Poll: DAB+ is the future? Digital terrestrial radio broadcasting

[4K8KW10]

DAB+ does not use less electricity than FM receivers.

I am not talking about receivers but about transmitters. You have up to 16 stations which use the same electricity as 1 out of 16 individual analogue frequency transmitters.
Your twisting of the facts becomes quite obvious hating.

 

[lucid]

I am not talking about receivers but about transmitters. You have up to 16 stations which use the same electricity as 1 out of 16 individual analogue frequency transmitters.
Your twisting of the facts becomes quite obvious hating.

1) You failed to make that clear in your first post about it

2) You put it in a post about consumer benefits: How much or little power the DAB transmitter network uses is of little interest and no real direct benefit to listeners. It doesn't make their electricity bills smaller or make equipment cheaper or improve the quality of the signal.

 

[4K8KW10]

Spain goes all in for it (translated with the Edge own translator service)

MADRID, 18 September 2020

The spokesman for Compromís in the Senate, Carles Mulet,today expressed his satisfaction at the end of the period of presentation of alternatives or opposition of the Government to the Proposal of Law on the Impulse of Digital Terrestrial Sound Broadcasting presented by the coalition through the Confederal Left Group (Forward Andalusia, Més Per Mallorca, Más Madrid, Compromís, Geroa Bai and Catalunya En Comú Podem) to advance the digitization of the radio of our country.

This legislative initiative started from the coalition as a result of the rejection of a motion urging the Government to create a Study Paper to analyze the deployment of digital radio in Spain, something that is already widespread in the countries around us and which was rejected alone by the majority of pp. "We believe that Spain, despite having led the deployment of DAB, has been technologically lagging behind as a result ofdisinterest and skepticism, as happened in the early years of DDA and that today no one is questioned and reaches 100% of homes and we want for radio more sound quality, new market niches, better coverage, job creation and information offer" , said Mulet.

In our environment there are developed digital radio markets in the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland. Regular services are also available in France, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. And even countries such as Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia or Greece are broadcasting in DAB+ in the testing phase. The greatest exponent of all has been, for the time being, Norway, who deployed DAB+ and decided to turn off its FM radio broadcasts nationally in early 2017. But there are also other European countries such as Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Denmark where FM shutdown criteria are already handled and even dates for its cessation of broadcasts.

The Compromís Digital Radio Bill passes the consultation phase without alternatives or oppositions
https://senat.compromis.net/2020/09...rnativas-ni-oposiciones-la-fase-de-consultas/

 

[4K8KW10]

The public broadcaster for Germany’s federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, MDR, published a research study in 2020 that considered the sustainability of DAB+. The study found that DAB+ requires around 10% of the capacity that is required to broadcast MDR’s stations on FM services – a percentage that is set to reach 13% by 2024, as new services launch on DAB+. The study also found that on average, a two-person household requires approximately 2000 kWh of energy per annum for terrestrial broadcast. Using DAB+ instead of FM could result in energy savings comparable to approximately 5600 households.

https://www.worlddab.org/news

 

[4K8KW10]

BBC study highlights DAB as the most energy-efficient broadcasting platform

The study considered energy use across all available platforms — AM, FM, DAB, digital television and internet streaming — to discover which ones had the largest footprints. DAB had the smallest footprint, at 9 watt-hour per device per hour.

https://www.worlddab.org/news

The BBC found that the total energy required to prepare, distribute and consume radio in its 2018 baseline test was estimated to be 325 GWh, equivalent to 0.1% of U.K. electricity use that year. Of all five platforms, FM was found to have the biggest footprint overall at 100 GWh (31%) and AM the lowest at 25 GWh (8%), with IP (79 GWh; 24%), DAB (65 GWh; 20%) and DTV (56 GWh; 17%) falling in-between.

