How to prepare for the DAB digital radio switchover

The UK's digital radio switchover will see FM and AM analogue broadcasts replaced by DAB.

The government is planning to make Digital Audio Broadcast, commonly known as DAB, the main broadcast platform for national radio stations, so you will no longer be able to receive these stations via your old FM/AM radio.

To listen to radio stations that are broadcast digitally you will need to own a device that can pick up a digital signal via the internet, TV or on a DAB device.

[madenaraputra]

The DAB radio will divided to 2 version of frequencies:
VHF 174-230 MHz (DAB/DAB+)
UHF 700-862 MHz (DAB-X and DAB Evo)

[WaltonPete]

I wasn't aware that the UK government was even considering switching from AM/FM to DAB radio broadcasting. At least there'll be a 2 year warning before it actually happens. Thanks.

[johno]

What about the woeful bitrate quality most stations transmit output in? An MP3 music file,  for instance, to be of acceptable quality, should be 320kbps. Most DAB stations transmit output in 128kbps, (what I would call 'telephone quality'), some talk stations as low as 60kbps. What an absolute con!

[andrewhaines]

Both digital TV and radio are appalling. We constantly get drop out on the radio even when the signal is at full strength the station just cuts out. We get the data scrolling of what's going on, but no sound. Then the TV is just as bad! Upgrade to a new arial and change. We are in the strong Winter Hill pick up area so that's not an issue. Picture break up and channels not available. I'd have FM and analogue over digital any day. Same with CDs. Players develop so many faults, even expensive ones, that can't be fixed or remedied you have to buy a new player. Give me vinyl any day. Just give it a wipe with an anti static cloth, change the stylus occasionally, no problems. Sometimes technology isn't what it's cracked up to be!

[autisticrebel]

In stead pf spending the extra money on a DAB radio you could spend the extra money on a really good quality radio that has a lot of versatility like a Grundig Ocean Boy 210, Roberts R-800 Roberts R-900.

[EppingForest]

It's going to be a nightmare for car users, most cars don't have DAB 📻 radios installed

[Charted]

Dab just destroyed high quality FM radio

[serloinoflamm]

DAB radio is rubbish quality. FM is still the best for quality. Let’s hope the switchover never happens😉

[Elvis-guy]

Nothing works in the UK, not even a DAB radio signal! I've just purchased a reasonably nice radio and none of the bloody stations work. What a waste of time and money.

[robbiereilly]

Every time I see one of these reports, my mind goes to science fiction. No, not in the way where I go, 'Wow, this is great! It's just like science fiction!' More like this: 'Uh oh. This is just like science fiction.'

Is it just me? Because whenever stories like this about broadcasts switching from digital from analog, or terrestrial broadcast to internet only are mentioned I think of those dystopia science fiction stories. You know, the ones set in a post apocalypse. Especially when they mention the holdouts, the local (and pirate) broadcasters who continue to use the older transmission methods (analog) and who aren't wired into the internet. Usually in these stories, as government and command and control are rendered useless, transmitter centers falling by the wayside in the upheaval, it's the little guy who are the only ones able to get 'on the air', thus saving the world, or at least imparting information to the masses.

I'm a generally a very positive, glass-half-full kind of person. But I can't help but think on these things whenever I come across a news article like this about some transition of how we get information (paper books to ebooks, analog radio to digital, radio transmission to internet only, libraries to clouds, etc).

[ChristianPinnock-rl]

Well really dab should have been along with the digital TV switch over then everything would have been alright

[definitelyhexed]

DAB is worse than FM. And so is DAB+ at 32kbps or whatever pathetic bitrate the UK multiplex owners use.