Digital Radio
Nostalgics will be the only ones to miss the crackle and pop as they tune in to their radio stations. Those accustomed to hi-fi sound will simply revel in the luxury and head for the coast if they do happen to need a hissing, fizzing experience. On the way, they will probably even be able to listen to their favorite radio stations.
This is because transmission is no longer based on ultra-short and medium waves but, instead, signals and data in digital format. DAB, digital audio broadcasting, operates on a single frequency network. This means that all the stations that constitute an ensemble are transmitted on one frequency. You receive a digital data stream at 1.5 megabits per second, containing not only radio programs but also other services. And whereas conventional technology only allowed one program to be transmitted on a particular frequency, it is now possible to present at least six different services. Frequency bands are only one of the resources that are becoming scarce, a fact that led to the development of digital radio.
I hear, therefore I am - again reconciled to the radio landscape. Digital transmission now also means that programs can be offered to suit any taste. Jazz, concerts, news, traffic information or TV for kids - you can now receive your favorite program wherever you happen to be without the interference, unless, of course, a producer has copied the sound for a radio play. You always get perfect sound, anytime, anywhere, all the way from the studio to your ear. Digital radio is everywhere you are, on your hi-fi equipment at home, on the radio in your kitchen and on your PC. Terrestrial installations, antennas, broadcast the signals, keeping them at an even, constant level. That is the secret of why you can always listen to your favorite station in your car. Your favorite station could well already be available, wherever you are at the time. The DAB network is growing all the time. It will soon be possible, for example, to receive digital radio anywhere in Germany. Broadcasts are scheduled to reach a coverage of over 90 percent by the end of 2004. Digital radio can also be heard in many other countries. Positive signals are coming from the product and chip industries, too. Ever more vendors are offering DAB receivers and the number of new terminal appliances is rising steadily. Alongside a wide range of in-car radios and home receivers, there are now also digital radio products available for portable and mobile use as well as for the PC. Thanks to DAB chips that get smaller and cheaper by the day and the growing interest shown by the electrical appliance and car industries, digital receivers are set to invade our everyday lives.
For more information on terminal appliances, the DAB network, technology or digital radio in other countries, look here.
This is because transmission is no longer based on ultra-short and medium waves but, instead, signals and data in digital format. DAB, digital audio broadcasting, operates on a single frequency network. This means that all the stations that constitute an ensemble are transmitted on one frequency. You receive a digital data stream at 1.5 megabits per second, containing not only radio programs but also other services. And whereas conventional technology only allowed one program to be transmitted on a particular frequency, it is now possible to present at least six different services. Frequency bands are only one of the resources that are becoming scarce, a fact that led to the development of digital radio.
I hear, therefore I am - again reconciled to the radio landscape. Digital transmission now also means that programs can be offered to suit any taste. Jazz, concerts, news, traffic information or TV for kids - you can now receive your favorite program wherever you happen to be without the interference, unless, of course, a producer has copied the sound for a radio play. You always get perfect sound, anytime, anywhere, all the way from the studio to your ear. Digital radio is everywhere you are, on your hi-fi equipment at home, on the radio in your kitchen and on your PC. Terrestrial installations, antennas, broadcast the signals, keeping them at an even, constant level. That is the secret of why you can always listen to your favorite station in your car. Your favorite station could well already be available, wherever you are at the time. The DAB network is growing all the time. It will soon be possible, for example, to receive digital radio anywhere in Germany. Broadcasts are scheduled to reach a coverage of over 90 percent by the end of 2004. Digital radio can also be heard in many other countries. Positive signals are coming from the product and chip industries, too. Ever more vendors are offering DAB receivers and the number of new terminal appliances is rising steadily. Alongside a wide range of in-car radios and home receivers, there are now also digital radio products available for portable and mobile use as well as for the PC. Thanks to DAB chips that get smaller and cheaper by the day and the growing interest shown by the electrical appliance and car industries, digital receivers are set to invade our everyday lives.
For more information on terminal appliances, the DAB network, technology or digital radio in other countries, look here.