DRM MoU Signed by Fraunhofer IIS and NRTA for DRM in China

Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) and Fraunhofer IIS intensify collaboration on DRM digital radio establishment in China

To further strengthen the strategic cooperation for the development and application of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) in mainland China, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between China’s Administrative Bureau of Radio Stations (ABRS) of NRTA and Fraunhofer IIS. On this occasion, a delegation from the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) led by Binbin Luo, Deputy Director of the radio division, visited Fraunhofer IIS. The Chinese officials met with Dr. Bernhard Grill, Director with focus on Audio and Media Technologies, and Toni Fiedler, General Manager of Fraunhofer IIS’ representation in China, to discuss the DRM international broadcasting standard as well as developments in the fields of digital radio and television transmission and coverage.

The MoU is based on long-term mutual trust established in previous collaborations, and aims to further develop the cooperation with regard to the open terrestrial DRM standard, including technologies substantially developed by Fraunhofer IIS, such as the xHE-AAC audio codec and the Journaline text service. In addition, the two parties will intensify their exchange of information on DRM technology, work on jointly promoting DRM technology, conduct workshops on DRM technology, and conduct field trials to successfully drive the deployment of DRM in China.

Toni Fiedler, General Manager of Fraunhofer IIS’ representation in China, said: “This MoU will further strengthen the relationship of Fraunhofer IIS with China’s broadcasting organizations and help both parties to collaborate even more closely on setting up the digital transmission ecosystems in TV, radio and the internet, introducing standards that deploy technologies driven by Fraunhofer IIS. We are honored to work with ABRS on the development of short wave digital radio in China.” 

Binbin Luo, Deputy Director of the NRTA’s radio division, said: “A new generation of information technology for the development of the radio and TV industries has brought unprecedented, profound changes and severe challenges. To drive the industry forward, we focus on cutting-edge technology and promote the development of best-in-class core technologies in key standards. The cooperation with the world’s leading standard research institutions such as Fraunhofer IIS will ensure the deployment of reliable, future-proof technology in China’s digital radio ecosystems.” 

For further information about Fraunhofer IIS technologies for DRM, please visit: www.iis.fraunhofer.de/broadcast

DRM and Digital Radio Holds its Own at ABU General Assembly Conference

Though the technical committee meeting of the ABU was dominated by latest TV, OTT developments, DRM found its own place too. The panel discussion on linear broadcasting also included a spirited defense of radio and some focus on the advantages like spectrum and energy savings offered by DRM. At the end of the two days of presentations and discussions of the TC meeting the DRM update was very well received. The DRM progress in China, India, Russia and other Asian countries, as well as the increasing number of receivers in cars and receiver solutions interested the experts from countries considering radio digitisation. They DRM consortium representatives present in Tokyo were available to answer all their questions.

Link:
https://www.drm.org/drm-and-digital-radio-holds-its-own-at-abu-general-assembly-conference/

Cambridge Consultants Unveil Prototype for Low-Cost DRM Receiver .

Ruxandra Obreja 

Cambridge Consultants has unveiled a design for a Digital Radio Mondiale receiver that it claims will cost under US$10 (about €9).

At its annual Innovation Day conference last week, the firm showcased a prototype of the low-cost, low-power DRM design.This, according to the company, addresses the vital need for information by the global population that doesn’t have the internet or TV, adding that since it is low power, it can run from solar or wind-up.Cambridge Consultants say the design will be ready in 2020, available for any radio manufacturer to license and incorporate into their own products.

DRM Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja said she welcomes the announcement.

“The unique and inspiring design will finally lead to the development of a low-power, low-cost, small-screen, large-coverage receiver. This means we’ll be able to bridge the digital divide for millions of people who don’t have easy access to broadband.”

Source :-https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/cambridge-consultants-unveil-prototype-for-low-cost-drm-receiver.

Digital radio for the world – the newest old news?

Digital launched, ever so long ago, with TV and radio. So what’s the big story? It’s that the last piece of the digital jigsaw is finally in place: a system called Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), designed to deliver FM-radio-like quality using the medium wave and short wave bands.

We’re familiar with AM on medium wave and accustomed to the horrible buzz, splat, fade away and back again. But it does have a great advantage in that it will reach for hundreds of miles from a single transmitter. That’s a lot easier than FM or DAB, which both need transmitters every 30 or 40 miles. No fewer than 443 DAB transmitter sites are needed to cover the UK alone.

So take a modern digital scheme, apply some clever (and low cost) computing power, and you can get good sound for hundreds of miles. You get to choose radio stations by name instead of kilohertz, and you can even receive text and pictures. Emergency warning and information features are also built into DRM.

Great technology. But will it fly? Is it available for everyone?

The new news is that India, through its national broadcaster All India Radio, has invested in and rolled out a national DRM service, live today. Just 35 transmitters cover that large country. New cars in India have DRM radios in them now. Other countries like South Africa, Malaysia and Brazil are likely to follow India’s lead.

But something’s missing. The radios that can receive DRM are still prohibitively expensive, especially for those markets that would benefit most. So vast swathes of the world remain unconnected to the services that DRM can provide. Where’s the cheap portable that you can pick up from a supermarket to listen to the news or sport?

Cambridge Consultants has just held its annual Innovation Day, where we throw open our doors to industry leaders and reveal future technology. One of our highlights was the prototype of a DRM design that will cost ten dollars or less to produce, addressing that vital need for information by the 60-ish per cent of our global population that doesn’t have internet or TV. It’s low power, so can run from solar or wind-up.

This design will be ready in 2020, available for any radio manufacturer to licence and incorporate into its own products. We’re doing our bit to make affordable radios for every corner of the globe!