Thinks To Think About When Buying A Digital Radio

The use of digital technology means not only that transmissions are less susceptible to interference from, say, the atmosphere, or the topology of the landscape, but, because digital radio is more efficient than its analogue predecessor, a wider range of digital radio stations is available, together with other useful, supplementary information services.

Key Features

Digital radio stations are broadcast in groups, or blocks, known as “multiplexes”, or “ensembles”. Each of these multiplexes occupies on the air space equivalent to a single FM frequency radio station. The BBC network multiplex, for example, is available to between 75% and 90% of the UK population – depending on whose estimate you choose – and currently carries 12 stations, while the other national multiplex, Digital One, carries 8 stations, and is available to a similar percentage of the population. The Digital One network multiples, however, carries a further 45, or so, regional and local multiplexes, including some 400 individual radio stations, in total.

Digital radio promises to be free from the interference often associated with conventional AM, or FM radio broadcasts, but, do bear in mind that the quality of the sound reproduced can only ever be, at most, as high as the quality of the sound – or the “bit rate” – transmitted by the radio station, in the first place. Generally speaking, radio stations that broadcast mainly music transmit at a rate of 128 kbps (“kilobits per second”), the intricacies of classical music, for example, require a higher bit rate – 192 kbps in the case of BBC Radio 3 – and primarily “talk” radio stations are broadcast at a lower bit rate.

In addition to the actual audio transmission, itself, DAB also allows supplementary information – including, for example, the title of the programme, or piece of music currently being broadcast, the name of the artiste, or, indeed, anything else of relevance, to be displayed on the LCD (“Liquid Crystal Display”) screen of a compatible receiver. The Pure Pocket DAB 1500 Digital Radio, for example, includes a “textSCAN” feature, which allows users to pause and scroll any textual information accompanying a radio broadcast.

Another useful feature is the facility to record, pause, or rewind live radio broadcasting. It may be possible, with some models, for example, to hold a portion of a broadcast – typically, up to 20 minutes – in memory, so that it can be listened to again, or at a more convenient time. Another possibility is the recording of radio broadcasts, to a memory expansion card, or some other external recording device. The Roberts RD11 Digital Radio, for example, features pause, rewind and record functions.

Conclusion

Digital radio represents a real advance in radio technology, in terms of sound clarity, choice of radio stations – some of which are exclusively available to digital radio listeners – and ease of use. As soon as you turn it on, a digital radio will automatically locate all the radio stations that are available in your area, and present them to you in a user-friendly, alphabetical list; there is no longer any need to remember lists of frequencies, particularly if you are listening on the move, or to fiddle with knobs and buttons, for constant retuning to your favourite radio station.

Article Source: http://www.myaddirectory.com

Sean Clark is eCommerce Director at Tribal UK.

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