A major milestone in the rollout of digital radio was achieved this week with the arrival in Sydney of the first DAB+ digital radio transmitters.
Des DeCean, Chairman of the Commercial Radio Australia
(CRA) Digital Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) said, “This is a first for Australia and a truly significant milestone in the Australian DAB+ digital radio rollout.”
Sixteen DAB+ digital radio transmitters are now in Australia and are being installed in transmitter halls at the various tower sites in the five state capital launch cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth in preparation for the Australian digital radio launch in May 2009.
DAB+ Digital Radio Transmitters
Other DAB+ infrastructure, including monitors and multiplexes, have arrived in Australia and the new antennas are under construction in Melbourne. All the elements are currently being configured for the highly efficient new digital radio network.
The CRA Digital Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) has been meeting fortnightly for the past two years and it is fitting that this milestone was reached just prior to the final meeting for 2008.
As a result of the innovative work of this Committee and a joint industry and government research grant, Australia will have one of the most spectrum efficient and sophisticated digital radio networks in the world.
“This new digital infrastructure will allow Australians to listen to dynamic, multi-faceted digital radio and is an investment by the industry in the future of radio,” said CRA chief executive officer, Joan Warner.
The DAB+ infrastructure will allow broadcasters to offer Australian listeners more stations, digital quality sound, a pause and rewind facility, plus a new informative visual aspect to radio with the introduction of scrolling news, sport and weather text and the ability to transmit a picture of a radio host, the cover of a CD, a product picture or an animated logo on screen.
Following the installation of the transmitters, two rigging teams will start installing the DAB+ antennas onto a broadcast tower in each of the five launch cities. The infrastructure build will continue throughout the summer in preparation for a five, state capital simultaneous launch to listeners in May 2009.
For further information on digital radio visit: www.digitalradioplus.com.au
Media contact Melissa Fleming, CRA PR Manager Digital on – 0417 499 529.
MEDIA RELEASE
9 December 2008
Digital radio reception already looks to be on the mind of one of our readers. Here is his question & our answer. Please keep those questions coming. (sssh we love em)
I think I will be in a fringe area for digital radio!
What distances can be transmitted and is there anything I can do to improve my chances of receiving a good signal?
Yes as with all types of radio transmission there are things within your control that you can implement that will result in better reception and thus a more enjoyable experience. The most obvious of these is to select a quality product with premium performance characteristics.
Are You On The Fringe?
As with all electronic equipment there will be plenty of choice from the budget models to the more expensive premium product. If you believe or already know that you are in a difficult area for reception, you may need to spend a bit more to obtain the result you require. The amount you will need to spend will depend not only on performance, but will be governed to a large degree by the additional features each product offers.
Although your choice of product is paramount, the biggest improvement you may be able to achieve could result from the addition of an external aerial system. Most, if not all products will incorporate an internal aerial system. These will be limited in performance by their design, the internal space available and a cost factor. Although at this stage we are not sure what form these external antennas will take, we are sure most of them will easily out perform the standard inbuilt systems.
For example, with Short Wave radio the external aerial system can often cost more than the receiver itself. This seems a bit strange but is easily justified by the improved reception gained, resulting in louder, cleaner and clearer signal. The other noticeable difference with digital will be that you may either receive perfect reception or nothing at all similar to the reception experienced while watching digital TV. Rest assured as we become aware of different antenna options we will bring them to your attention.
As far as transmission distance is concerned this will be directly proportional to the output power and design of the various transmitters. The allocated power output of each station will vary, and will be set by the governing authorities. This decision will be made up of facts gleaned from the test transmissions and the required function of each station. Other considerations taken in to account would be that each station transmitting should not be negatively impacted by other transmissions.
We will learn more about specific areas as the roll out of digital takes place and will have a better idea of the sort of add on antennas that will become available as time goes on.
Tags: Digital radio reception
Ipod meets digital radio with this cool idea. I’m sure this funky little gadget will catch on in Australia with DAB+ very quickly … Are we not the gadget lovers of the world.
Intempo IDAB - Cool Gadget
Intempo claims another ‘gadget first’ with the launch of the iDAB, a plug-in peripheral that lets you listen to DAB radio via your iPod or iPod dock.
The iDAB plugs into the base of your iPod for DAB on the move or it can be docked in speakers for home listening aloud via a docking connector, though you will have to keep the antenna earphones connected for reception.
It measures less than 40mm square and sports play, search and scrolling functions via buttons on its side, and a four-line LCD screen that shows radio station info or song details. There are also ten station presets.
Compatible with every member of the iPod family bar the Shuffle, the iDAB will be released in colours to match the latest iPod range, costing £60 in the UK, available this December.
Source - AVReview.co.uk
Tags: Ipod Dab Gadget
Digital radio retailers in Australia are getting ready for the day DAB+ digital radio starts getting broadcast live into Australian homes, cars and work places. However, interestingly we still have some confusion.
