[LINK] Digital Radio

[Chirgwin, Richard]

> Reading this, it appears that digital radios will be able to, 
> "provide storage
> for information on demand, news, sport, weather and traffic 
> updates, rewind,
> "tell me more" buttons, display dynamic labels, GIF and JPEG 
> files to liven up
> advertising and logos as well as HTML files of websites."

I would see it more as competing with 1c/kilobyte mobile services designed
to fleece gullible handheld PC/phone users.

I'd wonder about the consumer model, though ... the radio is free with the
car; the various kinds of trannies are nearly free; and the clock radio is
cheap. That leaves one spot - the hi-fi tuner - where people might spend a
little bit of money on a radio, and even then, mostly because it's thrown in
free with the amplifier.

Now, the industry is going to say:
a) if you buy a new radio (with a much more attractive margin to the
manufacturer); we will
b) give you a bunch of new features which will (probably) be unnavigable due
to the limited UI; and
c) push 20 new kinds of advertisements at you!

Hmmm. When that flops, we can then watch out for an industry lobby for
mandated obsolescence ... isn't it funny that the free market is only ever
in need of help when a corporate lobby's interests are at stake?

Richard C

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stephen Loosley [mailto:stephen@melbpc.org.au]
> Sent: Monday, 21 October 2002 00:17
> To: link@www.anu.edu.au
> Subject: [LINK] Digital Radio
> 
> 
> Hi there,
> 
> Here is some interesting information regarding Digital Radio services.
> 
> Reading this, it appears that digital radios will be able to, 
> "provide storage
> for information on demand, news, sport, weather and traffic 
> updates, rewind,
> "tell me more" buttons, display dynamic labels, GIF and JPEG 
> files to liven up
> advertising and logos as well as HTML files of websites."
> 
> Hmm .. seems almost like digital radio will be in competition 
> with the Internet?
> 
> --
> (http://www.commercialradio.com.au/ssl/documents/ACF45FD.pdf)
> 
> Digital Radio Trials
> 
> * Government has allocated VHF Band III Channel 9A on 
> experimental basis for
> trials.
> 
> * Television has 7 mHz for analogue and 7 mHz for digital - 
> per service.
> 
> * Radio has 6 mHz (202-208mHz) to fit 10 commercial, 5 ABC 
> and one SBS radio
> service.
> 
> * Australia is a world first establishing a DAB transmission 
> in between 2 analogue
> television services.
> 
> * Overseas Eureka DAB is designed as a Single Frequency 
> Network (SFN) where
> radios automatically select strongest signal in the same way 
> that cell phones do.
> 
> * Coverage predictions look very strong in Sydney when the 
> DAB transmission is
> co-located on the same tower as analogue television services.
> 
> * Field testing will compare the propogation of signal from 
> LBand and VHF
> spectrum and an SFN may also be trialled.
> 
> * VHF Band III spectrum has been identified in every market 
> in Australia where
> there is a commercial broadcaster and CRA is petitioning 
> Government and the
> ABA to reserve it for future use for DAB roll out.
> 
> Receivers
> 
> * Receiver range is expanding - in car, hi fi, portable, 
> walkman, clock radio, DAB/
> GPRS or DAB/3G.
> 
> * 99 pound receiver launched in UK - break through for DAB - 
> but average price
> still over A$700
> 
> * Receiver manufacturers focussing on sound quality instead 
> of data capacity and
> receiver functionality.
> 
> * Blaupunkt Woodstock receiver integrates AM/FM/DAB/CD and MP3 - soon
> recordable.
> 
> * Four DAB chip manufacturers of 2nd gen chips Bosch, TI, 
> Frontier Silicon &
> Panasonic.
> 
> * Brands: Philips, Panasonic, Pioneer, Siemens, Blaupunkt, 
> Sony, Clarion, JVC.
> 
> Content
> 
> * Technology can provide storage for information on demand: 
> news, sport,
> weather and traffic updates, rewind, "tell me more" button, 
> display dynamic
> labels, GIF and JPEG files to liven up advertising and logos 
> as well as HTML files
> of websites.
> 
> * Strategic partnerships being formed with transmitter 
> manufacturers, advertisers,
> and advertising agencies, retailers and software developers, 
> car manufacturers
> and AFTRS.
> --
> 
> Cheers all ..
> Stephen Loosley
> Melbourne, Australia
> ----------
> For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/
> 
----------
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