Help with TV/radio stations?
In this section
Monday, 19 March 2012
C
charlo6:50 PM
the dab service here in sw scotland does not broadcast bbc radio scotland except in very few locations. apparently this is not considered to be important enough ( i.e. not a national station but "only" a regional one ) to put out in dab despite frequent announcements on the airwaves quoting "on fm,am & digital radio"
| link to this comment |
charlo: BBC Local Radio is on DAB multiplexes that are operated by commercial companies. Thus, the areas that they are available is dictated by the areas that commercial broadcasters wish to serve.
The national BBC multiplex could never carry different stations in different areas because DAB does not allow it. It is a single service nationwide and is carried on the same frequency in all areas (a "Single Frequency Network").
| link to this comment |
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
M
Mark6:13 PM
@ Dave Lindsay
You are correct, but it's worth adding that if the BBC switches to DAB+ there will be room for BBC Radio Wales, Scotland & Ulster on their national UK multiplex as it will free up at least 50% of the multiplex.
I think it's a fair bet that this will happen before FM/AM is switched off.
| link to this comment |
Mark: If DAB+ is to replace DAB, is this the sort of thing that we will have to get used to?
DVB-T being replaced by DVB-T2 and so on?
Is it not possible to design in backward compatibility?
It means more "switchovers" to the newer systems.
| link to this comment |
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Mark: That's not correct, the BBC multiplex would not be able to carry different services because it is a UK-wide SFN.
Also there is NOT doing to be DAB+ used in the UK, there have been endless reports and the decision has been taken.
Dave Lindsay: You are asking for "forward compatible". DAB+ is backwards-compatible with DAB, just as DVB-T2 is backwards-compatible with DVB-T2.
By "backwards-compatible" means that a new technology supports the existing services, just like colour UHF television were "backwards-compatible" in that they would show programmes provided in monochrome.
| link to this comment |
Briantist: Having looked up "backward compatibility" and "forward compatibility", I agree that I meant to say "forward compatibility".
I believe that the question should have been, "is it not possible for DAB+ services to be forward compatible with current DAB radios?"
| link to this comment |
M
Mark7:18 PM
@ Briantist
That's not quite what I meant. My thinking is that the BBC would broadcast all three (Radio Wales, Radio Scotland & Radio Ulster) across the whole of the UK on the national multiplex. In partioular it's a good way of getting Radio Scotland & Radio Wales on DAB across those nations and the transmitter rollout is in the BBC's own hands.
These stations are currently broadcast across the UK on digital satellite as well as online.
Ofcom haven't ruled out DAB+. In their December 2011 statement they say:
"DAB+ is a variant of DAB which uses a more advanced audio coding technology and provides greater capacity on digital multiplexes. We note that the capability to receive DAB+ has been included in the approved receiver specifications, and the coverage planning we are currently undertaking would be equally applicable for DAB+ services."
| link to this comment |
Monday, 26 March 2012
A
Alvin Pritchard2:48 AM
According to Wikipedia, Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is being considered by Ofcom for introduction in Britain in 2012 on the present AM medium wave band.
1. Can anybody confirm this is about to happen in the United Kingdom this year?
2. Would any type of Radio receiver that supports the AM band start to automatically receive in DRM ?
3. Would any special type of aerial be required or would the standard AM aerial be sufficient ?
Thank's in advance.
| link to this comment |
M
michael9:43 AM
Experimental broadcasts continue to demonstrate the resiliance and potential of DRM and DRM+, but general adoption would appear as distant as it is desirable. A dedicated DRM receiver or computer is required. Few stand-alone receivers are currently available. With Ofcom's preoccupation with DTT and DAB implementation, and re-juggling of the "digital dividend" now under scrutiny to move 700MHz DTT down to 600MHz so as to expand G3 and G4 downwards to above 700Mhz, any link to current online Ofcom DRM documentation would be most intriguing! DRM may have a related trump card : the insatiable demand for G4 spectrum
might eventually lead to DRM radio re-filling the 150kHz-30MHz void so as to allow maximum expoitation of vhf and uhf by
mobile G4 services. Progress is exciting, in'it?
| link to this comment |
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
A
Alvin Pritchard9:19 PM
Ha, I know that this type of Progress is giving the average lay person a big headache!
And the over 75's have no chance of understanding the complexity's now involved in switching their "wirelesses" on and off. LOL!
| link to this comment |
Select more comments
Your comment please