Although not as exciting as the potential of a digital television revolution, digital radio has been quietly making progress around the world. There are two key forms of digital radio – one-way digital radio, which is a simple broadcast received by a listener; and two-way radio, which is a communication from one person to another. Of interest to most people is one-way digital radio, as it is this form of transmission that is most likely to be taken up by the average user.
One-way digital radio is governed by the Eureka 147 standard, known generally as Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). DAB has been around for over twenty years, but has only recently begun to take-off internationally. Like digital television, DAB is said to broadcast higher quality signals, meaning there is less (if any) static and interference on the channel you listen to. Due to the nature of the digital system, more channels fit into the broadcast spectrum, meaning there are also a larger variety of channels to choose from. This is a bonus if you have a specific interest – news, sports, classical music – or if you are hoping to pick up a broadcast in a minority language within your country.
There are over one thousand DAB stations currently in operation worldwide, and it is now possible to buy good quality DAB receivers at specialty electrical stores and online. Like digital television, digital radio is yet to be taken up worldwide, although there are a number of countries in which DAB has become incredibly popular, including the United Kingdom and the US.
One-way digital radio is governed by the Eureka 147 standard, known generally as Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). DAB has been around for over twenty years, but has only recently begun to take-off internationally. Like digital television, DAB is said to broadcast higher quality signals, meaning there is less (if any) static and interference on the channel you listen to. Due to the nature of the digital system, more channels fit into the broadcast spectrum, meaning there are also a larger variety of channels to choose from. This is a bonus if you have a specific interest – news, sports, classical music – or if you are hoping to pick up a broadcast in a minority language within your country.
There are over one thousand DAB stations currently in operation worldwide, and it is now possible to buy good quality DAB receivers at specialty electrical stores and online. Like digital television, digital radio is yet to be taken up worldwide, although there are a number of countries in which DAB has become incredibly popular, including the United Kingdom and the US.