DAB Thread

New and better? DAB is neither.

DAB (especially DAB+) in a comparable costs scenario, trumps FM every day.

Audio is better, far more selection and info, with far more options for the provider and user. From an infrastructure perspective, TX's are cheaper to run, even with some infill build to provide coverage, it's usually cheaper in the long run.

Trouble is, it's a supplemental service in most countries (so seen as "additional" costs to a provider)...

That's when you get people squeezing the margins.... lowering bit rates, squeezing in more MUX's, not doing infill infrastructure to provide good coverage (which leads to audio issues, or loss)...

Providers do this today already on analogue FM, they will TX in mono, bandlimit what's broadcast to save on power (akin to lowering the bit rate in DAB) ... it's just that people are used to it, or "coverage isn't great in this area" while listening to a pop song with a 5kHz filter on the audio.

DAB has died in Ireland, it will be interesting thought to see what happens when HDFM takes hold whenever they come up with a 100khz version.

not a bizarre post at all, just stating the reality.

again, there is just no evidence for your claims.

HDFM won't be allowed here either.

i believe only america has adopted it.

it's not that DAB+ has died in ireland, it's that there is no ability to use it on a full time basis as one will not be given any licenses to use it no matter what.

or if it is, only existing operators will be able to use it.

I know the poster concerned and they would absolutely have the technical ability.

Yeah, you’re right.

I rode Beyoncé last night btw, and since you can’t disprove it, it must be true, no matter how outlandish and stupid it might sound.

I did say technical ability.

Financially?

I’d be amazed but should point out that

a. If you’re spending ‘tens of millions’ then you’re doing it wrong

and

b. The poster you’re referring to has 45 years of broadcast engineering background, including building transmission infrastructure all over Europe so I suspect he may have a better grasp of the costs than me or you.

I also think the DAB ship has long sailed out of Ireland.

realistically only RTE are likely to know that answer.

my personal opinion is that they won't join, because as time goes on the irish community in the UK will get smaller and smaller due to various factors.

I don't think they'll join, but, not because the Irish community is shrinking…. it's because RTE would be garbage compared to the majority of UK channels.

They're on Sky over there anyway to calm any home cravings.

plenty of parts of the uk don't have internet reliable enough to receive reasonable quality streams so for many won't be an option.

yes back in 2000.

people expect higher quality audio these days even for talk radio, and of course rte has music programming as well.

No, different radio frequencies, VHF propagates better than the upper-UHF/L/S bands used by mobile operators.

It is relevant, the facts on the ground are:
The BCI/BAI/CnaM (under the Broadcasting Act of 2009) are the only entity that can issue a licence to operate a DAB (or DTT) multiplex here.
They have stated politely that they do not have any current intent to licence DAB or DTT multiplexes now or in the near future, they are keeping it in mind along with other methods including internet based delivery (though that's currently outside their remit)
I know of several individuals who would like to run a DAB multiplex in Ireland at a local, regional or national level and all of them have been denied a licence with (I presume) the same explanation; and other individuals are far more connected with the commercial radio sector than I am and better placed than I am

We are being told, we cannot get a licence and on top of that we are dismissed with ignorant hand-waving and amusing deference to streaming services which are flat out not an alternative to broadcasting.

There are more than one, it has been something I've been trying to do since 2009 and the cost isn't nearly as outrageous as some have presented it. With the technical ability you can build your own and this has been demonstrated here on four different occasions.

None of that is needed nor a precursor to being able to get a DAB service on the air in Ireland. Neither is it required as a prerequisite for a licence for DAB (or DTT). It is something that should have been pushed by RTE/2RN with their existing stations plus TodayFM and any station currently broadcasting on Saorview.

With the spectrum being empty and unused, it wouldn't have killed the powers that be to allow someone interested in getting something on air at a local/regional level the opportunity to make a go of it. In the UK a lot of the Small-Scale DAB services are run by Community stations

It has but it is absolutely not a solution that scales and is not a solution folks should be seeking; why do you want to pay to receive something you get for free?

If you want to be nit-picky, you can get away with 32kbit for stereo if using High-Efficiency AAC but you want at least 48kbit to sound reasonable.