Product category:
Wireless Communications
News Release from: RadioScape | Subject: RS500
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 22 November 2006
Multistandard module puts DRM in the
shops
A new digital radio technology called Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is now taking off according to RadioScape, one of the world's leading companies in digital radio technology.
A new digital radio technology called Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is now taking off according to RadioScape, one of the world's leading companies in digital radio technology The DRM standard, which is complimentary to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), digitises the long wave, medium wave and short wave frequencies giving near FM-quality reception
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 2 Jun 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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A new module that can receive DRM as well as DAB, FM with RDS, LW, MW and SW can form the basis of the world's first affordable, integrated, multistandard, digital radio receivers.
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RadioScape is now shipping the award winning RS500 module, which provides reception for DAB (Band-III and L-Band), DRM (LW, MW and SW), FM-RDS AM (LW, MW and SW) including AMSS, automatic alternative frequency switching (AFS), EPG (DAB), SDCard Recording (DAB/DRM) and playback of MP3/WMA files.
The first multistandard radio, based on the RS500, recently became available in Germany from 004 via T-Online.
On 21st November 2006, 004 will be making the radios available to customers in France, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Belgium and the UK.
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The radio is the Morphy Richards 27024, and other manufacturers' models are expected to be available soon.
Robert Hein, CEO at 004, said "The DRM/DAB radios have been selling well and so we have put in a further two orders for more radios to meet growing demand".
"Customers are really excited by this new generation of digital radios and the new services that they bring".
"There is a huge amount of collaborative effort behind the rollout of DRM", explained John Sykes, Project Director for Digital Radio at BBC World Service.
"Manufacturers, retailers and broadcasters are all working together to help make this happen as quickly as possible".
"DRM opens up new markets for broadcasters and advertisers by exploiting the huge geographical coverage of these services".
"Consequently consumers will have more new stations to choose from, especially in rural areas".
Right from the inception of this new product development, RadioScape has ensured that DRM integrates seamlessly with DAB.
Users will not have to be concerned with having to know which technology or frequency to tune in to.
Users simply select the station name just as they do for DAB today.
The RS500-powered radio displays a list of all the stations available on DAB, DRM, FM, MW, LW and SW.
"We are delighted that consumers can now start buying DRM radios", said DRM Chairman and Director, DRM, at Deutsche Welle, Peter Senger.
"DRM offers listeners improved audio quality and choice and so we anticipate that sales will ramp up very quickly".
RadioScape predicts that DRM will have different rates of take up according to country.
Germany has been chosen as the launch country since many new DRM broadcasts originate there.
Deutsche Welle DRM programmes can be clearly heard throughout most of Europe.
The Russian radio network is going digital with DRM and there are many countries, such as China, Australia, and Canada that are very keen on DRM, where the new radios could also sell in significant quantities.
"RadioScape's unique software-based module is currently the only solution available to make consumer-priced multistandard receivers", concluded John Hall, RadioScape's CEO.
"This gives us a huge head start in being the source for the rapid growth in multistandard radios that consumers around the world will be buying over the next few years as more retailers follow T-Online's lead".
"We are already talking to half a dozen radio manufacturers who also want to bring out multistandard DRM radios next year".
"We use a world-class, contract manufacturing facility in China and so we are confident that we can ramp module production to meet this demand".
As total sales of DRM/DAB receivers grow, RadioScape forecasts that the normal economics of mass production will help reduce the costs of the multistandard receivers to a point where the premium for DRM over the costs of DAB receivers will rapidly decline.
The cost to broadcasters for changes to the transmitter equipment is low as many existing AM transmitters can be easily modified to carry DRM signals.
No new licenses are required as the broadcasters are already broadcasting on those frequencies.
There are currently over 30 broadcasters transmitting DRM content, totalling over 700 broadcast hours per day.
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