What's very interesting about that Ofcom document is that the 64K stations are actually running at 24kHz audio sampling which gives an audio bandwidth of 12kHz at most
You wouldn't see the need to make such an observation if you've heard what stations sound like at 64kbps / 48kHz.
Really? I thought they could push it to 80kbps like they did with Abs 90? Much rather have them in stereo, but let's not get carried away! Really starting to wonder if U105 have any interest in DAB in NI, they've been on FM in Belfast for years now but have shown next to no interest in going digital other than Freeview.
Absolute 90's has started at 80 kbps on all the other local muxes. Absolute Classic Rock and Kisstory are both at 64 kbps. No reason for NI to be any different.
U 105 are probably thinking they have blanket coverage in the province on Freeview. No point in giving that up for a patchy DAB signal.
I'm not sure why you made a point of it, then.
You seemed to suggest that at 48kHz, you WOULD get something higher than 12kHz.
Just pointing out how crap DAB has become. Why anyone would want to listen to this rubbish is beyond me. Then again in Ireland (north and south) DAB accounts for very little of the radio market. Actually I would love to set up a private mux running half a dozen automated music stations of various genres at 192k with proper audio processing just to show the great British public what digital radio COULD sound like, rather than the garbage they're being offered at the moment.
Absolute and Classic FM were both at 160kbps at one stage, but now there's talk both could even drop to 80 kbps mono, which really would be a travesty.
Mono is rubbish through a HiFi tuner, but since most people listen to DAB via portable radios in mono I suppose the bit rate doesn't matter that much, which is why the powers that be probably don't even care.
It's better than AM, or a distorted/weak FM signal, and it gives you a much better choice of stations, but that's about it. DAB+ can't come soon enough to the UK in my opinion.
Doubt if Classic FM will go mono?
It cold be Absolute goes 80k mono (until D2 launches) to allow Magic to launch on D1 at 80k to get a better sound, rather than 64k?
U 105 are probably thinking they have blanket coverage in the province on Freeview. No point in giving that up for a patchy DAB signal.
UTV own the local Freeview MUX so can put U105 on at low cost whereas they will probably have to pay Bauer full rate to go on local DAB.
But UTV and Bauer may partner in D2 which may bring extra UTV stations to DAB.
Extra local DAB transmitters will be added during 2015 or 2016 to fill gaps in coverage under the mou that was signed by Bauer.
There does not seem to be anything apart from this website, http://www.a516digital.com/2014/12/the-dab-digital-radio-station-reshuffle.html
which gives the date as 5th Jan, why ACR and Kerrang are going from Liverpool (Bauer Digital Radio submit that the Rock genre is represented in the multiplex licence area with Planet Rock and TeamRock on the D1 National multiplex, as a reason) and ACR is being added to other areas which have D1 coverage is a mystery?
The ones that don't update a station list of the multiplex being listened to aren't complying fully with the DAB spec!
Autotuning should only be required if you are looking for a new multiplex or updating stations from a multiplex you don't use.
My parents Intempo is particularly rubbish in this regard - it's full of all the MXR North West stations (and pretty much everything else which has ceased in the last decade) and you can't prune the stations and the factory reset doesn't work!, and amazingly Pure have managed to make their Highway even worse - I've now got BBC Lancs, BBC Wales, BBC Cymru, BBC Manc, BBC Stoke, BBC Mersey, BBC Nottm, BBC Leic, BBC Derby, BBC WM, BBC C&W, BBC Northants, BBC 3CR, BBC Oxford, BBC Wilts, BBC Berks and god knows what else I've missed - trying to get from Gem 106 to Juice was interesting with the countless Heart's in the way! Supposadly pressing AutoTune clears the list, but it doesn't. - At least my Pure alarm clock and Philips kitchen radio pile them on the end.
Kisstory and Absolute CR wern't on-air on Lancashire or Liverpool over Christmas (and FWIW all my sets add new stations within a few seconds of tuning to a multiplex - ditto relabels)
Pure have managed to make their Highway even worse - I've now got BBC Lancs, BBC Wales, BBC Cymru, BBC Manc, BBC Stoke, BBC Mersey, BBC Nottm, BBC Leic, BBC Derby, BBC WM, BBC C&W, BBC Northants, BBC 3CR, BBC Oxford, BBC Wilts, BBC Berks and god knows what else I've missed - trying to get from Gem 106 to Juice was interesting with the countless Heart's in the way! Supposadly pressing AutoTune clears the list, but it doesn't. - At least my Pure alarm clock and Philips kitchen radio pile them on the end.
