Digital radio

[nickcc101]

Sunday paper had article on the introduction of Digital radio similar to TV. Does this mean that all current car radios/cd players will become redundant ?
The article implied that this would be the case.

 

[Seeker_UK]

When radio makes the switch from AM/FM to DAB, yes, your FM radio in your car will be redundant.

However, unlike TV, there is no planned analogue radio switch off date so it's likely that you'll have FM stations for some time, it'll only be big stations that switch. And, someone is likely to make DAB receiver that you can put in your boot and transmits on FM or one that plugs into your iPod socket so you can still get the radio.

 

[mattsurf]

When radio makes the switch from AM/FM to DAB, yes, your FM radio in your car will be redundant.

However, unlike TV, there is no planned analogue radio switch off date so it's likely that you'll have FM stations for some time, it'll only be big stations that switch. And, someone is likely to make DAB receiver that you can put in your boot and transmits on FM or one that plugs into your iPod socket so you can still get the radio.

You can already buy plenty of digital receivers which broadcast to your analogue FM radio

 

[The German Flower Pot]

DAB is truly apauling

ive had 3 radios and sometimes get 1 station

nationwide unless you live under a dab broadcasting mast you will hear nothing except waubling

 

[Seeker_UK]

For the HiFi buff (like me) it's pretty duff too.

If you can get some reception, the sound quality is pretty poor - best you can get is (allegedly) 192kbps but most channels run at 128 or less (so you can get more channels shoehorned in).

 

[Blobcat]

As per above no plans to turn off analogue radio FM or AM so don't worry about it.

 

[Defiant]

I got a Blaupunkt Brisbane. No CD player, just an SD slot. And a USB port. And an AUX port. What is this "radio" of which you speak?

 

[nickcc101]

As per above no plans to turn off analogue radio FM or AM so don't worry about it.

Mail on Sunday last week states that plans to change to digital radio is due following tv switchover completed (or similar words) and FM will only be available for local radio.

 

[Blobcat]

Mail on Sunday last week states that plans to change to digital radio is due following tv switchover completed (or similar words) and FM will only be available for local radio.

DSO is planned for ~2012 completion & has been planned for many years. There are no plans to switch off analogue radio and many of the radio companies have gone against DAB as they don't see any benefit. When the likes of Vectra's & Mondeo's start being fitted with DAB as standard then it will become more prevalent however FM is too powerful a tool to be switched off.

 

[nickcc101]

DSO is planned for ~2012 completion & has been planned for many years. There are no plans to switch off analogue radio and many of the radio companies have gone against DAB as they don't see any benefit. When the likes of Vectra's & Mondeo's start being fitted with DAB as standard then it will become more prevalent however FM is too powerful a tool to be switched off.

Thanks, hope you're right.

 

[rf065]

I believe Vauxhall started to fit DAB radios as standard to the Astra a few years ago, but it never caught on. I bought one for the house and it now sits in the garage, the sound quality is not as good as I was led to believe. Apparently it is transmitted at a lower quality than the radios are capable of in order to squeeze as many channels as possible in the the same bandwidth.

In the USA it is called satellite radio and a lot of new cars have it from new as an option, but after the first year, you have to pay a subscription like SKY tv to continue listening to it. This is their way round the problem of not enough listeners to make money from advertising revenues, so charge a subscription instead. I've used it on a hire car over there, and the good thing about subscription based radio is not having to listen to adverts. No idea what the subscription costs though.

Russ

 

[RichardSmith]

DAB is truly apauling

ive had 3 radios and sometimes get 1 station

nationwide unless you live under a dab broadcasting mast you will hear nothing except waubling

I'm not impressed with DAB either TBH.....

......I have one at work because I'm out of range for Virgin on FM and cannot stand AM! Plus Planet Rock is good but it's not worth me having DAB in the car just for that.

Richard

 

[fred52]

DAB is truly awful

I was looking forward to the delivery of my new W204 with DAB radio. Its just fine when I'm around town, but the minute I go on a journey I have to switch to CD or FM as the stations keep dropping out. Not worth the money in a car but fine for satianary listening i.e. at home

 

[simon_wall69]

It seems as though we are still a long way from having nationwide coverage of DAB reception, so even if there were to be a switchover it would not be in the near future.

Since moving house to the middle of Staffordshire, I can no longer pick up digital radio, which is a bit of a bugger as my radio doesn't have long wave so I can only listen to Test Match Special through the TV.