DRM Press release / IFA

[DRM-Fan]

25th August 2005

DRM Press Release

DRM-Capable Consumer Radios to Arrive

as Major Broadcasters Announce DRM Content


Press Conference at IFA, Sept. 4 -- Industry Briefing at IBC, Sept.10


Berlin and Amsterdam – The world’s first, affordable DRMTM -capable consumer radios will arrive at Europe’s media exhibitions IFA and IBC in September, as major commercial and public broadcasters simultaneously announce new and extended DRM broadcasts. DRM is the world’s only non-proprietary, universally standardized, digital on-air system for short-wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave.


Texas Instruments and RadioScape will unveil several manufacturers’ multi-standard consumer receivers with DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale™), DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast), FM - RDS, LW, MW and SW capabilities based on TI’s DRM350 multi-standard digital radio baseband. Also, Coding Technologies, AFG Engineering GmbH and Himalaya (Power) Electronics will present a DRM-capable radio based on Analog Devices’ Blackfin®.


RTL Group will discuss its DRM strategy and will broadcast live RTL programs in German, French and English. Deutsche Welle will reveal its upcoming DRM expansion, and will broadcast live from IFA along with RFI. BBC World Service launches its DRM Europe service to the Benelux countries, and neighboring France and Germany. Radio Netherlands will add special broadcasts to its existing DRM line-up during IFA and IBC. DeutschlandRadio, Voice of Russia, TruckRadio, TDPradio, and CVC will send DRM broadcasts. TDF and French broadcasters RFI, Radio France, RTL, Europe 1, Radio de la Mer, Superloustic, Radio Orient, Radio Télérama, Radio Nouveaux Talents, Beur FM and Littoral AM join together for a special DRM transmission. T-Systems will broadcast RADIO1 during IFA.


DRM will showcase the consumer radios and outline broadcasters’ plans at two events:


· September 4, Berlin: DRM Press Conference at IFA consumer electronics show,

featuring DRM Chairman/Deutsche Welle COO Peter Senger, RTL Group, BBC World Service, RadioScape, Texas Instruments, and World DAB Forum President Annika Nyberg.11:30 -12:30, in Hall 5.3 (TWF Stage).


· September 10, Amsterdam: DRM Industry Briefing at IBC, featuring DRM Vice Chairman/Radio Netherlands Director General Jan Hoek, Peter Senger, WRN, and manufacturers.10:30-11:30, at the DRM Stand (8.490).


Recently, UK commercial broadcasters Virgin Classic Rock, Classic Gold Digital, Asian Sound Radio, Premier Christian Radio and CVC conducted a MW DRM pilot scheme in the UK, provided by VT Communications. DRM programs from Radio Sweden, TDF Radio, Radio Vatican, Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, Radio Taiwan International, TalkSPORT, Radio Kuwait, Radio Korea International, BYU Radio, SWR Das Ding, biteXpress, B2-B5akt and Campus Radio are also available in Europe.


An open standard, DRM has received the endorsement of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC).


While DRM currently covers the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz, the DRM consortium voted in March 2005 to begin the process of extending the system to the broadcasting bands up to 120 MHz. This will enhance the range of non-proprietary, digital radio solutions offered worldwide by the DRM Consortium and the World DAB Forum, which work together on projects of mutual interest. The design, development and testing phases of DRM’s extension are expected to be completed by 2007-2009.


DRM at IFA


At IFA, September 2-7, DRM will be featured at various locations. The DRM Consortium Booth (Hall 5.3 -TWF, Stand 05) will display DRM products from Atmel GmbH, Coding Technologies GmbH, Fraunhofer IIS, RadioScape, Robert Bosch GmbH, TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG, Texas Instruments and others to be announced at IFA. The DRM Receivers Booth (Hall 5.2, Stand 102), organized by RTL Group, Deutsche Welle, Radio Netherlands, BBC, DeutschlandRadio, Voice of Russia, TruckRadio, DRF, Radio de la Mer and Littoral AM, will showcase consumer products and broadcasters’ plans. Several DRM members will also highlight their DRM plans at their own IFA booths.


