Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of follows on
from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested in hearing
anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like listening to
Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and going
to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on DAB is too
expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via internet
streaming or through their phone app anyway.

So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled by
their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being propped up
financially by their FM counterparts. Absolute Radio have been having
difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels from DAB. The
Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do well without in my
view) only exist because of donations (and god knows who listens to them, if
you'll pardon the pun).

Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so what
does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money and just
bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?


--
Best Wishes
Simon (Dark Angel)
http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk
http://twitter.com/RealmofHorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-...43030832454357

Simon T wrote:

what does this mean for the future of DAB?

I've had a couple of DAB radios for a few years (one in the car, the
other as a bedside radio) but I think I would hesitate to buy into DAB
now, it's fairly old hat technology that forces broadcasters to
shoe-horn many low bandwidth streams into their MUXes to save costs.

There is DAB+ but switching to that would make most existing DAB sets
obsolete, how many would bother replacing them?

Should I have saved my money and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

And a Sonos/Roku/Squeezebox etc ...

On Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:19:03 AM UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Simon T wrote:

what does this mean for the future of DAB?

I've had a couple of DAB radios for a few years (one in the car, the
other as a bedside radio) but I think I would hesitate to buy into DAB
now, it's fairly old hat technology that forces broadcasters to
shoe-horn many low bandwidth streams into their MUXes to save costs.

There is DAB+ but switching to that would make most existing DAB sets
obsolete, how many would bother replacing them?

Should I have saved my money and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

And a Sonos/Roku/Squeezebox etc ...



The main problem with DAB (compared with FM) is that the sound quality is rather poor (in the UK). Almost no DAM stations broadcast in full stereo for example.

I switched to satellite to get decent (better than FM) radio quality but I don't know if your favourite stations are available that way.


Robert

On Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:58:13 AM UTC+1, RobertL wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2015 at 10:19:03 AM UTC+1, Andy Burns wrote:
Simon T wrote:

what does this mean for the future of DAB?

I've had a couple of DAB radios for a few years (one in the car, the
other as a bedside radio) but I think I would hesitate to buy into DAB
now, it's fairly old hat technology that forces broadcasters to
shoe-horn many low bandwidth streams into their MUXes to save costs.

There is DAB+ but switching to that would make most existing DAB sets
obsolete, how many would bother replacing them?

Should I have saved my money and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

And a Sonos/Roku/Squeezebox etc ...



The main problem with DAB (compared with FM) is that the sound quality is rather poor (in the UK). Almost no DAM stations broadcast in full stereo for example.

I switched to satellite to get decent (better than FM) radio quality but I don't know if your favourite stations are available that way.


Just checked: Planet Rock is on satellite at 28 degrees East

Robert

RobertL wrote:

The main problem with DAB (compared with FM) is that the sound
quality is rather poor (in the UK).

That wasn't an issue for me, I wanted better quality than AM, especially
at night, and (usually) DAB provides that.

"RobertL" wrote in message...
The main problem with DAB (compared with FM) is that the sound quality
is rather poor (in the UK). Almost no DAM stations broadcast in full
stereo
for example.

I had noticed that the sound quality of a good strong FM signal is way
better than DAB. I used to listen to DAB on a cheap little portable radio
and thought the 'tinny' quality was due to it being a cheap mono set. But
since I got my new hi-fi have noticed the DAB quality isn't much better,
whilst FM sounds far superior (warmer?).

I switched to satellite to get decent (better than FM) radio quality
but I don't know if your favourite stations are available that way.

Planet Rock are on satellite, but I can listen to them on DAB anyway. I
noticed Kerrang (which I sometimes listened to) abandoned Sky a while back
and are now Internet only.

I will be able to get Team Rock on my Samsung Galaxy tab and 'Bluetooth' it
over to my new hi-fi (and admittedly, the sound quality is noticeably much
better that way). But its a hell of a lot of messing around and lot less
convenient than just being able to listen to everything on one device.

So, does it look like internet streaming is the way forward then?




