DAB Radio

[Panic Button]

I want an inexpensive DAB radio.

Tesco do a sort of own brand Technika for �39.95, which they claim is down from �49.95.

Is it OK or could I do better for that sort of money?

[plowter]

You get what you pay for. Try the Roberts RD 49, list price �49 but you can get it for less. Great reception, easy to use and a surprisingly powerful sound.

Any other recommendations?

[Ethel]

Tesco have a 28 day refund policy. Buy it, try it, if it's not good enough take it back.

Keep the original packaging and receipt, obviously.

[Ethel]

http://po-ru.com/diary/technika-dab-radio/

[ACtheTROLL]

Argos are currently having a clear out
my friend has the first link .... it's very good .... in fact for the price it's excellent

the only problem is (if that sort of thing matters is it's ALBA)

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servl et/Search?storeId=10001&langId=-1&q=ALBA&pp=20 &c_1=1|cat_8963411|Clearance%20sound%20and%20v ision|9141357

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servl et/Search?storeId=10001&langId=-1&q=ALBA&pp=20 &c_1=1|cat_8963411|DAB%20digital%20radio|89636 02

[heathfield]

Buy a good quality FM radio instead. See.

[YvonneM]

Heathfield have yu ever tried listening to radio 5 on FM at night

[neuron]

Yes, you could do a lot more for your money. It's called waiting.

In a report recently in the Daily Telegraph (source it from their website), they point out that DAB is old hat and is shortly to be discontinued.

There is a new system coming in called DAB+ which will be the future standard. Broadcasters will begin to discontinue DAB broadcasts and progressively introduce DAB+. There will come a time when DAB transmissions will cease and it's happening in the next few years.

DAB and DAB+ are NOT compatible with one another which means that those people who have listened to the hype and bought a DAB radio might as well throw it in the bin right now. It will be useless for DAB+ reception. The tragedy is that many top quality versions of these receivers such as Pure cost well in excess of �100.

This information is not common knowledge at the moment, but look carefully at sites and stores offering DAB radio equipment. They've already started discounting the equipment heavily and it's got nothing to do with Christmas.
Have a chat with a friendly, knowledgable assistant in one of these stores. If he's honest, he'll let the cat out of the bag.
This is why Argos is having the clear out.

[Ian1]

The problem with DAB radios is that some will retain the station memories whilst switched off from the mains and some will not. I have moved a radio from one side of the room to the other and in those few seconds it has lost its pre-sets and so I have to do a full re-scan which, apart from being inconvenient, takes a minute or two. The trouble is you don't know if the radio you have bought retains its memories until you try it out. Another thing to consider is will it take a external aerial. Some have a connector which allows an external aerial to be connected via a F-connector - handy if you want to receive a lot more stations.

The news by neuron is quite disturbing though - I've spent a lot on different DAB radios including one for the car.

[plowter]

neuron is correct that DAB+ is on its way but it seems unlikely that things are going to change overnight.

Read the Which Report on DAB+ for a more measured overview of DAB+

[gina32]

i was told about the argos dab radio several weeks ago and have tried at least 20 different branches and nowhere has got it!

[poinsy]

Neuron wrote DAB and DAB+ are NOT compatible with one another which means that those people who have listened to the hype and bought a DAB radio might as well throw it in the bin right now.
This is not true, you will be able to get a bargain that should be perfectly usable for the next 3 years or so. In fact, straight from here, it quotes The DAB system has recently adopted the new AAC+ audio codec, and existing stations that use the old MP2 format will probably be switched off completely in the UK in around 7-8 years' time�

So, whilst I wouldn�t splash out a few hundred pounds on a DAB unit, you can probably get a reasonable unit for under �50 that will be fine for some time. I got mine for �50 last year and it�s great, and up until recently they were still selling them at Tesco�s. It has a CD player also, but that is not too good, but the radio is great and the unit looks good.

Paul

[neuron]

Plowter, the Which? report is undoubtedly a good overview of the situation. However, the article was written at the end of last month and things have moved ahead since then - I should know as I'm a chartered broadcasting engineer involved in this technology.

