PCs will be able to receive digital audio broadcasting signals through a software decoder recently demonstrated by London-based RadioScape Ltd, reports Electronic Engineering Times. The software could remove what could be a prohibitive cost barrier to the introduction of Europe’s digital audio broadcasting system, now ratified as an ITU standard. Trial DAB broadcasts are already underway, but the market could be slow to take off as consumers resist the need to buy expensive digital radio receivers. The RadioScape software replaces the baseband digital modem chips used in the radios, but would also need add-in cards or PCMCIA cards for the radio frequency receiver front-end hardware. The software could prove useful to Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp, who are lobbying automobile manufacturers to include in-car computers with their future vehicles.
