Digital Radio Delay

[Markarian421]

In case you were thinking of taking your Land Cruiser to the drive in . . .



It's less of a delay than in our 2023 Volvo, but probably still enough to make you feel like the movie you're watching is dubbed!

 

[ultane]

My GF and I drive down to Blue Ridge Ga. to the Swan Drivein Theater from time to time. I have never noticed what you have documented, in Miss Daisy. I couldn’t watch a movie like that.

The Swan Drivein has little radios, about 3”-4” inches cubed, that you can put on your dashboard if you don’t want to take a chance on your car battery going flat listening to the movie through our radio. I just leave Miss Daisy’s engine running, and let it cycle on and off during the movie.

 

[Markarian421]

One thing I wondered after I did this test was whether the station I was listening to was digital/HD. The portable radio would have been playing the analog signal. I need to recheck that. If there’s no delay on analog stations then that’s good news.

 

[Markarian421]

I shut off HD radio, and also tried a station that doesn't broadcast in HD. In both cases there was still a delay.

 

[Markarian421]

Following up, I confirmed this at the drive in last night. I shut off HD (the drive in recommends this) and there was still a delay and the experience of hearing things from everyone else's cars before ours. It makes me wonder if the HD isn't actually shutting off (maybe I need to shut off and restart the entertainment system for it to take)? We took along portable radios and headphones just in case and ended up using those.

 

[ultane]

The other night, we drove down to the Swan Drivein. While waiting for the first feature to start, I found something printed on the little brochure that they handed us, that if there was a synchronization problem with our car radios, to let them know, and they would get it sorted out. Ours was fine, but my point is, this must be a known problem. Maybe ask the management at the Drivein that you go to.