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BBC Trust approves Freesat
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message ... Roger R wrote: "DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message ... http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...067033,00.html BBC Trust approves Freesat It would have been much better if the digital switchover was to be straight from analogue to digital satellite given the reception problems associated with terrestrial broadcasting. Thus ending terrestrial television broadcasting. Why are they bothering with the vast expense of equipping terrestial transmitters for digital other than as Steve quotes Greg Dyke, to maintain the BBC licence status. I wouldn't go as far as to say that DTT should be abandoned altogether, because virtually everybody has got a TV aerial, so it makes sense to use DTT, and not everybody can put a satellite dish on the outside of their house/flat etc, and others still wouldn't want to. All I'm ****ed off about is that they could have launched it ages ago - MPEG-4 set-top boxes have been available for some time now - if they'd have wanted to, but they chose not to for self-serving reasons. BBC channels are already FTA available on satellite, so I'm not quite sure what extra the BBC free sat system is going to provide, It'll provide a non-Sky EPG, have MPEG-4 support for HDTV, and the BBC will probably advertise it (although because it doesn't help them they no doubt won't advertise it as much as they could or should, especially considering how much advertising they've lavished on Freeview over the years), so they'll generate substantial interest and a market for MPEG-4 set-top boxes that wouldn't have existed without their advertising. It'll be interesting to see whether they launch a package where people pay for the receiver and installation at the same time, or whether there'll be a lot of Rod Hull moments. And it'll be interesting to see how much it'll cost as well. [snip] Installation and box as a single package has been the most satisfactory marketing model for Sky. For many people it is the dish installation that is the worrying unkown part,and they don't want to be vulnerable to a bunch of 'here today gone tomorrow' rip off cowboys. Viewers would have much more confidence if the complete kit were installed by 'BBC Satellite Installation' (some kind of sub contract organisation) for a standard fee as the Sky package. I thought the BBC were planning HD to be a premium service, perhaps they may revive the old B&W or colour licence idea to be SD or HD. Not a good idea IMO. Roger R |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
DABi s the horrid rubber things they used for contraception before latex
was invented in the 1920s that were like wanking into a sock' -- or something snappy like that? Latex grows on trees dosn't it? Don't you know nofink Bill? -- Graham. %Profound_observation% |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
....snip...
DAB is the 78rpm shellac disk of audio recording'... Interesting that you single out shellac. As a child I was most surprised to discover that my parents owned a 78rpm vinyl record - just the one! Lonnie Donegan if memory serves. Paul DS. |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message .. . ...snip... DAB is the 78rpm shellac disk of audio recording'... Interesting that you single out shellac. As a child I was most surprised to discover that my parents owned a 78rpm vinyl record - just the one! Lonnie Donegan if memory serves. Paul DS. It wasn't vinyl Paul -- Graham. %Profound_observation% |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
Roger R wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message ... http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...067033,00.html BBC Trust approves Freesat BBC channels are already FTA available on satellite, so I'm not quite sure what extra the BBC free sat system is going to provide, and why its taking three years to set up. Clearly I have fallen asleep at the back. Why an alternative to Sky FTA is needed ? Easy: current arrangement requires a box from Sky, with Sky supplied card. Sky can turn it off at any point, or decide to charge for it. (subject to commercial contract notice periods). If you want a PVR, you have to take a rental of Sky+. You can't just go to the local electronics shop and buy a satellite receiver with hard drive which behave the same as an analogue VHS recorder and TV. Many people do not want to buy from Sky or want rental arrangements with Sky, regardless of any caveats. (I have a lot of friends who say that). Why its taking so long ? Dunno, guess too many committees, too many people to consult. - Nigel -- Nigel Cliffe, Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/ |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
if wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote: ... You've got a weird moniker there, surely DAB is the VHS of digital radio. The Betamax would be MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, the superior format which lost out. Not this again! Here's my reasoning: Betamax is the classical example of a technology that lost a format war and became obsolete. On a global scale that's what's happening to DAB - it was originally intended to be the digital replacement for FM, but other standards emerged, countries (apart from the incompetent UK broadcasters) decided they didn't want to use it because the newer systems were far more efficient, cheaper to transmit, allowed far higher audio quality and more stations etc, and refused to use DAB. WorldDAB had to design DAB+ in a hurry, and DAB will now be slowly phased out in the UK, Denmark and Norway. My name has nothing to do with the technical superiority of one standard or another, because the vast, vast majority of people associate Betamax with being the classical example of a technology that lost a format war and became obsolete. to anybody else who wants to question me on this, please don't, thanks, I've been through it enough times already -- Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