What’s this “digital radio” I heard someone talking about?
You have just found out that ‘digital radio’ exists and will be up and running at a commercial level within a matter of months. Up until now, you thought a digital radio was a radio with a digital LCD display. How could this be? Why hadn’t anyone told you about digital radio and the various versions being tested both here and overseas?
Well don’t feel bad, you’re not alone. It’s staggering the amount of people that have never even heard of digital radio. It seems to be one of consumer electronics best kept secrets and may only become better known once the projected ten million dollars is spent on advertising, during the lead up to the release date.
Confused About Digital Radio?
It doesn’t really surprise me that the average punter may not know much, if anything about digital radio. But what is confusing, is the lack of basic knowledge and interest on the subject at retail level. Even Companies that carry and promote traditional analogue radios, have limited knowledge of what’s about to take place.
Rest assured behind the scenes there is plenty of activity by all the interested parties.
The tests have been conducted. The DAB+ format has been selected and the infrastructure is well on its way and should be ready for the May 2009 deadline. Both radio manufactures and the radio stations have vested interests and desperately want this new technology to succeed and be embraced by consumers.
So that’s where sites like this one will help people like you. We saw a need for impartial and informative commentary on this subject, and hope to cover a wide variety of topics that will keep you, your friends and colleagues up to date with digital radio in Australia.
If it is your first time to this site why not spend some time looking at previous articles. I’m sure you will leave with an enhanced understanding of digital radio.
We hope you come along for the ride. It promises to be very interesting
Tags: Australia DAB+, DAB Digital Radio, Digital Radio Retailers
As we approach the release date for DAB+ radio station broadcasting in Australia, we have received an email asking us the following question.
I live in the country. I’m experiencing poor radio reception and only have limited stations available!
When am I likely to receive a digital radio broadcast?
The current plan is a coordinated release of digital radio into the five major state capitals being Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, legislation requires that this phase of the rollout be competed by the first of July 2009. This will be followed at a later date by the smaller state capitals and larger regional centres.
The legislation is premised on digital radio being a supplement to existing radio services in Australia, rather than a replacement technology. Under this approach digital radio is to be introduced under a staged approach, allowing the radio sector to take advantage of other digital technologies being developed that may best suit specific applications in various transmission areas.
Digital Radio DAB+ Broadcasting ... Coming Soon!
An example of this is that the initial roll out in the main cities will be in the DAB+ format. Through extensive trials DAB+ has been found to be the most suitable option for these larger heavily populated centres. This may not be the case in other more remote areas where the population is small and spread out over vast areas.
There are other digital technologies that have been trialled in Australia to gauge their suitability for specific applications. One of the formats considered for review is DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) The main attraction to DRM is its ability to be transmitted over long distances because it is transmitted on the same Band as AM radio (Long wave, Medium wave, and Short wave radio)
DRM can deliver FM-comparable sound quality, but on frequencies below 30 MHz. Another advantage is that DRM has been designed especially to use portions of older AM transmitter facilities such as antennas, avoiding major new investment costs. DRM is also less susceptible to the fading and interference which often causes problems with conventional broadcasting on these frequency ranges.
With the above in mind it could be a long wait in some areas. Of course we will endeavour to keep you up to date with roll out schedules as we become aware of them, but maybe your best line of attack in the short to medium term will be to invest in a quality AM/FM Radio matched to a suitable high quality antenna system (eg; AM loop antenna)
The one thing we can say for sure is that Radio is alive and well and you will be able to tune in and enjoy the experience like millions before you.
Should you have any question regarding digital radio in Australia feel free to contact us today.
Introduction Of Digital Radio In Australia
As we edge closer to the introduction of digital radios into Australia.
Are oldies the only ones interested in radios?
This seems to be the case, since the advent of personal music players in the form of MP3 and IPOD type products. Young people have embraced these formats and have tended to only use radios infrequently or at best when traveling in their motor cars, because of the convenience factor.
This perceived older market for radio products has even influenced the styling and cosmetics of the products currently available. With many radios having looks that date back to the early days of radio, obviously targeting the older market.
These newer options have become popular due to the ease in which large amounts of musical content can be copied for next to no financial outlay. This seems to be the main attraction, it allows the user to always have instant access to their favourite tracks no matter how new the song may be, in some cases a track may only be minutes old, before becoming available on the net.
On the other hand the oldies (anyone over 30years of age) have grown up and evolved with the tradition AM/FM formats, and still feel very comfortable with the fact that the radio station still has all the control over how and what they listen to.
But all this is about to change. With the introduction of Digital radio in Australia, the ways in which we can control how and when we listen to the transmissions will change forever.
There will be couple of very important changes, the first being the addition of a hard drive recording facility in many of the new digital radios. These will be similar in operation to digital TV recorders and allow music to be copied free of charge at the touch of a button, without lose of sound quality. This music can then be played back from the memory of the hard drive at the user’s discretion similar to an Ipod.
