Friday 5 December 2008

Digital radio

The first major way that Digital Radio has improved things for the audience is through the fact that there are many more stations on DAB then there are on FM hose could be stations that were once simply local stations on FM such as Absolute Radio (formerly known as Virgin) or new stations that are only on digital radio, such as the Hits radio. This gives digital radio listeners a grater degree of choice over what to listen to. Analogue radio, by compassion, does not have nearly as many stations.

The first major way that digital radio changes the experience for listeners is that it allows people from all over the country to listen to the same stations. This means that listeners can still listen to their favourite radio stations all around the country, and in some cases, are able to keep up with events happening in their local area because of this. An example of this is Absolute radio, which broadcasts the same feed all over the country, even though it is a London station.

Another way that digital radio has enhanced the listening experience is by putting stations on digital radio that would most likely not be on FM Radio. An example of this is BBC Radio 1 Extra. This is a station that caters to the more urban musical tastes. On top of this, it plays a large mount of songs that would not be played on most regular stations. These sorts of stations bring more people into radio because they cater for a wider array of musical tastes.

Another way that digital radio enhances the listening experience is through the screen that is on most digital radios. This enables the broadcaster in question to display small amounts of information. Examples of the sort of things that are usually displayed are thing such as the name of the artist and song that is being currently played, or the latest sports results. Alternatively, in a station that is entirely based on speech radio, the name of the show could be played on this screen, so that listeners know exactly what the station is talking about. . This makes it easier for a listener who has just started listening to the station to pick up what is going on and begin enjoying the station quicker than they would if they had began listening on FM.

I will now look at the way that stations are selected on digital radio. This is due to the fact that this is another major advantage of using the service because there are no more frequencies to remember. This makes radio stations more accessible to everyone, due to the fact that people are more likely to remember the name of the station on digital rather than a frequency number on analogue. Another reason why selecting digital radio stations is easier than on analogue is due to the fact that presets can be saved on digital radio. This means that stations can be set to start playing when certain buttons are pressed on the front of the receiver. Accessibility is an area that is greatly improved because of this, due to the fact that if you have difficulty selecting the stations that you want to listen to, then you can set these stations as preset so you don’t have to go through all the hassle of finding them.

The final major improvement for listeners on digital radio is the fact that sound quality is greatly improved on digital radio. This is because the signals from digital radio are not affected by electrical anomalies in the atmosphere, meaning the signal will be clearer. The main difference this makes for the user is that there will be no “hum” noise in the background as there can be on AM, and the signal will not “crackle” as it does on FM. This greatly enhances the listener’s experience.

1 comment:

Brother Paul said...

You cover most of the key points in some detail, Jack, which is good but you omitted the clearer sound, minus hum and crackle, which digital can offer - although it can be degraded if the signal is disrupted.

Do check spelling! You will be marked down if the examiner finds it hard to follow because of erratic spelling.