just as we get used to DAB and moves to improve the bitrate in the UK it looks like there are serious moves internationally to adopt the DAB+ standard. some manufacturers have incorporated DAB+ into their portable radios so that you will be able to listen both to DAB+ and DAB as the latter is slowly phased out.

does anyone know if B&O are thinking along similar lines. i am thinking of buying a new beocenter 2 and would be annoyed to find the transition starting later in a couple of years and a defunct beocenter 2...?

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/2008/07/dab+_rollout_gathers_pace.php

There has been quite a bit of discussion on this subject see HERE

Also in Australia it apparently starts in Jan 2009 !!

thanks keith.

that's an amazing article and i am reassurred. no beocenter 2 for me at the moment. i love the beocenter 2 and wanted to replace my DVD 1 but until this is sorted i will stick with my beosound 9000 and it's FM radio for now...

with all the articles from europe i am getting the distinct feeling that DAB is dying a slow death...

thanks!

In my view DAB really has a problem because now most people have DVB-T (Freeview) or satellite (Sky & FreeSat) as well as the Internet which offers as good or better quality sound than DAB. As one BBC engineer said to me sometime ago -- "DAB is the new Medium Wave"

I listen to a lot of radio mostly via "free-to-air" satellite which I can have around the house via Masterlink in the same way as FM from your Beosound 9000.

Hi Keith,

I'm just wondering if I will ever receive a reply to my request sent  to Beocare, on whether a  DAB+ module will ever be available for the BC2.

DAB has been under trial  in Australia for about 3 years and the reception has been excellent. The DAB sound is superior to FM reception and  the main reason I purchased the BC2 was for the superior sound quality.  Australia has defered the start up date for DAB+ until 1st May 2009 - Test broadcasts are now in DAB+, so I can now only receive FM on my BC2. If the DAB part of the BC2 is just a module, surely its not a huge development cost for B&o to develop and  make a new module for the existing owners in the UK, Australia and any other country adapting the newer DAB+ format to be able to receivethe DAB+ signal on their BC2's?

I feel a little sorry for B&O on the DAB-issue. First they were against incorporating it, because they felt that the quality of the audio was not good enough -- then they did bow to demand, just as internet radio was taking off much more than originally considered when DAB was first proposed.

I get much better quality over internet radio than through any DAB-transmission. DAB+ may help, in that respect, also as it is a streaming format for both audio and video, but I think we'll be using it when on the move, not at home.

Its official - I called into the B&O store at Willoughby and was informed that there is not going to be a  DAB+ module update for the BC2. I was told that B & O at this time dont see a need with Net Radio taking off, so of cause I was a little disappointed , but more disapointed that B & O (Beocare) had not bothered to tell me. Seems to me they dont like to give negative answers.

Is there any way to have the existing module in the BC2 modified to DAB+ ?

GOLFGEAR:

Its official - I called into the B&O store at Willoughby and was informed that there is not going to be a  DAB+ module update for the BC2. I was told that B & O at this time dont see a need with Net Radio taking off, so of cause I was a little disappointed , but more disapointed that B & O (Beocare) had not bothered to tell me. Seems to me they dont like to give negative answers.

Is there any way to have the existing module in the BC2 modified to DAB+ ?

This is disappointing - I bought my BS4 in 2006 and it worked well with the DAB tests then under way in Melbourne; less than 6 months after purchae I was posted to the UK and left the BS4 behind for the herd of younger elephants to use.

On my return in 2009 I tested the BS4's DAB and found no stations and so I assumed testing had stopped, but when I was testing a BV7-40 in the store I seemed to pick up two radio DAB? stations!

So today I retested the BS4 to get nil results, and so I then did the research - Australia is rolling out DAB+ for a launch on May 1st and there is no mention of DAB+ on the B&O site and now this thread completes the picture ...

Oh well, I looks like I have been burnt by technology once again ... so much for trying to "future proof" in 2006

Ed-2

Forget about future proofing any piece of tech ever again. There are too many different manufacturers with their own ideas and then governments get involved and stuff things up too.

