Three words: Mobile. Internet. Radio.
The future of digital radio is on mobile 'phones.
Reg you didn't mention this, only mentioned WiFi. Hence the flame icon.
For mobile internet radio:
- Nokia's free internet radio application is great - 10000s of stations from all over the world. So is Vradio's free one:
http://europe.nokia.com/explore-services/music-/internet-and-fm-radio/internet-radio
http://www.vradio.org/
- So much more time and money has been successfully invested in producing robust reception quality on mobiles. Why re-invent the wheel with DAB?
- Modern efficient codecs on mobiles: eAAC+, AAC+, MP3. 48kbps Web Black from Brazil sounds great via my N95 hooked up to my car stereo. Respected MP2 that DAB uses wasn't designed for low bitrates. BBC stations in Real format? Wonder why they don't use those newer codecs...
- Who needs RAJAR for estimating audience figures, when mobile internet radio/internet radio gives PRECISE audience figures?
- Handsets are always improving and do many other things. Why buy a single purpose DAB radio, even if it has got a colour display and touch screen. Anything feature you can dream up on a DAB radio could be done with a mobile phone and mobile internet radio. AGAIN: why re-invent the wheel with DAB?
- Data packages are always improving with allowance to allow longer listening times. Some operators won't fine you if you go over - they will cap and send an advisory note. Billshock(TM) could be proposed as a BBC trademark to incite propaganda against mobile internet radio in favour of DAB...
Against DAB
- Why should where we live determine what stations can we get? We live in an internet age which (geo-locking aside) by default doesn't restrict what information we can get depending on where we live. DAB is outdated in this respect with its use of multiplexes. Why, if you live in certain provinces can you only have middle-of-the-road VH1 playlist style bland-woite [sic] -vayn-man-radio advertising carpets and cars and can't get hip, edgy and cool metropolis-based stations? Why should you be patronised by your locale?
- Also, DAB multiplexes exclude smaller, sometimes more innovative, community stations.
- Mud burble sound - because DAB has no error correction. The standard was finalised in the 1990s. CD has error-correction (reed solomon), standard finalised early 1980s. Go figure.