Dab Radio

[admin_exported]

With the dimise of analogue Tv going onto digital in the coming years. Nothing has been said regarding the dimise of analogue radio!. You can go out and purchase a DAB radio. But for those of us who cannot afford to buy a new Dab radio. What is to become of Am/Fm radio is that going the same way as analogue Tv or do we just except that we will no longer be able to pick up and hear Am/Fm radio when the big switch off of Analogue Tv comes into effect. Govening bodys have made such a song and dance about the big switch over of analogue tv (I.E) tv adverts! it does make me wonder about Am/Fm radio. Hope that someone in the know could enlighten us all about this very subject,

Yours Bazzer56

 

[Andrew Everard]

Well, there's been some pressure - from commercial broadcasters who're investing heavily in digital technology - for analogue radio to be switched off as soon as 2015, but no date has been set, and I suspect we'll need a much greater installed base of DAB radios before such a move could be made.

 

[Andy Clough]

And let's not forget that millions of cars (both old and new) still have FM/AM radios - even now, only a few car manufacturers offer DAB as an option on their new models.

 

[kungula]

hello Andy and Andrew,
I know that DAB is very popular in the UK.
On the continent nobody I know talks about it though.
Could you just let me know in what countries apart from the UK DAB is already well established.
Many regards

 

[Andrew Everard]

You can download a (fairly) up to date round-up of the state of DAB worldwide here.

 

[Anonymous]

And what of the rumour that the current DAB radios will be rendered obsolete in a few years when the current MP2 format is replaced by AAC+?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Just that - rumours. Any new system is going to have to be back-compatible with what we have now, or there'd be revolt among the Radio 4 listeners!

 

[matthewpiano]

DAB+ has already been developed and compatibility is being built into some new DAB radios now using a chipset from Crystal Technologies. It promises better sound quality than DAB but the existence of the technology is only part of the story. Broadcasters are very reluctant to migrate to a new format so early in the life of digital radio, particularly given the changes that everybody has had to make to ensure their TV viewing continues un-interrupted after the analogue switch off. As already stated there are still many many loyal FM listeners using radio in cars, on portable and personal units, and in hi-fi and even migrating completely from FM to the original DAB standard is going to take far longer than the government initially anticipated. Original forecasts had been 2012 for FM switch off, but now even forecasts of 2015 look unlikely.
Compatibility is a big issue these days but there is also a great deal of scare-mongering going on both in terms of development in TV and radio. Standards of advice given to consumers varies atrociously and I've seen customers getting visibly distressed without due cause because of poor advice they have been given by some other retailers.