Internet Radio is an audio broadcasting service transmitted via the Internet. There are now over 14,000 stations available. To find these stations by just browsing on the web would take forever, so the Alto and Tube radios have a simple search by “Country” and “Genre” feature. You can also register the radio via the www.reciva.com web radio portal, and create you own playlists.
The easiest way to listen to Internet Radio is with a WiFi Internet Radio. The Alto and Tube pick up stations streamed on the Internet via a wireless (WiFi) broadband connection. The radio searches and connects to your home SSID which is broadcast from the ADSL wireless router. The user connects in the same way as you would a laptop. Key in a WEP, or WPA code to secure the connection. Once you have found your favourite stations, you can save them on the 10 preset channels, just like any traditional radio.
Not if the hotspot requires a uid and password. Internet Radios are primarily designed for the home (wireless) broadband consumer. That said, Farnell Wireless sees great potential for Internet Radio in schools for language training. Please contact us if you are a school or higher education establishment
No. This is a pure WiFi based solution for the Alto Radio, and in the case of the Tube, you have the additional option of connecting an ADSL Ethernet line.
Yes! You can synchronize and stream all your favourite (unprotected) music files in MP3 and AAC format across your PAN (Personal Area Network) via the Wireless router. You need to press the Media Player function on your radio menu and then search for your PC/laptop. Make sure you set your Music files folder to “share”. This is a great feature for opening up your digital music library to other areas of the home, or creating playlists for a party. Using the Media Player also does not consume Internet bandwidth.
Well its certainly true that bandwidth in South Africa is relatively expensive but pricing is coming down, and the international capacity links such as the forthcoming www.seacom.mu undersea cable will improve connection speeds. Its also important not to confuse video streaming, which requires a minimum of 512kbps for a quality picture, and the typical radio stream which is 64kbps, which will deliver FM quality sound. You could listen to BBC Radio 1 (Real Audio) at 64 kbps in South Africa for 37 hours before consuming a 1 GBit token (or less than 2.00 Rand an hour based on Telkom’s current pricing of 70.00 Rand per Gbit). A relatively small price to pay for on demand access to the world’s premium radio content.
There is a myriad of different stations now broadcasting on the web, along with podcasts. The beauty of the digitization and indexation of this content, is that if you missed your favourite play, or talk show, on many stations you can now access archived material. One of the best examples of breadth and depth of radio content is from the BBC. Go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio For those who like to search by genre take a look at www.shoutcast.com Other popular music radio portals are www.totallyradio.com and www.live365.com. For the latest personalization web sites, try www.last.fm/listen or www.thelounge.com.
Currently through MWeb’s online shop www.mweb.co.za and there are plans to offer the radios through a major technology retailer in South Africa soon.
Any other questions? Go to the Contact Us page. Email your question and we will respond promptly.