| Tomorrow’s DAB digital radios will do
more. 'Rewind radio', record programmes in real time or set
a timer, download audio and data - the technology for all
these functions already exits. You can use an EPG (electronic
programme guide) to organise your listening preferences, save
a programme for later, or dig down for more information on
news, finance and sports stories. Each multiplex operator
can allocate 20% of their capacity for data (see below).
If you live in a poor signal area where the FM signal is
barely audible, then DAB may offer you better reception. About
85% of the UK population (2005 figures) can already receive
digital radio. We are fortunate to receive DAB in Wiltshire.
Many of the local radio stations are already broadcasting
on digital.
So what are DAB's benefits?
Quite simply... more choice! Listeners in most major towns
and cities in the UK can receive between 30 and 50 radio stations
with digital radio, in many cases that's more than double
what's available on analogue. And it's not just more of the
same - the content within that choice of stations is unique
and exciting, delivering station formats that just don't exist
on analogue. The FM spectrum is so clogged right now that
there's no room for new stations that would expand listeners'
choice with, for example, soul music, or country music, or
big band swing, or any of the other 100+ brands that are available
uniquely to DAB.
More Information! Digital radio receivers have a screen on
which stations can transmit information via Dynamic Label
Segments (DLS). Some stations already transmit the latest
news, travel, and weather, what's on now and next, Web site
addresses and phone numbers. Tomorrow's radios will offer
much more sophisticated data. The potential for advertisers
to use the DLS facility on DAB for targeted advertising is
an exciting prospect, and in the future, advertisers can use
DAB to deliver Internet-type commercials.
Because digital radio uses the spectrum more efficiently
than analogue, it is possible to broadcast more channels using
the same frequency, making room for broadcasters to expand
their station portfolios.
It also offers less noise. DAB digital radio delivers improved
sound quality. The technology allows the receiver to lock
on to the strongest signal it can find and ignore everything
else. This eliminates the hiss, crackle and fade so familiar
on analogue radio.
With DAB digital radio there are no frequencies to remember
and sets are tuned by station name. National stations stay
put, so there's no retuning on the move. |
