DAB Thread

Any news update for Sligo for FreeDab?

Franko87

zorro2566 wrote: »

Any news update for Sligo for FreeDab?

No not as of yet .unfortunately the site that was supposed to be secured faded into the sunset so were looking at securing another possible site .

ITV2

any word on where Nineties will return?, and a great station Coast 2 Coast.

end of the road

ITV2 wrote: »

any word on where Nineties will return?, and a great station Coast 2 Coast.

90s stream isn't working either. hopefully they should be back soon, probably doing some sort of maintenence or other work.
coast 2 coast, what sort of programming does that offer?

Franko87

end of the road wrote: »

90s stream isn't working either. hopefully they should be back soon, probably doing some sort of maintenence or other work.
coast 2 coast, what sort of programming does that offer?

According to nineties there experiencing broadband issues and will return soon.

end of the road

Franko87 wrote: »

According to nineties there experiencing broadband issues and will return soon.

i see, thanks for the confirmation.

radioguru02

end of the road wrote: »

not necessarily, they have probably found that it's best for them to get the muxes up first and as many as they can while the money is available, and then test and improve and gain feedback in terms of reception as they go on.
i am sure they know what they are doing and have gone through all the possible options.

Fair enough I suppose

Dipole Keith

I can only get the freedab stuff in Tallaght & west Dublin, It breaks up after Blanchardstown on the M50

SPDUB

Still non existent in a large part of crumlin

Bee Free

DAB's original purpose was to give the listener more choice but it's rather antiquated now in this internet age. "Arguments like "internet radio will use up all my data allowance" & "I can't get the internet in my car" are very 2011. It seems from reading an number of threads here, that most Irish people buy a DAB radio expecting it to pick up BBC & LBC anyway.

Gerry Wicklow

Bee Free wrote: »

DAB's original purpose was to give the listener more choice but it's rather antiquated now in this internet age. "Arguments like "internet radio will use up all my data allowance" & "I can't get the internet in my car" are very 2011. It seems from reading an number of threads here, that most Irish people buy a DAB radio expecting it to pick up BBC & LBC anyway.

In the same way they expect Saorview to include UK stations.

I'm glad you enjoy unlimited reliable internet access for your radio listening. I know plenty of places around the country that don't even have reliable 2G. Not meant to be bitchy, simply fact.

Former Former

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

In the same way they expect Saorview to include UK stations.

I'm glad you enjoy unlimited reliable internet access for your radio listening. I know plenty of places around the country that don't even have reliable 2G. Not meant to be bitchy, simply fact.

The places that can't get 3G/4G are exactly the places that would never get DAB, so it's much of a muchness.

JDxtra

It's nice to be able to just turn on the car radio and get additional choice without the need to use a phone, an app or bluetooth etc. I always find those extra steps fiddly to be honest. I'm sure that'll improve as cars become more integrated.

radioguru02

Look, I’m all for more choice on the radio, but DAB is not the answer. Ireland is currently an FM nation moving very gradually online

Franko87

pirateradiohed wrote: »

Look, I’m all for more choice on the radio, but DAB is not the answer. Ireland is currently an FM nation moving very gradually online

This is debatable .the only way online will take over is if ISPS make there data unlimited. Most people listen online when mobile ie out and about. And as a result thay use data to do this and as you well know. All data plans are limited to around 16gb. Now if you listen to online radio or even Spotify then it will eat your data allowance. .jmo By the way .😉 dab is the same as internet radio but wireless. And you dont use the internet to listen. The concept of dab digital audio broadcasting is basically and internet stream decoded and re encoded and sent out as data over the sir .

radioguru02

Franko87 wrote: »

This is debatable .the only way online will take over is if ISPS make there data unlimited. Most people listen online when mobile ie out and about. And as a result thay use data to do this and as you well know. All data plans are limited to around 16gb. Now if you listen to online radio or even Spotify then it will eat your data allowance. .jmo By the way .😉 dab is the same as internet radio but wireless. And you dont use the internet to listen. The concept of dab digital audio broadcasting is basically and internet stream decoded and re encoded and sent out as data over the sir .

