DAB sounds no worse than -FM--1
2010-03-01 19:52:36 UTC
"Car industry: gaps in digital coverage are a major deterrent to [the]
introduction of digital radios
All will be solved with the power increase! Power up! HD is on the way!introduction of digital radios
LOL!
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders [SMMT], representing
500+ companies in the UK car industry, has submitted written evidence
to the House of Lords Communications Committee inquiry into digital
radio switchover. Its members have itemised a number of concerns about
the practicalities of the government proposal that all new cars be
offered for sale with DAB radios by 2013:
the apparent perception that the markets for in-vehicle radios and
domestic radios are similar, if not identical, and that any
assumptions about the speed of take up can be applied to both markets
the timeline for adapting the existing vehicle parc [cars already on
the road]
the continued availability of traffic information after 2015 to
those driving vehicles which are not digitally-enabled
the extent of radio transmitter coverage
the need for broadcasters to promote the advantages of digital radio
to consumers to create demand
safety and security issues arising from the use of digital
convertors
the need for pan-European approaches to the introduction of digital
radios in vehicles.
The key issue raised by SMMT concerning the necessary robustness of
DAB in-car reception across the whole of the UK would require a
massive investment from the radio industry to rectify:
SMMT members are clear that the gaps in digital coverage are a major
deterrent to their introduction of digital radios as standard
equipment. As outlined [below], any vehicle manufacturer bears the
reputational risk if a radio in one of its products appears not to
work properly. Drivers have become accustomed to the gradual
deterioration in FM reception which occurs throughout parts of the UK
and recognise this is not the fault of their radios. At the present
stage of digital roll-out, shortcomings tend to be blamed on the
vehicle manufacturer.
SMMT members therefore welcome the statements in the [Digital Britain]
report that:
one of the criteria for deciding the date of the Digital Radio
Upgrade will be whether national DAB coverage is comparable to FM
coverage and that local DAB radio reaches 90% of the population and
all major roads
the BBC should begin an aggressive roll-out of the national
multiplex to ensure that its national digital radio services achieve
coverage equivalent to FM by 2014.
However, there is also a need for a plan to enable reception on those
stretches of road, primarily tunnels and long underpasses, where
reception goes dead for a short period. At present, for instance, FM
coverage in the Dartford Tunnel is addressed by special measures. In
shorter tunnels, the FM signal tends to deteriorate but not disappear,
whereas the digital signal disappears entirely.
SMMT noted that:
There appears to be an assumption that the market for in-vehicle
radios and that for domestic radios have similar, if not identical,
features. In fact, they differ in five main ways:
in the automotive market, the vehicle itself, not the radio, is the
reason for the purchase
vehicles are required to undergo an approval process which is far
lengthier than any applying to consumer goods
the sizes of the two markets and their dynamics are vastly
different, where customers purchase new radios more frequently than
they do vehicles
if a radio in a vehicle fails, or even only appears not to work
properly, blame is attached to the vehicle manufacturer, whereas the
reputational risk if a domestic radio fails is borne by the radio
manufacturer
in automotive applications, the radio is not static. It moves
between transmitters and, therefore, complete and national coverage of
the digital radio network will be required.
SMMTs concern for new cars is that:
meeting a deadline of 2013 will be a challenge for vehicle
manufacturers who began product development in 2009, but we expect it
to be achievable. A bigger challenge is represented by those models
already on the market or most of their way through the development
cycle, where the manufacturers will have to decide whether to divert
engineering resources to the task of digitally-enabling them or
provide new vehicles with digital convertors.
SMMTs concerns for the cars already on UK roads are:
The [Digital Britain] report suggests that the majority of the
vehicle parc should be converted to digital by 2015, with low-cost
convertors for the remainder.
Vehicle manufacturers are certain that retrofitting of digital
radios on a large scale is impractical. Vehicles electronic systems
have become increasingly integrated; often, the radio is part of this
integration and cannot easily or economically be replaced. A radio has
to operate in the vicinity of sensitive electronic components, and
poor integration has a detrimental effect on other systems.
Retrofit also affects the perceived quality of the vehicle:
* antennae have to be chosen very carefully reception
from an internal antenna may be poor if a vehicle is fitted with infra-
red reflection glass, or if a magnetic antenna base is fitted to an
aluminium body
* poor refitting of trim items removed to permit a retrofit
will cause rattles.
Drivers will, therefore, be reliant on the use of digital convertors
to enable continued use of their analogue radios after 2015. As
vehicles have very long lives, most of the vehicles first registered
since 2006, if not earlier, will still be in use in 2015. It is likely
that over 20 million vehicles will have to be so fitted, and very
likely that most of the necessary sales will be made in the few months
before the date for digital migration. The commitment for a
cost:benefit study to be conducted before any digital migration date
is announced is therefore welcomed by vehicle manufacturers because it
should firmly identify the progress made towards digitally-enabling
the car parc.
The message from the car industry seems clear why should they risk
their reputations by installing DAB radios that will suffer poor
reception due to lack of a robust DAB radio transmission system in the
UK?
The bigger question is why would consumers pay extra for a DAB car
radio that offers increasingly little additional mainstream content
over a standard FM radio?
http://grantgoddardradioblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/car-industry-gaps-in-digital-coverage.html
Yup, same with IBOC in the U.S. - LMFAO!!!