DAB+ pilot project kicks off in East Belgium
The stations will start broadcasting on DAB+ on Oct. 1
In:Quality has been helping Radio France tackle the requirements for its on-air talent to work from home during the pandemic.
According to the company, Radio France targeted its new USB SIP codec as a potential solution to get its presenters up and running from home. “All they needed,” explains the firm, “was the codec, a broadband internet connection and a USB mic.”
The Radio France Innovation department invited In:Quality to collaborate and run tests for connecting to the broadcaster’s in-house SIP service. They worked together via the broadcaster’s open-innovation program, Sandbox.
“It has been very useful to receive feedback from Radio France’s on-air staff via their Sandbox program. Because the USB SIP Codec device is software-based, we have been able to respond quickly to the feedback, and have just released an update to the firmware,” said Kevin Leach, In:Quality’s founding director.
Improvements to the firmware included a clock on the screen and the ability to mute the microphone. The company says it also improved layout and error handling.
“In a matter of weeks, we’ve been able to deliver an order of a substantial number of devices to Radio France, along with the requested additional features,” explained Leach.
In:Quality is in the final prototyping stages for new and improved cases for the USB SIP Codec. One version will be updated with “neater ports and branding.”
The other new version will include XLR sockets for connecting analog microphones or hooking up to a studio mixer’s line level connectors. They are targeted to be ready by the end of 2020.
