Digital radio switchover gets poor reception

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
Well lets hope the new government will axe the changeover to save some
money. I have not been impressed with dab in its current form. The
bolted on radio via tv is actually better quality for home use but
for many this means the totally stupid thing of running a tv to
listen to the radio.

You also need a decent aerial to receive Freeview radio in most areas.

Same with DAB.

Nothing like as much.

Many don't seem to mind the faults caused by poor reception on FM - but do
on DAB.

That's because digital breaks up - much less tolerable than an analogue
signal becoming hissy (usually remedied by switching to mono,
partially/totally, automatically/manually).

--
Max Demian

"Michael Chare" wrote in message
o.uk...
"Ivan" wrote in message
...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7753364/Digital-radio-switchover-gets-poor-reception.html

What annoyed me was Stephen Fry promoting DAB on Radio 4.

Perhaps he is promoting traffic jams, as DAB radios don't switch to
traffic info broadcasts which tell people where there are jams that they
may be able to avoid.


--
Michael Chare
DAB radios in Land Rovers switch from DAB to VHF/FM stations when they carry
traffic announcements.

Regards, Rog.



--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Michael Chare wrote:
Perhaps he is promoting traffic jams, as DAB radios don't switch to
traffic info broadcasts which tell people where there are jams that
they may be able to avoid.

I've yet to have any of these traffic broadcasts warn me of a jam - just
tell me much later I'm in one...

I've never found that facility much use either - it's all right having a
vague traffic report as part of a programme, but it the radio is going to
interrupt a programme/tape/CD the report needs to be *very* specific.

--
Max Demian

On Sun, 23 May 2010 20:14:50 +0100, "Max Demian"
wrote:

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
Well lets hope the new government will axe the changeover to save some
money. I have not been impressed with dab in its current form. The bolted
on radio via tv is actually better quality for home use but for many this
means the totally stupid thing of running a tv to listen to the radio.

You also need a decent aerial to receive Freeview radio in most areas.

Here, we need decent aerials to receive /everything/. I can get
decent FM & analogue TV but no freeview. DAB is hit and miss.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There is no graceful
degradation of quality, it just cuts out completely.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.

On Mon, 24 May 2010 11:44:58 +0100, "Max Demian"
wrote:

I've never found that facility much use either - it's all right having a
vague traffic report as part of a programme, but it the radio is going to
interrupt a programme/tape/CD the report needs to be *very* specific.

It shouldn't be beyond the realms of current technology for traffic
reports (or parts of traffic reports) to be geotagged so as to enable
suitably smart radios to only present material of direct and immediate
relevance to you.
--

On Mon, 24 May 2010 11:08:39 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I've yet to have any of these traffic broadcasts warn me of a jam - just
tell me much later I'm in one...

Or tell me that I'm in one that isn't actually there.

Might be better in areas of the country less densely populated than the
London area.

Naw, many stations only do traffic news in the peak hours to tell you
that all the places that always snarl up, are snarled up. I've been
stuck on the A1 southe of Catterick for several hours, in several
miles of jam, around 2200 and not a peep of traffic announcement for
any of the time I was stuck.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Max Demian wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Michael Chare wrote:
Perhaps he is promoting traffic jams, as DAB radios don't switch to
traffic info broadcasts which tell people where there are jams that
they may be able to avoid.
I've yet to have any of these traffic broadcasts warn me of a jam - just
tell me much later I'm in one...

I've never found that facility much use either - it's all right having a
vague traffic report as part of a programme, but it the radio is going to
interrupt a programme/tape/CD the report needs to be *very* specific.

The last traffic report I heard for somewhere close told me the road I'd
just driven down was closed.

--
Adrian

On Mon, 24 May 2010 11:44:58 +0100, "Max Demian"
wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Michael Chare wrote:
Perhaps he is promoting traffic jams, as DAB radios don't switch to
traffic info broadcasts which tell people where there are jams that
they may be able to avoid.

I've yet to have any of these traffic broadcasts warn me of a jam - just
tell me much later I'm in one...

I've never found that facility much use either - it's all right having a
vague traffic report as part of a programme, but it the radio is going to
interrupt a programme/tape/CD the report needs to be *very* specific.

Agreed. You've usually already passed the last junction on the
motorway before you find out there is a 20 mile tailback starting
before the next. ;-)
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.

In article ,
No spam please wrote:
"Michael Chare" wrote in message
o.uk...
"Ivan" wrote in message
...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7753364/Digital-radio-switchover-gets-poor-reception.html

What annoyed me was Stephen Fry promoting DAB on Radio 4.

Perhaps he is promoting traffic jams, as DAB radios don't switch to
traffic info broadcasts which tell people where there are jams that
they may be able to avoid.



DAB radios in Land Rovers switch from DAB to VHF/FM stations when they
carry traffic announcements.

I think my Blaupunkt can too - but I never bother with traffic news anyway.
Not only is it usually useless but crashes in and out in a most
unprofessional way. A bit like the ads on the minority ITV channels. ;-)

--
*When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Max Demian" wrote in message
...
: "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
: ...

snip
:
: Many don't seem to mind the faults caused by poor reception
on FM - but do
: on DAB.
:
: That's because digital breaks up - much less tolerable than an
analogue
: signal becoming hissy (usually remedied by switching to mono,
: partially/totally, automatically/manually).
:

Much of the anti DAB 'debate' seems to revolve around bit rates,
not signal break-up though, which is how I read Dave's comment...
--
Regards, Jerry.