--
Best Wishes
Simon (Dark Angel)
http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk
http://twitter.com/RealmofHorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-...43030832454357

In article ,
RobertL wrote:
The main problem with DAB (compared with FM) is that the sound quality
is rather poor (in the UK). Almost no DAM stations broadcast in full
stereo for example.

I switched to satellite to get decent (better than FM) radio quality but
I don't know if your favourite stations are available that way.

Might be a problem in a car. And with the average portable or bedside
radio too - and that's how most listen to radio.

--
*I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a couple of DAB radios for a few years (one in the car, the
other as a bedside radio) but I think I would hesitate to buy into DAB
now, it's fairly old hat technology that forces broadcasters to
shoe-horn many low bandwidth streams into their MUXes to save costs.

I've often been curious as to why DAB costs the broadcasters so much more
in transmission fees.
Likely all down to taxation in one form or another, rather than intrinsic
costs of the medium.

--
*The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Simon T scribbled


Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of follows on
from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested in hearing
anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like listening to
Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and going
to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on DAB is too
expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via internet
streaming or through their phone app anyway.

So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled by
their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being propped up
financially by their FM counterparts. Absolute Radio have been having
difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels from DAB. The
Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do well without in my
view) only exist because of donations (and god knows who listens to them, if
you'll pardon the pun).

Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so what
does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money and just
bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?


Simples. Too many commercial radio stations chasing a reduced/reducing
pot of advertising money.

In article ,
Simon T wrote:
I had noticed that the sound quality of a good strong FM signal is way
better than DAB. I used to listen to DAB on a cheap little portable
radio and thought the 'tinny' quality was due to it being a cheap mono
set. But since I got my new hi-fi have noticed the DAB quality isn't
much better, whilst FM sounds far superior (warmer?).

Which stations are you listening to?

--
*Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Simon T wrote:
I will be able to get Team Rock on my Samsung Galaxy tab and 'Bluetooth'
it over to my new hi-fi (and admittedly, the sound quality is
noticeably much better that way). But its a hell of a lot of messing
around and lot less convenient than just being able to listen to
everything on one device.

So, does it look like internet streaming is the way forward then?

You've missed out FreeView. Not all radio stations are on it, of course.

Advantage is tuners - whether for a Hi-Fi or PC - are cheap as chips.

Snag with using with a Hi-Fi is the lack of display so you need to set it
up using a TV and save the stations as favourites then remember which is
which on the remote control. Although most only ever listen to one or two
stations anyway.

--
*You sound reasonable......time to up my medication

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 17/04/2015 09:57, Simon T wrote:
Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of
follows on from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested
in hearing anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like
listening to Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and
going to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on
DAB is too expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via
internet streaming or through their phone app anyway.

So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled
by their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being
propped up financially by their FM counterparts. Absolute Radio have
been having difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels
from DAB. The Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do
well without in my view) only exist because of donations (and god knows
who listens to them, if you'll pardon the pun).

Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so
what does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money
and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?



Radio 5Live is my station of choice, and I listen in the car.

DAB is miles better quality than the AM. And listeining to an internet
based service is impossible in the car, insufficient mobile coverage. I
drop to GPRS or NO SIGNAL for significant parts of my journey,
regardless of network. DAB works fine though

In article ,
HarpingOn wrote:
Radio 5Live is my station of choice, and I listen in the car.

DAB is miles better quality than the AM. And listeining to an internet
based service is impossible in the car, insufficient mobile coverage. I
drop to GPRS or NO SIGNAL for significant parts of my journey,
regardless of network. DAB works fine though

I'm more a R4 type - and use DAB for that in the London area. Reception is
miles better than FM. As it should be too - it was designed for better
mobile reception. Only music station I tend to use in the car is Magic -
and that too sounds ok on DAB. Or rather as good as FM - both are so
heavily processed as to ignore any pretensions to audio quality. As are
most other pop radio stations on the radio. I do wonder about those who go
on and on about bitrates, when all pop radio is compressed to a bugger all
dynamic range, regardless of how you receive it.

Only thing I use DAB for at home is R4 Extra. But I don't have any
portable radios in use there.

--
*You can't have everything, where would you put it?*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Simon T wrote:
I will be able to get Team Rock on my Samsung Galaxy tab and 'Bluetooth'
it over to my new hi-fi (and admittedly, the sound quality is
noticeably much better that way). But its a hell of a lot of messing
around and lot less convenient than just being able to listen to
everything on one device.

So, does it look like internet streaming is the way forward then?

You've missed out FreeView. Not all radio stations are on it, of course.

Advantage is tuners - whether for a Hi-Fi or PC - are cheap as chips.

Snag with using with a Hi-Fi is the lack of display so you need to set it
up using a TV and save the stations as favourites then remember which is
which on the remote control. Although most only ever listen to one or two
stations anyway.

When I was doing that I found a DAB tuner with a channel display on the
front - they do exist (or did then, anyway).

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

Well, my main gripes with dab is that most of the stations I want are now in
mono, and the same on Freeview also. However, you can still get in many
parts of the uk, Clasic fm in stereo on dab, and all accept the bbc radio 4
in stereo as well. but you are right, if its not bbc local or national and
not only talk its mono and low bit rate at that.
Presumably someone, the government maybe needs to make it cheaper to
broadcast on, or reduce the number of stations on it so the quality
improves. In answer to your question, it depends on what the service on fm
is like, and whether any of the stations you want will be on it.
Its fairly easy to get an old pc configured to play internet radio
stations, as I'm sure others will say, and it will be more reliable than
an internet radio as those won't keep up with the changing addresses of
radio stations, or be able to use proxies to get at content which is
country restricted.



So An old Freeview box, FM and DAB and the internet and then you are set,
and you only need 29 remote controls a keyboard and mouse a screen and some
switcher, and there you are!:-)

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Simon T" wrote in message
...
Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of follows
on from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested in hearing
anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like listening
to Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and
going to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on DAB
is too expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via
internet streaming or through their phone app anyway.

So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled
by their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being propped
up financially by their FM counterparts. Absolute Radio have been having
difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels from DAB. The
Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do well without in my
view) only exist because of donations (and god knows who listens to them,
if you'll pardon the pun).

Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so
what does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money
and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?


--
Best Wishes
Simon (Dark Angel)
http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk
http://twitter.com/RealmofHorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-...43030832454357

In article ,
Mike Barnes wrote:
You've missed out FreeView. Not all radio stations are on it, of course.

Advantage is tuners - whether for a Hi-Fi or PC - are cheap as chips.

Snag with using with a Hi-Fi is the lack of display so you need to set it
up using a TV and save the stations as favourites then remember which is
which on the remote control. Although most only ever listen to one or two
stations anyway.

When I was doing that I found a DAB tuner with a channel display on the
front - they do exist (or did then, anyway).

Oh I'd say most DAB tuners include a display. It's FreeView STBs that
usually don't. Not a problem with TV, but more tricky to use for radio
only.

--
*I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Mike Barnes wrote:
You've missed out FreeView. Not all radio stations are on it, of course.

Advantage is tuners - whether for a Hi-Fi or PC - are cheap as chips.

Snag with using with a Hi-Fi is the lack of display so you need to set it
up using a TV and save the stations as favourites then remember which is
which on the remote control. Although most only ever listen to one or two
stations anyway.

When I was doing that I found a DAB tuner with a channel display on the
front - they do exist (or did then, anyway).

Oh I'd say most DAB tuners include a display. It's FreeView STBs that
usually don't. Not a problem with TV, but more tricky to use for radio
only.

Sorry, that's what I meant - Freeview box not DAB.

--
Mike Barnes
Cheshire, England

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message ...
So An old Freeview box, FM and DAB and the internet and then you are set,
and you only need 29 remote controls a keyboard and mouse a screen and some
switcher, and there you are!:-)

That was the situation I was hoping to avoid...


--
Best Wishes
Simon (Dark Angel)
http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk
http://twitter.com/RealmofHorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-...43030832454357

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Which stations are you listening to?

Well, on DAB, as I mentioned earlier, Planet Rock and Team Rock.

