Roberts DAB Radios

Digital Radio Dab

Traditionally, radio stations have always broadcasted in its regular, analog format. FM and AM radio could both be heard all over the world depending on the signal strength in each listening area. A couple of decades ago though, analog radio has been replaced by a better type of radio; digital radio. Digital radio has grown in popularity tremendously since it first debuted, and shows no signs of any decrease in popularity because it is all around better than traditional, analog radio. During the process of radio stations switching over from analog radio to digital radio, most stations broadcasted in a hybrid signal that could be heard by regular radio listeners as well as digital radio listeners.

Over time however, the hybrid signals were no longer used because the complete switch over to digital finally happened. Analog radio offered a selection of different AM and FM radio stations in each listening area but once the switch over to digital was complete, listeners could enjoy even more stations in their area thanks in part to the stronger digital signal. With digital radio, FM stations were broadcasted with such a clear and crisp signal that the music sounded the same quality as that on a CD. AM stations also improved significantly by gaining the same sound quality as traditional FM radio.

To listen to all of the advantages that digital radio had to offer, listeners would have to purchase a digital receiver to pick up the digital signals. Digital receivers could not only pick up all the newer digital stations, but they could also pick up all of the regular radio stations that were around before digital radio. The downside to purchasing a digital receiver lies in the cost; the cost of a digital receiver was considered rather pricey when compared to a regular, non digital radio.

Traditional analog radio did have its advantages, such as when the signal strength became diminished, the stations would lose their sound quality slowly. However, with digital radio, should the signal become reduced, the stations will usually cut out completely; this is one of the major disadvantages to digital radio along with the cost of a digital receiver. All in all though, digital radio is coming along and progressing further and further as the year progress. While FM radio has always been considered pretty good when it comes to quality of sound, digital radio is going to take FM radio above and beyond where it was previously with no signs of it slowing down.

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Digital Radio Alarm

Digital radio has struggled to make it’s place in the market. Most of the United States does not yet own a digital or satillite radio and the reasons are clear. The digital radio recievers are not only expensive at the present time, but you must also subscribe to one of the services available for a monthly fee. This monthly fee is more of a deterant than the high prices on the satllite radio receivers. Many stores that sell digital radio receivers are putting up many promotions in the form of discounts and rebates to try to entice the customer into buying.

I personlly feel that digital radio receivers will follow the same path that most electronics follow. In the beginning the price point will be high and as technology improves and mass manufaturing processes are improved, then the costs will come down significantly. We have seen this trend in the past on items such as televisions, VCRs, telephones, stero equipment to name but a few.

Digital radio stations have thousands more options to offer the listener than regular old AM and FM analog radio stations. There is the quality issue. Gone are the days in which the radio quality would fluctuate based on whether or not you were driving under an overpass or passing by power lines. Through digital, there is relatively no disturbance from any outside sources which could disrupt your listening experience. This is one of the biggest pluses to digital radio. Also, there is no need for the guessing game when you hear a track you like and the disk jockey simply neglects to mention the name of it. With digital radio stations and an invention called “radiotext,” listeners will be able to read the name of the artist and title of the track right on their radio receiver as the song is playing. Radio stations will also be able to transmit information about the news, weather and traffic directly into text form on your radio receiver. I like these options very much.

Any station that currently says it is totally digital is lying. They are simply a hybrid of analog and digital where the radio receiver first picks up the analog signal and then homes in on the digital signal for a better quality broadcast. The possibilities do not end there though, as it may even be possible for digital stations to broadcast pictures and videos directly to your car or home stereo through the magic of digital broadcasting.

Although terrestrial digital radio stations are at least ten years off, there is a way to experience some of the benefits of digital radio stations today. Satellite radio, brought to you in America by XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio offer the closest thing to full digital radio. They provide the listener with high quality sound and radiotext to let people see what they are listening too.

Wait for it… alarm at 1:02! My camera doesn’t do justice to just how obscenely *LOUD* the “foghorn” alarm on this clock radio is. It sounds as if all the filter capacitors suddenly failed and it’s just feeding raw AC to the speaker. I used it one morning and it woke me up in a panic, so I devised a more permanent method of hitting the Snooze button.
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