Following the DRM press conference at IFA on September 4, Peter Senger and various DRM members will participate in a DRM Symposium, “Talk In TWF,” in the same location, Hall 5.3, TWF Stage, 13:00-16:15. Participants include BBC World Service, Fraunhofer IIS, Robert Bosch GmbH, TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG, Texas Instruments and T-Systems.


DRM at IBC


At IBC, September 9-12, DRM-capable equipment and live DRM broadcasts will be showcased at the DRM Stand in the Radio Hall (8.490). Equipment from BBC, DIGIDIA, Coding Technologies GmbH, Nero AG, RadioScape, Texas Instruments, Sat-Service Schneider, STARWAVES GmbH, and others to be announced, will be on display.


DRM-capable products and live DRM broadcasts will also be available at the stands of DIGIDIA, Harris Corporation-Broadcast Communications Division, Nautel Ltd., RadioScape, RIZ Transmitters Co., TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG and Thales Broadcast & Multimedia.



About DRM


The DRM Consortium, founded in 1998, includes broadcasters, broadcasting associations, network operators, manufacturers, NGOs and others. DRM Consortium membership is at a record high of 93 members from 30 nations. (more)



With DRM, broadcasters can integrate data and text with audio, giving consumers new features such as up-to-the-minute news scrolls and traffic data. DRM broadcasts are now available in Europe, North America, and North Africa. Testing is underway in Latin America and Asia. DRM is online at www.drm.org (DRM Consortium Web site), as well as www.deutsches-drm-forum.de (German), www.drmfrance.com (DRM France), http://www.radiostation.ru/drm/index.php (Russian) and http://www.usdrm.com (U.S.A. DRM Group).

http://www.geocities.com/woodleyuk/index2.htm

[jbriggs]

IFA, the huge Consumer show starts tomorrow - September 2nd - in Berlin. Here is the flyer for the DRM stand, we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out about the receivers on the RTL stand!
If anyone has any information from IFA please post it here for us all to read.

James

[jbriggs]

and here is page 2

[Connor Walsh]

I was really looking forward to attending, but then I had to go and get work that clashed with it :( Oh well, I'm looking forward to hearing lots of reviews and opinions from those of you over there!
A Bosch car radio with DRM might be interesting!

[DRM-Fan]

So this is open to anyone or just people in the trade etc ? Good site btw at www.ifa-berlin.de

Am I right in thinking there will be working radios from radioscape or just the module at the IFA ?

[jbriggs]

TI and RadioScape accelerate development of DRM receivers
On the heels of their June announcement of the availability of chips
and modules for the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard, Texas
Instruments Incorporated and RadioScape have announced that multiple
companies attending IFA in Berlin are demonstrating product prototypes
developed around TI's DRM350 digital baseband and RadioScape's RS500
module. Continuing to accelerate DRM's rollout, TI and RadioScape will
enable products from consumer brands to appear on store shelves within
the year. Among those unveiling designs at IFA are Morphy Richards,
Roberts Radio and Sangean.

"The RS500 module from RadioScape using TI’s DRM350 has enabled us to
develop working DRM/DAB receiver prototypes in less than three
months," says Gerry Thorn, Product Director, at Roberts Radio. "TI and
RadioScape continue to provide the innovations we need, allowing us to
focus on key product features, creating new markets for digital radio
and enhancing the user listening experience."

TI's DRM350 enables developers to create cost-effective dual
DRM/DAB-based devices with a single chip and easily implement enhanced
features on the integrated programmable DSP, such as digital content
playback of MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files.RadioScape's RS500
module, a complete DRM solution, is based on TI's DRM350 and includes
all of the hardware and software necessary to support any combination
of DRM, DAB, FM-RDS and AM. Cutting down significantly on the
development time and resources needed from manufacturers to develop
multi-standard receivers, applications include table-top radios, CD
boom boxes, micro hi-fis and tuners.

"DRM radios will soon be available in mass-market quantities at
affordable consumer prices, and the co-operation between TI,
RadioScape and ourselves has played a crucial role in enabling
manufacturers to design them in such a short time," said Gerhard
Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group. "We are very committed to DRM and will
actively work to encourage a rapid take up of this technology."

DRM is the only universal, non-proprietary digital radio system for
the short-wave, medium-wave and long-wave AM broadcast bands, enabling
a single tower to broadcast over a large geographic area with near-FM
quality sound. DRM is supported by a wide network of broadcasters,
equipment OEMs and silicon providers working together to design,
promote and deliver low-cost receivers and content for worldwide
markets. Through DRM, consumers will have access to more content than
ever before.

(Media Network)

[jbriggs]

Looks like there is all sorts of new news due to IFA, here is WRN's press release from today.
James.

Press release Issued by WRN
London, 2nd September 2005

WRN unveils its DRM projects including innovative local test
broadcasts for London on 26MHz

WRN, the London-based international transmission service company,
today announces its plans for broadcasts to London and Europe using
DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), the digital AM radio system with near-FM
quality sound. The first project will test transmission of DRM at
26MHz in London whilst the second project offers broadcasters European
regional DRM coverage.

London DRM

WRN's test and development project for London will assess the
potential coverage of DRM transmissions at 26MHz. It will provide
important data on the penetration of the signals into various types of
building and other urban situations as well as gauge audience reaction
to the broadcasts. WRN will create a full test and development
schedule for submission to Ofcom and the DRM Consortium.

The transmission site is the world famous Croydon broadcast tower,
situated in South London and operated by Arqiva (formerly NTL
Broadcast), WRN's DRM transmission partner for this project. Arqiva
provides transmission services for most UK commercial radio stations.
Croatia's RIZ-Transmitters has supplied the Yagi antenna and
transmitter for the duration of the project.

Tim Ashburner, WRN's Technical Director says: "The London analogue
spectrum is unable to support new FM services and the possibilities
for more stations on DAB Digital Radio are becoming very limited. The
audio quality of analogue AM is not up to the standard that is
expected by listeners today. The answer may be local DRM services
using the presently unused 26 MHz band, which could support up to 50
new stereo radio services. This project will allow us to rigorously
test DRM in a local setting using one of the most ethnically diverse,
cosmopolitan and technically challenging cities in the world. If it
works in London then local DRM can work anywhere."

European Regional DRM

WRN's regional DRM service offers broadcasters comprehensive coverage
of Europe using DRM sky-wave transmission and directional antennas.
Furthermore, the service can be used to each specific key target
areas with frequencies that provide higher reliability in urban areas
from the transmitter site located in South East Europe. Telefunken has
supplied the modulator and exciter for the service.

Gary Edgerton, WRN's Managing Director says, "DRM offers FM and stereo
audio quality on the bands up to those now used by AM stations and it
will revitalise these bands for local, national, regional and
international broadcasting. We are inviting broadcasters to discuss
with us their participation in all aspects of our DRM projects and to
be part of the revitalisation of international broadcasting."

WRN will encode both DRM services at its central London headquarters,
providing the flexibility to generate a pre-mixed DRM stream that will
then be fed to the respective transmitter sites. WRN will also add
data for receiver display utilising custom created software.

- Ends -

For more information contact:

Tim Ayris, Marketing Manager, WRN:
E-mail: tim.ayris@wrn.org

[DRM-Fan]

So is DW or BBC etc relaying the press conference tomorrow ?
I would love to hear this

[simone]

Hi all,
I have just uploaded some pictures (http://www.stoepplernet.de/drm/ifa05/ifa05.ZIP) taken in Berlin the past two days , will do a report tommorow.
Btw there is a new website from RTL about the new digital (http://www.digitalradiodr.com) radios (DAB and DRM radios) in the future, also showing the new logo for "digitalradios".
73, Simone

[DRM-Fan]

Thanks for the pictures. The site you give though just gives me this msg ??

If you see this page your browsers version should be updated to enable the http1.1 protocol

http1.1 is selected though ?

[simone]

If the link does not work with your browser, type in manually:
www.digitalradiodr.com
Simone

[Connor Walsh]

Thanks for the pics Simone! Quite exciting.


The "DR" brand is a good idea.

Does it all look a bit rushed though? Some of those radios seem to have it plonked on at the last minute. Not that that will matter once it becomes established!

How is the reception sounding? Any idea what sort of receive antennas they are using?

[radiomann]

Hi Simone,
I can't see the pics :( it stays blank or if i download it it says it corrupt?

Any other way of seeing the pics?

Regards
Paul

[DRM-Fan]

Originally posted by simone
If the link does not work with your browser, type in manually:
www.digitalradiodr.com
Simone

Thanks, strange as I did paste the link from properties but also did'nt work...

