We've got digital television, now get ready for digital radio. Digital radio promises to update the radio listening experience to the 21st century with crystal clear sound and data functionality. Here's what you need to know.
Last updated: 10th November, 2005.
1. What is digital radio? | 2. What can digital radio do? | 3. Do I need a new radio to listen to digital? | 4. Where can I listen to digital radio? | 5. When will it be available throughout Australia? | 6. Where can I buy a digital radio1. What is digital radio? Why is it better than AM/FM?
Digital radio is to normal radio what digital television is to your standard analog TV. It's the most significant upgrade to happen since the introduction of FM in Australia in the 1970s, and promises just as much of a leap in quality as FM is over AM. Digital radio works by turning both sound and data into digital signals at transmission, and then decoding them at the other end using digital radio receivers. The result is CD-quality sound output. And while AM/FM radio quality can suffer from interference caused by signals bouncing off walls, buildings, hills and other structures, digital radio receivers have built-in technology that cleans and filters transmissions, making interference practically non-existent. What's more, with data now able to be sent as part of the signal, digital radio receivers with LCD screens can also give listeners information such as song names, news, weather and more.
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 The Pure Bug, a digital radio with LCD screen |
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2. What can digital radio do?
First and foremost, digital radio gives you better sound quality that's on par with listening to a CD, and it is interference free. Digital radios are also easier to tune -- instead of fiddling with a dial to find the strongest frequency for a station, listeners will be able to choose a station by name from a menu, with the digital radio automatically locking on to that signal at a push of a button.
Perhaps digital radio's most groundbreaking features lie with its data capabilities. With information able to be sent along with sound on a digital radio transmission, listeners that have digital radios with LCD screens can receive information such as what song's currently playing, what station they're on, simultaneous news feeds, phone numbers that correspond to the ads they're currently listening to, album art and much more. Digital radios with hard drives will also allow you to pause live radio or rewind, just like digital set top boxes or DVD recorders with hard drives do for digital television.
3. Do I need a new radio to listen to digital?
Unlike digital television, which can be seen on your existing TV with the addition of a set top box, you'll need a brand new radio to be able to listen to digital transmissions. A digital radio differs from a normal FM or AM one because it has a chip inside that allows it to tune into VHF Band III or LBand.
4. Where can I listen to digital radio?
Before you rush out to buy a digital radio, be aware that the only place in Australia now with transmissions is Sydney. Digital radio, while already a hit in the US and the UK, is in its very early days in Australia, with Sydney serving as the test bed for the new service.
The Sydney trial started in December of 2003, and so far has 14 stations transmitting in digital. Stations with digital transmissions in Sydney are Nova 96.9, 2GB, 2CH, 2UE, 2DAYFM, Triple M, 2KY, 2SM, WS-FM, Vega FM, ABC Classic FM, ABC dig internet radio and two SBS stations. Not all of Sydney is covered, however. Commercial Radio Australia, an industry body overseeing the tests, says about 65 percent of Sydney is covered, with the best reception being found within a 20km radius of the transmission tower at Willoughby.
Some of the Sydney test stations are already making use of digital radio's advanced data capabilities. 2GB, for example, has just launched an NRL Score service for rugby league. Listeners to the station with a digital radio (with an LCD screen) will see up to the minute scores during the game and get details on try-scorers, stats and players. Another example is 2CH, which has been broadcasting track listings, news and headlines with their digital transmissions. Music station Nova broadcasts song names and artists.
5. What about the rest of Australia? When will digital radio be available everywhere else?
Don't hold your breath if you're outside of Sydney -- it'll be years at least before digital radio is widespread throughout Australia. Under a recently released Federal Government blueprint for digital radio, State capital cities and major regional centres will be the first to get digital under a staged roll-out. No specific timetables have been set, although Government and industry figures are saying the introduction of commercial services in big cities may be two to three years away yet.
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 A Perstel digital radio with a six-line LCD display |
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Radio broadcasters then have six years from the commencement of digital broadcasts in an area to make sure the coverage of digital is as widespread as current analog transmissions. Realistically, this means a digital service in your town that can reach as many places as AM/FM now could be up to six to nine years away.
It's a different story if you're living in the bush. The Federal Government has not mandated any digital radio requirement for regional areas, instead opting to allow radio broadcasters to move at their own pace. The Government, however, has indicated it is willing to subsidise any bush rollout, and has urged broadcasters to "commence trials of digital radio in regional areas so technical and other issues can be resolved". The bottom line for regional listeners is a much longer wait than their city cousins for digital radio.
Unlike digital television, the Federal Government has not set any switch-off date for analog radio signals, seeing digital radio as a supplement rather than a replacement. What that means is analog radios aren't about to become useless any time soon. Also unlike TV, there is no requirement for broadcasters to simulcast their programming in both analog and digital. This frees up radio stations to broadcast some content exclusively on digital.
6. I'm in Sydney. Where can I buy a digital radio?
Despite the limited test area, there are quite a number of digital radios that are now available, and range from portables, hi-fis, in-cars to PC card receivers. For a full list, visit Digital Radio Australia's site. Digital radios can be purchased through retailer Len Wallis Audio; Pure receivers by order from the Pure Digital Service Centre (03 9722 2089); local agents Grundig Australia for Ministry of Sound or Bush receivers; or the local agent for Sangean receivers on (03) 9645 4700. In-car systems are available through Blaupunkt.
There are also several locations where you can test out a digital radio in Sydney. The Bing Lee store at Pitt Street Mall has a display with some of the newest radio models.
Corndog
31/03/2005 10:16 AM
In Brisbane you can listen into ABC & SBS digital radio through your tv set top box. ABC has radio DIG and and SBS has both a multilingual and english service.
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Kevin Morrison
01/04/2005 04:13 PM
I found this article to be quite informative but I just had to comment on one thing you said about digital radio in the US. I live in Los Angeles and believe me, digital radio is almost non-existant in the view of the general public. Oh, there was a lot of big talk a few years back, but at present you hear almost nothing about it. There are virtually no adverts in any medium concerning digital radio and if you try to look for a retail store you are in for a long hunt with no variety in models. It is just like all the "hype" about HDTV. Yes, we do have broadcasts in digital Hi Def. and yes it is slowly making inroads into the general public but it is a VERY slow process that has already taken twice as long as originally anticipated. So all I can say for you folks "down under", don't hold your breath on wide spread acceptance anytime within the next ten years. Kevin Morrison Los Angeles
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Jak.
04/04/2005 01:44 PM
Isn't there an existing analog radio system that allows song title and artist to be displayed on a 1 or 2 line display? I have seen it in operation in car radio's in several Asian countries, and I am fairly sure that some home theater systems can also do it.
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Will Healy
12/05/2005 04:39 PM
This is the way of the future, unfortunatley that's where it still is, in the future, though hopefully the not to distant one. So what about the problem of an LCD screen on a car radio displaying phone numbers etc, eyes on the road, or eyes on the radioo? Never mind those "Evil Eyes", how will the law keep us Eagle Eyed? Hm.
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Troy
12/06/2005 06:51 PM
Interesting article and comments from Kevin in the states. I am from Australia, but have been living in the UK for the past couple of years. I have been witness to the birth of digital radio here and how it has grown. It was slow taking off, but its take up has now improved. My concern when reading the article was not to allow any new broadcasters for possibly 10 years, here in the UK the main success of digital radio is due to the extra stations available. For example, some audio stations like you get through pay TV that arent on FM or AM are on digital radio or DAB for short (digital audio broadcast). I have DAB in my car, simply to recieve the extra services that aren't available on conventional radio. The public will not go and spend $$$ on new recievers if they can get the same services on existing equipment. Of course there is the arguement for better sound quality, but the improvement is marginal on the average portable radio, which I would think be the main stream market. The other concern is the delay of service to regional areas, if the service is restricted, that could effect public take up also, who wants to drive out of a capital city only to find their in car DAB no longer recieves service?
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innocent
02/04/2007 12:53 AM
I wish the 6-9 years are cut to half.Icant hold my breath for that long.
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David
29/02/2008 10:14 AM
Something I would have liked the article to examine was why digital radio stations can't just all set up like ABC's DIG Jazz, using the current DVB services. I listen to DIG Jazz a lot and would happily listen to many other stations in that way. Plus being DVB, text and images could be included too (similar to current TV station Guide channels). Why to do we need a whole new technology to do what can already be done with DVB?
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