In partnership with the Canadian Communications Research Center (CRC) and Global Labs in the UK, the EBU has integrated a full digital radio chain, which is both hybrid and multiplatform. The system can be used for demonstrations, experimentation and the development of new radio services. A new EBU Technical Review article explains what the EBU system includes and how it has been built.
Flexible platform
According to Mathias Coinchon (EBU), a key objective of building the platform was to allow content creators to combine audio with visual elements and metadata and to adapt the content for broadcasting to different platforms, such as FM, DAB, DRM, and WiFi Radio. He said: "We wanted to show this is not hard to do and that broadcasters can benefit a lot from existing components, such as the gnuradio and CRC-mmb Tools software. I think we have succeeded." Demonstrations |
A good way to test the viability of developments like these is to test them at public events. The radio system is no exception and has been used at various shows already since its first demonstration at IBC 2010. The latest real-world use was at the Geneva Motor Show 2011, where special radio services were provided for different car manufacturers. Although very succesful, Mathias underlines the platform is not a turnkey solution for radio production: "The EBU is not intending to sell any products or services. The project is meant to show what can be done and trigger ideas for new radio services. We encourage anybody who is interested to build upon our work, which we provide freely, but without documentation and support."
For more information on this topic, contact: Mathias Coinchon (EBU).