For the Highway, you can trim the station list. There's a menu item somewhere.
FWIW all my sets add new stations within a few seconds of tuning to a multiplex - ditto relabels)
How dare you attempt to challenge the king of speculation!
How dare you attempt to challenge the king of speculation
If you don't retune a digital TV set or STB when new stations appear you'll need to do a retune. Some update automatically, but most don't.
It's the same with DAB radio. I've owned 6 DAB portables over the years and none have updated their station list automatically when new services have appeared. Likewise when you move location.
As for speculation, neither Kisstory nor Absolute Classic Rock have appeared on the NI mux so far. Only Absolute 90's a couple of weeks ago. I can only assume they'll both be there on Monday.
Only if the multiplexes are out of range, as far as I'm aware. If you're actually receiving a signal from the services there's probably little you can do, other than adding your favourites to the memory presets..
Some of the Roberts portables require a factory reset in order to get rid of redundant services.
I'd just be thankful I had so many stations to choose from.
If new stations are added to a multiplex then you'll need to do a rescan.
If a station has simply changed it's name/service then most receivers will update automatically e.g. Smooth Xmas changing to Smooth Extra.
If Kisstory or Absolute Classic Rock appear on Monday then a retune will be required.
NOPE!
A compliant DAB receiver will add any new stations to a multiplex automatically, as long as you are tuned to a station on the same multiplex. Try it next time a new station launches.
If you don't retune a digital TV set or STB when new stations appear you'll need to do a retune. Some update automatically, but most don't.
It's the same with DAB radio. I've owned 6 DAB portables over the years and none have updated their station list automatically when new services have appeared. Likewise when you move location.
Of course you need to retune to find new multiplexes.
However the DAB spec means receivers must be constantly aware of the multiplex configuration. Otherwise receivers would never find the likes of temporary services like Daily Service or 5 Live Sports Extra. If you only listen to the BBC national multiplex, then your radio won't pick up anything new on Digital One automatically, but the moment you then tuned to (for example) Classic FM, the radio would update it's listings.
As I say, to be a compliant DAB receiver, it must monitor the multiplex (or more accurately the Fast Information Channel on the multiplex).
I've had DAB since 2001. I've used expensive sets from Tag McLaren to cheap unbranded sets from Tesco, and all of them obey the FIC.
If your sets didn't do this, I'd love to know what six they were. I think more likely, that you don't realise what the FIC does vs what an autotune does.
However the DAB spec means receivers must be constantly aware of the multiplex configuration. Otherwise receivers would never find the likes of temporary services like Daily Service or 5 Live Sports Extra. If you only listen to the BBC national multiplex, then your radio won't pick up anything new on Digital One automatically, but the moment you then tuned to (for example) Classic FM, the radio would update it's listings.
Some radios don't have a listing as such, or at least not a permanent list.
My Sony XDR-S1 shows stations only in mux order, not alphabetically, which is quite confusing. Some car radios are similar.
It shows temporary stations only during their transmission hours, so unless you were listening between 0815 and 0900 you'd never know that Yesterday In Parliament existed. >:(
I know. Which proves my point that an autoscan is not the be all and end all to update or even find new stations (as long as you listen to the multiplex affected).
Comments
You seemed to suggest that at 48kHz, you WOULD get something higher than 12kHz.
Absolute 90's has started at 80 kbps on all the other local muxes. Absolute Classic Rock and Kisstory are both at 64 kbps. No reason for NI to be any different.
U 105 are probably thinking they have blanket coverage in the province on Freeview. No point in giving that up for a patchy DAB signal.
Just pointing out how crap DAB has become. Why anyone would want to listen to this rubbish is beyond me. Then again in Ireland (north and south) DAB accounts for very little of the radio market. Actually I would love to set up a private mux running half a dozen automated music stations of various genres at 192k with proper audio processing just to show the great British public what digital radio COULD sound like, rather than the garbage they're being offered at the moment.
Mono is rubbish through a HiFi tuner, but since most people listen to DAB via portable radios in mono I suppose the bit rate doesn't matter that much, which is why the powers that be probably don't even care.
It's better than AM, or a distorted/weak FM signal, and it gives you a much better choice of stations, but that's about it. DAB+ can't come soon enough to the UK in my opinion.
It cold be Absolute goes 80k mono (until D2 launches) to allow Magic to launch on D1 at 80k to get a better sound, rather than 64k?
