Telecommunications Act. This also stipulates that, since 21 December 2020, stationary radios must also enable digital reception, with a few exceptions."

DAB+: Netzerweiterung in Sachsen und Sachsen-Anhalt zum 3. Februar | radioWOCHE - Aktuelle Radionews, UKW/DAB+ News und Radiojobs

Thanks God the forums' members' expertise is not used by the governments

 

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Quite.

Imagine the Governments listening to users. We might have a DAB/DAB+ service worth listening to instead of the utter shote now broadcasting in the UK and the shambles of the new DAB+ services that the late adopters are heading towards.

My God, can you imagine, quality instead of lining the Governments' and some broadcasters' pockets? Perish the thought.

Users wouldn't even know about DAB+ if it was not pushed and promoted by the governments.
Users still listen to and want their pre-historic analogue radio.

 

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Governments didn't need to promote the change from AM to FM radio.

Governments didn't need to promote new formats such as CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HD TV, UHD 4K etc.

If it's worth having, and if it's genuinely desired by consumers, then manufacturers and the consumer press will promote it. It's then left to the will of the people if they buy it or not.

Strange then that DAB/DAB+ needs such heavy-handed Government intervention.

Forcing vehicle manufacturers to include it, and besieging listeners by switching off FM transmissions so they have no option but to switch, are acts of coercion perpetratrate by national Governments. It's a scandal.

You must see the difference between consumer products and national networks. The consumer cannot push the construction of new generation digital radio networks because the capital investments are higher.

CD is a cheap consumer-grade product that doesn't need heavy government capital investment.

Yes. Yes they do. Glad you have finally seen the light. Hallelujah!!

Time after time, when consumers are presented with a fair question, they choose to keep FM. Even the comments in the little YouTube videos you posted to demonstrate DAB/DAB+ vs FM tell the story that informed listeners recognise the poor fidelity of real DAB/DAB+ broadcasts.

Oh, no, how could you believe those comments - many are trolls or simply haters, or just paid by the mobile operators to promote their technologies...
They are not genuine opinions and it's not worth it to take them as anything serious or worth considering.

The fact is that in Germany DAB+ is made right and the sound quality is superb - very wide frequency range - just beautiful pure sound, while FM there is full of defects.

 

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Which part of THIS IS THE UK, do you not understand?

Which part of "the thread is not particularly for the UK" but for a global world discussion don't you understand?

 

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So go find a European web forum and preach to the gullible there.

We would dearly love a great DAB/DAB+ experience here in the UK, but we aren't getting it despite our protests. Your posts just rub salt in to our wounds.

In addition, you're extolling the virtues of Germany's low bitrate DAB+ just makes you look stupid. Do you really believe we don't know what low bitrate DAB+ sounds like. Have you any idea how insulting that is to us?

We see through your sales tactics. You have no credibility and no integrity. We are not buying what you are selling. Now go away.

You have zero understanding of bitrates. You don't look at dry numbers posted by a random web site which may be right or wrong. You go to Germany, switch on your Hi-Fi system and listen to ... like a normal person would do.