Digital Radio Broadcasting

hrafndot

There is current discussion about an analogue radio scrappage scheme.

This may be the case but I listen to Radio 4 online in analogue and it strikes me that if the BBC does not have confidence in its product, what is the point of promoting digital radio when Radio 4 is still broadcasting on line in analogue format?

penrhyn

Analogue and digital refer to the modulation schemes used for the transmission of the programmes.
You are listening to Radio 4 via the internet, hence it is being distributed digitally.
The analogue modulation schemes are AM and FM.

hrafndot

The only reason I made that assumption is that if I listen on my laptop and if I have my digital radio switched on at the same time there is a time lag between the two I think the laptop is slightly ahead of my digital radio. My Roberts radio has on screen that it is receiving a DAB broadcast!

fwor

The time lag is caused by digital processing, buffering and (to a small extent) latency in the network.

If it ever does happen, it won't be for a while yet, because radio audiences are dominated by people listening to analogue radio in their cars, and even a scrappage scheme is unlikely to change that in a hurry.

lfc321

hrafndot wrote: »

The only reason I made that assumption is that if I listen on my laptop and if I have my digital radio switched on at the same time there is a time lag between the two I think the laptop is slightly ahead of my digital radio. My Roberts radio has on screen that it is receiving a DAB broadcast!

But your assumption is wrong. As penrhyn said, internet radio is broadcast digitally - everything that comes through your computer is digital because that's how computers work (with 1s and 0s). This is not the same as DAB, though, which is a digital broadcast format. That's why there's a time-lag - one comes through wires from the BBC servers via x number of intermediate relays to your home PC/router; the other comes through the air from your nearest radio transmitter. Completely different processes.

However, you are right that the BBC does also still broadcast in analogue on AM and FM. They will continue to do so until the switchover date (triggered when almost everyone has a digital radio) and then the analogue signal will be turned off.

There are many people who have serious doubts about the quality of DAB digital radio (me included). The BBC, however, have no such doubts.

hrafndot

Thanks for all the responses; they've cleared the fog somewhat. I must agree that the quality of DAB (even through my Roberts Gemini) has its ups and downs with significant breaks for no obvious reason.

googler

hrafndot wrote: »

There is current discussion about an analogue radio scrappage scheme.

Are we prepared, environmentally, for the 'analogue radio mountain' that will result......?

Where have you seen the discussion of a scrappage scheme?

hrafndot

The Guardian, Mail and Metro. Here's a link http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/01/radio-analogue-scrappage-scheme-digital
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/29/digital-radio-switchover-scrappage

patman99

I read-up on this, and it seems that the Govt intend to switch-off analogue radio in 2015, at this point in time, they will also be switching over to a new DAB system that all the rest of the world uses as it is far better than what we have at the moment.

poppy10_2

googler wrote: »

Are we prepared, environmentally, for the 'analogue radio mountain' that will result......?

They say the old radios will be reconditioned and donated to third world countries, not just scrapped.

googler

poppy10 wrote: »

They say the old radios will be reconditioned and donated to third world countries, not just scrapped.

IF the people hand them in at the recycle points.... and IF there are enough recycle points....

and IF African countries actually want them. There's a chance that they might kick-start their own DAB broadcasting if they realise we're going to send them our hand-me-downs.