The other big difference will be the interactive feedback that modern technologies like the internet and mobile phones provide, which will allow the users to influence the programming of the radio stations in real time. This will result in an unprecedented say in the content being transmitted.
These changes will bring radio broadcasting into the present and should insure that not only the oldies will be able to enjoy the radio of the future.
Tags: DAB Digital Radio
This is one question we are getting asked almost daily.
In the past you would …. just take a walk down your main street or visit your local shopping centers.
You know the story … all those big multi-national retailers falling over themselves to “embrace another NEW format”. I can hear all their buyers scratching their heads in unison. Personally, I get this gut feeling that because “Radios” are such a small $$$$ contribution to their business, we might only get a token effort from some, at least in the early stages.
Now, due to the fact that the release date has been pushed back till May 2009 it appears that many suppliers are just finalising their full line-ups for 2009. Don’t panic … I’ve heard from a very, very reliable sources that we should have plenty to discuss in the not “toooo” distant future.
In my humble opinion, I would expect with Australia adopting DAB+ many suppliers will take a conservative approach to committing to their first line ups. Generally it appears that suppliers & radio stations are working together, trying to get this very important introduction-launch “right”.
However, when we do get something concrete we will happily be placing reviews onto the site. Digital radio might not only be a whole new format it might be a whole new way to market that format.
Tags: Digital Radios DAB+
The DAB+ system is an upgrade to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) to enable it to transmit mobile phone quality moving pictures. To do this it DAB+ uses AAC+ V2 audio compression which is also used by DRM. DAB uses MPEG level 2 compression. DAB+’s use of AAC+ v2 leaves enough capacity for moving pictures. Its coverage areas are likely to be similar to high powered FM.
There are a total of 32 possible DAB+ channels between band 3’s 174 and 230 MHz. Unfortunately for DAB+ radio, digital and analog TV also use this frequency range containing channels 6. 7. 8, 9, 9A, 10, 11 and 12. In capital cities 4 channels are used for digital TV and 3 for analog TV leaving only channel 9A.
There are 4 DAB+ channels per TV channel. Labelled. for example 6A, 6B, 6C & 6D
DAB+ can also use the 1.4 GHz band (L band) either for local and fill in transmitters or satellite. 1.452 - 1.492 GHz is divided into 23 channels. Channels LA - LP are or ground based transmitters and LQ - LW for satellite based transmitters.
A DAB+ channel is 1.712 MHz wide and can carry around 1 Mbit/s
Multiple radio programs will be multiplexed together and sent as one digital signal using a DAB+ radio channel. Data including pictures can be added to this multiplex. A typical multiplex will contain around 20 stereo radio programs.
Source: DVT Forum Australia
Digital radio (DAB +) Verses Internet radio
Which is the better format?
And the winner is? Well who cares really, these formats are miles apart in what they have to offer and both would be fantastic sitting along side your current AM/FM tuner and other AV source equipment.
The best thing is that we are already seeing samples from many manufacturers that incorporate both formats on the same radio or tuner.
You will be able to listen to local stations in digital, with all the additional features that this format offers, and then tune in to Cool - FM (Jamaica) in time for your favourite programmes from half way around the world.
There is one major issue you should be aware of though, and that is the Internet radio has ongoing costs associated with it. Firstly you need a reasonable broad band connection, and then a usage rate of approximately 50KBS. This download rate is directly proportional to the transmission quality of the station in question. This is some what balanced out by the fact that you will have over 10,000+ internet radio stations to choose from.
The amount it will cost you depends on your total weekly usage and the plan you have negotiated with your Internet provider. If you have unlimited down loads it’s not a problem, but if your average listening time is two hours a day and your on a basic package it could add up rather quickly. Two hours a day equates to approximately 2.5 gigabyte of memory use per week.
Believe me two hours can disappear very quickly, especially when you get lost in your favourite music from overseas, talk back radio from the big apple or the cricket from lords. On the other hand digital radio is free to air. Once you have paid for your product there is no ongoing costs.
The expatriates will love their Internet radios and the rest of us will love what digital radio has to offer, but let’s not quibble, we can all enjoy the benefits of both for not much more than the cost of a stand alone unit.
The hardest choice will be what will we listen to next?
Tags: Internet Radio
Dab + radios benefits set to extended even into your car. Everyday thousands upon thousands of Australians spend many hours in their cars. However, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) is set to come to the rescue.
How may you say? RACV subsidiary Intelematics has the solution
The digital radio service allows motorists to receive short text-based traffic messages or images which are broadcast in conjunction with their regular radio station programs tellling them of accidents and road closures, as well as how much traffic is on the road. Intelematics provides the information by accessing raw traffic flow data from a network of sensors embedded in the road to deliver real travel time information along major city arterials. 
Essentially your digital Dab+ radio in your car not only becomes your cell-mate but may act as your Saviour!