Digital Radio - Consumer Technology

The DAB+ standard is the umbrella platform/technology that has been announced for Australian digital radio use. Therefore, the nation's radio consumers requires DAB+ receivers to access the digital offerings. The receivers will allow consumers to successfully 'tune' into digital radio when it is eventually rolled out in the Australian capitals at the beginning of 2009. Tuning into stations will be as simple as selecting a station from a menu list. Thus, tuning may be a redundant concept, unless we (consumers) don't wish to dispose of our analogue radios.

2008 will be a critical year for the marketing of digital radio (DAB+) to consumers. Joan Warner, the head of Commercial Radio Australia is preparing plans, "from mid to late 2008 onwards to build excitement that digital radio is coming."1 Thus, there is little available on the market at the moment. Commercial Radio Australia's Digital Radio brochure2 states that, "Broadcasters are working with receiver manufacturers to have a wide range of exciting DAB+ radios ready for the launch."

There are some receivers commercially available. Listed on the Jaycar website3 is a Digital Radio Receiver (DAB) priced at $249.95, which is a component receiver.

Digital Radio Receiver (DAB)

Mentioned on the Canohm website4 is the Sangean manufacturer of radios. “Sangean is a world leader in the exciting new area of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) with several DAB receivers already available in Australia.”

Neither of these are DAB+ receivers, but presumably with trials of DAB+ happening, DAB+ receivers must be in existence in Australia.

Partnerships in the development of the technology for Australian circumstances exist.

“Peak industry body, Commercial Radio Australia, is working with a number of strategic partners to develop digital radio. The industry has been undertaking consumer trials in Sydney since 2003 in partnership with the national public broadcasters ABC and SBS, under a consortium named Digital Radio Broadcasting Australia (DRBA).

Partnerships have also been established with transmission and receiver manufacturers, advertisers, retailers and software developers, car manufacturers and the intelligent transport systems industry. Australia also works with international bodies and participates in working groups of WorldDMB, an international non-government organisation, and the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union”5

Unfortunately, there is not currently much information available detailing these partnerships. Recently, commercial radio broadcasters unveiled, “a digital radio-enabled mobile phone that allows users to view, navigate and store visual content such as images and slides broadcast by radio stations. The handset features the “Visual DAB/DAB+” mobile application.”6

This application can offer a range of future interactive services. "For instance, listeners could browse a simple broadcast website, purchase tickets to a concert, vote for music charts or provide user generated content."7

This was developed by The Technology Partnership (TTP) with the broadcast software developed by All In Media (AIM), and was in collaboration with Australian radio broadcasters. All In Media has launched an Australian business, ‘All In Media Pty Ltd’ and are “poised to capitalise on the growing interest in DAB+ in the Australian market."8

Also of interest is that the UK’s leading digital radio manufacturer, Pure, “announced it is establishing a local entity, Pure Australasia, based in Melbourne, to service the new Australian and New Zealand digital radio markets.”9

The Siesta clock radio is a DAB+ upgradeable radio. So, it can receive DAB+ signals with software that is currently being developed. Currently, there is not much information published on software for consumers. It would be interesting if a manufacturer produced different pieces of software for the same receiver. Could be like skins. Skins though could be implemented into the one piece of software anyway.

There are some extra things of interest relating to DAB radio, which will most likely be applied to DAB+ at some point. The first is an iPod plugin, which is already being discussed for DAB+. Another interesting device is the Frontier Silicon Venice 6 streaming audio module. This will support DAB+. A new development in the American HD Radio is a system allowing users to tag songs to their iPods, thus connecting with iTunes and getting access to the song for purchase or more information.

REFERENCES

1 Joan Warner. "Digital Radio 101." Commercial Radio Australia. October 2007. http://www.commercialradio.com.au/files/uploaded/file/Radio_Fest/Digital%20Radio%20101%20Joan%20speech_1.pdf
(12 November 2007).

2 Commercial Radio Australia. "Digital Radio - The Next Generation of Radio is Coming." Digital Radio Australia. 2007. http://www.digitalradioaustralia.com.au/files/uploaded/file/Digital_Radio/Digital%20Radio%20Brochure.pdf (29 October 2007).

3 Jaycar Electronics. "Digital Radio Receiver (DAB)." Jaycar Electronics. 2007. http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1799&CATID=&keywords=DAB&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID= (29 October 2007).

