Aldi Internet Radio - 16th Aug

Johnny Storm

Apparently a "radio" that uses your wireless internet connection to play internet radio channels. €100.

http://www.aldi.ie/special_buys/product_332.html

I've never heard of this species of yoke before. It seems pretty cool to me but I'm sure cooler and wiser heads will prevail. Your thoughts appreciated.;)

Gran Hermano

Buy it and if it doesn't work or do what you want bring it back
within a month for a refund. Usually you have 30 days with Aldi
to return for a refund without any hassle or quibbles.

ro1798

i have one, the wireless radio thing.. not this model but they are a great idea... you get all channels that broadcast on the internet.... works great and is wireless or cable connected

Tav

Wouldn't be just cheaper to use winamp/itunes?? :eek:

FrankGrimes

The advantage of this type of device is that you can listen to the Internet radio while your computer is switched off.

I have a similar one called a Roku/Soundbridge M1000 (I think) and it's class - means I can just walk into the kitchen in the morning and switch on Internet radio. Add in MP3 playback when the PC is on (or if I add a NAS drive I could listen to MP3s while PC is off), and its not hard to see the benefits.

I use a wired connection to my LAN for mine cos I just don't find wireless to be reliable enough, and would think about adding one of these Tevion ones if I could confirm it also had a wired connection.

taung

I believe that these radios have software provided by Reciva. Out of curiousity (and more than a bit off-thread), here is a list of the most popular internet radio broadcasts from Ireland, according to Reciva;

click here

Interesting to see that FM104 is bringing up the rear and Midwest/Highland are up near the top......

DonJose

I'm happy with my FM Transmitter, costs a lot less than the gadge above, amazon uk have a good selection

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-2379766-0070204?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=FM+Transmitter&Go.x=13&Go.y=12

dal

DonJose wrote:

I'm happy with my FM Transmitter, costs a lot less than the gadge above, amazon uk have a good selection

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/202-2379766-0070204?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=FM+Transmitter&Go.x=13&Go.y=12

It costs a lot less because it does something completely different.

Does anyone who has one know how long it takes to actually "boot up" (ie from when you switch it on to when the first station starts to play).

Zilog

I see PC World/Currys/Dixons in the UK offer a similar internet radio, the Logik IR100, sans the FM, for about £50 sterling, would work out about €80 if rip-off Ireland doesn't apply.
Has anyone noticed if the Irish stores have them on-offer in Ireland before I brave the M50? Looked at them last year, they were about €150.

quigo

I have one one of these hooked to the tv

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/tunecenter/

Not quite the same tech but does a similar job, the stations are ready after about 10sec of syncing. This probably isn't helped by being attached to the router by a 10m cable.

Like the look of the Roku SoundBridge more than the aldi one.

GerardKeating

Zilog wrote:

I see PC World/Currys/Dixons in the UK offer a similar internet radio, the Logik IR100, sans the FM, for about £50 sterling, would work out about €80 if rip-off Ireland doesn't apply.
Has anyone noticed if the Irish stores have them on-offer in Ireland before I brave the M50? Looked at them last year, they were about €150.

they were €110ish a few weeks ago, and dog slow changing station.

Vmaxer

GerardKeating wrote:

they were €110ish a few weeks ago, and dog slow changing station.

I just rang Currys in Swords and the Ir100 is listed there at €129, rip off Ireland alright..

Vmaxer

Though a trip up to Newry will get You the Ir100 for £49 and the have them in stock..

Johnny Storm

FWIW the Logik IR100 seems to be mono, Aldi one is stereo.

Zilog

Dubsmax wrote:

Though a trip up to Newry will get You the Ir100 for £49 and the have them in stock..

Be a good opportunity to test that new bit of motorway alright, thanks!

TheDriver

Do they work with security enabled wireless network

dal

TheDriver wrote:

Do they work with security enabled wireless network

Yes.

