Demise of DAB radio in cars? Any thoughts?

[Wile7]

I have just bought a lovely 3.6 AWD DSG fully equipped Superb Combi estate (2010 model). Early days but I love it

Only thing it lacks (or I thought it did...) was DAB radio on the Columbus. No big deal in Swiss as there are only a couple of DAB stations available currently but around Europe there are quite a few and I will be driving a bit to france and UK.

One option was to save to get the DAB equipped Columbus unit. But then I read on a thread here about connecting your iPhone via Bluetooth to get camera updates to the sat nav and on my drive from Geneva to Perpignan this worked brilliantly. It got me thinking Bear with me....

I read this article on Pistonheads: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonheads/dab-rip/29087

Now, fair enough, I use tuneit radio at home a lot so could one, via my iPhone on the car via aux connection if I use a wifi hub on my phone, get all these digital radio stations that way?

Any advice/thoughts on this from the techie boys and girls on here?

I am going to have a play and see but any thoughts welcome.

Dave

[Oli3000]

Yes tuneit radio would work, but it's a bit early days to use it to replace radio for me yet.

1) UK motorways don't tend to have that great a mobile internet signal. There are lots of drop spots where radio simply wouldn't stream at all.

2) It eats data (and battery life...). If you're doing a lot of driving you're going to need unlimited data to really get that to work.

I think it will come, but technology isn't there yet. The same way DAB has taken its time to trickle into cars.

[100andthirty]

In UK they haven't even announced a date by which they will stop FM broadcasts in favour of DAB. You are unlikely to have to worry about the demise of DAB within the life of your current Superb or even the next one!

[boxer]

I used to have a 3.6, but it was  a company car and I changed jobs.  Just a few weeks into a new 170 Elegance, Business version (in Switzerland this just means virtually every optional extra on the list).  Couldn't get a 3.6 in the Basel area (that is new and from a local dealer).

 

Anyway, it has DAB and I get a lot of stations in Switzerland.

 

http://www.worlddab.org/country-information/switzerland

 This is a year or so out of date, but quit a few stations.  I tend to not use DAB as I actually live in France, and DAB there is only really in the bigger cities.  Note in CH they want to phase out FM from 2020, but I can imagine that will slip...

 

I can't imagine trying to use mobile data to stream.  Even 2g  voice can drop out every few meteres! 

[Wile7]

Thanks for that Boxer - very useful link. Good to hear from another Swiss owning Superb owner on here

Dave

[james0james]

Make sure the existing aerial is suitable for Dab before spending out on a new unit :think:  

 

Dab reception is not guaranteed here in Blighty but when it works the sound is excellent, When reception is lost I listen to the engine.

 

Good luck.

[peterposh]

Dab is nonexistent or intermitant in most parts of wales so I stick to fm or my phone media