Some owners have put in a Dab head unit or are thinking about it, just wondered what the advantages of Dab are over streaming Internet radio from your mobile phone?
Some issues I have had in the past streaming via the net - phone coverage, internet allowance, how old your phone is, ( i used to stream via a Samsung S3 and it wasnt very good compared to my newer S5)
I guess its what you get used to using as well, my kids do everything via their phones, they take over my system in my main car
Be interesting to know the pros and cons
I guess its what you get used to using as well, my kids do everything via their phones, they take over my system in my main car
Be interesting to know the pros and cons
Exactly that:
I'd love to stream directly via bluetooth but my 4G is so unreliable
I'd love to stream directly via bluetooth but my 4G is so unreliable
My 2 cents from the USA.
We don't have DAB in the US, we do have internet and we do have Bluetooth on phones and head units.
We also have HD radio but I think that is also semi local, like radio. This means it has limited range.
I will be replacing my old pioneer head unit soon with a new one that has most of those new features.
Some older phones have a hard time receiving internet, broadcasting Bluetooth and carrying on other functions because of overtaxed processors.
Most newer and better quality phones can do that easily, but not all. Also, battery life needs to be considered.
At any rate, that's all I know, good luck!
Rudy
We don't have DAB in the US, we do have internet and we do have Bluetooth on phones and head units.
We also have HD radio but I think that is also semi local, like radio. This means it has limited range.
I will be replacing my old pioneer head unit soon with a new one that has most of those new features.
Some older phones have a hard time receiving internet, broadcasting Bluetooth and carrying on other functions because of overtaxed processors.
Most newer and better quality phones can do that easily, but not all. Also, battery life needs to be considered.
At any rate, that's all I know, good luck!
Rudy
A few things to think about....
Streaming via BT clearly works for some. But, as mentioned above, you are entirely dependent on your mobile service. If you never stray from town & city centres you'll be ok for signal. Beyond that you're always at the whim of the service coverage and potential drop outs. Something else to remember is that you are still vying for a contended backbone network and air interface. If you are on a busy cell (lots of active users) you might still get drop-outs and buffering - your stream is just one of many sets of data being sent/received. Also, when you are mobile, your signal has to switch from one mast to the next. Shouldn't be a problem, but yet another chink in the distribution chain to get your stream to your phone.
If you are listening to time sensitive broadcasts (football etc), you will get the service something 30 seconds after the transmitted signal. Even on DAB there is a second or so delay that you don't get on AM & FM. Thats because it takes a short time to encode the signal. A great proportion of DAB is distributed to the transmitters via satellite links so theres another delay. You can't set your watch absolutely accurately from a DAB broadcast (or tv now for that matter - thats why the BBC don't broadcast a clock!).
OK - back to streaming - if you are in a 3G (or even 2G) area, your likely to be out in the sticks. The phone mast you are served by probably has far more limited backbone network so is more likely to get congestion and buffering. Many of those links are 2MBit/s - far less than you have on your home broadband - and thats shared between lots of users data. It might even be shared from one mast to the next. Finally, if you have your phone deep down in the car you are preventing the signals too. You are putting your phone if a tin box after all.
On the other side - DAB coverage is improving almost daily. One March 1st there is a new national network. In the last few days 6 new transmitters went live. Increasingly, the gaps in coverage are being filled. Soon 85% of UK geography and 95% of listeners will have coverage. Far more than you can get with decent mobile coverage.
So, yes - I'm an advocate of DAB (cos I work for the company that does all the broadcasts so I would be), but, I see both technologies. If you do get a DAB signal - it is going to be available potentially for all but a few minutes every year. Data on mobile networks is no where near as good. My data near work is down frequently for hours at a time every month.
There are some caveats though. The key to good DAB is a good installation. Your receive antenna is critical to getting decent coverage. I found the reception in @Gail's E89 to be somewhat sporadic and glitchy, but, I haven't been out in that for a while. That has a proper antenna installation not an aftermarket one. I've been in other cars and done over 130 miles without a glitch in the reception. I'm actually a bit doubtful on whether screen antennas work effectively, especially in a low car. However - I'm things of getting a DAB radio in the E85. If I could, I'd love to have a splitter into the existing aerial but, as its an amplified antenna, I'm not sure if that is possible. More research is required.
In coming years you will see existing AM and FM stations disappearing. The BBC are already dropping local stations. Commercial stations are too. I expect the rate they shut down to accelerate. In 5-10 years there will be little or no FM.
Yes - some DAB services are local - but thats no different to many FM stations.
I probably haven't answered your question, but, I may have given you some facts to think about where you listen and what level of service you're prepared to accept.