So are all these radios 100% working or prototypes ? The roberts with the green display is the same as the DAB radio they sell

Quite like the look of the simple design of the DRM2008. The morphy richards looks very odd one speaker smaller than the other ??!!

It would be nice if they just made them look like the more conventional style of SW radio as Matsui etc produce... Still it's a start taken long enough to get here!

[DRM-Fan]

Originally posted by radiomann
Hi Simone,
I can't see the pics :( it stays blank or if i download it it says it corrupt?

Any other way of seeing the pics?

Regards
Paul

Paul I can send you them via MSN perhaps but maybe if you right click on the link and choose 'save target as' this should work

[DRM-Fan]

For any who may for one reason or the other have problems geting the pictures try this link instead :-

http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2T9YLQ0EBJ8QL0USWRD73UNCN6

[N_Scheer]

Hi all,

Here is another link with a photo of a new DRM car receiver
http://www.rein-hoeren.de/inhalt/231.shtml


Nico

[DRM-Fan]

Originally posted by N_Scheer
Hi all,

Here is another link with a photo of a new DRM car receiver
http://www.rein-hoeren.de/inhalt/231.shtml


Nico

Is thid a combined DRM / DAB radio ?

[DRM-Fan]

Anyone who is attending I wonder if it is possible to record the DRM press launch at 11.30 ? Audio ie from minidisk maybe or video also would be even better assuming this is permitted ??

[simone]

Originally posted by DRM-Fan


Is thid a combined DRM / DAB radio ?

No, not the one that I saw at IFA, but future radios will be.
Simone

[radiomann]

Thanks. I now have pics, all we need is the price.



Originally posted by DRM-Fan
For any who may for one reason or the other have problems geting the pictures try this link instead :-

http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2T9YLQ0EBJ8QL0USWRD73UNCN6

[N_Scheer]

Another link & picture to the Visteon car receiver

http://www.auto-reporter.net/artikel.las?artikel=12219

Nico

[N_Scheer]

A nice report from a german visitor about DRM receivers at IFA

http://www.funkerberg.de/drm/ifa2005/index.htm

Nico

[DRM-Fan]

Any mention on prices for those who may have attended the press launch earlier ?

What is that PDA style radio all about ?

[jbriggs]

Hi Simone thanks for the photos, no problem to download them on my Apple;)
DRM-FAN: Concerning pricing of Receivers, previous press releases from Radioscape indicate receivers will retail for 250 USD. I don't see any reason to change this estimate after IFA.

James

[DRM-Fan]

Originally posted by jbriggs
Hi Simone thanks for the photos, no problem to download them on my Apple;)
DRM-FAN: Concerning pricing of Receivers, previous press releases from Radioscape indicate receivers will retail for 250 USD. I don't see any reason to change this estimate after IFA.

James

Dave btw. Ok yes but don't you think manufacturers will won't to add their 'mark up' to this figure ?

[DRM-Fan]

Read a post on the yahoo DRM-L group :-

There's a report from someone who attended the fair here spotted by
N.Scheer on the drmrx forums:

http://www.funkerberg.de/drm/ifa2005/index.htm

The model he has got most information and pictures on is the
Roberts/Sangean
RD2 to be released in the German market for Christmas, 250 to 300 Euros

This equates between £170 - £204. So as I predicted somewhat more than the £130 price tag !

[DRM-Fan]

So yet another DRM design nothing to do with radioscape etc

From radioworld :-

At IFA 2005 Philips will demonstrate its first dedicated coprocessor designed for in-car entertainment systems to decode Digital Radio Mondiale signals. DRM is a digital AM and shortwave system. The Nexperia-based chip integrates with existing Philips DSP-based car radio platforms, allowing an upgrade from existing AM/FM designs. The benefit of the design, according to the company, is reduced cost and faster time to market for DRM in the car. The single chip coprocessor works with Philips' SAF7730 automotive software radio DSP and TEF6730 Digital IF car radio front-end to provide manufacturers with a total system solution that supports DRM as well as HD Radio reception.

Philips says evaluation models of the DRM coprocessor are ready for radio manufacturers now.

IFA is in Berlin Sept. 2-7.