Has anyone who is purchasing, or viewing new vans, noticed if they have digital radios fitted, or are an option, as most home,car and caravan radios will be obsolete post switch over to digital tv and radio in the near future. Our TV changes in March (note if you are holidaying in East Anglia). My trusty sky 60cm dish and box bought for £20 on E-Bay and used all over europe is still going strong, so we should be ok. Maybe a dealer or manufacturer who post on here would like to comment?
Digital Radio
- Thread starter oldievanner
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
The switch to DAB has been shelved, at least for the forseeable future.
The Government has bowed to pressure NOT to switch off the FM broadcasts until the level of people using this medium is so low as to not be worth continuing.
From the Times:
Digital radio switchover: Government backs away from deadlineA switchoff date for the FM radio signal will not be set until at least half of listeners are tuning in to digital stations, communications minister Ed Vaizey will announce.
A provisional target date of 2015 had been identified by the outgoing Labour government but Mr Vaizey is backing away from the timeframe following concern it could disenfranchise millions.
Instead, he will say the FM signal should be switched off when 'the weight of public opinion' dictates.
For many drivers the switchover will mean the prospect of buying new radios or using conversion kits as digital radios are not often fitted as standard.
Figures from radio industry audience body Rajar show that around 24% is currently via digital.
Mr Vaizey is to publish a Digital Radio Action Plan encouraging listeners to make the switch.
This will involve building DAB coverage, which only covers about 90% of the population, and a cost-benefit analysis of the changeover.
Speaking at the Intellect Digital Home Conference, Mr Vaizey will say: 'Listeners need to be persuaded that the content on offer is compelling, that the quality is high and that digital radios, at home or in the car, are affordable and have listening quality that is at least as good as FM.
'I am not setting a date. The industry believes 2015 is an achievable target date and we will work to support that ambition. And when the weight of public opinion is behind it, with more than half of all radio listening digital, then we can take the decision on when the country will be ready for switchover.'
New research to be published later today claims to show broadcasting digitally is more energy efficient than analogue. It suggests that transmitting Classic FM nationally via DAB uses less than 7% of the electricity needed to transmit it via FM.
Earlier this week the BBC Trust rejected proposals to close down the digital station 6 Music which had been put forward by BBC director general Mark Thompson.
Mr Vaizey said today that FM would always be available for local radio stations to use.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are setting up a structure which will bring not only listeners to the table, but manufacturers, the whole ecology that's needed to get digital radio moving and off the ground."
He insisted: "We won't switch off FM and FM will always be available. FM will always be available for local (radio)."
The Government has bowed to pressure NOT to switch off the FM broadcasts until the level of people using this medium is so low as to not be worth continuing.
From the Times:
Digital radio switchover: Government backs away from deadlineA switchoff date for the FM radio signal will not be set until at least half of listeners are tuning in to digital stations, communications minister Ed Vaizey will announce.
A provisional target date of 2015 had been identified by the outgoing Labour government but Mr Vaizey is backing away from the timeframe following concern it could disenfranchise millions.
Instead, he will say the FM signal should be switched off when 'the weight of public opinion' dictates.
For many drivers the switchover will mean the prospect of buying new radios or using conversion kits as digital radios are not often fitted as standard.
Figures from radio industry audience body Rajar show that around 24% is currently via digital.
Mr Vaizey is to publish a Digital Radio Action Plan encouraging listeners to make the switch.
This will involve building DAB coverage, which only covers about 90% of the population, and a cost-benefit analysis of the changeover.
Speaking at the Intellect Digital Home Conference, Mr Vaizey will say: 'Listeners need to be persuaded that the content on offer is compelling, that the quality is high and that digital radios, at home or in the car, are affordable and have listening quality that is at least as good as FM.
'I am not setting a date. The industry believes 2015 is an achievable target date and we will work to support that ambition. And when the weight of public opinion is behind it, with more than half of all radio listening digital, then we can take the decision on when the country will be ready for switchover.'
New research to be published later today claims to show broadcasting digitally is more energy efficient than analogue. It suggests that transmitting Classic FM nationally via DAB uses less than 7% of the electricity needed to transmit it via FM.
Earlier this week the BBC Trust rejected proposals to close down the digital station 6 Music which had been put forward by BBC director general Mark Thompson.
Mr Vaizey said today that FM would always be available for local radio stations to use.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are setting up a structure which will bring not only listeners to the table, but manufacturers, the whole ecology that's needed to get digital radio moving and off the ground."
He insisted: "We won't switch off FM and FM will always be available. FM will always be available for local (radio)."
Very informative Damian, also for those using there sky dish, theres a wide variety of radio stations available, likewise through wifi on your PC.
Allan & Gill.
Allan & Gill.
I had not seen the whole of the Times report previously. I hope it is accurate (you know what newspaper reporters are like)
There are a few car radios with DAB tuners, but not many, and they are substantially more expensive than their FM predecessors. The same applies to virtually all DAB radios and tuners, and when you consider exactly how many radios most households have, to replace them or adapt them is going to be a very expensive process.
Just for fun count up how many fm radio’s you have that might need converting or replacing.
Pundits may point to the uptake of digital televisions and say well that went quite well, but there was a confluence of several factors (Freeview, and affordable large screen TV’s and some important sporting events) that spurred that processes. Unfortunately DAB Radio has no similar events on the horizon, and there is a very strong following and commitment to the current system. For the consumer I can only see one major advantage and that is the possible number of stations available.