Streaming via BT clearly works for some. But, as mentioned above, you are entirely dependent on your mobile service. If you never stray from town & city centres you'll be ok for signal. Beyond that you're always at the whim of the service coverage and potential drop outs. Something else to remember is that you are still vying for a contended backbone network and air interface. If you are on a busy cell (lots of active users) you might still get drop-outs and buffering - your stream is just one of many sets of data being sent/received. Also, when you are mobile, your signal has to switch from one mast to the next. Shouldn't be a problem, but yet another chink in the distribution chain to get your stream to your phone.
If you are listening to time sensitive broadcasts (football etc), you will get the service something 30 seconds after the transmitted signal. Even on DAB there is a second or so delay that you don't get on AM & FM. Thats because it takes a short time to encode the signal. A great proportion of DAB is distributed to the transmitters via satellite links so theres another delay. You can't set your watch absolutely accurately from a DAB broadcast (or tv now for that matter - thats why the BBC don't broadcast a clock!).
OK - back to streaming - if you are in a 3G (or even 2G) area, your likely to be out in the sticks. The phone mast you are served by probably has far more limited backbone network so is more likely to get congestion and buffering. Many of those links are 2MBit/s - far less than you have on your home broadband - and thats shared between lots of users data. It might even be shared from one mast to the next. Finally, if you have your phone deep down in the car you are preventing the signals too. You are putting your phone if a tin box after all.
On the other side - DAB coverage is improving almost daily. One March 1st there is a new national network. In the last few days 6 new transmitters went live. Increasingly, the gaps in coverage are being filled. Soon 85% of UK geography and 95% of listeners will have coverage. Far more than you can get with decent mobile coverage.
So, yes - I'm an advocate of DAB (cos I work for the company that does all the broadcasts so I would be), but, I see both technologies. If you do get a DAB signal - it is going to be available potentially for all but a few minutes every year. Data on mobile networks is no where near as good. My data near work is down frequently for hours at a time every month.
There are some caveats though. The key to good DAB is a good installation. Your receive antenna is critical to getting decent coverage. I found the reception in @Gail's E89 to be somewhat sporadic and glitchy, but, I haven't been out in that for a while. That has a proper antenna installation not an aftermarket one. I've been in other cars and done over 130 miles without a glitch in the reception. I'm actually a bit doubtful on whether screen antennas work effectively, especially in a low car. However - I'm things of getting a DAB radio in the E85. If I could, I'd love to have a splitter into the existing aerial but, as its an amplified antenna, I'm not sure if that is possible. More research is required.
In coming years you will see existing AM and FM stations disappearing. The BBC are already dropping local stations. Commercial stations are too. I expect the rate they shut down to accelerate. In 5-10 years there will be little or no FM.
Yes - some DAB services are local - but thats no different to many FM stations.
I probably haven't answered your question, but, I may have given you some facts to think about where you listen and what level of service you're prepared to accept.
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I fitted a dab stereo in summer last year,with a windscreen Ariel which is temporarily stuck on top of the dash until I have a new screen fitted.
It's not as good as I expected but I'm putting it down to the temporary Arial position,when I drive into a valley the reception is awful and out in the country side not so good.
Hopefully when the new screen is fitted and I've moved the Ariel up the screen it will improve.
But I must say being able to just plug in a usb stick with my favourite tracks on is excellent and no more carrying CD's around....which is a bonus in a zed cus there's no where to store them .
Steve
It's not as good as I expected but I'm putting it down to the temporary Arial position,when I drive into a valley the reception is awful and out in the country side not so good.
Hopefully when the new screen is fitted and I've moved the Ariel up the screen it will improve.
But I must say being able to just plug in a usb stick with my favourite tracks on is excellent
and no more carrying CD's around....which is a bonus in a zed cus there's no where to store them .Steve
I believe there's two kinds of screen aerial - Amplified and un-amplified. An amplified aerial should be much better. I'd expect those to work on something 1/10th the signal of an un-amplified one.I fitted a dab stereo in summer last year,with a windscreen Ariel which is temporarily stuck on top of the dash until I have a new screen fitted.
It's not as good as I expected but I'm putting it down to the temporary Arial position,when I drive into a valley the reception is awful and out in the country side not so good.
Hopefully when the new screen is fitted and I've moved the Ariel up the screen it will improve.
But I must say being able to just plug in a usb stick with my favourite tracks on is excellent
Steve
Because the way DAB works, you either get a signal or you don't. You might get a garbled bit of up to a second occasionally. An amplified signal will give a better signal/noise ratio which helps the DAB tuner to recover the signal. Want a masterclass on how COFDOM encoding works? I guess not
. Yes - life is too short.When you say the valley - valley of death? valley of the dolls? or, some dark place in the wilds of Derbyshire?
