UK DAB worst in the world

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
Take a look at http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/worldwide_dab for information about how the UK "has the worst implementation of DAB in the world" because we use a bit-rate of 128kbps on average. This compares with the best in Estonia (!!!) at 256kbps.

This means that UK DAB is barely, if at all, better than MP3 files and probably not better at all than a good FM signal.

I was interested in getting a DAB receiver at one time but think I'll stick with what I've got now.

PaulR
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
Had the same thoughts, tried it a while ago, but found FM as good and more reliable.
 

jimbo

Retired Mod
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
3,482
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Age
74
My Satellite Setup
Sky HD, TM6800HD, Manhattan Plaza ST550 and TM1500 CI+. 1.0m dish and 36v motor, Panasonic DVD HDD recorder and Panasonic video/DVD recorder. Sony G800 HD TV stand/surround system + Sony KDL40W2000. Infinity USB, Elvis, CAS1, CAS2.
My Location
Greater London
Shame that it's poor because the ideas, like the info screen etc. are quite interesting.

Agree about the FM signal though.
 

easysat

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
323
Reaction score
0
Points
0
My Satellite Setup
Dreambox 7000S + motorised 80cm dish, Amstrad DRX550 Digibox + fixed dish
My Location
pj::
PaulR said:
"has the worst implementation of DAB in the world" because we use a bit-rate of 128kbps on average.

Reminds me of the old joke about the cloth merchant who tries to sell his goods by telling you "never mind the quality, feel the width."
 

DaDragon

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2004
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
43
Was looking around Stockport the other day and wandered into Richersounds.They were selling a Panasonic DAB radio with FM included for £59.95,walked out and checked in as many other local stores as possible and saw the same unit for£84-£124.I went back and guess what!!?,they'd sold out!!.I saw one in the window and said "why can't i have that one?".After a bit of umming and arring i got them to sell it for £50 cash.I found it really quite good,it downloaded 61 channels in a couple of seconds and although the aeriel has to be just right for reception performs quite well.On the back is an "F" conector for an external aeriel so i connected some satellite coax to the "F" connector and the other end to a spare output on my TV booster and "Bang",the signal went through the roof,so the signal is now stable and i think it's a good £50 well spent!
If the reception does go pear shaped(which i doubt)then i can use the FM stations.One more thing i did was to change the battery connections,it takes 6,1.5volt
batteries and would cost me nearly 8 quid to buy,so i got an old smoke alarm and cut out the 9volt connector,soldered it in to the battery bay and it costs just 2 quid for a
9volt battery!!!.Now when i'm at home i can use the mains adaptor and when i want to take it outside i can use the cheap battery power!!
Regards DaDragon.
 

alfin

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
75
As another alternative to DAB try the digital (not DA:cool: stations on the Freeview box.
No extra aerial required. All the BBC stations plus a good selection of commercial stations are present. It is worth it just to listen to Radio Five in decent quality.

Just a note on the batteries. Get rechargeables, cheaper in the long run after the initial outlay.
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
DaDragon

Have you tried comparing the quality of the FM stations against their DAB alternatives? With the single possible exception of Radio 3 I'd bet that you find the DAB signal to be rather thin and also in mono.

PaulR
 

DaDragon

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2004
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
43
PaulR,
Have not compared them as yet but will give it a go when i am a bit lost for something to do,i have noticed that some of the DAB's are mono like you say,but is this how they are transmitted ( the penalty for narrow bandwidth)or is this the way the receiver interprets a shit signal?!!!All the best mate.
Regards DaDragon.
PS do you think i got me a bargain though?£50.
 

moyhim

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2004
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
37
I wudnt mind the Rewindable BAD radios such as the pure Bug, so i can fix up the audio when watching footy on foreign channel :p
but for that price, I dunna think so £100 +
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
Re Mono - This is because the amount of bandwidth available is so litle that there just isn't enough space for a stereo transmission.

PaulR
 

martinw01908

Regular Member
Joined
May 11, 2004
Messages
122
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Age
51
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 9100 and 90cm dish motorised
My Location
South East Midlands
DAB is definately inferior to VHF FM. I'm surprised they are pushing such a rubbish system on us and marketing it as an improvement to "outdated analogue radios".

Sound quality on DAB is truely awful, its just about suited to a portable with a small speaker and thats about it. No Hi-fi sound!
 

spiney

Guest
Joined
Apr 29, 2005
Messages
1,514
Reaction score
1
Points
0
My Satellite Setup
Pace 2200 Sky digibox with ftv card, Comag SL65 FTA sat receiver, 40cm Sky minidish, Setpal terrestrial receiver (for free uk tv only!).
My Location
Midlands
As with DTT, there's a good reason for this, which is that the "engineers" who implemented these things completely mucked then up!

COFDM modulation - used for DAB and DTT - is nothing to do with better transmission standards, it's all about patents and "protecting" European manufacturing.
 

c.barber

Some Strange Dude :D
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
Messages
233
Reaction score
0
Points
0
My Satellite Setup
Starsat SR-X200CI and 80cm dish (0.3db LNB) on Hispasat 30w
My Location
Suffolk Coast
martinw01908 said:
DAB is definately inferior to VHF FM. I'm surprised they are pushing such a rubbish system on us and marketing it as an improvement to "outdated analogue radios".

Sound quality on DAB is truely awful, its just about suited to a portable with a small speaker and thats about it. No Hi-fi sound!

When I listen to stations on DAB (I get Digital 1, BBC, NOW Norwich) I have it plugged into my hi-fi, and its sounds great! All thats needed is a little less treble and more bass on the dials :D
 

PoloMint

Super Minty Mod
Joined
Dec 31, 1999
Messages
1,588
Reaction score
1
Points
0
My Satellite Setup
1200cc with 100,000,000,000 neurons and 100,000,000,000,000 connections
My Location
Fife, Scotland
c.barber said:
When I listen to stations on DAB (I get Digital 1, BBC, NOW Norwich) I have it plugged into my hi-fi, and its sounds great! All thats needed is a little less treble and more bass on the dials :D

But how does that compare to an FM broadcast played on the same Hi-Fi?
 

c.barber

Some Strange Dude :D
Joined
Jan 17, 2005
Messages
233
Reaction score
0
Points
0
My Satellite Setup
Starsat SR-X200CI and 80cm dish (0.3db LNB) on Hispasat 30w
My Location
Suffolk Coast
I would say its almost exactly the same. I live about 6 blocks away from a BBC Suffolk transmitter, and I would say that with Radio Suffolk which is always crystal clear stereo, sounds almost exactly the same as the DAB stations
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
spiney said:
COFDM modulation - used for DAB and DTT - is nothing to do with better transmission standards, it's all about patents and "protecting" European manufacturing.

Hmmmm. I was under the impression the COFDM (Coded Orthoganal Frequency Division Multiplex) was all about giving the receiver the best possible chance of decoding a usable channel from multipath signals. The channel is effectively split into a multitude of mini signals, most of which get through to the the receiver.

I'd be interested to find out how this ties in with patents and "protecting" European manufacturing. :confused

PaulR
 
Top