The other claimed benefits of DAB are more difficult to prove and justify. I personally have listened to many different DAB set ups from £30 converters to £500 audiophile DAB tuner equipment, and whilst there is a discernable difference bewteen the cheapest and the more expensive the difference is not as great as the costs may suggest, and in all cases, I found the DAB systems just seemed to produce a rather flat and unemotional sound field which is best described as slightly ‘lifeless’ compared to a good FM broadcast. I was also very surprised to find that BBC radio 7 is only broadcast in MONO, when it is in stereo on the TV Freeview radio channels!
One of the major drawbacks I have found to DAB, is the need for a consistent high strength RF signal and quality. To prevent missed data packets. Many receivers have the facility to show the number dropped or missed data packets, and it is very noticeable how the audio signal degrades with just a few missed packets. This is audible as dropouts and at low numbers it sounds like clipping distortion, but with larger numbers, it becomes more like the comedian and the faulty microphone you actually miss chunks of audio. FM on the other hand given the same types of poor signal produces more his but the content is still discernable. This could be a major annoyance in cars where the aerial is constantly moving and so the signal strength will constantly change.
So at the moment I do not see DAB as being a wholly viable alternative to FM – Long live FM
There are a few car radios with DAB tuners, but not many, and they are substantially more expensive than their FM predecessors. The same applies to virtually all DAB radios and tuners, and when you consider exactly how many radios most households have, to replace them or adapt them is going to be a very expensive process.
Just for fun count up how many fm radio’s you have that might need converting or replacing.
Pundits may point to the uptake of digital televisions and say well that went quite well, but there was a confluence of several factors (Freeview, and affordable large screen TV’s and some important sporting events) that spurred that processes. Unfortunately DAB Radio has no similar events on the horizon, and there is a very strong following and commitment to the current system. For the consumer I can only see one major advantage and that is the possible number of stations available.
The other claimed benefits of DAB are more difficult to prove and justify. I personally have listened to many different DAB set ups from £30 converters to £500 audiophile DAB tuner equipment, and whilst there is a discernable difference bewteen the cheapest and the more expensive the difference is not as great as the costs may suggest, and in all cases, I found the DAB systems just seemed to produce a rather flat and unemotional sound field which is best described as slightly ‘lifeless’ compared to a good FM broadcast. I was also very surprised to find that BBC radio 7 is only broadcast in MONO, when it is in stereo on the TV Freeview radio channels!
One of the major drawbacks I have found to DAB, is the need for a consistent high strength RF signal and quality. To prevent missed data packets. Many receivers have the facility to show the number dropped or missed data packets, and it is very noticeable how the audio signal degrades with just a few missed packets. This is audible as dropouts and at low numbers it sounds like clipping distortion, but with larger numbers, it becomes more like the comedian and the faulty microphone you actually miss chunks of audio. FM on the other hand given the same types of poor signal produces more his but the content is still discernable. This could be a major annoyance in cars where the aerial is constantly moving and so the signal strength will constantly change.
So at the moment I do not see DAB as being a wholly viable alternative to FM – Long live FM
I use a Roberts Sport Dab radio, its rechargable and lasts for ages and is small in size, really pleased with it
Hi Dave,
You ask a valid question, and indirectly raise a point I was debating whether to bring up or not:
Despite my closing comment in my first post, I do have some DAB radios used for non critical listening.
I have two portable DAB radios (Pure pocket radio and Roberts table portabale) and both of them eat batteries. so I tend to use them on external power adaptors. I also have a DAB tuner which runs quite warm, so I conclude the digital receivers and converters do use much more power than their equivalent analogue forbearers.
One of the claims for DAB broadcasting was it saves on transmission power, but I'll bet that saving is more than offset by the increased power used by the receivers, and will get worse with greater DAB take up.
You ask a valid question, and indirectly raise a point I was debating whether to bring up or not:
Despite my closing comment in my first post, I do have some DAB radios used for non critical listening.
I have two portable DAB radios (Pure pocket radio and Roberts table portabale) and both of them eat batteries. so I tend to use them on external power adaptors. I also have a DAB tuner which runs quite warm, so I conclude the digital receivers and converters do use much more power than their equivalent analogue forbearers.
One of the claims for DAB broadcasting was it saves on transmission power, but I'll bet that saving is more than offset by the increased power used by the receivers, and will get worse with greater DAB take up.
It's also worth remembering that Digital Radio is not the same standard across Europe (unlike Digital TV), so a UK digital radio will not work in most of Europe.
Hi Deli Dave i use it all the time and it lasts for ages without charging,the book says 10-20 hours which i would easily agree with, i found using the radio in the van ate the battery so went down the little portable route, very compact and sound ok from what you would expect from a single speaker radio.
I only use it for sport and absolute 80's
I only use it for sport and absolute 80's
Thanks for that Micheal E and other comments ,I have an older Roberts and it takes 6 DCells which only last a day and are expensive.Something like yours sounds ideal,will have a look at one in Argos.We get very poor FM reception but DAB seems quite good here,am in Daventry where the infamous radio masts were.
I have the Robert Sports DAB 2 expect to pay around £66 for it , i searched online Amazon came out well
whats wrong with listening to radio via the TV?
We never use the built in radio CD, just listen to Magic on the TV.
We never use the built in radio CD, just listen to Magic on the TV.
Ordered one from Amazon yesterday and it arrived this morning and very impressed,thanks to Micheal E for the suggestion.Its ideal for the van and as he says on a rally it would be very handy,its small and easily fit on bedside shelf for morning listening with tea and biscuits
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