Why isn't DAB the future?

Norman_Castle

Stoke wrote: »

Do you need a strong signal?

Yes, otherwise you get a bubbling noise.

EssexExile

With both FM & digital it should be fine or pretty useless, rarely anything in between.

J_B

esuhl wrote: »

But you need a strong signal for DAB to work too. Otherwise you get weird squelchy-sounding artefacts.
Well... you get more squelchy-sounding artefacts -- you can't avoid them with the low-quality codecs used.

Stoke wrote: »

Do you need a strong signal? I'm aware there are areas of terrible coverage but I would expect a decent experience even if the signal was degraded. You can't say the same for FM.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Yes, otherwise you get a bubbling noise.

Slightly O/T (?)
We have a built in KB Sound DAB/FM radio in our kitchen.
It is wired to an aerial in the loft
We listen to Absolute Classic Rock in the evenings (you can't get that on FM!), but if someone puts the (LED Downlighters) lights on in our en-suite, we get the squelchy/bubbling interference.

This has only been happening for about 3 months, it was fine before!!

Jivesinger

esuhl wrote: »

DAB has appalling sound quality, although I think that's just due to broadcasters choosing low-quality audio, rather than an inherent problem with DAB.

I think it's a consequence of how many stations they tried to squeeze into limited bandwidth.

esuhl wrote: »

Also, DAB radios use a lot more power than FM radios, so portable DAB devices tend to have very low battery life.

Yes, this is a major disadvantage for me, and I'm not convinced technology has made things better even though DAB has been around for several years now.

Also... you can't set your watch accurately by the 'Pips' (for Greenwich Mean Time) when broadcast over DAB. FM is much more accurate (albeit the speed of light still introduces a slight delay).

eddddy

I'd be surprised if DAB gets a lot more investment.

People are increasingly listening to radio on 'non-radio' devices - like phones, tablets, TVs, laptops etc.

And for cars, all the investment is in 'Connected Cars' - with "infotainment" systems connected to the internet via data connections.

This Guardian article suggests...

It’s predicted that 200m connected cars will be on the roads by 2020...

A threshold was quietly crossed in the first quarter of 2016. For the first time, mobile carriers reported activating more connected cars than phones.

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/13/robot-connected-cars-hacking-risks-driverless-vehicles-ross-now

My guess is that the investment will go into 4G and 5G rather than DAB.

Stoke

The problem with 'connected cars' is that usually, they require some form of subscription and many people just refuse to pay.

molerat

Stoke wrote: »

The problem with 'connected cars' is that usually, they require some form of subscription and many people just refuse to pay.

They also require a connection

Stoke

molerat wrote: »

They also require a connection

Don't get me started on that. My drive to work, I have no signal for at least 10-15 miles I reckon, with little spots in-between. It's only a 20 mile trip for christ sake.

RumRat

Stoke wrote: »

The problem with 'connected cars' is that usually, they require some form of subscription and many people just refuse to pay.

No they don't. Mine uses the phones OS to operate and uses the phones connection, which most people have.
I only use Google Play Music and Deezer in the car. It has a DAB/FM radio, but I can't remember the last time I used it.
My music begins as soon as I turn on the engine and can be controlled by voice. Radio would be the last place to listen to music, it's always interrupted by a DJ so nothing flows.
Most people I know now use their phone music in one way or another in the car. Either in the connected car set-ups or via Bluetooth.

J_B

RumRat wrote: »

I only use Google Play Music and Deezer in the car. It has a DAB/FM radio, but I can't remember the last time I used it.
My music begins as soon as I turn on the engine and can be controlled by voice. Radio would be the last place to listen to music, it's always interrupted by a DJ so nothing flows.

So .. (devil's advocate mode ...) how do you ever hear any new music?
Are you maybe 'stuck in the past' listening to 'old music'

Where we are with a 2MB home internet and an intermittent mobile signal, could your system cope with that?