Visual Radio
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Visual radio is a generic term for adding visuals to normal audio radio broadcasts. Visual Radio is a trademark for the Nokia solution for visual radio.
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[edit] Nokia Visual Radio
Visual Radio is a technology developed by Nokia for making easier for audiences to interact with radio programs. Visual Radio is built-in functionality available in an increasing number of phones that are already equipped with analog FM radio (notably the Nokia 3230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 7710, N70, N80 and N91). The interactive visual channel is produced by the radio station. It offers several opportunities for interactivity in radio programming: quizzes, messaging, content download, commerce, etc.
It is important to note that Nokia's Visual Radio is not radio streaming - the audio is received via a regular analog FM radio embedded in the phone. A presentation of graphics and text, synchronized to the audio programming, is being streamed to the phone over a data connection; indeed, the FM transmission chain is unaffected by the addition of Visual Radio.
The platform is composed of three parts:
- A Visual Radio Tool that can be integrated with the radio station's own legacy playout system, so the interactive visual channel created by the radio station's content producers is synchronized with the audio programming.
- A Visual Radio server that handles the two-way traffic between audience and radio stations;
- A Visual Radio client application on the mobile phone, that displays the interactive visual channel and takes care of user interaction.
The Visual Radio platform has been created by Nokia and is offered to radio stations and operators globally by HP. Nokia are making the Visual Radio client available to users of other phones, and have announced that they are producing a Java applet to enable this.
Stations already supporting Visual Radio include the UK's Virgin Radio, Kiss FM in Helsinki, Mediacorp stations in Singapore, and Los 40 Principales in Spain. In India Visual Radio is provided by Radio Mirchi .
[edit] Other forms of visual radio
[edit] spodradio.com
In November 2005, spodradio.com started producing a visual radio service in Germany.
Their version of visual radio uses radio streaming over UMTS, with associated graphics and text sent down the same UMTS connection. A client is available for a user to download and install into their Nokia (series 60) mobile phone.
This product requires no extra infrastructure at the radio station, since it works by using the metatags already present in the internet stream.
[edit] DAB Digital Radio
Visual radio applications are also possible over DAB Digital Radio. Using a technique called MOT Slideshow, visuals can be broadcast within the same data spectrum as the audio. Slideshow-enabled stations are already operating in some parts of the world, including Singapore, where they market this as visual radio.
[edit] Radio Mirchi
The only radio station in India to give access to Visual Radio. It is powered by HP.Currently working in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune with Airtel and Hutch providing this WAP enabled service.
