To come back to the subject of the original thread. I do understand the need for a commercial DAB commentary type service of which ARExtra will provide. Enabling people out and about to keep up to date with major sporting events. Presumably (and I am not one), there are enough people with DAB enabled car radios or portables to make such a service worthwhile. To be fair to AR (Absolute Radio), the implementation of DAB in the UK is nothing to do with them.

My original comment was more of a complaint about DAB audio quality and the continuing reduction in bit/rates. Apparently though according to the DAB industry and Ofcom it is only a very small minority who have any issue with DAB sound quality, ref: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/futureradio/summary

Lastly, I am actually a big fan of DAB and like everything about it (fast on/off, rewind, pause, record from EPG etc) and try very hard to ignore my brain which keeps telling me that music should sound a lot better than it does.

For those people not happy with DAB, (or if you live in NI) try for example listening via your PC to the AR Ogg Vorbis 160k feed available at: http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/listen/on_your_computer.html?utm_source=left_nav

(see the info on the 1mb bit feed to install VLC)

Want to go back to DAB now ?

Most of my friends have tried DAB and gone back to FM. Luckily we live in an area where Absolute’s main service is available on FM; and we are in a “high quality” Digital One reception area.

MP2 just doesn’t cut it now that we have AAC (mpeg 4 audio) playing iPhones and Android devices.

Where’s DAB+ Ofcom?

Currently we have Q102.9 from Londonderry (Derry) and it sounds absolutely awful, even at 128 kbps. The volume is way lower than all the other stations and it’s also slightly distorted. I would imagine there are probably very few listeners to this station, especially in the graeter Belfast area.

In my opinion, it would be better if the local commercial multiplex in NI dropped this station in favour of Absolute Radio instead. At least then we would have all the National commercial stations on DAB here.

When Absolute (previously Virgin) was broadcasting at 160kbps they were using 10 year old encoders and transcoding. When they dropped to 128kbps they bought brand-new more efficient encoders and stopped transcoding to make the audio much cleaner, so the audio was actually improved compared with the 160kbps output (Virgin at 160k had never sounded anything like BBC R3 at 160k). Someone who used to work at Virgin has confirmed this. The MP2 encoders have become more efficient in the last ten years so the bit rate can be lower for the equivalent audio quality.

In general people prefer the extra choice otherwise there is no point in ditching FM/AM. This was proved recently when 6 Music was in danger of being scrapped with many comments such as “I might as well go back to FM now”.

Personally I would like to see Absolute Classic Rock on D1 as well, but I guess it would have to replace Planet Rock.

Please explain?????

As stated above Ofcom has the power to vary the licence areas of multiplexes under the provisions of the Digital Economy Act 2010. If Digital One applies for an expansion into NI it will probably be approved although it will only be able to broadcast on low power in the Belfast & Antrim areas (on Block 11D) until the date when Irish analogue TV in Band III is switched off (probably December 2012).

If Channel 4 had gone ahead with their proposed national DAB multiplex (on Block 11A) they would have faced the same issue. Only Channel 12 is clear for DAB use in most of NI until the date when RTE switches off its Band III TV transmissions.

I’m also totally frustrated that Absolute Radio (and Digital One in general) aren’t available in NI (apparently due to the ROI’s television service still being on VHF). When I e-mailed Digital One a while ago, they did tell me they weren’t licenced to broadcast in the province so it’s good news this has now changed.

By the way, BBC Radio Foyle are currently testing on the commercial multiplex (so there must be some free space). When the test is in progress (during the morning/early afternoon) both BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle are at 64 kbps in mono. At other times the Radio Foyle place holder relays Radio Ulster and both are at 128 kbps in stereo. Surely Absolute Radio would have been a better addition to the multiplex ? There must also be enough space for at least one more station at either 118 kbps or 128 kbps in stereo.

So come on Absolute. Why not do something for the deprived listeners in NI.