All posts by Chris Barker
Below are all of Chris Barker's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
The introduction SDL further discredits the UK's DAB network.
'National' stations have been relegated to it - including the successful Planet Rock to which there is no real alternative (and was already degraded to poor quality mono about 3 years ago) - also JazzFM and Virgin.
But SDL only really has SE England coverage. Its owners may claim 75% of the population, but in area terms it's hopeless. No reach to SW England, E Anglia, the majority of Wales, Northern England and Scotland. It doesn't cover more than half the M5 and M6, and none of the M74. So the stations which were moved from D1 now have much less coverage.
There will be those who defend matters by telling us about 'local' DAB stations, but these are almost all truly awful. Just current 'hits', adverts and a bit of inane chatter.
I live near Yeovil, a town of over 40,000 people. A DAB transmitter was opened nearby about 4 years ago, but it only carries the BBC stations. We can get all of these (except the Asian and excellent World Service in better quality on FM). Why does this not have D1 and SDL?
So, rather than the DAB network improving and growing - in quality and coverage - I see it declining.
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I had a message today on my internet radio (which uses the Frontier Silicon portal) today telling me that Planet Rock's streaming service ends shortly. I was directed to a web page, but that only increased my fears.
Planet Rock was a DAB stereo national station.
Then it transferred to SDL in mono, and that doesn't work in much of Somerset and Dorset, but internet is (was) fine.
And now?
Will I be still able to connect via wifi?
I don't want the faff of buying a chromecast or using a phone and bluetooth.
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SDL still doesn't reach much of Somerset and Dorset.
Today I have a message telling me that their streaming service to my internet radio is about to end.
So now what?
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Sunday 15 February 2015 10:52AM
Why bother with another so-called 'National' multiplex when there are still large gaps in National 1's coverage?
I can listen to Planet Rock all the way up the M5 and M6 from Taunton to Kendal, but here in Somerset, just outside Yeovil, a town of 40,000 people, I can SEE the local Coker Hill DAB transmitter, but it only transmits BBC stations, most of which I can hear with superior quality on FM.
How will either of these bids affect or improve that situation?