MisterAnarchy

Interesting ,I've been after something like this for a while but was put off by the rip off prices for a decent one.
Alot of these internet radios only allow you access to subscription services and dont include the main stations ,i.e BBC R1,2Fm etc.
It supports Real formats so thats promising .
This one seems to access all the true radio channels so I think I'll get one.
Knowing my luck all the fecking scavengers will snap them all up.

degsie

TBH a modded xbox with xbmc will do a lot better job in terms of streaming radio and a whole lot more...;)

eth0_

dal wrote:

It costs a lot less because it does something completely different.

Does anyone who has one know how long it takes to actually "boot up" (ie from when you switch it on to when the first station starts to play).

I got the Dixon Logik branded one for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE it.
When you turn it on from cold (i.e. plug it into the wall and turn it on) it takes maybe 15 seconds to boot up. Mine boots Linux on an ARM processor.

But you're going to be turning it on from standby 99% of the time, so it switches on instantly.

It can be slow find a station because Revica software updates the list of stations a lot of the time when you go into the station lookup. However, anyone with sense is going to use the preset buttons (there are 5) to save their favourite channels.

Actually connecting to a station depends on the quality of the stream. Connecting to a BBC radio stream, for instance, takes 3-5 seconds to start playing once i hit the preset. Connecting to LBC London takes 10-15 seconds at times because they obviously don't have the capacity.

In addition to this, there is the 'My streams' feature on the Reciva site. When you register your radio on here, you can create your own radio stations. For instance, if you listen to stations that use a .pls format and aren't on the Reciva list, you can add them here, and then after rebooting your radio, 'My streams' will show up in your radio menu. Simple!

Your Reciva radio will also connect to any UPnP shares, so you can listen to the music on your computer/network attached storage, and create playlists etc.

I absolutely love these radios and would recommend them 100%!
The ALDI one does look quite bulky though, and by adding an FM aeriel they are somewhat missing the point. I would recommend the Logik radio - you can get them on eBay for around £30.

eth0_

degsie wrote:

TBH a modded xbox with xbmc will do a lot better job in terms of streaming radio and a whole lot more...;)

You're completely missing the point of this radio. XBMC is all well and good, but this is more for the kitchen/conservatory/bedroom, when you want to listen to high quality radio without booting up an xbox or a computer.

MisterAnarchy

eth0_ wrote:

I would recommend the Logik radio - you can get them on eBay for around £30.

Are you sure ,they seem alot higher than that .

eth0_

Sorry you're right. Here's a buy it now one for £39.99 though:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Logik-IR100-WiFi-Internet-Radio-Audio-Streamer-Wi-Fi_W0QQitemZ150149837740QQihZ005QQcategoryZ96955QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

FrankGrimes

eth0_ wrote:

Sorry you're right. Here's a buy it now one for £39.99 though:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Logik-IR100-WiFi-Internet-Radio-Audio-Streamer-Wi-Fi_W0QQitemZ150149837740QQihZ005QQcategoryZ96955QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks like the P&P for that one would be about £20, which is ridiculous when you consider the weight of it and what it will actually cost the seller. Guess that's my main beef with eBay and not specific to that seller though....I just find the postage prices to be absolute rip-off, must be where sellers make a lot of their profit.

That does look like a handy enough device though. I doubt it's as good as the Roku, which functions well and just absolutely looks the business, but it still looks a good deal for the price. What is the quality of the inbuilt speaker like?

Does it also take a wired ethernet connection?

I've been trying to find threads on these type of players but can't seem to find many on boards - does anyone know where they're hiding?

Zilog

FrankGrimes wrote:

I've been trying to find threads on these type of players but can't seem to find many on boards - does anyone know where they're hiding?

Don't know any threads on boards.ie, but here's a good page on the IR100:
http://logikir100.tripod.com/Logik.htm

Gives a few 'hacks', including connecting to a wired internet connection using a USB to ethernet module. I figure connecting the IR100 to a stereo amp/input would be easy enough too, as there's a 3.5mm headphone jack at the rear, so use a 3.5mm to 2-phono lead.

