The ten myths of DAB?

[londonman]

I have no issue with anyone wanting to go out and buy a DAB receiver. That is their choice. If they wanrt a choice of stations then they can have it.

However I am very passionate that, for the benefit of the tens of millions of listeners for whom their faithful FM transistor radios provide them with all the radio listening that they require, that the suggested FM SwitchOff is just plain wrong. You can imagine my delight at coming across this excellent website www.ten-myths-of-dab.co.uk that sheds the light on all the hype that the Government are desparately shoving down our throats to try and con us into the FM SwitchOff.

 

[HDNumpty]

I'm not sure that the battle is between DAB and FM anymore. There are so many different ways to listen to radio now, I use

DAB radios (portable)

iPad

iPhone

HUMAX satellite TV/Radio receiver

(just about to install) Music Streamer

none of them receive FM. My AV amp does but I don't use it. Why? Because I could only listen to very strong signals (BBC) when I really wanted to hear XFM or Classic that broadcast from 15 miles away. I know digital is lower quality, but it is so much more convenient and actually WORKS.

I think for the sake of saving a tiny amount of the population who MAY still listen via a hi-fi FM receiver, turn off the analogue signal as soon as listeners are in the minority. If listeners NEVER become the minority then the government will be forced to leave it switched on...

 

[bob.g]

I listen to radio a lot, and only ever on FM, via 3 element FM aerial and a 30 year old B&O receiver. The sound quality is just fantastic.

 

[HDNumpty]

That's great if you can afford (or want to spend) several hundred pound installing a dedicated aerial for FM. For anyone who doesn't digital makes far more sense.

I'm not saying it's better quality sound (it isn't) but you can't deny digital, especially Internet radio, offers superior choice

 

[bob.g]

Actually only £30 for an FM aerial

 

[HDNumpty]

Did you climb up on the roof and fit it yourself ?

 

[bob.g]

No, it's on a pole I bolted to the garden wall

 

[The_Lhc]

I think for the sake of saving a tiny amount of the population who MAY still listen via a hi-fi FM receiver,

What about the tens of millions of people that listen to FM in their cars? What about me, I can't even receive DAB where I live!

 

[chebby]

I often use FM. (Dedicated FM aerial on roof.) It still sounds excellent.

I have tried DAB (on M-CR603) via FM aerial - not optimal but good reception - and it's ok but no more than ok. (Just wanted to make sure it was acceptable and had good reception in case I ever needed it.)

Most often I am found listening using TuneIn Radio Pro on the iPhone (AirPlay to Marantz) along with BBC iPlayer Radio. TuneIn Radio Pro is superb and defaults to the highest bit rates used by a station including all those using 320k. (Although 128k AAC sounds very acceptable. I am not a total 'bit snob'.)

Least often (but sometimes necessary) I use Freeview Radio on the Humax to record something to it's HDD when I am not around.

Nice to have all the options.

We use DAB on the Vita Audio R1 in the kitchen.

 

[hammill]

I think for the sake of saving a tiny amount of the population who MAY still listen via a hi-fi FM receiver,

What about the tens of millions of people that listen to FM in their cars? What about me, I can't even receive DAB where I live!

Although I fully understand why releasing the FM band for other purposes would be useful, both these problems need to be resolved before it can take place.For the first problem, it would need to be made mandatory for all new cars to have DAB radios (if a radio is fitted as standard) and then there would have to be a delay of several years before most people had DAB in their cars. I don't see any sign of that happening.

 

[The_Lhc]

I think for the sake of saving a tiny amount of the population who MAY still listen via a hi-fi FM receiver,

What about the tens of millions of people that listen to FM in their cars?

it would need to be made mandatory for all new cars to have DAB radios (if a radio is fitted as standard) and then there would have to be a delay of several years before most people had DAB in their cars. I don't see any sign of that happening.

Heck it still makes the automotive news when a car maker fits a DAB radio as standard!

 

[Paul.]

I think switching off FM would cause an increase in traffic accidents... Stay with me on this one

Its safe to say the majority of radio listening happens in car. The plan seems to be switch off FM to force people on to DAB, even though DAB is only around 30% of the market at the mo. A large portion of radio in car is people listening to 'something'. They listen because its there, not because of an intense desire to listen to a particular station. Obviously there are a large percentage of people who listen purposefully to a specific station or broadcaster, but in my own experience most seem to just switch the radio on in the car so something is there. The people I am taking about won't listen to the radio at home.

These folks aren't going to rush out and buy DAB radios because FM is switched off, they are going to screw around with their phone selecting tracks to play through an aux cable or through a mini FM transmitter like the belkin doodads. Surely people messing around with their phones whilst driving is a bad thing?

 

[MajorFubar]

Anyone else but me noticed that on radios with both DAB and FM, the FM is a bit rubbish compared to an old(er) FM/AM tuner? I've noticed this several times, but fair enough they've all been portables and not proper HiFi tuners. It's like FM/AM: until the late 80s, cars often had radios which could only receive LW/MW, but their receivers were so good you could almost pick up BBC Radio Mars. Then when FM became the norm the LW/MW reception on newer units was often lousy, even after you'd trimmed the antenna (assuming the new unit provided a method for doing so, they often didn't)..

 

[visionary]

Anyone else but me noticed that on radios with both DAB and FM, the FM is a bit rubbish compared to an old(er) FM/AM tuner? I've noticed this several times, but fair enough they've all been portables and not proper HiFi tuners. It's like FM/AM: until the late 80s, cars often had radios which could only receive LW/MW, but their receivers were so good you could almost pick up BBC Radio Mars. Then when FM became the norm the LW/MW reception on newer units was often lousy, even after you'd trimmed the antenna (assuming the new unit provided a method for doing so, they often didn't)..

Aaaah! Nostalgia!

Nothing sounds as good as my old crystal set. That really WAS the cat's whiskers

 

[chebby]

My nostalgia is for the old Roberts R900 portable we used to have in the kitchen 20 years ago. Wood, chrome, big, slightly 'lush' speaker that was possibly the best portable I have every heard for Radio 4.

However, things change and I think our Vita Audio/Ruark Audio R1 would give the old Roberts a hard time if compared.

I am still a sucker for a nice tuning scale and lashings of chrome and wood and leathercloth