In article , Robin Prater
writes


But you can also source some good radio on the Freeserve system where
the audio quality is better than the DAB crap that's around. Satellite
will give you even more choice even the much despised Sky digibox is
good for some tens of radio channels!.

Although I would not disagree with a word of your good technical advice I
must take issue on your description of DAB as crap! I have had digital
radio for three years, in London we have 50 stations to choose from and I
would not go back to listening on FM. My advice would be to buy a DAB
receiver put up a good Band III aerial and enjoy real quality sound.

Robin



Don't see it that way. DAB has been seriously degraded by the BBC and
commercial stations because they have lowered the bitrates. This has had
an adverse effect on the overall sound quality which has now gone from
what could have been excellent, to what can now only be described as
mediocre. The only DAB station that can hold its own is radio 3 which is
at 192 K/bits most of the others are at 128 K/bits or even less
sometimes, radio 4 is even in Mono at times!.

In fact the whole systems badly flawed as the encoder in use, MP2, has
now been superseded by better ones so the tech is already 10 years out
of date. But if it suits you then that's fine but the sound of
Terrestrial DAB annoys me intensely. FM isn't perfect either but is far
more natural than what DAB is but a lot of the time FM is adjudged as
poor, and this is only due to insufficient aerial signals.

I would only regard DAB as fit for portable use and for in car, as a
serious medium for home delivery its poor, Satellite is a much better
option or if you only want the local and main BBC channels then FM still
manages to outshine them provided its fed with a clean signal...
--
Tony Sayer