Following a successful, year-long trial of DAB repeaters installed in Currys Superstores and John Lewis branches, regulator Ofcom has agreed to put in place a permanent licensing regime for all retailers across the country. Since the scheme was approved last year, DSGi has moved quickly to install repeaters in over 300 of its Currys stores, enabling DAB digital radio to be more clearly demonstrated to consumers.
Many electrical retailers suffer from poor analogue and DAB signal strength due to the steel framed infrastructure of the building or their basement location. Installing a DAB repeater on the roof of the store means a signal can be boosted in-store and DAB radios can more easily be demonstrated, thus increasing sales potential. Indeed, some stores have reported as much as 30% uplift in sales simply by ensuring all DAB radios enjoy clear, uninterrupted reception.
Says DSGi’s Trading Manager, Amanda Cottrell: “We know from experience that demonstrating DAB radio in-store is the best way to show consumers the benefits of more station choice, ease of tuning and clean, digital quality sound. Consumers like to get hands-on with new technology and these DAB repeaters will help us to maximise sales in areas where demonstration was a problem.”
The scheme is now open to all retailers via the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), which will manage the licensing of repeaters in conjunction with Ofcom.
(Source: DRDB)
Andy Sennitt comments: Do you think this is an honest way to sell DAB, bearing in mind that in cities many of the customers will themselves be living in steel framed buildings? If the signal stength being demonstrated in the stores is significantly higher than the strength of the signals that the customer will encounter outside, isn’t this a misleading - I hesitate to use the word dishonest - way of selling the technology?
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 12:51
Actually I think it’s a bit dodgy to do this! Unless of course they come to install repeaters free of charge at the customers’ location as well
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 14:24
This is part of the world of commerce, like charging £99.99 for an item instead of an honest £100. It is a confidence trick and I wonder how the customers taken in by it will feel when they get home and find that they have just wasted their money.
In any case, it annoys me that for the most part people are buying DAB radios in England for the wrong reasons. They should want them because of better signal and audio quality. In fact, they usually buy them to receive channels which are not available on analogue radio, but ought to be. That, in turn, is the fault of numerous governments since before the days of the nineteen sixties offshore radio stations.
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 14:42
I am totally in line with all 3 comments (Andy, haweeha and Steven).
To ad to Stevens analysis I would like to say that it is the position of public broadcasting that in both UK and Holland (and possible other countries) has always stopped new initiatieves and effective, efficient use of the present (analogue) spectrum. Starting with the banning of the pirates in the 60′ties. In the UK only a single FM network is available for commercial broadcasting, and is pre-formatted with classical music. In this country there is more spectrum available for others but financial hurdles makes it virtually impossible to run a commercial station profitable.
A more efficient and fair use of the spectrum would make the use of digital broadcasting systems unneeded. And Internet (wireless) radio has a good future. A digital system that is already there and where radio is just an integrated part of.
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 14:48
Haven’t many retailers played the same trick with FM and TV signals for years? That’s not to say it’s not dodgy though
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 17:30
I completely agree and was thinking exactly the same thing whilst reading the article. It’s just retailers trying to flog what I think is a dead horse.
on Jan 24th, 2009 at 19:12
I would judge this to be a very unfair and misleading trick. I live in an “official” reception area in Eastbourne and yet, if I move a DAB portable around the house I run into blank signals and burbling noises; worse than with FM. This is partly due to the DAB system that the BBC promotes. I wonder how many British digital radio listeners are aware that they have bought into somewhat outdated mp2 technology and that other countries have largely abandoned this and are adopting DABplus which uses mp4 giving better sound quality and a more robust signal.
on Jan 26th, 2009 at 08:01
Supposing you buy a DAB radio instore and when you get it home you either get bubbly burbly sounds or NOTHING? It IS indeed an unfair selling ploy by DSGi to increase DAB radio sales.
on Jan 30th, 2009 at 10:53
Would it not be possible for the customer to ask Will the signal be as clear as this at home?. It the salesperson says yes, and it isn’t, take the radio back and ask for a refund. If they say no, then the customer can make they own choice.
I can see the point of the repeaters, to show what can be received, but if it’s used to mislead the public into buying something that isn’t that good once they’re out of the shop, then that’s misleading.