Still, be nice to get a reasonably priced one locally without resorting to a trip to Newry!

leex

Anybody buy the Aldi radio - is it worth getting?

lasno

Got one this morning. Have not tried internet side yet but the FM radio works fine. Only drawback I find is that it only works from mains via a supplied power unit. No battery facility.

GerardKeating

lasno wrote:

Got one this morning. Have not tried internet side yet but the FM radio works fine. Only drawback I find is that it only works from mains via a supplied power unit. No battery facility.

does it have a enternet port, it addition to the wireless link?

lasno

No facility for ethernet connection just wireless.

nicelives

lasno wrote:

No facility for ethernet connection just wireless.

The reception of wifi isn't too strong either, I know the signal is weak around where I work but it's enough to work off a laptop, will have a better idea when I get home this evening, maybe with Internet Radios, the acceptable wifi strength needs to be stronger as it's about streaming rather than a signal coming and going, like the unit though. Worked fine nearer the router and was listening to Australian radio as a test.

leex

Bought one in Galway (Headford Rd) at lunchtime. About 6 of them left. It's small but in a positive sense. Connected to wireless network using WPA and browsed stations without looking at manual - very easy to use.

You can browse over 6000 stations on the unit by browsing by genre or country. You can also register on the RECIVA site with the serial number of your radio. Stations can be browsed and linked to your profile here. When you select "My stations" on the radio it pulls these down over the net - very impressive.

It also picks up shares on your network containing music - didn't play much with this yet - so far very impressed.

maximus02

Hi

I bought one of these today and it seems to work fine.

However I can only get the media player to work if I de-activate my AVG firewall.

Would anyone know what I need to change in AVG to allow this device to work with firewall activated?

Thanks in advance.

Max

TJM

The easiest way is to set the firewall to alert you when it blocks a connection and then simply authorise the application(s) which start popping up when you run the local software & save as permanent rule. Covered in detail (for a different program) here:
http://www.incrediblecharts.com/help_troubleshooting/ic_avg_firewall.htm

banchang

All sold out

Can anyone recommend something similar from Komplett/eBay etc ?

Dont like the sound of the mono only Logik - anything similar to the Aldi out there ? Liked that it had FM also

Bald? er, dash!

Am looking for a solution for my garage, and preferrably with built-in speaker (the Roku's require an external receiver/powered speakers). For anyone who's bought the Aldi jobby, what music server software is required for the unit to playback files stored on a pc. I have three Roku Soundbridges in the house at the moment which are served by Firefly (mt-daapd) on an Unslung NSLU2 and would prefer to stick with one server if possible.

The lack of ethernet on the Aldi model is a drawback... streaming high bitrate (>320kbps) mp3 over wifi can be trying at times...

Any other alternatives?????

dojo

This is a great machine, the Reciva system and price encouraged me to buy it, but the wifi signal is brutal!

If i go more than 6 foot away from the wifi router the stations stop playing, so I had a look inside there's a wlan usb stick (no cover) sitting there sandwiched between two plated PCBs.

So I ran a USB extension lead out of the usb socket and put the stick into the other end and got better results but only another 10 foot away. I've tried this with two different wlan routers and got similar results.

So it's back to the shop for this one, I could put a USB to Ethernet adapter on it, but going wired kinda defeats the work of Marconi and all the other wireless enthusiasts.

My mate has one and is not having the same problems, so I'd say it's defective.

dojo

This is a great machine, the Reciva system and price encouraged me to buy it, but the wifi signal is brutal!

If i go more than 6 foot away from the wifi router the stations stop playing, so I had a look inside there's a wlan usb stick (no cover) sitting there sandwiched between two plated PCBs.

So I ran a USB extension lead out of the usb socket and put the stick into the other end and got better results but only another 10 foot away. I've tried this with two different wlan routers and got similar results.

So it's back to the shop for this one, I could put a USB to Ethernet adapter on it, but going wired kinda defeats the work of Marconi and all the other wireless enthusiasts.

My mate has one and is not having the same problems, so I'd say it's defective.

leex

I have a Linksys router in the attic of a bungalow. The radio happens to be in a room under it. Maybe 15ft away from it currently and it works fine. When I get a chance I will try radio on other side of house and report back.

I have connected the headphone socket of the radio to the aux input of a mini hifi and the sound is very good.

Someone asked about what file server it uses. I only briefly tried it. It will pick up shares on other pc's on your network. I had one album that was legally downloaded but it didn't seem to like that - possibly DRM issue. There was MS Windows music files on another share and it played them no bother. It also uses Windows Media Player 11 to act as a UPnP server - I suspect the downloaded album should work on this - hadn't time to try this out yet.

craichoe

The nokia 770 internet tablet is much better than this, wireless range is great and you have a proper interface to listen to whatever streams you want.

Its instant on and about the same price, plug it into your Hi-Fi

dal

craichoe wrote:

The nokia 770 internet tablet is much better than this, wireless range is great and you have a proper interface to listen to whatever streams you want.

Its instant on and about the same price, plug it into your Hi-Fi

The 770 doesn't support windows streaming media, which unfortunately quite a lot of stations use. I can't listen to todayfm on mine for example (I think newstalk is also a no-go).

Bald? er, dash!

Hmmmm, Nokia 770 doesn't have built in speaker or ethernet AFAIK... nice looking device though, also not sure about the proprietary software

dal

Bald? er, dash! wrote:

Hmmmm, Nokia 770 doesn't have built in speaker or ethernet AFAIK... nice looking device though, also not sure about the proprietary software

It does have a speaker but not ethernet. In my opinion it would not be suitable for use as a dedicated wireless internet radio (although I sometimes use it for this purpose).

Bald? er, dash!

Ok, was talking about a proper speaker which could be heard from, say 10 - 15 ft, not a little built in micro speaker....

dal

Bald? er, dash! wrote:

Ok, was talking about a proper speaker which could be heard from, say 10 - 15 ft, not a little built in micro speaker....

The sound from it is not actually that bad, but as I said it's not suitable for use as a dedicated wireless internet radio.

leex

Shared my windows media player music library tonight and the radio picked it up fine. It looks like DRM protection is an issue but cd's I own, which I ripped to hard disc, play fine. One can browse by artist, album etc. Excellent. Bit rate was 128kbps.

bmaxi

Anybody got any feedback on this? I bought one and at first it seemed to work perfectly but now it drops stations after a few seconds (mostly on BBC if that's relevant) but works OK on others. Very impressive when it is working but this drop off is a pain in the ar*e. I'm just wondering if this is a problem with BBC or is the unit faulty.

Johnny Storm

bmaxi wrote:

Anybody got any feedback on this? I bought one and at first it seemed to work perfectly but now it drops stations after a few seconds (mostly on BBC if that's relevant) but works OK on others. Very impressive when it is working but this drop off is a pain in the ar*e. I'm just wondering if this is a problem with BBC or is the unit faulty.

I got one but I haven't used it very much. Today I could get it to play BBC Radio 4 "live" but not "on demand". I don't know if thats much help. :rolleyes:

nicelives

I got one but brought it back last Sunday for a refund as it only picked up a strong enough signal in the same room as the router, no real point in that case, pity because I thought the radio was gonna be great.

craichoe

dal wrote:

The sound from it is not actually that bad, but as I said it's not suitable for use as a dedicated wireless internet radio.

Oh .. What i meant is i already have a small Sony micro hi-fi and just plug the Nokia into that.

WMV streams can be played with mplayer no problem. On top of that you can browse a streaming radio site such as shoutcast.com with no problems

Albert09

I bought a OXXdigital internet radio from Aldi but could not play the user guide as it was on a mini-disc which my MacBook will not accept. Happily after a struggle I found the guide on www.oxxdigital.com and could down-load and print pages out. The radio:) works fine but the drawbacks are that connecting can take 3/5 minutes at times; though not always. There are only 4 storage buttons for station selection. Also there is a 15-20 second delay compared with aerial transmission so time checks are not more accurate than this. )http://static.boards.ie/vbulletin/images/smilies/smile.gif

Jonathan

ZOMBIE THREAD!