Not all radio platforms are consumed equally, however. The research found that listening hours on FM and DAB were up to 11 times higher than on AM and DTV. The BBC also calculated the electricity consumption per device hour to find the energy intensity of each platform. This painted a slightly different picture where DTV had the largest footprint at 81 watt hour per device-hour, followed by AM (29 watt-hour/device-hour), IP (23 watt-hour/device-hour), FM (13 watt-hour/device-hour) and lastly DAB which had the smallest at 9 watt-hour/device-hour.

https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and...-energy-needed-to-deliver-and-listen-to-radio

So:
Annually - prepare, distribute and consume:
AM - 25 GWh
DTV - 56 GWh
DAB - 65 GWh
IP - 79 GWh
FM - 100 GWh

Electricity consumption per device per hour:
DAB - 9 watt-hour/device-hour
FM - 13 watt-hour/device-hour
IP - 23 watt-hour/device-hour
AM - 29 watt-hour/device-hour
DTV - 81 watt-hour/device-hour

 

[lucid]

Yawn

 

[TALON1973]

Who gives rats about energy efficiency... DAB sounds rubbish.

 

[rubberduck]

I suppose 4k8kw10 also thinks the smart meter rollout scheme in the UK has been a glorious success.

 

[4K8KW10]

Who gives rats about energy efficiency... DAB sounds rubbish.

The digital signals provides greater frequency range, so its sound is better.
If you have complaints, please address them to your local service provider.

Meanwhile:

A new consortium has been created by Edinburgh community station SAM Radio, radio executive Chris Hurst and digital radio operator Niocast Digital. Edinburgh DAB plans to apply for the upcoming Small Scale DAB licence for the capital, allowing more radio stations to broadcast digitally. Mazhar Khan, director of SAM Radio and long-time advocate of small-scale DAB said: “The digital platform will open up so many new opportunities which will allow other ethnic groups and communities of interest to benefit from their own dedicated radio services”.

https://www.worlddab.org/news
https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/11/consortium-created-to-apply-for-edinburgh-local-dab/

 

[TALON1973]

https://youtu.be/27w3quNTP84

 

[4K8KW10]

https://www.worlddab.org/news

 

[4K8KW10]

The UK was one of the pioneering DAB markets and today, over half of all listening is on digital. At the WorldDAB General Assembly earlier this month, Digital Radio UK’s Ford Ennals and Yvette Dore provided an overview of the UK digital radio market and Ian O’Neill, Head of Radio at the UK Government’s department of Digital Culture, Media, and Sport, told us what the UK is doing to help safeguard the future of radio.

Growing figures and digital offering

Despite the disruption caused by Covid-19, overall radio listening has remained robust. By the end of Q12020, digital listening had reached 58.6% of all listening, with 70% of digital listening taking place on DAB/ DAB+. The growth in digital listening has been driven by an increase in the number of cars fitted with DAB, the launch of new national commercial stations on DAB, as well as in-home online listening, said Dore.

The commercial radio sector has also continued to expand with new stations launching throughout 2020. There are now 54 national stations available on DAB/DAB+ across the UK – the most recent of which launched in October.

https://www.worlddab.org/news/blog/65/uk-–-government-support-and-digital-growth-reflect-dab+-uptake

 

[TALON1973]

You can spout as much data as you want. In the UK DAB is rubbish.

 

[clv101]

DAB works well in the car, in the home however IP seems like a better choice. We've been 100% IP for the last two years, audio and video. No antennas... and me a chartered engineer specialising in radio network design!

 

[4K8KW10]

The Poles have a news article:

From 2021, in every car. Will DAB+ become standard?

"From the first attempts to install a radio in a car in 1904, through the "Safari" radio in the cult "Toddler" that drowns out one's own thoughts, to DAB+ technology - the quality of sound reproduced in our cars has come a long way. Will digital radio completely replace traditional car audio systems and CDs? There are many indications - from January 1, 2021, a digital radio DAB+ receiver is mandatory in every new car.

Anyone who has been looking for a car that plays well knows that this is not one of the simplest tasks. What are the main problems with standard car audio?

- Many cars lack low tones - says Robert Portacha, who specializes in assembling car audio systems. - The speakers, which are in the basic version, can be improved at a low cost. Certainly, the soundproofing of cars, or at least the doors , will do a lot - it changes the acoustics of this speaker. Even with factory installations, the soundproofing will have the effect of replacing these speakers with better ones and adding a small amplifier, says the expert.

New quality of radio reception

In addition to sound quality, a disadvantage of the analog car radio is its short service life. This state of affairs may be changed by DAB+ - a technique used in 21 countries that allows to broadcast radio programs in digital form, which Polish Radio has been implementing since 2013.

