Digital Radio Plus: HOME

Digital Radio
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When did digital radio become available in
Australia?
Q: When I first turned on my digital radio I
couldn’t hear all my favourite stations.
All commercial, public service and some community broadcasters
are now broadcasting digital radio in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,
Perth and Adelaide. Australian commercial digital radio services
switched on progressively in May and June 2009 in the five
state capital metropolitan areas. The public service broadcasters
switched on 1 July 2009. Low power DAB+ trial signals switched on
in Canberra – July 2010 and Darwin – August 2010).
When you first switch on your digital radio, and on some receivers
when a new digital radio station is launched, listeners need to
simply press the “full scan” or “auto tune” button on your digital
radio so that all the stations in your area can be stored in the
memory of the radio. For further information refer to your radio
user guide or check the www.digitalradioplus.com.au website. If
your radio doesn’t automatically update with new stations, keep
checking the website or regularly autotune to pick up new content.
Q: Can I receive digital radio?
Type your postcode into the search function on digitalradioplus.
com.au or sms your postcode to 0409377587. Radio has been
planned by the Government into specific radio licence areas. Be
aware that as some postcodes cover a large area, some parts of
a postcode at the boundary of a radio licence area may receive
digital radio signals while another part of the postcode that is
outside of the boundary of a radio licence area may not.
Q: Where can I buy a new DAB+ radio?
Q: Will digital radio cost listeners anything?
Q: How much will a DAB+ radio cost?
No, digital radio is free. Listeners simply have to buy a new digital
radio to listen. Digital radios are priced from around $70. There
are no other costs - no subscription fees, no messing about with
signing up, just tune in.
Like any product range, digital radio prices vary depending on the
features and capabilities. Entry-level receivers (with scrolling text)
start from around $70 and receivers with more functionality start
at around $299.
Q: What extra features will digital radio provide?
Q: Who makes DAB+ digital radios?
Digital radio provides high quality sound and great new stations –
including; NovaNation, Koffee, The Main Stage, Radar, ARN Events,
Classic Hits Plus, Classic Hits Live, The EDGE, Gorilla Super Digi, Barry,
The Buckle, mY Perth Digital, Hot Country Perth Digital, The Crack,
Zoo Super Digi, Aussie, MyMP, SkySports Radio Digital and 4TAB digital
two, plus an ongoing selection of pop up stations that are created for
an event or featured artist and then transform into another concept.
Pure, Roberts, Sangean, Bush, Revo, Grundig, Teac, Yamaha, Oxx
Digital, iRiver, Cowan, kaiser baas, Lenoxx, Philips, Onkyo, Tivoli,
sTone Tech, iRiver, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Kogan, Shintaro are just
some of the manufacturers making DAB+ digital radios. Other
electronics manufacturers are currently developing further DAB+
digital radio products. Check the website regularly for a list of digital
radios available.
Digital radio also means you can listen to your existing favourite
radio stations but with digital sound quality and you can tune by
station name, not frequency, making it easy to find your favourite
stations. Digital radio provides more details on screen via scrolling
text about advertised products, competitions, news, weather,
sports and racing, plus logos, photos and animation on digital
radios with screens. Features like pause and rewind are available
on some digital receivers.
Q: Will AM and FM radio be switched off soon?
Q: What radio receivers are available?
To listen to digital radio, consumers need a new DAB+ radio.
Models include DAB+ clock radios with iPod docks, WiFi and DAB+
combinations, Hi Fi components, micro and mini systems, portable
players, hand held MP3 & MP4 players, USB's, set top boxes and
digital radio for your car. Plus there are digital radios with small
screens showcasing radio with pictures – fully illustrating the
DAB+ capabilities with CD covers, presenter photos, sports results
and logos broadcast on screen.
More than 700 stores throughout Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,
Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Darwin are stocking digital radios
including; Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, Clive Peeters, Bing Lee, The
Good Guys, Myer, David Jones, Big W, JB Hi Fi, Target, Retravision,
Radio Rentals, specialist audio retailers as well as online retailers.
Go to the website for a full list: www.digitalradioplus.com.au
There are no plans at this stage to switch off AM and FM radio
services. As there is an estimated five radio devices per home,
listeners must be given time to change over all of their radios
before any discussion of the switch off of analogue services. In
addition, planning needs to continue for the switch on of digital
services to the rest of Australia outside of the five metropolitan
capital cities.
Q: I sometimes get crackling on my AM signal will
this happen with digital radio?
Digital radio provides interference free, digital quality sound and
your radio will find the best signal in your area rather than you
messing around with tuning the dial.
Q: Can I receive AM and FM on digital radio?
Digital radios come in a range of different models. To ensure your
radio receives digital radio services in Australia it must be DAB+
enabled. Most DAB+ radios can also receive analogue FM, and some
even AM. However you’ll always be able to hear your favourite AM
and FM stations simulcast on DAB+ in digital radio quality sound.
