DAB Radio's?

Associate
Joined
20 Nov 2004
Posts
2,209
Location
Nock/Leicester
Can someone tell me some facts about these DAB radio's that everyone is going on about?

What does DAB stand for? And whats the difference between a normal radio like the one in my dads car and a DAB radio?


Has anyone here got one?
 
Associate
OP
Joined
20 Nov 2004
Posts
2,209
Location
Nock/Leicester
Not to sound rude but the reason i stared the tread is because i wanted some real human answers and enplainations rather than reading up boring info in a website.

Did you buy your DAB just for the clearer sound?
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
10,950
Location
Bristol
Yucca said:
Not to sound rude but the reason i stared the tread is because i wanted some real human answers and enplainations rather than reading up boring info in a website.
The wiki is written by real humans! It's a pretty good one - I'd be surprised if you'll get more useful info from the forum unless you have specific questions not addressed there.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Jan 2005
Posts
5,576
Location
West London
One of the first sentences states:

Wikipedia said:
The original objectives of converting to digital transmission were to enable higher fidelity, more stations and more resistance to noise

So basically, they usually sound better, have a greater range of stations that usually aren't on FM, and are less susceptible to any interference.

However, they basically work or dont (being digital), so if you live in an area with a crap signal, the audio will just cut out, instead of hissing.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Feb 2006
Posts
8,188
Yucca said:
Not to sound rude but the reason i stared the tread is because i wanted some real human answers and enplainations rather than reading up boring info in a website.

Did you buy your DAB just for the clearer sound?

I bought it as I couldn't get 5 live sports extra except online! You will pick up all the local stations and some extras but i dont really listen to anything else so cannot comment.

As for the wiki link you wont get any more detailed info anywhere!
 
Permabanned
Joined
24 Jul 2005
Posts
15,697
Location
R'lyeh
I'm sure that I read somewhere that DAB radios are a waste of money as the broadcasters are all going to switch to AAC as a standard, thus rendering current DAB radios obsolete.

Can't remember where I read it though.
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2002
Posts
16,167
clv101 said:
The wiki is written by real humans! It's a pretty good one - I'd be surprised if you'll get more useful info from the forum unless you have specific questions not addressed there.

Do not listen to this man!!

Ultimately, Wikipedia cannot be trusted, and this is why:

  • Because Wikipedia invented superglue. (Does anyone know how to get it off? My butt is stuck to my computer chair.)
  • Because Wikipedia aims to control all pets in the world so they will later attack their masters, trust me on this one, I only have one eye after fighting with my pet cockroach.
  • Because Wikipedia is actually a website aliens use to spot thinking patterns in humans.
  • Most Wikipedia articles are written by people whose lives closely resemble that of that 40 year old, over-weight Comic Book virgin on The Simpsons. Therefore, they have little or no real world experience to write about.
  • Contributors who are employed steal a disproportionate amount of time from their employers fooling around on the Internet. They are thieves; therefore, they can't be trusted.
  • Wikipaediophiles have very small penises (of course they are all men!). This places them in deep denial of reality. This is why they can't be trusted.
  • Any slightly controversial material is immediately erased by the Fascist Wikistapo, and the offender is traced, and arrested. Wikipedia is a censored database and therefore can't be trusted.
  • Anyone that has a "life" and a "real job" won't have the time to edit, re-edit, and re-re-edit Wikipedia pages in order to get their Nitwit Point-of-View (NPOV) accepted over someone else's NPOV. So, most Wikipedia articles are written by people that spend an excessive time on the Internet - people that don't have a real job, or a life. This is why Wikipedia articles can't be trusted.
  • Wikipedia has a Wikidomination Document, which it hid in the dephs of BJAODN.
 
Associate
Joined
2 Dec 2003
Posts
654
I'm sure I've read before that F.M. has better quality sound, better bitrate or something :confused:

Dab does give you a text display though and a heap of stations you would otherwise not get.
 
Permabanned
Joined
21 Apr 2004
Posts
13,312
Location
Wolverhampton
hyster said:
Dab does give you a text display though and a heap of stations you would otherwise not get.

I think so. My DAB gives a 'Now Playing' scrolling marquee too, which is a very nice touch. Gone are the days when I hear a tune on the radio and listen carefully at the end of the track to see if the DJ mentions what he just played. :)
 
Suspended
Joined
4 Aug 2003
Posts
3,054
hyster said:
I'm sure I've read before that F.M. has better quality sound, better bitrate or something :confused:

Dab does give you a text display though and a heap of stations you would otherwise not get.
FM is said to give better quality (range) than DAB. There was a big row involving BBC Radio 3 over this - I believe that it was 'sort of' resolved by giving more bandwidth to Radio 3 (at certain times of day), partially at the expense of Radio 4. However, Radio 3 still sounds better on FM than it does on DAB.

For voice and rock, etc. it will probably sound fine. I have two DAB radios - Goodmans GPS 280 - DAB+FM+CD - £50 from Amazon
 
Last edited:
Man of Honour
Joined
29 Mar 2003
Posts
56,791
Location
Stoke on Trent
Westyfield2 said:
DAB=Better quality(Radio)

How wrong are you?

DAB transmits in 128 MP2 which is way worse than 128 MP3 and that quality gets slated on these forums.
FM is much clearer and has a better frequency response.
People think that DIGITAL = Better.

HOWEVER - if DAB does it for you then you can't complain and theres no doubt that Radio 5 Live is better on DAB.
My DAB needs are Planet Rock radio which you can't get on FM so the poorer quality doesn't bother me.

If you don't believe me then head over to AVFORUMS and search for a guy called digitalradiotech who got permabanned for going over the top about poor quality DAB.
 
Suspended
Joined
3 Mar 2003
Posts
5,001
Location
London ;()!
dmpoole said:
How wrong are you?

DAB transmits in 128 MP2 which is way worse than 128 MP3

o'reilly

Edit: according to Wiki, you're right :eek: What a placebo this whole business is. Turns out the standard was defined in the late 80s too - probably light years ahead when they all sat down to work it out with their casette players and AM radio :p
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom