All posts by Michael Rogers
Below are all of Michael Rogers's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
"On the tenth day of Christmas Auntie brought to me ... five more HD channels." Well, to some of us. There are some big coverage holes. And "five more" is cheeky. Two carry children's programming in the daytime and BBC3 and BBC4 in the evenings. They are not separate channels. Freesat will doubtless gradually become the solution of choice for many. BUT many others will not have line-of-sight to 28°E or sufficient internet bandwidth to manage without Freeview. Hmmm...
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Chas, the Southwest has been selected for the altruistic privilege of contributing generously through the licence fee so that other regions may enjoy more HD - and so that producers, managers and directors may enjoy enhanced remuneration and pension benefits for their valiant services to the nation. Probably.
Where there is a line-of-sight to 19°E, Freesat is evidently the safest option - unless an errant lump of rock decides otherwise...
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E-Radio is new to me - and sub-inspiring. The link leads to confused, obfuscating waffle. I know it is competely unreasonable, but I would value objective, factual content.
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Only BBC Four could really justify HD over SD, so I am not unduly bothered to be excluded from Auntie's magnanamous Christmas bonanza. But I could spiral into depression were I deprived of the consumer-friendly shopping and the select enrapturing nocturnal services on SD COMs...
Season's Plastic Greetings to all!
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The Telegraph report is probably more accurate : _
http://www.telegraph.co.u…r-FM as-Government-abandons-digital-radio-deadline.html
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errrr......Trevor, it was called "The Light Programme" ...
Posh people listened to Stravinsky etc on "The Third Programme".
They were so posh that they couldn't tell whether the snap-crackle-pop on Medium Waves was part of the score or not :-)
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"Consumers should be educated and encouraged to buy DAB radios which are DAB+ compatible, so that when that standard eventually starts in the UK they will not be caught out. Such radios are available right now." TonyB
Tony, unfortunately the horse has bolted. There has been more public reticence than expected to invest in DAB radios. The planned demotion of FM to local and community use has now been postponed indefinitely. It would be unrealistic to now insist that all who bought DAB radios in good faith should dispose of them and replace them with DAB+ compatible receivers. The powers-that-be may well meantime deeply regret the premature choice of DAB, but they are stuck with it now for the foreseeable future. I hope they will soften the digital dogmatism and agree with the industry and listeners on a cost-effective compromise : FM for BBC 1,2,3,4, local and perhaps 5; the choice of either DAB or FM for commercial operators and other BBC output, as available spectrum permits, with no obligation to duplicate on the other platform. DAB could then allow better bitrates and counter one of the valid criticisms.
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Mark, we all know there is no ideal solution. We all know that "they" want us all to embrace DAB. Vaizey now accepts that there are too few converts for analog to be displaced by DAB just yet. Vaizey's claim that "The UK is at the forefront of developments in digital radio." is patently deceptive when others are developing DAB+. "This package of measures is intended to cement this and herald in a digital age, as and when the consumer is ready." This suggests consumers are judged to be too dumb to understand that the Government knows best. Government must now find a compromise which best meets the conflicting preferences both of broadcasters and of listeners. There is not enough spectrum for DAB alone to meet all needs and many more relays would be needed to meet current FM coverage. There are plans for more DAB relays, but given the higher frequency, many more would be needed than for FM equivalency. The FM and DAB spectrums together would allow the best mix of services; the allocation of specific services to FM or to DAB would ideally be a function of the best provision and coverage.
A local independent station has just started here on a local FM relay - surprisingly not on DAB, presumably mindful of audience and cost issues. Because of topography, local BBC can only be received on Medium Waves. DAB is required by statute to meet FM coverage. As BBC local on FM is not receivable here, neither will DAB be. If AM is discontinued, local BBC will only be receivable via internet - no longer on a domestic portable. I am pro-DAB, but have doubts as to whether technical and cost issues will allow the Brave New DAB World to alone offer the coverage and portable and mobile reception of current FM and AM. There will be many winners, but also many losers.
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Wednesday 11 December 2013 10:02PM
Mervyn Mugford :-
Thanks for the confirmation, Mervyn.
Our Self-Help was crushed by CCI from Carmel. The village committee, guided by one techno-nerd..., supported most permanent residents to set up a satellite dish on their own or on anearby friendly neighbour's property.
Sadly, we have little hope of seeing shiny fibre in this life or the next to implement greater than our current 1MB/s "narrowband".... BUT we do have nice views...