Look at the roll out of DTV in australia. Initally SD was the go. The commercial stations were allowed only 1 station and SBS & ABC were allowed 2. Then HD gets announced and rolled out (bummer for all those who bought TV's with built in SD tuners who now have to buy HD STBoxes.) Now those who bought TV's more recently with HD tuners will have to add Freeview HD boxes to take advantage of the new HD TV broadcast with the interactive guide (what ever that means). 

It's never ending. The world of the Set Top Box is with us, that is the way to try and experience the so called latest and greatest. The unfortuate thing is the latest and greatest often turns out to be anything but.

How many Avant owners think their picture is better than the current BV7 32. I'd say, probably most of them. I don't necessarily agree but that's not the point. If you like the pic on your avant stick a freeview HD box on it and whammo, the "latest and greatest."

I feel for all those who bought the DAB based products. B&O don't have a crystal ball to see what every government in the world will decide to do with digital radio. Do be p!ssed at B&O, ask the government why they chose dab+. Then ask all the other governments why they chose not to have DAB+.

Technology today is a mess and it does my head in.

H1

GOLFGEAR:

Its official - I called into the B&O store at Willoughby and was informed that there is not going to be a  DAB+ module update for the BC2

What about the BS4 which I only use with DAB? That was one of the key features for UK purchasers. Interesting times.

so true Harry !

it does my head in too

is it a sign of old age ?

hope not !

BTW, welcome to Beoworld :-)

elephant:

 ...and left the BS4 behind for the herd of younger elephants to use.

 

This cracked me up!

Hi,

You are wrong informed.

A DAB+ option will be available from April 2010 for BS4 and BC2.

Upgrade kit for existing BS4 and BC2 will also come.

Melora is correct - the is going to be a DAB+ (Update)  Module -

Australian and UK  current owners of - BC2 with  DAB Radio and BC4  with DAB Radio, can look forward to an upgrade module to the ( DAB+) system for there current Beocentre's. B & O do have  a plan to produce the update DAB+ module to suit both the BC2 and BC4, sometime in the 3rd Qtr. I have had this confirmed today by one of the Tech support team in Sydney. So 'Elephant' - ' david coyne' - '355f' -  'moxxey' and myself - GOLFGEAR are going to be very happy with B & O's decision to produce this upgrade module. 

Meliora:

Hi,

You are wrong informed.

A DAB+ option will be available from April 2010 for BS4 and BC2.

Upgrade kit for existing BS4 and BC2 will also come.

This is fantastic news for me and all the others mentioned by GOLFGEAR

Thank you for bringing this to our attention 

I am REALLY impressed with the "new" B&O that seems to be emerging !

Hi All

That is great news GolfGear, thanks for letting us know. I had just started to listen to DAB when it disappeared due to the change in DAB format.

When is the DAB+ module for existing BC2 owners due out in Australia? Is there any sense of what it will cost? Presumably it will cost my first born child or puppy??

Best Wishes

David Coyne

Surely DAB+ can be fitted to a Beosound 4 without the DAB module fitted? *crosses fingers*

Hi Dave. It is possible. Not official from B&O, but it can be done in two ways.

Either you purchase a new connector board for your BS4 (In the FM only version there is no DAB connector), or you purchase the two missing connectors by your local radioshack and solder them in the board yourself.

Rest is just fitting the B&O DAB kit.

By the way, if anyone suffers from bad reception. Try connecting an active DVB-T antenna. Both BS4 and BC2 is capable of supplying power to an active antenna over the antenna cable. Gives good reception and neat installation because no external 5V adapter is needed. Remember to place the DVB-T antenna in vertical position. These antennas are typical slim, giving good opportunity to put it behind furnitures etc.

Example:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strong-Digtal-Active-Indoor-Digital/dp/B001AXQ514

Hi elephant.

Yes - it seems that the new management is more focused.