Bill Wright wrote:
"if" wrote in message ... "DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote: ... You've got a weird moniker there, surely DAB is the VHS of digital radio. The Betamax would be MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, the superior format which lost out. Yes Steve, why don't you change it to 'DAB is the greaseproof paper of sandwich wrappers' or 'DAB is the steam engine of mechanically propelled road vehicles' or DAB is the 78rpm shellac disk of audio recording' or 'DAB is the horrid rubber things they used for contraception before latex was invented in the 1920s that were like wanking into a sock' -- or something snappy like that? I considered: 'DAB is those hairs in the plughole that mount up occasionally and which are so difficult to get out and you've got to dig your nails in to pull the buggers out and when they've mounted up a bit they make the water slow to drain out worse than FM' - my reasoning was that hairs in the plughole have become obsolete hairs, but I decided that it wouldn't fit in the From column in people's newsreaders. -- Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
Roger R wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message ... Roger R wrote: "DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message ... http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...067033,00.html BBC Trust approves Freesat It would have been much better if the digital switchover was to be straight from analogue to digital satellite given the reception problems associated with terrestrial broadcasting. Thus ending terrestrial television broadcasting. Why are they bothering with the vast expense of equipping terrestial transmitters for digital other than as Steve quotes Greg Dyke, to maintain the BBC licence status. I wouldn't go as far as to say that DTT should be abandoned altogether, because virtually everybody has got a TV aerial, so it makes sense to use DTT, and not everybody can put a satellite dish on the outside of their house/flat etc, and others still wouldn't want to. All I'm ****ed off about is that they could have launched it ages ago - MPEG-4 set-top boxes have been available for some time now - if they'd have wanted to, but they chose not to for self-serving reasons. BBC channels are already FTA available on satellite, so I'm not quite sure what extra the BBC free sat system is going to provide, It'll provide a non-Sky EPG, have MPEG-4 support for HDTV, and the BBC will probably advertise it (although because it doesn't help them they no doubt won't advertise it as much as they could or should, especially considering how much advertising they've lavished on Freeview over the years), so they'll generate substantial interest and a market for MPEG-4 set-top boxes that wouldn't have existed without their advertising. It'll be interesting to see whether they launch a package where people pay for the receiver and installation at the same time, or whether there'll be a lot of Rod Hull moments. And it'll be interesting to see how much it'll cost as well. [snip] Installation and box as a single package has been the most satisfactory marketing model for Sky. For many people it is the dish installation that is the worrying unkown part,and they don't want to be vulnerable to a bunch of 'here today gone tomorrow' rip off cowboys. Viewers would have much more confidence if the complete kit were installed by 'BBC Satellite Installation' (some kind of sub contract organisation) for a standard fee as the Sky package. I agree, but I'm not sure the BBC would go in for something like that - we'll see. I thought the BBC were planning HD to be a premium service, perhaps they may revive the old B&W or colour licence idea to be SD or HD. Not a good idea IMO. No, they're not going to charge extra for it, and they've been trying to convince the government and Ofcom to give them more spectrum to transmit HD free-to-air on Freeview, but Ofcom and the government aren't budging, because they say that there'll be sufficient spectrum to broadcast a few HD channels after digital switchover. -- Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php |
BBC Trust approves Freesat
Graham wrote:
"if" wrote in message ... "DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote: ... You've got a weird moniker there, surely DAB is the VHS of digital radio. The Betamax would be MP3 or Ogg Vorbis, the superior format which lost out. Yes I cringe a bit when I see Steve new sig for that very reason. "Sinclair C-5" or "wax cylinder" would be my suggestions. I think I might revise my name as I so often get questioned about it. The Sinclair C5 and the wax cyliner don't sum up the story of DAB though. If you were to visualise it it would be something like a jet aeroplane on its last legs (something like a comet) being used to launch some new low cost airline and it's all painted nice to give the impression that it's new and the staff wear bright orange clothing and there's a reality TV show made about them, then on the 3rd day after launch a small bird is sucked into the jet on take-off and the plane crashes violently to earth, explodes and there's no survivors. I have to confess I actually bought a DAB radio yesterday Purely to hear how bad it sounds you understand, I was not disappointed IYKWIM. Plus the processor hash audible during the dead-air bits on Radio 3 comes at no extra charge. Have you listened to FM on it yet? Without even knowing what DAB radio you've got, I would predict that the reception quality on FM is attrocious compared to the reception quality on FM on a bog standard £15 analogue radio. I've used loads of different DAB radios, and virtually all of them have absolutely diabolical FM reception quality. I wonder why that is? It can't be due to any vested interests in FM being seen to be bad in comparison to DAB, of course, because UK companies are far too honest to allow something like that to happen. -- Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php |
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