NXP Unveils the World’s First Single-Chip Solution for In-car Infotainment for All Global Digital and Analogue Broadcast Standards

This year’s CES exhibition in Las Vegas, USA, was the venue for yet another industry first. DRM Consortium member, NXP Semiconductors, unveiled the world’s first single chip solution for in-car infotainment solutions for all global digital and analogue broadcast solutions. The single chip replaces multi chips and is described by Torsten Lehmann, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Car Infotainment and Driver Assistance at NXP, as “a true quantum leap for the industry”, read more.
DRM Capable Transmitters in Kuwait
Another key DRM Consortium member, Ampegon AG, has won a contract with the Al Rashed company to upgrade five analogue shortwave transmitters for the Kuwait Ministry of Information. Three of the transmitters will include full digital DRM integration. Read more Kuwait joins other Middle Eastern countries that also have DRM capable transmitters such as Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Pakistan to Begin First Ever DRM for local coverage (DRM) Tests
Radio Pakistan is in advance preparations to start its first ever DRM+ test transmissions. Radio Pakistan is working in co-operation with Hedra Tech.
DRM a Major Participant at Broadcast Engineering Society (BES - India), New Delhi
The DRM Consortium, its members and partners, will have another strong presence at the 23rd international BES (Broadcasting Engineering Society) conference and exhibition on terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, in New Delhi, India, 2-4 February 2016. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet key members of the Consortium including Ampegon, Communication Systems INC, Fraunhofer IIS, Nautel, NXP and RFmondial.
DRM Test Broadcast from Guam
KTWR Guam will be running DRM test transmissions from 9-13 January and are interested in receiving reports on the broadcasts, mailed to KTWRDRM@twr.org.
DRM Enterprise Award – Africa Region 2017
The DRM Enterprise Award for 2017 will be open to entries from Africa. The DRM Enterprise Award – Africa - is to be presented to an individual or an organisation that has promoted Digital Radio Mondiale successfully, applied innovatively and actively introduced DRM in a specific market.
The winner of the cash prize will be selected by an independent board of specialists, made up of representatives drawn from organisations within the region and representatives of the DRM Consortium.
Previous winners have been the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) and last year’s winners, engineers from Radio Republik of Indonesia, RRI.
For more information contact: projectoffice@drm.org.
How DRM Digital Radio Can Support Disaster Management
Emergencies are comparatively rare but, whenever they strike or threaten to strike, and need to be tackled quickly. Unfortunately, most of the services fail during emergencies and times of crisis: Invariably telephone lines, cell phone towers and Internet go first and even TV succumbs to the failing electricity supply. Radio is the last line of resistance in times of emergency and the obvious solution, as it works on normal or car batteries, and can be served with transmissions from outside the affected area. Radio is truly portable and the radio coverage is available to practically to 100% population of a country. In addition, radio receivers are present everywhere in daily live – from homes to cars to cell phones, ensuring the widest possible reach if required.
DRM supports and provides a fully integrated disaster and early warning service and has all the required tools built-in for a quick and complete mass-notification in case of disasters / catastrophes through its Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) system. This functionality is part of the DRM system specifications, and included in Recommendation ITU-R BS.1114-7 and is a European Telecommunications Standards Institute standard (ES 201 980). Click here to find out more.
The DRM technology could be a major building block of a national emergency warning policy, as it can provide full and continuous services as a last resort potentially even from a remotely located transmitter site. |