There’s a Data&Audio Text running on DAB at the moment. I happened to discover it this morning and thought I’d video it for you because I know you like that sort of stuff.
doneukdigital radio say this about the test;
For limited hours between Friday 26th June and Wednesday 1st July a test transmission will be broadcast on Digital One’s national commercial digital radio network. Unfortunately the most interesting elements of the test transmission will not be available on standard UK shop-bought DAB digital radios.
In a collaboration between Arqiva, Fraunhofer IIS, Audi, Global Radio, the BBC and Digital One – the test transmission is designed to demonstrate to delegates at the Radio Festival how advanced services can further enhance the listener experience on DAB digital radio. It shows technology and standards that are ready to be deployed now, which can bring additional benefits and features to listeners.
The test transmission is called “Data&Audio Test” and is a business-to-business demonstration for Techcon and the Radio Festival taking place in Nottingham.
The 192kb/s channel is supporting both data and audio – up to 160kb/s will be used for the audio with the remaining capacity carrying the non-audio data. The test transmission will include a loop of stereo audio extracts (which will be repeated approximately every 10 to 15 minutes) with standard DLS/radiotext and signalling data. However, there will be additional elements which will be demonstrated via in-car systems, mobile and fixed indoor receivers at Techcon and the Radio Festival 2009. These technologies/applications are not currently widely available and/or cannot be received on a typical shop-bought DAB digital radio.
• Slideshow – a sequence of still images which typically change each minute. The images are displayed on screens built into the radios. These screens are larger and more sophisticated than the text displays used on many radios for DLS/radiotext. In addition to the screens radios also require additional software to receive and display the images.
• Journaline – one of the advanced text services which has been developed to deliver high value news, information and entertainment at very low data rates. Journaline has been compared to Teletext because it uses a menu structure to access different subjects, headlines and text messages. Additional software not yet standard in digital radios is required to allow a radio to display the information.
• Surround Sound – something common in home cinema systems, MPEG surround is a way to experience a surround sound effect by transmitting data in tandem with a normal stereo audio channel. At Radio Festival demonstrations, delegates will be able to listen to the audio as surround sound. Consumers using standard UK shop-bought DAB digital radios will be able to listen to the same audio, but only in stereo (not as surround sound). This demonstrates that the technology is backward compatible; i.e. the more advanced feature does not prevent radios without surround sound technology from receiving the standard stereo audio.
The test transmission is designed to demonstrate a range of technologies which could eventually become part of regular DAB digital radio transmission in the UK. However, this would depend on cooperation between broadcasters, receiver manufacturers, retailers and regulators. Digital One has no current plans or timetable to launch services using these technologies, but hopes the demonstration sparks interest in the capabilities of digital radio.
Additionally, ITIS Holdings are demonstrating their TPEG traffic information service at the Radio Festival. The TEC application is designed to transmit traffic event information which, along with their Traffic Flow TFP application, will assist dynamic guidance systems for routing for navigation devices. This is a permanent service and will continue to broadcast after the Data&Audio Test service ceases, although additional software not yet standard in UK devices is required to view the data.
So there you have it.
