Comments on: Thoughts on “I love Digital Radio”

By: Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:47:35 +0000

What would I like DAB to do? In the middle of the night reduced the bitrate or just turn off some services and broadcast audio data (mp3 to be crude) which are then available on a receiver as on-demand programmes. I don’t know if this is possible but I do think it’s a terrific idea. Though, I would - wouldn’t I!!!

By: Richard Street

Richard Street — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:39:49 +0000

Very few contributors to Ashley Highfield’s debate (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/02/i_love_digital_radio_1.html) mention car radio reception. I find this very surprising, considering the high proportion of radio listening which is done on the move.

DAB excels on my Pioneer car radio (very rarely anything but rock-solid reception of the national multiplexes when I’m on the road; and of course the radio switches to FM [service follow] if I go out of range.)

I challenge anyone who hasn’t heard a decent DAB car radio on the move not to prefer it to FM. Our ears can get used to a slightly curtailed HF audio response, but they never get used to the swishing and other horrible noises caused by multipath and co-channel interference.

It is no surprise that when DAB was launched in the UK, it was to a bus full of journalists who were provided with headphones and FM/DAB switch whilst being driven around London. Sadly, car manufacturers ignored it for the most part; and the BBC’s own promotion concentrated on the new content.

It’s entirely proper that listeners should benefit from new conduits of transmission, so I welcome the debate; but it’s sad that so many listeners are, right now, missing out on the best car radio experience available. I would hate to go back to FM on the move. Oh yes — my car is ready for L-band satellite …

By: James Cridland

James Cridland — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:37:22 +0000

Nah… one of my colleagues was bemused to be in Private Eye recently for talking ‘birtspeak’, and I have no plans to follow him!

By: Brian Betongde

Brian Betongde — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:45:06 +0000

For: While this may get me a piece in Private Eye’s “Order of the Brown Nose” column

Read: I hope if I mention Private Eye’s “Order of the Brown Nose” column this may get me a piece in Private Eye’s “Order of the Brown Nose” column

By: William T

William T — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:41:05 +0000

DAB receivers with multiple tuners seems an increasingly irritating omission from the current range of devices - particular if you want to deliver a reasonable amount of data over the air while people continue to listen to a programme.