-=[ Quoting Joe Kotroczo to Phil Roberts ]=-
 JK> Salut Phil,
 JK> [...]
 JK>> DAB is intended for terrestrial broadcast ("over the air"). It is not
 JK>> related to any TV format.
 PR> OK, so this is sent over a carrier on conventional FM?  Sounds like it'd
 PR> be simple enough to implement.
 JK> No, it's not that simple.
 JK> DAB uses COFDM and a different frequency spectrum:
 JK> .....cut.....
 JK> In the COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) the
 JK> signal to be transmitted is distributed to a great number of
 JK> narrow-band transmission channels (sub-bands). With such an approach
 JK> only one information segment is lost at maximum in the event of
 JK> interference on a frequency range - which is different from FM
 JK> broadcasting where a programme were interfered entirely.
I went on the web pages...this sounds GOOD!  They're able to broadcast on the
old 88-108mhz band, as well as several other bands, including the new 1.2 gig
band that's just opening up.  Their spread-spectrum broadcasting should keep
interference to an absolute minimum.
 JK> Hope this is still readable. MUSICAM is also known as MPEG Layer II.
MPEG II I've heard of, because a number of people were concerned about CD
music being pirated over the Internet in MPEG II files.  It turns out to
be a "so what" issue, and now many publishers are PAYING web sites to make
their music available for download or online listening.  Not too many people
have a PC in the dashboard of their car, and if they like the tunes, they'll
buy them.
 JK>> I have no idea about the situation in the USA, but as far as I know,
 JK>> the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) refuses the
 JK>> introduction of DAB in the USA. Apparently because of internal
 JK>> political reasons, they have admitted the technical superiority of
 JK>> DAB.
 PR> I'd suspect ASCAP has something to do with it.  Any time audio is
 PR> distributed in a digital format, ASCAP worries about piracy.
 JK> Same scenario as with the DVD, I suppose.
DVD?  The industry keeps the customer afraid to buy it over here.  Every time
you think DVD has been perfected, a new version of DVD arrives to obsolete
the previous generation!  The addressable disks don't thrill some people
either.  They aren't used to the idea of buying a disk that will only play
for 48 hours until they pay more money.  It's a lot like rental, but the
customer has bought the disk.  The good news is the prices are heading
down out of the stratosphere.
                                Phil
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