Critical Process Paper - Essay Example

NEW RADIO TECHNOLOGIES OF THE OF THE New Radio Technologies and their Advantages Introduction A radio is defined as thetransmission of electromagnetic waves or signals through the atmosphere from one place to another in a wireless mode. More often than not what is mainly transmitted on the radio waves is information specifically sound. (Starkey, 2011, p. 65)The use of the radio can be traced back to as early as 1897 when it was first invented by a French physicist. The radio gained popularity among its users prompting a number of technological advancements in the field thus better and better forms of the device keep on being offered. However, the radio faces a few challenges from other forms of mass communication with a number of individual perceiving it as a medieval form of mass communication. (Starkey, 2011, p. 87) Among the new technological advancements in the radio industry that has improved its services includes hybrid radio that incorporates both the radio and the internet. When this is done, the radio services can be accessed online. Another aspect of the new technology is the digital radio that has enabled mass production of radio stations increasing coverage of various target audiences. New Radio Technologies C-QUAM This broadcasting method is applied in the United States of America and Canada. The C-QUAM signal is made up of two stages of conversion of sound signals including the quadrature PM version which is compatible and an AM version that is conventional. (Starkey, 2011, p. 97) During the first stage of modulation, a transmitter is connected to the conventional AM. At this stage transmission is done in one way only to ensure all the information fed into the AM is compatible with envelope detector receivers. In the second stage of transmission of data, the conventional AM mono transmitters are replaced with a stereo mixed audio input. This stage of modulation is phase-modulated rather than amplitude modulated. During this stage both the phase and the mixed audio signals are modulated to avoid interfering with the envelope detector receivers. Advantage C-QUAM increases the transmission efficiency as it incorporates both the phase and amplitude variations. Transmission of information is thus at a very high rate. Radio data systems This is a system used in the provision of information on FM broadcasts. Among the services provided by the radio data system include but not limited to type of programs, automatic tuning, tuning of type of program standby announcement of traffic besides name of the program service. The automatic tuning and tuning of the program type are normally applied in the search of a desired radio station by the radio user. Advantages The automatic tuning services enable the listeners to find the stations of their choices very fast thus listening to what they desire. Just like the case in HD radios that offer traffic announcements, the traffic announcements provided by the Radio Data Systems gives updates to the listeners on the weather conditions and states of situations. Digital audio broadcasting This referred to as the digital radio and highradio definition. It serves to convert analog audio signals to digital signals and then transmits then to the required channel. United Kingdom started in 1995 and later was spread to the whole of Europe. It is required that for one to receive the digital signals from the digital audio broadcasting, he must have the digital receiver. From the point source where the signals are released, they are first compressed with the aid of Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) algorithms after which they are modulated using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing that are always coded. Advantages i. The sound produced from digital signals is of very high quality as compared to the conventional analog counterparts. ii. There is a minimal sound decay and divergence effect. The sound is propagated in the intended direction remaining only on a single path. iii. Digital signals are seldom affected by the changes in the weather and conditions of the sort such as noise and any other forms of interference. The sound thus reaches the target audience within the shortest time possible and without any distortion. iv. Digital signals can reach a very large number of people at the same time. This translates to increased audience base from the increased number of stations that are available within a specific band of frequency. HD Radio The HD radio refers to one of the latest technologies deployed by the AM and FM stations in which information is transmitted using digital signals contained within the on-frequency that comes immediately below and above the normal standard of a station ‘s analog signal. In so doing, the HD radio provides two options of listening to the same program. One may choose to listen to the program as an analog radio using the standard quality of sound or as a digital radio that has limited noise. It also provides the opportunity for a one radio station to air more than a program simultaneously besides the program on the analog channel of the radio station. Advantages i. HD Radio technology enables the listeners to continue listening to the local channels with additional services such as iTunes Tagging. This service enables the listener to save a song he likes when he hears the song playing on the local channel. ii. The High Definition Radio also provides entertainment from the Polk Audio which produces very high quality sounds creating a solution to all the entertainment issues from the local channels. iii. With the multicasting services offered by the HD Radio, the listeners are able to listen to a number of channels other than the local channel thereby providing different stations on the same frequency. iv. The digital traffic announcements provided by the HD Radio informs the drivers of the prevailing circumstances on the roads that give them an opportunity to make their travel arrangements. Such information includes weather. v. Channel guide that is one of the services provided by the High Definition Radio technology allows a listener to get to know the programs going at other stations. This allows the listener to find what he would like to listen to. Digital Radio Mondiale The Digital Radio Mondiale is a technology that is devised to work in place of the analog radio broadcasting such as the FM and the AM broadcastings. With the use of the cheap processing power of the computer and limitation in the bandwidth, the central processing units of the computers can be compressed to enable an increased coverage of the use of the limited bandwidths. This forms the basis unto which the Digital Radio Mondiale operates. Advantages of Digital Radio Mondiale The benefits of this technology can be categorized into the various categories of people involved in the use and supply of its services. Listeners i. The listeners can easily tune to the stations of their desire with the Digital Radio Mondiale broadcasting. ii. The listeners have an access to such services as pictures, journals and texts as provided by the broadcasting. iii. Digital Radio Mondiale provides very high quality of sound to the listeners both with the CD and DRM30. Broadcasters i. Digital Radio Mondiale provides a very large audience base thus yielding a lot of revenue to the broadcasters. ii. With Digital Radio Mondiale, there is reduced power consumption as the available range of bandwidths is easily compressed into the central processing unit of a single computer. It is estimated that this mode of broadcasting reduces power consumption to as low as 45%. iii. The broadcasters are able to do multilingual programming and provide additional information to the listeners. Manufacturers i. The manufactures enjoy a wide market base from the increased demand of the Digital Radio Mondiale. ii. Gives the manufacturers an opportunity to venture into new areas with regard to the interest of the listeners. This can be in terms of what the listeners would like to listen. iii. Digital Radio Mondiale has replaced the ancient receivers with new digital receivers as per the new technology. Conclusion The radio industry remain vital for the purposes of the having access to information to every living individual. Such information lets people know of the prevailing circumstances both around them and distant away from them. The various changes in the technology have seen the radio industry not left behind in terms of technology. The above highlighted new technologies have seen the radio industry put to the same level as the other forms of mass communication that preceded the invention of the radio. If it were not for the above new technologies, this industry could remain heard of. There are expected improvements on the already existing technology to see the industry remain technologically relevant and of the target audience. It thus calls for care in the process of adoption of new technology to ensure the taste and preferences of the listeners remain at the center of the operations. This will ensure better and better services are delivered to the listeners who are the dictators of this golden industry. New technologies come with various challenges that need to be considered at the same time to ensure the target and mission of the advancement is met. Bibliography Starkey, G. (2011). Radio Content in the Digital Age: The Evolution of a Sound Medium. Rapid: Intellect Books. Read More