FM Radio

[Matheous-2]

Is it worth getting a decent aerial now or are all local radio stations going DAB anytime soon?

[Buenchico]

The Government's Digital Radio Action Plan, published last July, cites 2015 as an 'achievable target date' for the switch-off of FM transmitters so (theoretically at least) it would seem reasonable to assume that all local radio stations will be migrating to DAB fairly soon.

However that date is regarded by many observers as unrealistic. (The UK Government signed up to an international broadcasting agreement which committed the UK to completing the changeover to digital TV by 2001, so it's not hard to see how plans can get delayed by a decade or so!).

With DAB radio, each area is meant to be covered by three multiplexes (which are simply bundles of channels). Most areas now have the BBC national radio multiplex, as well as Digital One's multiplex, which carries national commercial radio. The third multiplex (or combination of multiplexes) is meant to carry both BBC and commercial local radio. It's the third multiplex that most arweas are still waiting for, but progress is being made:
http://www.radio-now....ex_launch_updates.htm

Chris

[mushroom25]

one of the big issues with DAB is that only 4% of UK registered road vehicles are equipped, and it will not be fitted to cars as as standard until 2013, although it is available as an option now, adding £250 to the price.

Assuming a switch-over date of 2015 plus or minus a year, this will leave up to 25million vehicles in radio silence after the change.

[Buenchico]

There's an additional problem, Mushroom25, in that the UK is one of only two European nations to have adopted the original DAB standard for transmissions. All other European countries waited until the newer, and technically superior, DAB+ standard had been introduced.

That means that radio manufacturers must make DAB radios specifically for the UK (and Norwegian) market or make radios which (unlike most domestic digital sets) will work with both methods of broadcasting. The former option would mean that radio prices will be high because of low manufacturing volumes (and that UK drivers couldn't use their car radios while abroad). The latter option would see prices pushed up because of the need to effectively incorporate two radios into one.

[ChuckFickens]

The other problem with DAB at the moment is the quality is rubbish.

FM is roughly equivalent to 196Kbs encoding, the highest quality DAB stations are currently only 128Kbs and a most of them are lower than that, I think 48Kbs is the lowest.

[Buenchico]

Chuck:
Some DAB bit rates (from the 2011 edition of the Radio Listener's Guide):
Radio 1: 128
1Xtra: 128
Radio 2: 128
Radio 3: 192 or 160
Radio 4: 128 or 80
Radio 4 Extra: 80 mono
Radio 5 Live: 80 mono
6 Music: 128
World Service: 64 mono
Classic FM: 160
Absolute: 160
TalkSport: 64 mono

[ChuckFickens]

I stand corrected on the highest (who listens to radio3 though? :-p )

[scotman]

I do! sometimes.

[scotman]

While I take the point about bit rate does it really matter for speech channels or 'pop' music. Given that it is virtually interference free it seems well good enough for me. Classical music may be a different matter.

[Buenchico]

Radio 3 is one of the few places with decent coverage of World Music:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...orldmusic/index.shtml

[seadogg]

What type of aerial are you thinking of? My 3 element FM aerial in the loft is made of heavy duty fencing wire and wood. See you through to changeover!

[Matheous-2]

Thanks Seadogg & others. I'm just after a decent aerial that will keep my wife happy with her fav. local Radio Clyde1.....