'DAB ensembles' are groups of
Digital audio broadcasting broadcasters
transmitting multiple
digital radio channels on a single radio
transmission.
The
digital audio feeds from each
radio station are
multiplexed into one
digital transmission, to be
decoded by the
receiver. While each station can use a different
bitrate, and either
monophonic or
stereophonic (one or two channels of
audio), all stations will have the exact same coverage area. Each ensemble can only have a certain maximum total
bitrate, a sort of "bit
budget" that participating broadcasters must work within. Increasing the number of stations on an ensemble requires lower quality audio, and while increasing audio quality requires removing audio channels.
The
digital television equivalent is called a multiplex, though in some parts of the world,
TV stations use a full channel for their own programming (one
HDTV or multiplexed
SDTV) and do not share with other stations.