In article ,
David Looser wrote:
You could say that about near anything - with hindsight.

I don't think so. Whilst clearly the march of technical progress tends
to make any established service/product look out of date eventually,
few have looked quite so out of date quite so soon as DAB.

Plenty of examples. Various audio and video formats. FreeView boxes that
can't be re-tuned, due to a change in the format.

It was many years afterwards that receivers
cheap enough for ordinary people to buy became available, during those
years there was opportunity to have updated the audio codec at least.

And make such equipment as had been bought obsolete? Great thinking.

It has happened before. In 1935 those who had bought or built receivers
for the 30-line TV service were not best pleased when it was abruptly
discontinued. In 2002 there were probably no more than a few thousand
DAB receivers in private hands, fewer than the number of 30-line
receivers in use in 1935, yet Ofcom is cheerfully talking about making
*millions* of analogue receivers obsolete within a few short years from
now.

Analogue only TV sets were still on sale even after transmissions had
ceased in that area.

Ofcom talk of many things. It won't happen anywhere near the date they've
given - if ever.

Unlike digital TV, DAB has been, and continues to be, a hard sell.

Because there already was a vast choice of popular stations on FM and
AM. Not like TV with only 5. It's interesting that DAB has actually
offered very little more choice. Which backs up my theory that radio
is no longer a serious medium for most.


There are differences between the way people "consume" TV and the way
they consume radio. Whilst they are happy to channel hop on TV, most
people tend to find one or two radio stations they like and stick to
them. So a huge choice of stations on radio has far less appeal than it
does on TV. I would also agree with your comment about radio not being
a serious medium for most. 'Pop' stations in particular seem to be used
mostly as a sort of aural wallpaper.

My point exactly.

By and large people don't want DAB sets and are not buying them in
sufficient numbers to allow analogue to be switched-off in anything
remotely approaching the timetable that Ofcom have in mind. Frankly I
can see no good reason to switch analogue off at all, it's hardly
going to save much spectrum.

I can't see it happening.

Neither can I. I just wish Ofcom would accept the inevitable and stop
worrying people.

I have noticed a large increase in the use of DAB among my friends etc
over the past couple of years. For things like a bedroom or kitchen radio
- where most actually want radio. Car use is far more of a problem, since
car makers think anything over 10 dollars too much for an installation.

--
*Virtual reality is its own reward*

Dave Plowman London SW
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