Let me know and I'll see if I can get the coverage plots for that area. I should be able to tell you if you can expect to get a signal there.
Hmm not sure if I have an amplified Ariel but it has two wire/connections on it,one to usual dab point and the other to a 12 volt feed,in the instructions it said that the 12 volt connection could be made by pushing it into the FM Ariel point on the back of the stereo,which is what i did.I believe there's two kinds of screen aerial - Amplified and un-amplified. An amplified aerial should be much better. I'd expect those to work on something 1/10th the signal of an un-amplified one.
Because the way DAB works, you either get a signal or you don't. You might get a garbled bit of up to a second occasionally. An amplified signal will give a better signal/noise ratio which helps the DAB tuner to recover the signal. Want a masterclass on how COFDOM encoding works? I guess not
When you say the valley - valley of death? valley of the dolls? or, some dark place in the wilds of Derbyshire?
Let me know and I'll see if I can get the coverage plots for that area. I should be able to tell you if you can expect to get a signal there.
The valley....i meant when you decent so you have hills either side of you,and yes in Derbyshire,Breadsall,Oakwood area
.....does happen in other places too 
Steve
FM radio waves (on which DAB is broadcast) propagate in straight lines. AM can follow the curvature of the earth.Hmm not sure if I have an amplified Ariel but it has two wire/connections on it,one to usual dab point and the other to a 12 volt feed,in the instructions it said that the 12 volt connection could be made by pushing it into the FM Ariel point on the back of the stereo,which is what i did.
The valley....i meant when you decent so you have hills either side of you,and yes in Derbyshire,Breadsall,Oakwood area
Steve
When you're in a valley, you may be on a shadow area. I'll take a look see which transmitter(s) cover there, what height they are and if they reach into that area. Also, we're installing some new ones in some parts of Derbyshire. You might be in luck.
Just looked - you're at the bottom of that great hill on the A38. You're served off Quarndon which is 125m high and virtually on your doorstep. That should get into all but the deepest valleys. As it is north east I though you shouldn't have a problem. I'll see if I can get the coverage plots.
Oooh lets hope so then Ian,fingers crossed
.I forgot ti say in my previous post,the huge increase in choice of radio stations is another plus over FM
.Steve
There are over 250 different stations on DAB - these are spread right across the country. I was doing some data for each and everyone of them today!Oooh lets hope so then Ian,fingers crossed
I forgot ti say in my previous post,the huge increase in choice of radio stations is another plus over FM
Steve
It looks pretty flat around there. I can only put your poor reception down to the antenna being flat across the windscreen rather than being vertical. Which station does it happen on? unlucky for you, the DAB should have gone on Drum Hill, but for some technical reason it was moved further over to Quarndon. If it isn't fixed down, just try and move to the edge of the screen and use some masking tape just to try if it improves things.Oooh lets hope so then Ian,fingers crossed
I forgot ti say in my previous post,the huge increase in choice of radio stations is another plus over FM
Steve
Tbh it happens on all my pre set stations,it's got to be due to the ariel position in the car,as you said I should try moving it using masking tape to find a sweet spot.
We know drum hill well,Sara is a brownies' and rainbows leader and they have a national camp there once a year,it is one huge hill with a very scenic view on a clear day....always windy up there though.
Steve
Not sure if this is still live, but I've had my Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB 54 now for about 5 years and it was one of the first DAB radios if I remember the blurb, manufactured around 2004. I bought it 2nd hand off eBay and it's been brilliant. I've had quite a few cars in that time, but the the unit has always followed me. I've just recently put it in the Zed as I sold my daily car. Very easy install, no flat spots and pretty much works as good as it did all those years ago. It's even picked up the recently updated channels. I know an ICE installer who recommends grounding the copper part of the aerial on the windscreen frame to get a better reception although here on the Wirral it's never been an issue.
I'm a big advocate of DAB over Internet when it comes to being in the car. I've tried Internet using an aux cable from my iPhone's headphone socket to the aux connection in a Sony unit I had. It's good when it works but as @Redline said, the connection drops too easily even on 4G.
I look out for new technology but with the DAB and the addition of an iPhone connector it kinda does everything extremly well so there's no real need to upgrade.
....might get some decent speakers though!!
I'm a big advocate of DAB over Internet when it comes to being in the car. I've tried Internet using an aux cable from my iPhone's headphone socket to the aux connection in a Sony unit I had. It's good when it works but as @Redline said, the connection drops too easily even on 4G.
I look out for new technology but with the DAB and the addition of an iPhone connector it kinda does everything extremly well so there's no real need to upgrade.
....might get some decent speakers though!!