DAB deader than a dodo?

[Sysman]

New Labour's fault?

Grant Goddard has launched a new book, 'DAB Digital Radio: Licensed To Fail, which details why the technology isn't going to be put through its paces in the UK.

Does any of the congregation have a DAB radio? Are they significantly enough better than the alternatives (FM, internet etc) to be bothered with?

Edit: Truly awful flash site alert - the one in the quoted text

[thunderlizard]

Yes, it plays XFM without other stations getting in the way. YOu never get that "can't quite tune in accurately" feeling that FM gives. Radio 7 is good too.

With internet radio you're at the mercy of your internet connection, so if you're doing other downloading or uploading it's liable to cut out.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Aye, I have a DAB wireless set and I love it.

Where I live in London FM has become near unusable due to pirates.

However, all I have tuned in is Classic FM, Radio 4 and Radio 7.

[TykeMerc]

I've got a DAB radio in the car (it also does standard radio), it's part of the standard kit in my Mondeo.

The quality is good unless you hit a dead spot when for obvious reasons it just goes silent, but I wouldn't say it was significantly better than FM at least in a car situation.
I wouldn't make any special effort to get a DAB radio although there are some DAB only stations I listen to.

[Sysman]

Where I live in London FM has become near unusable due to pirates.

I'd forgotten about pirates. In my Paris days they were my only source of decent radio music, but a decade ago I suffered a Turkish pirate channel. This was particularly annoying when I wanted an early night with a local station to drift off to.

[Pogle]

We have one in every room and I have a small one I take away with me, so I can listen to 6 music.

[CheeseSlice]

I think most people probably listen to the radio in the car, although I also listen to it in the kitchen via a wireless internet radio (Pinnacle Soundbridge). If there are DAB reception problems when driving along, that sounds like a non-starter to me.

In the USA you can now also get a satellite radio called XM in your car. I used this recently and was great for large open spaces and not ever having to retune it. Only problem is I think it is a subscription pay service. Reception was never a problem, unless you drove through a tunnel blocking out the microwaves.

[BoredBloke]

The very first thing I did with my car was have a DAB radio fitted. I like rock music and there is nothing on normal FM - well not until recently! With the amount of commuting I tend to do there was no way I could stand to listen to the FM stations since all of them play essentailly the same old tulipe with tosser DJ's. I've had a DAB radio in my cars for about 8 years now. The one I have at the moment also plays MP3 CD's so you can fill an 800mb CD with MP3's - A few 12 pence CD's in the car contains a whole heap of music and when they get scratched I just make another copy. For this contract I've bought a tulip car that I leave down south for my jaunt up to the station and back. I miss my DAB radio!

Unfortunately it won't take off though! The recpetion is fine for the BBC stations - the only one I use is 5 Live and for those on the same group as talk Sport, Absolute and Planet Rock. I can't really get the other reliably - lucky I like Planet Rock then!

[d000hg]

When it works, it is brilliant. More stations, better quality. But since you get the channels on Freeview/satellite/internet too it's not that useful at home and I think it's a bit flaky for on the move? Certainly some people have a big vendetta against it as 'useless' but I never quite saw why...

[TykeMerc]

I wouldn't call it flaky on the move in general, but there are several dead spots I'm aware of around Halifax and a couple on the A404M near the M4, the dead spots have good FM recemption so I'd guess it's a lack of DAB transmitters.

I do like the DAB, but not enough that I'd make a special effort to get another one.