The eighth floor

[Jugalug]

my car doesn't have a dab radio, neither does my workplace & most people don't have them.

I agree with the other points of everyone, but this one (along with others phrased similarly) are missing the point. The whole point of those stations being digital only would be to get people to buy digital. Saying 'oh well I don't have a digital radio' is the whole idea.

[BerlinAde]

DAB Sucks! Internet Radio is the way to go.

Here in Holland they have abandoned the switch to DAB as old hat. Seems there are better alternatives such as the second version of DAB, dubbed DAB+, as well as DRM+ and the systems used for mobile TV, such as DVB-H, DMB (which is really the same thing as DAB+, just with the ability to handle video as well as audio) and MediaFLO.

The Netherlands wouldn't be the first country to change its mind after originally intending to use the current DAB system:

• The 5 biggest French radio broadcasters are all vehemently opposed to using DAB because it uses the out-of-date MP2 audio codec, and they've been testing digital radio via DVB-H and DMB for the last few months instead
  
• Finland switched off its DAB network lain 2005
  
• The Swedish government froze the expansion of DAB and told Swedish Radio to look at alternative digital radio systems
  
• Australia was originally going to use the current DAB system but will now use the DAB+ and DRM+ systems instead
  
• Canada, like Sweden, was one of the original countries that supported DAB, but there are now Canadian versions of the US-based XM and Sirius subscription-based satellite digital radio systems, and the only proposed terrestrial digital radio system (which is unlikely to launch in any case) won't use the current DAB system
  

[Guest PineapplesLikeAarons]

^^ Wikipedia? (:

[E*F*4L]

I agree with the other points of everyone, but this one (along with others phrased similarly) are missing the point. The whole point of those stations being digital only would be to get people to buy digital. Saying 'oh well I don't have a digital radio' is the whole idea.

i got my car brand new last July & it didn't have a DAB radio option & even if you got one now today there still isn't a option for DAB.

[The Stig]

i got my car brand new last July & it didn't have a DAB radio option & even if you got one now today there still isn't a option for DAB.

For some there are, but in most cases you're right Alan there still isn't. But I don't think that means it is rubbish and overated. I just think it means it's taking longer to catch on, that's all.

In answer to the original thread question, no I don't, not yet. I think it would be pointless and restrict people too much in terms of being able to listen at the moment.

[E*F*4L]

by way of rubbish i mean (as i have said) is that you either get a perfect signal or none at all & the radios do seem to be prone to interference, they are expensive, use a lot of power or batteries if thats what you are running it with.

[The Stig]

by way of rubbish i mean (as i have said) is that you either get a perfect signal or none at all & the radios do seem to be prone to interference, they are expensive, use a lot of power or batteries if thats what you are running it with.

Yeah you have a fair point. Sorry if you have already adressed that I haven't read the whole thread. Anyway don't forget we're radio enthusiasts, so yes we may have DAB and be able to like it / critisise it, but I imagine a large proportion of R1 listeners still won't have heard of it.

It's in its infancy and will improve over time. It's not perfect now but it doesn't mean it won't be in the future. The fact it's adding more stations will make getting in to radio easier for wannabe's like me and improve choice for the audience which can only be seen as a good thing. It has work to do yet, and it may take years, or decades but one day the FM and AM signals will switched off and DAB will be the only form of radio out there. But not for a fair while yet.