Want to buy a DAB Radio?

So what is this DAB radio? We have been hearing about DAB radios for some time now, but what are they and what does it all mean?

What is DAB? DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and has been in development since 1981 initially by Institut für Rundfunktechnik and from 1987 as part of a European research project (Eureka 147).

What does it do? DAB radio is a digital form of the radio we all use. Just like the television systems are changing to digital TV the radio systems are also going digital, and just like the TV systems, in order to pick up the new digital radio you need a new receiver. DAB radio is NOT a satellite radio system it is terrestrial based and you have to be in the area of coverage to receive the signal.

What are the advantages of DAB? The advantages are many but the one that will probably make the most impact is the very high quality of the sound. It has been said that the difference in quality with DAB compared to normal FM radio is like the difference when we changed from vinyl records to CD's. But there are other advantages as well, because the same frequency is use throughout the country there is no need to retune as you move about the county. The same high quality is everywhere (assuming you do not move out of the signal area's).

Coverage The coverage in the UK is now quite extensive but before you consider buying a receiver I would recommend that you check the coverage in your area. The easiest way to do that is to go to the BBC's DAB site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio/) and enter your postcode, the site will then give you details of the coverage in your area. At the time of writing about 80% of the UK is covered and it should rise to 85% soon. BBC services are available to about 65% of the UK giving approximately 40 million people the ability to receive the service.

Easy of use DAB receivers could not be easier to use, when they are switched on they scan the frequencies and then display on the screen a list of all the stations that can be picked up. This list is simple and in plain English, like BBC radio2, none of those complicated frequency numbers to remember. So all you do is select the station you want, that's all.

Interference free Because the signal is digital and has a large amount of redundant (extra) information there is no static or interference to the sound. This is because the receiver has a processor built into it that examines the signal and if there is a break in the information it can rebuild the missing information from the 'extra' information transmitted. This is known as FEC - forward error correction.

Text service The signal can also carry text information and a number of the stations already carry text services, this can be information like the title and artist of the music playing or news headlines or maybe the summary of a play. There is also and Electronic Program Guide (EPG) available to give the program schedules.

Easy of recording Again because the signal is digital the signal is easily recorded. The recording on most receivers is very easy with the ability to schedule programs to be recorded in advance, just like your video recorder.

Pay channels In the future there could be pay channel services like the pay per view channels on the TV. These could cover major sports events or maybe a music show.

Equipment You will need to purchase a DAB radio receiver to pick up the new digital radio stations, these are still more expensive than a conventional am/fm radios but they are about the same size and use a very similar antenna. Most DAB radio's also will pick up FM signals as well.

Cost The cost of the radios vary from as little as 50 pounds all the way up to over 200 pounds depending upon the features and quality of the receiver. Some are DAB only and others are DAB and FM. The size and quality of the screen is also a factor in the cost. Some of the more expensive ones have CD players incorporated and maybe alarm clock and sleep functions, they may also have a remote control.

You can see a large variety of different units at different costs at my favourite comparison site (http://www.wangled.co.uk) simple type DAB radio in the search box

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Paul Davies is a professional engineer and product reviewer, he submits articles on product guides and reviews. All his articles can be seen on the premium shopping comparison site www.wangled.co.uk at the following page www.wangled.co.uk/buyersGuides.asp