mobily
Prominent Member
I am quite a heavy radio listener and decided to invest in a DAB digital radio due to their low price and easy hookup to an amp. However, I have read that digital radio is encoded in far less bitrate than it is in many other countries. The UK lags far behind countries such as France who encode in close to 200kbps. The following link shows this in a simple graphical format.
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/images/ave_bit_rate.jpg
What also interests me about the whole digital radio phenomenon is that DAB is encoded to a lower bitrate than that of a freeview box. Surely a dedicated digital radio should provide a better sound than a freeview box!?
For example:
BBC Radio 1 (DAB = 128kbps) (Freeview = 192kbps)
This is common across the board of all radio stations that are broadcast on DAB as well as Freeview. The only station that is encoded in 192kbps is Radio 3 whilst stations such as Virgin lag behind on 160kbps.
Admittedly not all stations that are available on DAB are yet available on Freeview but surely this is just a matter of time and people may as well pay out £100 for a freeview box than the same amount of money for a DAB with poorer sound quality?
I think that this proves we seem to have been shortchanged in this country. Although the sound quality of DAB is of high standard it would appear it could be so much better. I feel as though I have wasted my money buying a DAB as I shall be buying a freeview box very soon. I confidently predict that most if not all stations currently broadcasting on DAB will be available on Freeview.
Although you can't carry a Freeview box around with you or in your car surely this will stunt the growth of DAB in the home when it could be so much higher.
According to the website I have listed below, 98% of stereo stations broadcast in 128kbps meaning that there is muffled sound and poor top end response.
I also quote from the website when they say that "Stations on DAB don't sound better than the same stations on Freeview or digital satellite". They also say that "FM with good reception sounds far better than DAB". Also DAB is not completely protected from interference. There is no his and crackle as they say in the adverts but the signal just drops out which sounds like someone is walking through mud.
I often get the feeling that the benefits of DAB are spoonfed to us all on a daily basis whilst the negative aspects are brushed under the carpet.
Sorry for the rant
Kind regards,
James
Information taken from: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/images/ave_bit_rate.jpg
What also interests me about the whole digital radio phenomenon is that DAB is encoded to a lower bitrate than that of a freeview box. Surely a dedicated digital radio should provide a better sound than a freeview box!?
For example:
BBC Radio 1 (DAB = 128kbps) (Freeview = 192kbps)
This is common across the board of all radio stations that are broadcast on DAB as well as Freeview. The only station that is encoded in 192kbps is Radio 3 whilst stations such as Virgin lag behind on 160kbps.
Admittedly not all stations that are available on DAB are yet available on Freeview but surely this is just a matter of time and people may as well pay out £100 for a freeview box than the same amount of money for a DAB with poorer sound quality?
I think that this proves we seem to have been shortchanged in this country. Although the sound quality of DAB is of high standard it would appear it could be so much better. I feel as though I have wasted my money buying a DAB as I shall be buying a freeview box very soon. I confidently predict that most if not all stations currently broadcasting on DAB will be available on Freeview.
Although you can't carry a Freeview box around with you or in your car surely this will stunt the growth of DAB in the home when it could be so much higher.
According to the website I have listed below, 98% of stereo stations broadcast in 128kbps meaning that there is muffled sound and poor top end response.
I also quote from the website when they say that "Stations on DAB don't sound better than the same stations on Freeview or digital satellite". They also say that "FM with good reception sounds far better than DAB". Also DAB is not completely protected from interference. There is no his and crackle as they say in the adverts but the signal just drops out which sounds like someone is walking through mud.
I often get the feeling that the benefits of DAB are spoonfed to us all on a daily basis whilst the negative aspects are brushed under the carpet.
Sorry for the rant
Kind regards,
James
Information taken from: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/home.htm