The *NOT BORING!* Hi-Fi faff chat and sales

I reckon in car audio will be the death knell of FM. Most new cars are at least available with DAB, so once there's been enough take up, they'll switch off FM and sell off that bit of spectrum for long range mobile digital comms or suchlike.

The analogue TV spectrum in the US sold for over $19 billion, don't know the UK figure, but that's where 4G sits, so I'm sure it was well into the hundreds of millions of £, if not billions. RF spectrum's worth a few bob!

apache":384p8jsy said:

I reckon in car audio will be the death knell of FM. Most new cars are at least available with DAB, so once there's been enough take up, they'll switch off FM and sell off that bit of spectrum for long range mobile digital comms or suchlike.

The analogue TV spectrum in the US sold for over $19 billion, don't know the UK figure, but that's where 4G sits, so I'm sure it was well into the hundreds of millions of £, if not billions. RF spectrum's worth a few bob!

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And for the other 30 million cars that dont have DAB?

The estimated 100 million FM receivers in use?

An environmental disaster.

DAB as it currently stands is already 15 to 20 years out of date. Internet, freeview, freesat and mobile phone use is close to outstripping DAB listening altogether. There was a cut off date in 2013 and that has been put back indefnitely.

There are no 'quality' DAB tuners as they all receive the same compressed low bit rate shite

legrandefromage":3goha8z6 said:

[. There was a cut off date in 2013 and that has been put back indefnitely.

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Good news.

legrandefromage":2zqbyp91 said:

There are no 'quality' DAB tuners as they all receive the same compressed low bit rate shite

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That's what I wanted to know. Having read a few tuner reviews last night, they ain't that special by the sound of it. So for reasonable access to the likes of 5Live etc, it's internet radio then is it?

However, on the basis of profit alone, I can certainly see DAB (or another low bandwidth alternative) being forced on us in time, as that slice of spectrum inhabited by FM broadcast radio is far too valuable to be taken up by something as horribly bandwidth hungry as analogue FM radio.

I think they all use the same chipset from Frontier Silicon (Imagination Technologies) - I'm not sure even that there is another.
I expect it will be superseded by some form of internet simulcast streaming on 4G networks - sending it to mobile phones would solve much of the receiver installed base problems.
Like LGF said it's a waste of a lot of good kit if it ever happens. I love my old Denon tuner.

I love radio, the whole thing. I have scanners, comms receivers etc. I love the history, the big machinery (look for pics of the old transmitter halls at Droitwich) etc, but just cant see analogue radio surviving because of the bandwidth hunger and users putting convenience over quality.

My issue with FM is there's only R2 that I listen to, and then generally only late at night (Mark Radcliffe etc), so for the variety, I have no choice but digital in some form.

I've had some lovely analogue tuners over the years, including a gorgeous old black Sansui with rack handles, but for one station, it's not worth it. Though if I could find another Sansui like the one I had for a tenner or so, I'd stick it on the shelf just as a testament to nice 70's japanese engineering

Looks like I'll be sticking with my Squeezebox for my 'radio' listening then. Shame. Internet is so unromantic.

Its the least of the governments worries right now and the VHF bandwidth isnt as sort after as you might think. The UHF band for 4G has capacity and recent complaints that free wifi hotspots are underused leaves plenty of time for FM.

FM is convenient whereas DAB is still troublesome even after the analogue TV switch-off (transmitters were upgraded)

There is no sound quality via DAB, Radio 3 is the only channel broadcast at a decent bit rate with all the rest running at the same as a poor MP3.

FM with a bit of interference is listenable whereas DAB is not (underwater bubbles!).

legrandefromage":ssvh4r67 said:

FM with a bit of interference is listenable whereas DAB is not (underwater bubbles!).

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I'll be totally with you if 5Live start broadcasting in stereo FM

legrandefromage":1vnyjhhh said:

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an on the home straigh bump

Flogging the Blaupunkt SQR 88!

bit of a rare beast this

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