- This technology guarantees a new quality of radio reception. This is a better sound quality for listeners - confirms the director of Program 3 of Polish Radio and the Music Agency of Polish Radio, Michał Narkiewicz-Jodko.
- Owners of DAB+ receivers in the car have, among others access to current news or weather maps. They can also be informed about the current traffic situation - adds Eng. Mirosław Ostrowski, promoter of DAB+ technology.

In addition to suggesting the lowest fuel price, DAB+ receivers allow you to correct the route in the event of road accidents, as well as listen to or record the broadcast."

https://www.polskieradio.pl/9/9034/...-w-kazdym-aucie-Czy-DAB-stanie-sie-standardem

 

[jpaul]

umh - well polski radio 24 has a bitrate of 64Kb/s aac https://www.digitalbitrate.com/dtv.php?mux=11A&pid=12835&live=602&sec=0&lang=en

DAB works well in the car, in the home however IP seems like a better choice. We've been 100% IP for the last two years, audio and video

I think we need a survey on the proliferation of IP radio use in cars

Father was asking me over christmas, what dedicated IP home radios can be purchased ?

He doesn't really want to have to cast from a phone/tablet to some poor quality smart speaker in the kitchen, but I don't see much alternative,
since IP radios (eg Pure) do not seem flexible to add arbitrary IP streams to their pre-sets stations;
An IP radio is not going to give podcast access to archived material from those staions either.

 

[lucid]

The Poles have a news article:

From 2021, in every car. Will DAB+ become standard?

Hardly a revelation since the European Union is forcing car manufacturers selling in the EU to fit DAB+ radios as standard.

(regarding general in-car audio) - Many cars lack low tones - says Robert Portacha, who specializes in assembling car audio systems. - The speakers, which are in the basic version, can be improved at a low cost. Certainly, the soundproofing of cars, or at least the doors , will do a lot - it changes the acoustics of this speaker. Even with factory installations, the soundproofing will have the effect of replacing these speakers with better ones and adding a small amplifier, says the expert.

... which has absolutely nothing to do with DAB+

In addition to sound quality, a disadvantage of the analog car radio is its short service life. This state of affairs may be changed by DAB+ - a technique used in 21 countries that allows to broadcast radio programs in digital form, which Polish Radio has been implementing since 2013.

Can we clarify here, are we talking about how long analogue radios keep working? There are classic cars running from the 60s and 70s with perfectly functioning car radios. Is 50~60 years and still working not long enough then?

Or are we talking about the artificially imposed cut-off date because FM transmissions are being scrapped?

- This technology guarantees a new quality of radio reception.

The phrase "a new quality of radio reception" doesn't automatically equate to better. **** is equally a new quality.

This is a better sound quality for listeners - confirms the director of Program 3 of Polish Radio and the Music Agency of Polish Radio, Michał Narkiewicz-Jodko.

As @jpaul points out, DAB+ at 64kbps is hardly anything to be proud of.

- Owners of DAB+ receivers in the car have, among others access to current news or weather maps. They can also be informed about the current traffic situation - adds Eng. Mirosław Ostrowski, promoter of DAB+ technology.

In addition to suggesting the lowest fuel price, DAB+ receivers allow you to correct the route in the event of road accidents, as well as listen to or record the broadcast."

At last! A real benefit of DAB+. The TPEG enhanced traffic and news service available on DAB+. But wait, there's a catch. For many countries this is a premium (pay-to-use) service rather than being free.

FM radios have had traffic news service for years. It's RDS-EON, and it's free.

 

[4K8KW10]

... which has absolutely nothing to do with DAB+

It has - if it means for low frequencies or the basses, then FM dramatically cuts the upper and lower range of frequencies and makes the sound very poor.

 

[lucid]

It has - if it means for low frequencies or the basses, then FM dramatically cuts the upper and lower range of frequencies and makes the sound very poor.

Very poor? Absolute rubbish.

UK Radio 3 FM broadcasts mainly a classical music repertoire. The sound quality is extremely good.

The station and its listeners have fought the shift to DAB because it is a backwards step in audio quality. Low bitrate DAB+ would be the same.

 

[4K8KW10]

Very poor?

Sound quality comparison - the FM sound is so distorted: