5 May 2010

Digital Radio Trial in Canberra - Who'll be able to listen?

| johnboy
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Smarthouse is full of excitement about the trial of digital radio in Canberra this July.

Throughout the digital radio trial, radio listeners in Canberra will be able to experience digital quality audio, robust transmission and significantly improved functionality. They will also receive more audio services, text and graphics on screen, and on some receivers, have the ability to pause and rewind.

But to listen to it we’ll need to buy new radios, to listen to the same mediocrity but with more flashing lights.

The real promise of digital is allowing more stations, which in turn (assuming the government doesn’t get greedy when pricing the spectrum) holds out the possibility of niche programming which might excite some genuine interest.

On the other hand we can get internet radio from all over the world right now, without having to buy more equipment.

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But yeah, bit disappointing that the only station worth listening to is SBS Chill (which is good but repeats a bit). Strangely the highest bit rate is SBS Chill at AAC 80Kb/s (bits, note bytes) which I would have thought was a bit low but honestly it sounds fine for some reason.

If they ever get any high bit rate stations going it will sound fantastic.

Just got one of these little Kogan beauties, does everything but pause and rewind. Handles everything else though including the obligatory iPod dock. I got it mainly because it has an Internet Radio alarm capability, which is REALLY nice in the mornings, and can plug in to external speakers, so I have an old pair of computer speakers under the bed that sound better than the in built speakers. Great for barbies too, overall very happy for $200.

http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/kogan-wi-fi-digital-radio-dab-iphone-docking-delux/

The ABC apparently are still not broadcasting in Canberra, if their Digital Radio page is anything to go by. The ABC refused to participate in the test broadcasts this year (according to City News I think), and it appears that they are still doing so. However, last time I retuned my Digital/Internet Radio I got not a few stations- so Digital Radio is up and running. But not Your ABC.

Holden Caulfield12:11 pm 25 Nov 10

Any updates on this? The cricket season has started and I think Digital Radio and I could become quite close (one day).

It will be interesting to see what we get out of the additional new stations. Also, how good transmission will be in the many valleys of the city.

thy_dungeonman5:02 pm 05 May 10

It’s about time, we bought our mother a digital radio last mothers day (in Canberra) only to find that it’s not broadcast in Canberra (although the official launch was held at parliament house, go figure). So finally we shall now have a radio rather than a paperweight.

Pause/rewind don’t require digital transmission.

No, you’re quite right. But convenient, near-instantaneous and lossless (with respect to a lossy encoding, as you correctly noted) pause/rewind a rarity on analog services (yes, Tivo, you’re right, but how many people ever owned one compared to how many own a PVR these days?). I didn’t mean to imply this ability was predicated on a digital signal, just that it becomes more “the norm”. You are, however, technically correct – the best kind of correct 🙂

Holden Caulfield2:51 pm 05 May 10

amarooresident3 said :

I understand ABC were broadcasting digital radio already. They were heavily spruiking it throughout the cricket season, where you could listen to live coverage of Shield games and other sports on seperate channnels.

Yes they are already transmitting in Digital, but only in selected areas. Sadly, Canberra isn’t one of them.

Spectra said :

Idiots
Something that I didn’t mention earlier in terms of benefits is that once you have a digital signal you can also do nice things that you can do with a PVR like pause, rewind, and lossless recording.

Lossless recording (of a waveform encoded with lossy compression) is a benefit, yes. There’s also other benefits like “now playing” info and EPG, etc.

Pause/rewind don’t require digital transmission.

The original Tivo only had analog inputs. For a while all DVD + HDD recorders (as opposed to the DVB PVRs with no DVD drive) initially only had analog inputs, either video or tuner.

Thanks guys, that is more or less what I understood, but it is nice to have it confirmed. I am interested to know what the likely hood of this product to become mainstream is? Digital TV has taken for ever, and they keep putting back the turn off of analogue. Might just take for ever for uptake of this. The way it is, might be cheaper for me to get a dedicated mobile broadband connection for my car and just stream JJJ from the net…

I was a little ambiguous: The digital radio in the USA isn’t different just in name, it’s a whole different standard.

Idiots

I can’t decide if you’re trolling or not…I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are.

I have been wondering about that for some time. If it isn’t digital radio, what is it? SBS just using some of their TV signal to broadcast some jazz?

Yeah, that’s pretty much it. It’s certainly digital radio in the sense of being digitally transmitted sound without pictures, but it’s broadcast as part of the digital TV signal, not as “radio” from a licensing sense (or in terms of the equipment required to receive it).

Once you get Digital Radio you’ll loose local content.

Care to back up that assertion? Or were you just throwing it out there in the hope that everyone would believe you and nobody would think to ask “huh?”.

What is it about ABC’s adherance to AM band here in Canberra (and other capital cities)?

What, you mean like ABC Classic FM? JJJ? News Radio? Hardly what I’d call “adherance(sic) to AM”. Besides, AM has a rather significant advantage over FM in terms of range (obviously at the expense of quality) which, if you’re servicing a large region can be quite desirable.

Something that I didn’t mention earlier in terms of benefits is that once you have a digital signal you can also do nice things that you can do with a PVR like pause, rewind, and lossless recording. That, plus the improved quality, were what encouraged me to go to digital TV before any additional channels were available.

p1 said :

I have been wondering about that for some time. If it isn’t digital radio, what is it? SBS just using some of their TV signal to broadcast some jazz?

Exactly. It’s DVB – that’s the name of the standard. The “SBS Radio” on your set top box is a TV signal with sound but no picture. There are no devices out there that can receive DVB and have audio out, but no video.

On the other hand “Digital Radio” is a direct replacement for FM Radio. The standard we use here is called DAB+ (as opposed to “HD Radio” in the USA.)

One problem is that while in theory it offers better quality than FM (as alluded to by Smarthouse and Spectra) the radio stations are transmitting at such low bit rates that analogue FM is noticably better. IE, they’re transmitting at 64kbit(using AAC+.) It’s roughly comparable to 96kbit MP3s, which you may already know don’t sound that great. FM radio isn’t audiophile stuff either, but I estimate it to be as good as 128kbit streams. It’s nowhere near the often used “CD Quality” term.

Also, DAB+ radios are hard to come by. My brand new, not very cheap AVR only does analog radio.. Another problem is that cheaper/older DAB radios don’t work with newer DAB+.

Finally, the radios don’t even have digital audio out (EG coax or optical.) So my shiny new AVR has to take an analogue signal from the digital radio. Kindof dumb. Probably an attempt at preventing digital copying.

Thoroughly Smashed1:40 pm 05 May 10

p1 said :

I think you’ll find Conan that the radio on digital TV is not digital radio.

I have been wondering about that for some time. If it isn’t digital radio, what is it? SBS just using some of their TV signal to broadcast some jazz?

What we’re talking about here is a standard called DAB+, short for Digital Audio Broadcasting. Broadcasting audio over digital TV bands is a different matter. For reference the ABC radio stations you can get on digital TV are also broadcast on DAB+.

BTW is it angry newbie month here, did I miss a memo?

Gungahlin Al1:27 pm 05 May 10

What is it about ABC’s adherance to AM band here in Canberra (and other capital cities)? On the Sunshine Coast, it been on FM for decades.

Rawhide Kid No 21:09 pm 05 May 10

Once you get Digital Radio you’ll loose local content.

I think you’ll find Conan that the radio on digital TV is not digital radio.

I have been wondering about that for some time. If it isn’t digital radio, what is it? SBS just using some of their TV signal to broadcast some jazz?

I’d be totally interested in this if they ran with the ABC stations. I would buy a digital radio tomorrow. Triple J ran a second channel on Digital Radio as well at one stage. I have no time for commercial radio so I guess I’ll wait a bit longer.

ConanOfCooma12:51 pm 05 May 10

Idiots.

Have you never tuned in a digital set top box?

It’s quite painfully obvious, right there on your menus.

DIGITAL RADIO.

You can watch (listen) to it like a TV channel, and like it says above, some avtually have images!

OMFGWTFBBQ?!?

If you haven’t, or cannot, make the jump to digital TV, then it’s probably not worth the strain on your brain to attempt digital radio.

I think you’ll find Conan that the radio on digital TV is not digital radio.

amarooresident312:26 pm 05 May 10

I understand ABC were broadcasting digital radio already. They were heavily spruiking it throughout the cricket season, where you could listen to live coverage of Shield games and other sports on seperate channnels.

If Spectra is right, then my initial assessment – not enough benefit to justify the extra equipment – sounds like it’s unchanged.

Just like Digital TV wasn’t really worth it until GO! and ABC2 arrived (possibly ONE HD if you just like sport and don’t care what it is.)

Holden Caulfield said :

Aaargh, it appears that no ABC stations are included in the trial!

This was the first thing I checked. Very dissapointed. 🙁

Can you get news and weather on demand? Or mute the adds? That’s about all I’m interested in.

Unless it’s capable of making Lisa sound less contrived and Ross sound less cringe-worthy…

Holden Caulfield11:20 am 05 May 10

Aaargh, it appears that no ABC stations are included in the trial!

Basically, my understanding is that it boils down to much the same changes as digital TV provides: Better quality, the potential for more channels, extra data like programme guides and so on. And it has the same key drawback: need for new equipment for both the broadcasters and listeners. The cost is high at the moment, just like it was in the early days of digital TVs/set top boxes. Also just like TVs, that will come down over time as digital radio is available in more places and more manufacturers start making receivers.

Holden Caulfield11:13 am 05 May 10

Ahh, but Digital Radio should allow me to get past the Stalinesque wankers at AFL house that control internet coverage of pre and post match football broadcasts.

I expect there will also be similar benefits during the cricket season, too. A major one is having the ability to delay the radio coverage to sync with the TV broadcast so there is no need to listen to the buffoons on Channel Nine trying to flog some meaningless piece of crap memorabilia, in between promotions for rubbish TV shows.

Gungahlin Al11:01 am 05 May 10

But to listen to it we’ll need to buy new radios, to listen to the same mediocrity but with more flashing lights.

And dont they cost a bomb? I haven’t yet seen one that also includes docking for iPods/Phones – another range of appliances that are absurdly expensive still…

Anywhere I’ve read about digital radio, it’s always full of blurb about what’s in it for the radio stations, or speculation about spectrum management.
What I’ve never seen is “This is how a digital radio will differ from a normal radio”.
And this article is no different.
Does anyone know?

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