Anyone have digital radio ( dab+)?

[Vox]

Looking into purchasing a portable digital radio,

but the selection I've seen at the local Big W,

seems to be bulky and most without rewind function.



I don't get it when you can have mega pixel cameras

on phones with sometimes full HD video in a device

no bigger than you hand yet the digital radios huge

by comparison.



Is the digital radio technology more complex then

a combination of a phone + camera + video + mp3 + fm radio?



I have noticed there are more compact radios on the net,

with SD slots for recordings & mp3' replays.



This begs the question, are we a dumping ground for

1'st generation dab+ devices with limited features?

 

[Metro]

Looking into purchasing a portable digital radio,

but the selection I've seen at the local Big W,

seems to be bulky and most without rewind function.



I don't get it when you can have mega pixel cameras

on phones with sometimes full HD video in a device

no bigger than you hand yet the digital radios huge

by comparison.



Is the digital radio technology more complex then

a combination of a phone + camera + video + mp3 + fm radio?



I have noticed there are more compact radios on the net,

with SD slots for recordings & mp3' replays.



This begs the question, are we a dumping ground for

1'st generation dab+ devices with limited features?

If you buy a portable make sure that you have plenty of batteries on
hand......they love 'em.

 

[Vox]

If you buy a portable make sure that you have plenty of batteries on
hand......they love 'em.

Is that a case of more 1st gen. poor power consumption design?

 

[Vox]

Not a lot for the user. Few extra speciality stations such as
country, and you can avoid the sport rant on the ABC during major
events. Fidelity is 'questionable', with the one I bought there's an
aux output that I can run through the sound system, treble is OK but
the bass is seriously suppressed, probably to suit the crappy speaker
in the set. Why they didn't deemphasise it *between* the aux output
and the speaker I have no idea.

Advertising made out there was more choice than that.



It would be good if ABC setup a dedicated

sports dab station, and stop them taking over ABC local.



Re: sound, I have heard this said before, that its week and tinny.



I may wait a while longer for the next gen. of these devices.

 

[John Tserkezis]

I don't get it when you can have mega pixel cameras
on phones with sometimes full HD video in a device
no bigger than you hand yet the digital radios huge
by comparison.

It's a relatively new application, so much of the chipsets are
segmented (one for each section), and that takes up space. There's
little available as a true "all in one" radio on a chip, just add water
(or power as the case may be).

As time goes on, you'll start seeing single chip boxes that are
reasonably sized, economical on power AND price.

Just not quite yet.

 

[Vox]

Good point, the fact that they don't points ot the level of tactics
that's being applied behind the scenes.

The tactics as far as I can see is they are sacrificing "quality" for
"populism",
and its working for them.
Today's radio ratings in Sydney has ABC702 Breakfast
closely behind Alan Jones on 2GB.

Trying to match Alan Jones is not the direction ABC should be heading.

It may be significant that DAB seems to be mainly packaged as 'radio
sets' rather than tuners. Could it be about protection of the domain
of FM? If it is, then fidelity may not be addressed for a while...

I thought the audio was meant to be an improvement over FM
broadcast which can have annoying interference.
The commercial FM stations could use the streaming text facility
to push out more advertising to the consumer.
On the down side for them, the pause rewind may enable people
to skip the ads. like they are with PVRs.

 

[Vox]

It's a relatively new application, so much of the chipsets are
segmented (one for each section), and that takes up space. There's
little available as a true "all in one" radio on a chip, just add
water (or power as the case may be).

As time goes on, you'll start seeing single chip boxes that are
reasonably sized, economical on power AND price.

Just not quite yet.

I have found some compact radios on the net.
Australians may be reluctant to take up the new
technology and that's why there are still the bulky
ones stocked on the shelves.

May be the usual early adapters of new technology
who got burned with the last technology improvement in radio i.e.
"The AM stereo", that went the way of Betamax,
and HD DVD, won't get caught again?

 

[aussiblu]

I have two, a bedside/mantel Pure One Classic and a pocket
Sangean.

I love the Sangean and it has a rechargeable battery. The
Pure One Classic has a single speaker so it seems a bit
pointless re sound quality. I use a Sony headset with the
Sangean and the sound quality is excellent/

 

[aussiblu]

They have; ABC Digital grandstand is its dedicated digital
sports station see http://www.abc.net.au/radio/digital/