DAB Radio

[Alpanther]

My new DVB-T stick is a Realtek device which includes tuners for DAB radio and FM radio. It came with Blaze which recognises these tuners and allows scanning and playback.

When can we expect NPVR to handle DAB radio?

[Elmo Putney]

When going around this loop I've always reached the conclusion that DAB and broadcast radio will die out in the long term and be replaced with streaming via mobile/wifi etc......

Why would you choose to use a bandwidth limited broadcast (in the uk anyway) with limited stations vs. streaming radio?

[Alpanther]

Well, to start with, I'm not in the UK. DAB radio is somewhat new in Australia. Anyway with the option on my Realtek stick, I can use Blaze as I'm travelling around to pick up some amazing radio (50 - 60 stations in the capital cities) that doesn't appear on the FM band (20 stations at best). Blaze is a Media Centre PVR that recognises and uses the extra tuners on my stick. I just thought that it would be useful if NPVR did the same.

In addition, streaming radio requires an internet connection and this country does not do that at all well at present. Plus it's costly compared to completely free DAB.

[Graham]

Why would you choose to use a bandwidth limited broadcast (in the uk anyway) with limited stations vs. streaming radio?

Because I drive a car, perhaps?

[gEd]

There are plenty of good reason why you might want DAB over streaming (as mentioned above) but pc-based DAB tuners are rare and this is a niche requirement. Also you can (in the UK at least) already get radio over DVB-T anyway which NextPVR supports very well.

Personally I think it is very unlikely Sub would consider adding DAB support. The only chance would be if the device used BDA drivers that NextPVR could easily connect to with minimal effort.

[edit] shocked to hear DAB is only just taking off in Australia. It was already outdated technology when it finally gained some traction in the UK in the last few years. However my wife loves her DAB radio she got for christmas and it sounds decent enough.

[Lao Pan]

[edit] shocked to hear DAB is only just taking off in Australia. It was already outdated technology when it finally gained some traction in the UK in the last few years. However my wife loves her DAB radio she got for christmas and it sounds decent enough.

They are lucky - they get DAB+ right from the start, AAC+ instead of old MP2 that we will have here in the UK for many more years.
Why is it that the powers that decide these things always think the public wants quantity over quality? Only Radio 3 and I think Classic FM have bit rates better than required to match FM Radio Quality, all the rest are well below - hence sound absolutely yuk :eek: :mad:

Freeview Radio is the best option in the UK at the moment - and works well in the Web Radio Plugin.

[mvallevand]

DAB Radio died in Canada in 2011 due to lack of interest (actually in my case plugging in an ac adapter with the wrong centre polarization) but I never was impressed. The Realtek RTL2832U is interesting though and creating an SDR in WebRadio has intrigued me for a few years.

Martin

[johnsonx42]

I could swear I've heard some stuff from time to time about digital HD Radio here, but I don't get the idea it's ever caught on. I think everyone in the US that cares about getting digital radio goes with Sirius/xm satellite, and those that don't are happy with analog am/fm.

[mvallevand]

Yeah we have that HD radio (mainly in cars) too, but it marketing since the HD is Hybrid Digital It is not about digital quality.

Martin

[zbuzanic]

Sorry for bringing this thread from dead but is there any chance to implement DAB in nextpvr?
I'm using this player atm. but it does not have ability to stream