MUNICH � At the recent 2017 WorldDAB Automotive event, speakers from automotive manufacturers, regulators and the broadcast industry gathered to discuss the growing adoption of DAB radio in the car.
Attendees saw the results from research WorldDAB and its members have undertaken into the digital radio user experience in cars, a new study.
DAB CAR-RADIO ADOPTION
In 2016, 4.6 million new cars were sold with DAB across Germany, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland Denmark and Australia � up nearly 40% over 2015. In Norway, 98% of new cars are fitted with DAB as standard equipment; the UK is at 87% and Switzerland stands at 66%.�
In Germany, DAB+ coverage has reached 96% of the population. A second national commercial multiplex has just been awarded and a major DAB+ marketing campaign from ARD and Deutschlandradio is running across the country.
During the event, new research into the user experience of in-car digital radio was announced by the WorldDAB Automotive User Experience Group. The research asked consumers how easy it is to find and start the DAB radio and search for stations, along with their understanding of DAB terminology and services. (The press release can be found here.) Carried out in, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Belgium, the research asked 40 consumers about their experience of in-car digital radio. Key findings include:
- Drivers love digital radio and prefer the experience to FM radio
- Drivers expect a great user interface which is easy to use
- To search for stations, an A-Z station list offers the best user experience
- Some digital radio terms are confusing for drivers
- Having a radio button is the best way to access DAB/DAB+
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This is the first research of its kind on the user experience of digital radio in the car. The automotive industry has been supporting this work through the WorldDAB UX Group and initial reaction to the research has been positive.
JATO Dynamics, VDA Germany, CAP HPI, Glass’ Automotive Australia and DAB Italia conducted the research on sales of cars with DAB.�
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