How are FM station artwork logos being displayed on new car radios??

[teckniqs]

Been having a little discussion with a few people about this recently and I'd really like to get to the bottom of this!

....So, last week a pal bought a brand new car (a Citroën of all choices!) and when he scans through the FM radio (sorry let me just repeat FM, not DAB) various received FM station artwork logos appear when you are either tuned into the station or looking at the available local stations which come on as buttons like automatic presets. Not all logos seem to appear for every station but he even says some pirate logos show as well!

Now, ....much like 'RDS' he is absolutely convinced that the logo artwork is being transmitted via the FM 87.5 to 108.0 MHz to the car's FM radio receiver in order for the station logos to appear but I know for a fact and have promised him that this is in no way possible and the station logos are appearing another way!

....But how??????? ....Bluetooth paired with phone? ......Built in 3G/4G broadband???
Someone put my mind at rest please!

[yellowbeard]

Have a look at answer #12 on this page:
https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussio ... b-displays
and at this page - though it's not about citroéns.
https://media.info/radio/how-to/radio-s ... koda-radio
The logos may not be being broadcast at all, or it could be HD Radio - which is a bit swanky (expensive) for pirates...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio

[Polecat]

This was debated on one of the US forums some time ago after someone went for a ride in a VW. They concluded the logos are loaded at the factory, same as yellowbeard's link.

[mpx]

You can download logo packs from https://www.radiodns.uk/logos

[Albert H]

Yep They're pre-loaded by the manufacturers. I've had logos ever since the second service on my 2019 Audi S3. There was a "software upgrade" pack applied by the garage. Ever since then, I've had station logos on the dashboard pop-up panel when listening to the radio. It works on both FM and DAB, and I appear to have logos for four countries installed!

[sinus trouble]

There is no question that any type of data can be transmitted via radio..... Assuming there is a receiver to decode it!

As mentioned here, I doubt that is the case! I could be wrong? But i believe basic LCD displays and RDS use a universal code known as ASCII which is a set template of characters.

Certain 'Smart' receivers could be collecting data from the Internet once a connection is established? A bit like what Windows Media player does to your MP3 files

[Albert H]

That would be too much hassle, Sinus. You're right - they could download logos if you listened via a 'net connection, but I was interested in the data that my car audio system contained, and downloaded the contents of the memory. There are about 120 logos in there!

[teckniqs]

Yep They're pre-loaded by the manufacturers. I've had logos ever since the second service on my 2019 Audi S3. There was a "software upgrade" pack applied by the garage. Ever since then, I've had station logos on the dashboard pop-up panel when listening to the radio. It works on both FM and DAB, and I appear to have logos for four countries installed!

The thing that's confused me the most about this is my pal claims that Point Blank 90.2's logo showed up on his radio but when I asked him to show me on a video it didn't show up, and the only pirate that showed a logo wasn't displaying the right logo which was Citylock 89.4 and it was saying Fusion FM (can't remember what freq).
.....And Central London CR station Resonance 104.4 was displaying a Branch FM logo which is on 101.8 from Dewsbury, W Yorks.

....I was just confused because if they are all preloaded then there's no way Point Blank's logo would have sliipped it's way through with them, I think he was just mistaken and their logo didn't show because how could it??

[BriansBrain]

I recall some company contacted me a year ago asking if I would like my station Logo to go into the Database

But because I'm a pirate station I declined

My RDS is just a simple BRIAN

And everyone loves it

Brian - Car @ 32C-S.jpg

[g33ky]

I recall some company contacted me a year ago asking if I would like my station Logo to go into the Database

But because I'm a pirate station I declined

My RDS is just a simple BRIAN

And everyone loves it

Brian - Car @ 32C-S.jpg

Fuck me I wouldn't survive in that heat, much prefer the cool temps of winter.

[BriansBrain]

Fuck me I wouldn't survive in that heat, much prefer the cool temps of winter.

I was born in Manchester then moved with my parents to North Wales when I was 14
Lived and froze to death there till 1990 when I moved to Gran Canaria

Love the climate

I would not move back for any amount of money