You’re right, DAB is a decent method of broadcast. It still isn’t interesting to the public atm

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

Look, I’m all for more choice on the radio, but DAB is not the answer. Ireland is currently an FM nation moving very gradually online

again incorrect.
dab or any other modern platform that, once implemented, can be easily accessable to the listener and which allows multiple stations compared to what already exists, is part of an answer to bringing the choice, competition and modernised radio services that are needed to keep people engaged and listening to terrestrial radio and to stop everything remaining stail as is currently the case.
internet radio, something i have been listening to since the mid 2000s, is also part of the answer but it is not going to be a serious player for a very long time, as much as you would like it to be otherwise. the national broadband plan might change that somewhat, but until it's implemented in full, and even for years after that, we will be unable to say as to how much, if anything, it changes anything on that aspect.
because ireland happens to be an fm nation now, and even to an extent that isn't by choice, that is not a reason to not implement relevant frameworks and in turn open up other platforms to any interested parties if any. if it turns out there are none, so be it, but the ability to bring competition and more services and end the holding to ransom of the radio market, will finally be fixed, and that is the actual important issue really.

pirateradiohed wrote: »

You’re right, DAB is a decent method of broadcast. It still isn’t interesting to the public atm

in fairness it barely exists and they don't know about it, so of course it won't be interesting to them.

radioguru02

end of the road wrote: »

again incorrect.
dab or any other modern platform that, once implemented, can be easily accessable to the listener and which allows multiple stations compared to what already exists, is part of an answer to bringing the choice, competition and modernised radio services that are needed to keep people engaged and listening to terrestrial radio and to stop everything remaining stail as is currently the case.
internet radio, something i have been listening to since the mid 2000s, is also part of the answer but it is not going to be a serious player for a very long time, as much as you would like it to be otherwise. the national broadband plan might change that somewhat, but until it's implemented in full, and even for years after that, we will be unable to say as to how much, if anything, it changes anything on that aspect.
because ireland happens to be an fm nation now, and even to an extent that isn't by choice, that is not a reason to not implement relevant frameworks and in turn open up other platforms to any interested parties if any. if it turns out there are none, so be it, but the ability to bring competition and more services and end the holding to ransom of the radio market, will finally be fixed, and that is the actual important issue really.



in fairness it barely exists and they don't know about it, so of course it won't be interesting to them.

DAB absolutely offer more choice. But if the public do not know about or have any interest in it none of that matters.

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

DAB absolutely offer more choice. But if the public do not know about or have any interest in it none of that matters.

again incorrect, it actually does matter.
for a terrestrial radio platform to be able to exist on an indefinite basis or not on it's own merrits, and for any interested parties across all possible stakeholders to have the ability to actually take an interest or not, it requires a legal framework to be implemented.
the public can't know about or have an interest in something they don't know about because it barely exists and because the powers that be won't allow it to operate legally.

radioguru02

end of the road wrote: »

again incorrect, it actually does matter.
for a terrestrial radio platform to be able to exist on an indefinite basis or not on it's own merrits, and for any interested parties across all possible stakeholders to have the ability to actually take an interest or not, it requires a legal framework to be implemented.
the public can't know about or have an interest in something they don't know about because it barely exists and because the powers that be won't allow it to operate legally.

The public do not care whether a station is legal or not

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

The public do not care whether a station is legal or not

yes however there is no comparison between a platform and a station. you are not comparing like with like.
1 station is 1 station, if it is a pirate there will be another along to replace it in time.

radioguru02

end of the road wrote: »

yes however that is ultimately irrelevant.
1 station is 1 station, if it is a pirate there will be another along to replace it in time.

It’s not irrelevant - you said above, from my reading of things anyways, that DAB could not grow without a legal framework in place

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

It’s not irrelevant - you said above, from my reading of things anyways, that DAB could not grow without a legal framework in place

it is irrelevant though and i have explained in my previous post as to why.
what i said was that dab can't do anything legally without a legal framework in place.

