Almost all the best processing these days is software-based. Some give you an EXE/container to install, and others give you a $20k box running a locked down OS, but regardless it’s just software.
StereoTool is maybe the most capable processor in the world. It’s just software that’ll run on a CPU.
Not sure if Orban still have DSP chips in any of their products, but Omnia certainly don’t.
I do wonder if anyone will start incorporating GPUs into their processing 
That was my experience when I went there last year too. No 32 kbps stations, a lot in 128 kbps.
Same thing in Paris too.
Bear in mind UK DAB is AAC, not HE-AAC like we have in Australia. AAC needs a lot more bits compared to HE-AAC.
London has 6 or more multiplexes for DAB/DAB+ whereas we only have 2 or 3 in our state capitals.
The Only way we can Consider Commerical Radio Australia for HE-AAC to be Adopted is by Writing to Them, Also we’ve gotta consider to the ACMA that 209-230 MHz must get Used for DAB+ once DVB-T2 is officially Adopted for Television in Australia to allow more Frequencies.
Kudos where it’s due. SCA have done a great job with Heart, and especially Heart Hits. The 70s to 90s format is excellent and you can pretty much leave it on all day. Its an excellent Classic Hits station.
I agree on Heart Hits - I just don’t get that not being the core Heart station.
Heart itself seems a lot less focused, which is strange for the thing to build a brand around.
The “no talk” stuff they promote is also a shame, I think the station would be helped by some low key back announcing, the fact that the AI announcer stuff on Spotify is popular makes me think people like hearing a voice between songs, and is something that would make it feel more like a radio station, which given how they want to push Heart as a brand alongside Hit and Triple M would be valuable.
Musically though, Heart Hits is bang on.
I prefer the no talk, more music. There is a ton of talk on Gold, with Smooth having limited talk, so it’s a point of difference to have no talk on both of the Heart stations.
I’m sure they will do well, better than MMM 70s managed anyway.
Yes, they’ve created a near perfect playlist that’s for sure.
I’m struggling to see what makes Heart stand out.
If the idea is “no talk, no news,” that’s fine , but when I get into my car (which is where most radio listening happens), why would I choose Heart over Apple Music or Spotify?
Streaming services already learn my preferences, build personalized stations, and have no ads (so far, I haven’t heard any on Heart, but I assume they’ll appear eventually). And if I don’t like a song, I can just flick my steering wheel control to skip it. in my new MG EV, that’s literally a thumb movement.
To be honest, “jukebox” stations that just play song after song (which are everywhere on DAB) don’t offer anything I can’t get from my own playlists or streaming apps. With Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now standard in most cars, and with users having plenty of mobile data that kind of format just doesn’t cut it anymore, especially when there are 20 other stations doing the same thing.
So what’s the reason to tune in? Give me something extra - hourly news, quick traffic updates, a bit of local flavor. You already produce news content, so why not use it?
I wonder if heart is something they may do with 2dayfm as a relaunch. Not sure how much crossover with triple m.
A good, well programmed music station still beats the algorithms for mine, but I agree probably not for most people. Local content is important for radio.
Something like @MrX ’Station X’ is primarily a non stop music station but does include AIR News on the hour plus a few feature shows, and the music is well programmed.
Not all is as it seems. Check out the book Mood Machine by Liz Pelly. The goal with streaming apps, especially Spotify, is not actually to recommend you new music it thinks you will like but to over time steer you to music it is cheaper for them to provide.
This is why there are so many more fake and AI artists than there used to be. They are trying to subtly but meaningfully make your life worse and blander. They dont want you to actually have the joy of genuine discovery anymore, which radio still offers. They make you feel like you’re getting a “personalised” experience but it’s actually something like endlessly looking into a mirror with a bit of distortion on it. What this personalisation actually means is pigeonholing you and siloing you off. Ironically you will always have a more personalised experience with something that is not collecting data on you at all, because it is one human’s curation and that is where the genuine personal touch will always lie.
You’re not wrong that a lot of radio is getting lazy, especially on DAB, but all the above is why I persist with it. Community radio is my preference most of the time because it is so personal.
Agree 100%. That’s why I persist with community radio and the likes of Breeze and Rebel. Even though I’ve got YT Music Premium I still find I hear songs on those stations that my extensive playlists and suggestions on streaming can’t match. I also agree the music suggestions on streaming try to steer you to new music. YT Music even kind of tries to hide your existing playlists and you have to “insist” on it playing them if that’s what you’re wanting.
DAB radio is lazy. While the new Heart stations are pretty good, there’s not a lot of “wow” songs. The playlist on Heart Hits is as straight as an arrow. I can’t really listen for too long. But I can listen to Breeze literally all day, and also Rebel if I’m in that mood.
If Today AF fails, I’d blow up 104.1FM and relaunch as Heart104.1 Sydney. Become where smooth95.3 should’ve remained.
I can’t see this happening, as SCA still need a competitor to Nova and KIIS and besides, the HIT DAB extensions have large audiences (close to a million listeners if you add them all together).
Now that Gold is national, Heart and Heart Hits can provide SCA with a strong third national brand.
Yeah I didn’t really see much inspiring in the Heart Hits list. You should sample Forever Classic 70s, probably the most adventurous DAB+ station out there (though it now has an 88.0 repeater in Goulburn). NIGE! in Canberra is also quite good, basically like Brian FM in NZ (he should be paying Brian and Jack some royalties!)
By the way, on DAB+ in Melbourne, what is the difference between VA Radio and VA IRIS?
They seem to be the same thing to me
It’s pretty good. it would be good if the forever classic mob had one channel could cover multiple decades playing rarer tracks their main channels don’t play. This is where I think the 2sm dab space could have more freedom as I think the music stations probably prefer you to listen to main station.
