The BBC in their infinite wisdom have dropped the bitrates on UK Radio 3
DAB to 160 K

Anyone here got a DAB tuner can comment on what they think of the sound
quality now?.
--
Tony Sayer

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...

The BBC in their infinite wisdom have dropped the bitrates on UK Radio 3
DAB to 160 K

Anyone here got a DAB tuner can comment on what they think of the sound
quality now?.
--
Tony Sayer

I could reply saying that I can't tell any difference, but without other
information about me you would be misled.
(I'm now deaf and need an NHS hearing aid - so beware of unqualified
replies.)

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

In article , tony sayer

wrote:

The BBC in their infinite wisdom have dropped the bitrates on UK Radio 3
DAB to 160 K

I decided to delay responding until after the 'First Night' to see if this
persisted... It has.

Has there been any announcement or explanation? It seems very odd timing
for such a change given the start of the Proms and the current arguments
over the license fees. Made me wonder if this has happened as they are
clueless.

Anyone here got a DAB tuner can comment on what they think of the sound
quality now?.

I watched the First Night on DTTV. However I recorded it from DAB and
intend listening to that in due course. But as yet I can't comment on the
results. No doubt we will be returning to this topic... :-/

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

"Jim Lesurf" wrote in message
...
In article , tony sayer

wrote:

The BBC in their infinite wisdom have dropped the bitrates on UK Radio 3
DAB to 160 K

I decided to delay responding until after the 'First Night' to see if this
persisted... It has.

Has there been any announcement or explanation? It seems very odd timing
for such a change given the start of the Proms and the current arguments
over the license fees. Made me wonder if this has happened as they are
clueless.

Anyone here got a DAB tuner can comment on what they think of the sound
quality now?.

I watched the First Night on DTTV. However I recorded it from DAB and
intend listening to that in due course. But as yet I can't comment on the
results. No doubt we will be returning to this topic... :-/



Not sure (sorry... :-) if the Smet 'Vltava' (Peter Ustinov conducting) was
on the first night, but the spectacle of the the camera desparately chasing
round to 'catch up with the action' was hilarious! Thank Gawd it caught up
with a close-up on the 'cellos at one point!

Does absolutely nothing for the music, I hafta say....

There is a letter about the change of bitrates for R3 DAB in the 'Radio
Times' cover-dated 29 July - 4 August. It is on page 137, and may be of
interest to some people. It is in the "You ask us" box.

You might wish to email comments about it to

I can quote two 'interesting' passages in the reply (to an email from
Christopher Wilkins)

re the change in bitrate from 192 to 160 kb/s

"However, we do not believe this has led to reduced sound quality..."

And they cite having changed their 'encoding' equipment, the argument being
that this has allowed a drop in bitrate with no change in the sound.

If you find that the sound quality *has* deteriorated you might like to
tell them they are mistaken. :-)

"A number of tests agreed that the coders would not have any adverse
effects on Radio Three sound quality."

If you feel like it, you could ask them to give the details of these
"tests" on the basis that:

A) The wording is unclear - were the 'coders' in these tests using 160
kb/s, compared with the 'old' ones at 192? Or did these 'tests' compare
them all at the same rate? Makes me wonder if the statement is playing
games with the wording, so as to mislead people.

B) The conclusions the BBC have drawn from these 'tests' seem simply to be
false in practice, since the sound quality has audibly reduced.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html