7.8 mil seriously?

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#1188784 4-Dec-2014 16:44

I listen to Adtalk ZB for about 30 minutes a day and that's enough for me....

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jarledb

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#1188844 4-Dec-2014 18:32

sbiddle:
DAB is a dead loss. The reason it never extended beyond the Kordia trial was because nobody was interested.

What do you think would have happened if you introduced digital TV next to analog TV (over the air?) Do you think you would have gotten the same change over as with analog to digital? Its the same thing for radio... AND, for it to be interesting for people they have to see a benefit from it. The obvious benefit (that actually works for making people come onboard), is content on the new platform that is not available on the old.

DAB has been a dismal failure in Australia and you could argue that in the biggest DAB market (the UK) it hasn't done that well either.

I think you will see a significant pickup of liseners using DAB+ when there is a turn off date. And I would think both UK and Australia will have one way before the 2031 end of the license that was just sold.

Here is the numbers for digital listening in the UK

Doesn't look too shabby to me. Australia is a newer market for DAB+, but has already a fair share of stations and sold radios.

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sbiddle

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#1188853 4-Dec-2014 18:55

jarledb:
What do you think would have happened if you introduced digital TV next to analog TV (over the air?) Do you think you would have gotten the same change over as with analog to digital? Its the same thing for radio... AND, for it to be interesting for people they have to see a benefit from it. The obvious benefit (that actually works for making people come onboard), is content on the new platform that is not available on the old.

DAB rollouts have been a failure because originally many didn't have the same content that was available via existing AM and FM. People weren't interested in buying a new radio to listen to new stations. It took getting existing stations on board to gain traction.

Comparing it to digital TV is also very flawed IMHO - digital TV gave us better picture quality, widescreen content (yes it can be transmitted on analogue, but that's another debate entirely) and a full EPG along with. Analogue TV gave us none of those.

While not the case everywhere the only thing DAB gives us is worse quality due to low bandwidth AAC broadcasts as broadcasters try to more more stations in. Yes we get digital capabilities such as station names but these are available now with RDS and probably only 20% of broadcasters choose to use them. The UK was the perfect market for DAB to succeed - lots of stations with a real shortage of FM frequencies by the late 90's meaning many were geographically constrained and couldn't broadcast nationwide unless they opted for AM. I look at the UK uptake and see it as a failure - and the fact they'd originally planned to shut down FM by 2010ish, then delayed this to 2015, and once again delayed this to 2018ish with no confirmed date at this point really emphasises the fact nobody cares.

DAB+ is a great standard however pushing it to consumers is a very hard battle when it doesn't deliver them measurable benefits.

alasta

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#1188866 4-Dec-2014 20:00

I don't really bother with the music stations any more but I spend several hours a week listening to RadioLive over breakfast and when I'm on the bus. Admittedly I use the iPhone app a lot of the time but would prefer to use the FM broadcast if the stupid iPhone had an FM receiver.

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#1188922 4-Dec-2014 21:19

Here in Oz we have 2 DAB+ radios at work, Mrs has it at her work and we use it at home when we're not streaming.
So many more options than the crappy commercial non-digital stations around here. These are the stations in my area.
All my workmates use it at home. I was amazed.
I'd love it in my car, but I can't get a headunit to fit my model without losing control of vital features.
It's starting to take off in Oz as the radios get cheaper and after people try it, most like the variety.

Oh, and digital radio in Oz has reached a 5 year high. http://www.digitalradioplus.com.au/index.cfm?page_id=1048&display_news_id=1153

jonathan18

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#1188929 4-Dec-2014 21:34

There doesn't seem to be a particularly wide range of internet radio devices around - have they never really taken off? Would the internet not be a more efficient (if not effective) way of distributing 'radio' via such devices, compared to AM, FM or DAB?

My UE Smart Radio is one of the last devices I'd be prepared to give up - with the Squeezebox firmware it not only acts as a variation on a conventional radio (to satiate my National Radio addiction, the stream of which is great compared to that on the Nat Rad app) but also for podcasts as well as Pandora, Spotify (Premium only), and my our music collection via Squeezeserver/NAS.

This great device isn't even readily available anymore - are there equivalents around?

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#1188977 4-Dec-2014 22:11

sbiddle:
While not the case everywhere the only thing DAB gives us is worse quality due to low bandwidth AAC broadcasts as broadcasters try to more more stations in.