Former Former

Franko87 wrote: »

This is debatable .the only way online will take over is if ISPS make there data unlimited. Most people listen online when mobile ie out and about. And as a result thay use data to do this and as you well know. All data plans are limited to around 16gb. Now if you listen to online radio or even Spotify then it will eat your data allowance. .jmo By the way .😉 dab is the same as internet radio but wireless. And you dont use the internet to listen. The concept of dab digital audio broadcasting is basically and internet stream decoded and re encoded and sent out as data over the sir .

This is a very 2019 answer though.

Ten years ago, no one had smartphones and we were just moving from WAP into Gprs.

Now, absolutely everyone has one and we're seeing the beginnings of the move from 4G to 5G.

Whatever restrictions there are now on download speed, bandwidth and data limits will be an relevant five years from now as WAP is today. We'll be looking at 15GB data packages and laughing about how quaint it is.

Like so many other things, DAB was conceived before the Internet became THE INTERNET. It is never going to take off.

Unfortunately DAB is the answer to a question no one is asking.

Gerry Wicklow

Agree with you totally regarding the progress of tech. Remember when you upgraded to 2 megs of RAM? The point is that DAB or internet is only another option and not the total final solution. FM will still have a role to play for many years to come IMO.

Infoanon

DAB is a nice to have as opposed to essential and as Former Former has correctly said as data restrictions reduce AND imho as smart phone users realise how little data is used to listen to Internet stations DAB (and FM Radio) will become redundant.

Gerry Wicklow

Yes things are getting better at long last. The likes of GoMo stirring up the mobile market is very welcome. But the other side of that is that it's of no use to me. I have no Eir mobile signal of any flavour where I live. From the DAB point of view, it's great to see people stirring that up too. At this stage it's safe to say DAB wont be coming from Montrose or Kildare St for that matter.

/rant

castle2012

Franko87 wrote: »

The cork mux is not yet finished .it is runing on a reasonab amount of power to keep an clean signal and yes it has black spots this dos not mean were moveing 2 fast this just means were runing consistently by February 2020 cork will have a sfn network installed in cork for robust coverage .But for now. We remain consistent. As for Dublin. Well the results clearly speak for themselves !

Interesting article in the indo. Dab working in other country's and been left to the pirates in Ireland.
DAB's failure to tune in poses 'what-ifs' for broadcasters

https://www.independent.ie/business/media/dabs-failure-to-tune-in-poses-whatifs-for-broadcasters-38762534.html

rogue-entity

Bee Free wrote: »

DAB's original purpose was to give the listener more choice but it's rather antiquated now in this internet age. "Arguments like "internet radio will use up all my data allowance" & "I can't get the internet in my car" are very 2011. It seems from reading an number of threads here, that most Irish people buy a DAB radio expecting it to pick up BBC & LBC anyway.

The Internet is still a (near-exclusively) unicast network and unicast services do not scale efficiently to say nothing of the astronomical cost involved. In time the technology at the network level may catch up but there's no economic incentive at the present time.

pirateradiohed wrote: »

Look, I’m all for more choice on the radio, but DAB is not the answer. Ireland is currently an FM nation moving very gradually online

Be that the case, it shows there is a demand for alternate services not being met by the incumbent licencing regime.

pirateradiohed wrote: »

You’re right, DAB is a decent method of broadcast. It still isn’t interesting to the public atm

How can the public be interested in a service which is largely unavailable to them?

Former Former wrote: »

This is a very 2019 answer though.
Whatever restrictions there are now on download speed, bandwidth and data limits will be an relevant five years from now as WAP is today. We'll be looking at 15GB data packages and laughing about how quaint it is.

Like so many other things, DAB was conceived before the Internet became THE INTERNET. It is never going to take off.

Unfortunately DAB is the answer to a question no one is asking.

When 1Tbit connections cost the same as 1Gbit connections, I might agree with you. The cost of bandwidth and making it available to end-users is in part why such limits are imposed but even if you solve the problem at the end-user that doesn't resolve the problem for the 'broadcaster' and that's the problem that won't be overcome so readily as long as we're all sticking to IPv4.

Internet Radio in its current form is a dead end, unless there is a drastically new development.

Former Former

Those are all pertinent points but they're arguments as to why internet radio isn't a replacement for FM, they're not arguments for why we need DAB.