What's happened to time check accuracy?

[franzliszt]

Hi all,
I've noticed since the great migration to digital that time checks on the Internet/digital radio are no longer in sync. My DAB radio is about an "apparent" minute behind time checks sourced from the Internet, any comments would be welcome....
FL

[airborne_artist]

I doubt it's a minute behind, but about three seconds would be right. Try switching from analogue TV to digital on the same telly, and you get the last couple of seconds again.

http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/dab.html explains all - it's called progress :E

[Conan the Librarian]

You want to try watching the Test match on Sat TV whilst listening on Radio 4. Same problem.

Conan

PS I wonder if by watching same on Sat and tuning audio via DAB that the delays would synch out? http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/smilies/badteeth.gif
:}

[seacue]

The compression and digitization software takes a while, as does the reconsttitution in your receiver. Transmitted info may be time-spread to handle interference and dropouts - see below.

XM Satellite Radio here in the colonies carries BBC World Service. The top of the hour beep comes out delayed about 14 seconds or so. XM accounts for at least 6 or 8 seconds since they transmit redundant data which carries the signal through dropouts of as much as 3 seconds such as when one drives under a bridge. One's receiver patches it all back together. There's a lot of digital magic in the receiver. One suspects that also applies to the digital services in the UK.