Do you mind me asking which station outputs great quality sound in NZ? All the stations I listen to are heavily compressed (as in loudness, not bits). BUT, they are also probably using digital lines from their studios to their transmitters (with digital compression).

AAC+ of DAB+ (Which is what is being implemented in all markets now), is a pretty good sound codec. Its not perfect, but even with quite a few stations it does at least equal FM quality.

Yes we get digital capabilities such as station names but these are available now with RDS and probably only 20% of broadcasters choose to use them.

You would be able to have a LOT of national broadcasters covering the whole of NZ with DAB+, you would be able to drive from the north on the north island to south of the south island and still listen to the same station. That alone is huge in my eyes. Not to mention LOTS of stations that could be nation wide...

As to what you get extra (other than the lack of typical white noise from bad FM signals and no frequency swapping: You can transmit a lot more than station name through the data channel. Pictures and media can also be transmitted, so it shows off which songs are playing with album art, pictures from the studio etc. See the photo below.

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Geektastic

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#1189094 5-Dec-2014 07:53

I love listening to the radio but the reception is so poor that it is not worth it.

I wish we had DAB. I had to give my DAB radio away to my brother when I moved here because it was unusable here. The UK has all but switched FM transmission off now - or plans to.

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#1189096 5-Dec-2014 07:56

jonathan18:
frankv: I'm surprised that anyone listens to radio these days.

My standard practice nowadays for driving to/from work is to have a lot of good music loaded on my phone, play that through the car stereo.

I just find the prattle of the DJs irritating, let alone the adds, let alone the ads telling you the station "plays nothing but music".

Have you heard of National Radio?!

No ads and the listener actually learns something from the experience.

I used to really enjoy Jim Mora's Afternoons. Then for some random reason they replaced him with Simon Mercep who is not half the broadcaster.

Jim struck me as the NZ equivalent of Terry Wogan, who was/is a consummate artist when it comes to speech radio. His breakfast show in the UK had over 12 million listeners before he 'retired' to a Sunday only show!

nzkiwiman

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#1189105 5-Dec-2014 08:17

If I had a radio in my car, I would have it on the radio all the time when driving. Just having the background noise is great on a road trip.
I was sent to the North Island for work and the second(ish) thing I did after getting the rental car was to read the manual so I could turn on the radio. Aside from needing to seek stations as I moved around the Lower North, it was great.

myfullflavour

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#1189118 5-Dec-2014 08:53

Sweden is switching off FM in 7 years time - 9 if they need to give DAB a final push.

sbiddle

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#1189144 5-Dec-2014 09:14

Geektastic: The UK has all but switched FM transmission off now - or plans to.

There is still not a definitive shut off date. This was originally going to be around 2009-2010 but was never made definitive. A definitive date was set for 2015 which was then canned, and a new tentative date set for 2018 which once again looks like I'll be extended.

trig42

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#1189155 5-Dec-2014 09:33

Used to listen to Radio Sport pretty much exclusively in the car (unless SWMBO was with me). Since the Auckland Radio Sport frequency went to The Mix and they only had AM, I haven't bothered. AM in my car sounds like it is coming through speakers underwater.

BTR

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#1189158 5-Dec-2014 09:37

frankv: I'm surprised that anyone listens to radio these days.

My standard practice nowadays for driving to/from work is to have a lot of good music loaded on my phone, play that through the car stereo.

I just find the prattle of the DJs irritating, let alone the adds, let alone the ads telling you the station "plays nothing but music".

You haven't listened to the sound then, they don't have a breakfast show only music.

gnfb

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#1189173 5-Dec-2014 10:04

jonathan18: There doesn't seem to be a particularly wide range of internet radio devices around - have they never really taken off? Would the internet not be a more efficient (if not effective) way of distributing 'radio' via such devices, compared to AM, FM or DAB?

My UE Smart Radio is one of the last devices I'd be prepared to give up - with the Squeezebox firmware it not only acts as a variation on a conventional radio (to satiate my National Radio addiction, the stream of which is great compared to that on the Nat Rad app) but also for podcasts as well as Pandora, Spotify (Premium only), and my our music collection via Squeezeserver/NAS.

This great device isn't even readily available anymore - are there equivalents around?

A while ago i had a hankering for a internt digital radio There seemed to be very few about. I see the UE has been dicontinued. You see I would have thought everyone would have one but no
I wonder what else is about?

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