But UTV and Bauer may partner in D2 which may bring extra UTV stations to DAB.
Extra local DAB transmitters will be added during 2015 or 2016 to fill gaps in coverage under the mou that was signed by Bauer.
Hopefully, as DAB coverage on D1 and the commercial mux is really patchy. The BBC is better but still not great.
Still, 32 stations on DAB in the greater Belfast area is far, far better than a measly 9 on FM.
It should automatically update from the signal.
That's heartwarming for listeners to know.
http://www.a516digital.com/2014/12/the-dab-digital-radio-station-reshuffle.html
which gives the date as 5th Jan, why ACR and Kerrang are going from Liverpool (Bauer Digital Radio submit that the Rock genre is represented in the multiplex licence area with Planet Rock and TeamRock on the D1 National multiplex, as a reason) and ACR is being added to other areas which have D1 coverage is a mystery?
According to Ofcom, Monday 5th January:
http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/radio/mux-variations/2014/Northern_Ireland.pdf
Kisstory should have appeared on the 15th December but no sign of it so far, so I assume it will appear on Monday.
Absolute Classic Rock is being added to a number of other Bauer multiplexes.
You'll need to do a rescan (or autotune)
As a matter of fact most do this.
The ones that don't update a station list of the multiplex being listened to aren't complying fully with the DAB spec!
Autotuning should only be required if you are looking for a new multiplex or updating stations from a multiplex you don't use.
If new stations are added to a multiplex then you'll need to do a rescan.
If a station has simply changed it's name/service then most receivers will update automatically e.g. Smooth Xmas changing to Smooth Extra.
If Kisstory or Absolute Classic Rock appear on Monday then a retune will be required.
My parents Intempo is particularly rubbish in this regard - it's full of all the MXR North West stations (and pretty much everything else which has ceased in the last decade) and you can't prune the stations and the factory reset doesn't work!, and amazingly Pure have managed to make their Highway even worse - I've now got BBC Lancs, BBC Wales, BBC Cymru, BBC Manc, BBC Stoke, BBC Mersey, BBC Nottm, BBC Leic, BBC Derby, BBC WM, BBC C&W, BBC Northants, BBC 3CR, BBC Oxford, BBC Wilts, BBC Berks and god knows what else I've missed - trying to get from Gem 106 to Juice was interesting with the countless Heart's in the way! Supposadly pressing AutoTune clears the list, but it doesn't. - At least my Pure alarm clock and Philips kitchen radio pile them on the end.
Kisstory and Absolute CR wern't on-air on Lancashire or Liverpool over Christmas (and FWIW all my sets add new stations within a few seconds of tuning to a multiplex - ditto relabels)
If you don't retune a digital TV set or STB when new stations appear you'll need to do a retune. Some update automatically, but most don't.
It's the same with DAB radio. I've owned 6 DAB portables over the years and none have updated their station list automatically when new services have appeared. Likewise when you move location.
As for speculation, neither Kisstory nor Absolute Classic Rock have appeared on the NI mux so far. Only Absolute 90's a couple of weeks ago. I can only assume they'll both be there on Monday.
Only if the multiplexes are out of range, as far as I'm aware. If you're actually receiving a signal from the services there's probably little you can do, other than adding your favourites to the memory presets..
Some of the Roberts portables require a factory reset in order to get rid of redundant services.
I'd just be thankful I had so many stations to choose from.
NOPE!
A compliant DAB receiver will add any new stations to a multiplex automatically, as long as you are tuned to a station on the same multiplex. Try it next time a new station launches.
However the DAB spec means receivers must be constantly aware of the multiplex configuration. Otherwise receivers would never find the likes of temporary services like Daily Service or 5 Live Sports Extra. If you only listen to the BBC national multiplex, then your radio won't pick up anything new on Digital One automatically, but the moment you then tuned to (for example) Classic FM, the radio would update it's listings.
As I say, to be a compliant DAB receiver, it must monitor the multiplex (or more accurately the Fast Information Channel on the multiplex).
I've had DAB since 2001. I've used expensive sets from Tag McLaren to cheap unbranded sets from Tesco, and all of them obey the FIC.
If your sets didn't do this, I'd love to know what six they were. I think more likely, that you don't realise what the FIC does vs what an autotune does.
My Sony XDR-S1 shows stations only in mux order, not alphabetically, which is quite confusing. Some car radios are similar.
It shows temporary stations only during their transmission hours, so unless you were listening between 0815 and 0900 you'd never know that Yesterday In Parliament existed. >:(