4 Canohm. "Radios." Canohm. 2007. http://www.canohm.com.au/radios.htm (29 October 2007).

5 Commercial Radio Australia. "Digital Radio - The Next Generation of Radio is Coming."

6 Commercial Radio Australia. "Media Release: Australian radio showcases multimedia service on a mobile phone." Commercial Radio Australia. October 2007. http://www.digitalradioaustralia.com.au/index.cfm?page_id=1001&display_news_id_1129=1005(22 October 2007).

7 Joan Warner. "Digital Radio 101."

8 All In Media. "Latest News - All In Media expands into Australia." All In Media. October 2007. http://www.all-in-media.co.uk/fullstory.php?action=fullstory&id=10. (22 October 2007).

9 Commercial Radio Australia. "Media Release: Australian radio showcases multimedia service on a mobile phone."

Currently listening to:

Why Digital Radio?

Digital Radio is being rolled out across Australia in 2009. It is a new technology for this country and directly affects a very established media form. It will impact the broadcast and listening of music in our society. My Honours period of two years allows me to observe and speculate on the lead up to the introduction of Digital Radio. I feel that this extended period of time (study) provides for a greater and more meaningful approach to this topic. A study of Digital Radio needs to address a significant range of issues. How my research will eventually be directed is unknown at this point.

The fascinating aspect of Digital Radio in the terrestrial form is the issues that require coverage. These include politics, technology, socio/cultural, economic, global, geo, and creative issues. Convergence especially in the technology also exists in the topic. So, being able to research and address so many different areas is inspiring. Thus, it is far from a one-dimensional topic.

The fear that I have had to committing to this topic is that I have to produce a creative work, and I am not sure that one exists at this stage. Am I straying away from being an artist or will I somehow produce something that will just stun?

Anyway, time will tell how my project will unfold and how it will be directed.

Currently listening to:

Six Months Ago I Started This Blog

...And for a variety of reasons have not updated it or done much study. In that time I got a part-time job that I like, turned 23, and procrastinated a lot. Also, I've spent about 2 months either sick or recovering from stuff (like the removal of my wisdom teeth). I've also done a bit of travelling (one of my favourite things to do), and I have a few more destinations to get to this year.

I have enjoyed saying to people that I am a part-time Honours student, but have been really fearful of committing to a topic. Daily, I have thoughts about my Honours. I haven't written all the thoughts down, but they exist. Recently, I wrote a very rusty essay and have continued to have thoughts about Honours and renewing my relationship with blogger.

Logic says that if I have written an essay, there must be a topic that exists somewhere. This is true, and the topic has existed since early this year. As mentioned earlier, I've been fearful of committing to this. This fear comes from wondering if it is indeed a genuine topic. I now believe that it is genuine, but believe I'm going to have be especially creative to make it work.

The topic for my Honours is "DIGITAL RADIO". My next post will examine my reasons for choosing this as a topic. Then I plan to use the blog as a tool for immersing myself in the said topic.

Currently listening to:

If I Can't Dance, I Don't Want Your Revolution...

Slow is the best way to describe the start to my EMU year 5, and I now welcome you to the blog representing my two scheduled years for Honours ... year 5 (2007) and year 6 (2008). Hopefully there will be many interesting times and events for me and EMU throughout this period. At the moment, I think I will be more of an observer of the going-ons of Adelaide University Music Technology, whilst I study privately. I am definitely interested in how the influx of new students integrate into EMU life.

Music Technology: Evolution or Revolution? ... Interesting question that I assume Dr. Mark Carroll will again pose. For those that have answered it or will answer it this year, consider whether Music Technology can make you dance? If David Harris's forum presentation (15 March) was/is revolutionary, I'm not sure I want this revolution ... hmmm.

As to my Honours project, I have some ideas, which I will officially share at a later date. A creative work is required, and I wish to create something that defines how creative a creative work actually can be in this place.

I can be found class crashing each week. David Grice's 3rd year audio arts class and the weekly forum are places where I sometimes exist. Other than these and supervisor meetings, my presence is going to be fairly minimal around the Unit, but I intend on keeping my blog updated and interesting. Please make comments, I will be making comments on people's blogs.

Currently listening to:

First Post