DAB will be dropped and DAB+ will supercede it. Provisional timetables have already been proposed regarding the change-over and they are under review by the most senior people concerned in the industry including the major broadcasters. Admittedly, the precise timetable for switchover has not been ratified, but having seen it, I can tell you they've done a better job of it than the A-D television switchover.

It's interesting that the article appears to imply that no-one really knows when or if DAB+ be adopted. There's no "if" about it, for the following reasons.

RETRA, the trade electrical retailers body, has already been notified of the proposed changeover and they've agreed that the technical issues involved with DAB are insurmountable unless DAB equipment is modified. Once RETRA became aware of the proposals, it caused something of a knee-jerk reaction. Wholesale prices of DAB equipment fell because the retailers were not buying in the stuff. It became very competitive overnight and this is what is behind the clearances of DAB equipment that's on right now.

Modification of DAB equipment to receive DAB+ is not easy because of technical matters that have still to be ironed out. It would also not be cheap and questions were asked whether this was economically viable bearing in mind that DAB+ was on the way. The upshot is that the industry proposes to put minimum effort into upgrading DAB.

[neuron]

As far as the timescale and the eagerness of the public to adopt DAB+ , I'll say this. Considerable effort was put into getting the public to accept that DVD recorders was the future of home TV recording a few years back. It worked. VHS tape sales are now at the lowest ever recorded with many manufacturers ceasing production and major retailers in the UK no longer stocking them. Try buying a VCR nowadays and see the limited number available to what there was a few years back.

The same will happen with DAB+. The public will get to hear of the new technology. They'll want it as it more technologically advanced than DAB and and lacks the drawbacks encountered with DAB. Retailers will sell DAB+ equipment at discount as sales will go through the roof. Broadcasters will then transmit in DAB+ more and more as the new system becomes increasingly popular. This popularity will leave DAB equipment gathering dust on the shelves and the manufacturers will cease to produce such obsolete technology.

I accept that overnight changes are unlikely to occur, but the DAB to DAB+ changeover will be very noticeable within a year of the equipment being available. DAB for all it was meant to be is heading for the same destiny as Betamax, but on a far shorter timescale.

[neuron]

Well poinsy, if you really want to believe that an article authoured on 30 November 2006, eleven months ago, reflects the current situation on this technology, that's really up to you. I won't argue with you.

As I said earlier, the Which? article is already out of date. Doesn't give much credence to a eleven month old article does it?

[Panic Button]

Thank you all for your answers, it is fascinating.

I particularly want DAB rather than FM, as I listen to 5live a lot, and want to get 5live Sports Extra for their new Championship coverage (WBA fan)

I was that person who bought a Betamax VCR!

I think on reflection I will buy an inexpensive one, considering the DAB+ information, but sorry ACtheTroll, I think Alba is too low to stoop.

Thanks again. 3 stars to you all.

[Reverandfunk]

As a Villa I suggest you get one for 40 quid, well worth the money, 5 live xtra, all the other digital channels and my fave bbc 7

[neuron]

Thanks for that Panic Button.

You're right to stay away from Alba stuff - most of the stuff badged Alba nowadays is made all over the world by cheap subcontracted manufacturers. This includes the PRC, which has never made any serious inroads into the UK consumer electronics market in their own right.

For those that don't mind cheap, tacky and soon to obsolete equipment, I have seen an Alba DAB radio on sale in Co-Op grocery stores for around �20, although I'm not sure about the model number. It's not available on the CO-Op website.

[poinsy]

Well neuron, I cannot fault your reasoning, my point was simply that for �50 or less you may get a few years of entertainment; 5Live Sports Extra for example

Also, your statement: "...those people who have listened to the hype and bought a DAB radio might as well throw it in the bin right now...." was a bit flippant.

Let's agree to disagree.

[plowter]

My old dad still uses a crystal radio and he's worried that they'll decommission crystal broadcasting someday. What can you say?