Just look for the blue digital radio logo on the product pack or in store.
Q: When will I be able to receive digital radio
in other areas outside Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth?
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has already started planning the
digital radio rollout in other areas throughout Australia. DAB+ digital
radio trials have switched on in Canberra and Darwin. However
these are trial services only and CRA is working with the Federal
Government to allocate VHF Band III spectrum in regional areas for
the rollout of digital radio services across Australia.
Q: Is digital radio the same as internet radio?
No, digital radio is broadcast free to air over the airwaves via DAB+
technology. Internet-only radio services are streamed over the
telecommunications networks and incur a download cost which
varies depending on the internet service provider package. Free
to air broadcast radio stations will also stream their current radio
stations plus any new digital services on the internet as well as
broadcasting, so the content can be accessed on both platforms.
Q: Will I experience a delay with digital radio?
Latency is a part of digital systems generally and applies equally to
digital TV. Approximately 3-4 seconds of latency for DAB+ digital
radio is unavoidable resulting from system implementation delays.
There is a trade-off between reducing these delays and the
likelihood of errors being transmitted. CRA has worked closely with
broadcasters to minimise the delays as far as it is possible to do so.
Buffering delays may also be experienced in digital receivers; these
are not related to DAB+ transmissions.
Q: Will digital radio coverage improve within the
current metropolitan cities?
The digital radio team have begun planning and will begin installing
equipment to boost coverage in certain areas to improve digital
radio reception in metropolitan cities. CRA is requesting that
listeners advise them of any coverage issues by emailing their
street name, suburb, state and postcode to
info@digitalradioplus.com.au. This feedback will help to determine
areas which require coverage improvements and will be used to
improve coverage in the future.
Q: What should I look for when purchasing a
digital radio to ensure it will work in Australia?
You can buy a digital radio adaptor for your car that is simply placed
in the vehicle like a satellite navigation device and receives all your
favourite stations plus the new DAB+ only stations.
In addition there are a number of after market radios that can be self
installed or professionally fitted. BMW have announced they will include
DAB+ as an option and Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) is continuing
to work with the car industry to have DAB+ digital radios factory ftted
in cars.
Q: What are Event or Pop Up digital radio
stations?
Event or Pop Up stations are digital stations that exist for a short
period of time or that change into another concept. Like the station The Main Stage which celebrates artists' like Lady Gaga and Kylie
Minogue during their tours of Australia, or Elf Radio playing
Christmas songs throughout the festive season. Digital radio allows
for flexible niche programming that can highlight an event, a festival
or artist - the possibilities are endless.
DAB+ Radio Stations
Sydney - 2GB, 2CH, 2UE, 2DAY, TRIPLE M, Sky Sports Radio,
WSFM, MIX 106.5, 2SM, NOVA, CLASSIC ROCK, Radar, The Main
Stage, U20, Barry, NovaNation, Koffee, The EDGE, WSFM Plus,
Classic Hits Live, The Crack, Gorilla, Zoo Super Digi, Sky Sports
Radio Digital, ABC, SBS and some community stations.
Melbourne - MIX, GOLD, SEN, 3AW, MTR, FOX, MAGIC, TRIPLE M,
NOVA, CLASSIC ROCK, Sport 927, Radar, The Main Stage, Koffee
NovaNation, The EDGE, U20, Barry, MyMp, Aussie, The Buckle, Gold
Plus, Classic Hits Live, ABC, SBS and some community stations.
Brisbane - 4BC, 4BH, 4KQ, B105, TRIPLE M, NOVA, RADIO TAB,
97.3FM, Radar Radio, The Main Stage, U20, Barry 4TAB Digital Two,
NovaNation, Koffee, 4KQ Plus, The EDGE, Classic Hits Live, The
Buckle, ABC, SBS and some community stations.
Adelaide - 5AA, MIX, SAFM, TRIPLE M, NOVA, CRUISE, Radar Radio,
The Main Stage, U20, Barry, Mix Plus, NovaNation, Koffee, Classic
Hits Live, The EDGE, ABC, SBS and some community stations.
Perth - 6IX, 6PR, 96FM, MIX, 92.9FM, NOVA, Radar Radio, The
Main Stage, U20, Barry, My Perth Digital, Hot Country Perth Digital,
NovaNation, The Buckle, ABC, SBS and some community stations.
Canberra trial - 2CA, 2CC, Mix 106.3, 104.7 Hit Music, Radar
Radio, Mix Plus, my Canberra Digital, Hot Country Canberra Digital
and SBS Radio stations.
Darwin trial - Hot 100, Mix 104.9, Top Country Digital and Radio TAB.
Q: What should I look for when purchasing a
digital radio to ensure it will work in Australia?
Only DAB+ radios will receive digital radio in Australia. When buying
a new digital radio, look for the DAB+ enabled logo.
Information about any of these topics can
be found at digitalradioplus.com.au
June 2011