On FM I mainly listen to my local station Lincs FM, or Radio 1.

As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, I tried Bluetoothing an internet
stream from Team Rock over to my Hi-Fi from my Galaxy Tab and found the
sound quality was actually better that way. But it's not as convenient.


--
Best Wishes
Simon (Dark Angel)
http://www.realmofhorror.co.uk
http://twitter.com/RealmofHorror
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Realm-...43030832454357

On 17/04/2015 09:57, Simon T wrote:
Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of
follows on from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested
in hearing anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like
listening to Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and
going to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on
DAB is too expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via
internet streaming or through their phone app anyway.

So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled
by their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being
propped up financially by their FM counterparts. Absolute Radio have
been having difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels
from DAB. The Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do
well without in my view) only exist because of donations (and god knows
who listens to them, if you'll pardon the pun).

Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so
what does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money
and just bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?



Entirely depends on what you want to listen to. For me it is mostly R4,
R4e, World Service, R2 occasionally, unless there is a specific
programme on one of the other channels. And DAB is fine for me. These
days DAB reception on portables seems better than FM. They are not
expensive now, my latest is one of these and it is very convenient.
Mains lead (long) terminates in micro usb connector, so it can also
double as a phone or tablet charger.

http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-...kpid=233736694

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a couple of DAB radios for a few years (one in the car, the
other as a bedside radio) but I think I would hesitate to buy into DAB
now, it's fairly old hat technology that forces broadcasters to
shoe-horn many low bandwidth streams into their MUXes to save costs.

I've often been curious as to why DAB costs the broadcasters so much more
in transmission fees.
Likely all down to taxation in one form or another, rather than intrinsic
costs of the medium.


Mono-polistic nature of the system;?..
--
Tony Sayer

In article , Simon T darkangel5@REMOVETHISB
ITlineone.net scribeth thus
Hope you'll forgive the somewhat off topic post, but this sort-of follows on
from my recent enquiry about DAB aerials and was interested in hearing
anyone else's thoughts on this.

Recently bought a new hi-fi, one with DAB radio, because I like listening to
Planet Rock and Team Rock radio.

Umm ... hi-fi and DAB should not be in the same sentences really;!.

The only station at like anything of a decent bit rate is BBC radio 3
the rest are way below that and invariably in Mono...


Last night I discover that Team Rock are leaving the DAB platform and going
to be an internet/streaming service only because broadcasting on DAB is too
expensive and it seems a lot of their listeners tune in via internet
streaming or through their phone app anyway.

Yep national DAB carriage is a lorra loot...


So I start looking at how the other stations remain on air, seems that
Planet Rock were making a £300,000 loss each year and being bank rolled by
their owners and it seems many of the other stations are being propped up
financially by their FM counterparts.

Well thats sometimes done as if they commit to DAB transmission then
they can hang onto their analogue licences odd I know but..

Absolute Radio have been having
difficulty and have pulled a number of their sister channels from DAB.

Cost and lack of advert revenue to support them.

The
Christian broadcasting stations (which we could all do well without in my
view) only exist because of donations (and god knows who listens to them, if
you'll pardon the pun).

Yes there're never short of money, lot of it swishing around in the
church of the air;!..


Also seems that DAB has failed to make an impact in most of Europe, so what
does this mean for the future of DAB? Should I have saved my money and just
bought an FM only hi-fi?

Thoughts anyone?


It depends on what you want to listen to. I have a rather odd ball idea
of what's good on the radio and that can be our local commercial
stations and community radio and BBC radio 3 and 4 and sometimes depends
where I'm listening.

Course not everything is available over the air whilst a lot is on the
net so anything of interest on say Radio 3 than the hi speed Internet
connection is around the best audio going. Some other foreign radio
broadcasters are doing such services and good they are too.

I do sometimes use DAB but only on a small portable as on anything of a
bigger system the rather poor audio quality is rather annoying and even
olde FM can be quite good on a few stations. I do have access to quite a
bit of satellite radio but most of the stuff I want is on Internet
"landline" at home and FM in the car...

--
Tony Sayer