Internet radio (Roberts)

MMayweather

Hi everyone

I was planning on purchasing this internet radio -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008R8B8QC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501699723&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=internet+radio&dpPl=1&dpID=41eKwromVwL&ref=plSrch

Does anyone know if I will be able to listen to live sport broadcasts on the BBC or will they block me?

Thanks

Mr Snow

MMayweather wrote: »

Hi everyone

I was planning on purchasing this internet radio -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008R8B8QC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501699723&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=internet+radio&dpPl=1&dpID=41eKwromVwL&ref=plSrch

Does anyone know if I will be able to listen to live sport broadcasts on the BBC or will they block me?

Thanks

bbc and talksport don't allowed you listen to live sport outside uk

Ursus Horribilis

Even vpns work differently between radio apps I've found. I use a Bluetooth radio/speaker and my phone for live games.

byte

Ah, I'd love one of those 93i to replace my older Stream83i (ugly oul' thing too ). Only reason I'd do so is because the 93i supports Spotify, while the old one only supported Last.fm. As well as radio streams, of course!

Great sound from them.

MMayweather

byte wrote: »

Ah, I'd love one of those 93i to replace my older Stream83i (ugly oul' thing too ). Only reason I'd do so is because the 93i supports Spotify, while the old one only supported Last.fm. As well as radio streams, of course!

Great sound from them.

What is the hesitancy about buying one?

byte

MMayweather wrote: »

What is the hesitancy about buying one?

Mostly financial, and the fact the 83 still does most things, bar work with Spotify!

I wouldn't bother with internet radio myself.

Why not just stream radio from your phone using one of the radio apps (eg TuneIn), and link it to a good wireless speaker(s)?

Works well for Spotify too, or even just watching stuff on the TV/laptop.

Ive been out digging the lawn these evenings and connected to the speakers in the garden no problem. There is only a range of 12-15m, but sure if you're any further from them you wouldn't even hear it.

cml387

I have one, it's excellent for what it does.

Sound quality is find and the software seems more robust than my older Roberts internet radio which I still have but is relegated to the kitchen.

I find the phone far too fiddly to use regularly as a radio.

The Black Oil

Have had a Roberts 202 since 2009, can't recall if I had a smartphone then. The software itself has not been updated since 2010 - last time they put out a bulletin about it, iirc. Not that there is much they could do to tweak it. As a device, I really like it. Does what it says on the tin. I'm not a sports fan, but even so some stuff is occasionally blocked on rights grounds - e.g. segments of the Today programme (which is what I wake up to). Not terribly often, though.

Brendan Bendar

Internet radios have ,I'm afraid have 'passed out' by other means of listening.

Bit like the early Nokias ,great in their time but no longer a must.

As the Tyrant said , the phone or pad are just as good or better for listening.

cml387

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Internet radios have ,I'm afraid have 'passed out' by other means of listening.

Bit like the early Nokias ,great in their time but no longer a must.

As the Tyrant said , the phone or pad are just as good or better for listening.

Really?
I press one button to get the radio working.

Or pick up phone, enter unlock code,navigate to radio app, open app, select station , loose connection to bluetooth speaker , wait....

Ursus Horribilis

Not to mention having to make sure there's enough charge in the phone or having to plug it into the wall. And hope nobody rings in the middle of it all.

cml387

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

Not to mention having to make sure there's enough charge in the phone or having to plug it into the wall. And hope nobody rings in the middle of it all.

There was a time that a phone was used to call people, receive calls and maybe text them , as opposed to them now being The Answer To Everything.

I must say I think the internet radio I got was the single most rewarding investment I ever made, at least for under 200 euro.

I never would have heard Classic FM and the pieces of classical music I recognise vaguely but never have been able to name.
Nowadays it sends me to sleep at night, and at weekends the added bonus of Mylene Klass.:)

Also a superb programme of folk music on Saturday evening from WGBH in Boston presented by some Irish guy.

limnam

cml387 wrote: »

There was a time that a phone was used to call people, receive calls and maybe text them , as opposed to them now being The Answer To Everything.

I must say I think the internet radio I got was the single most rewarding investment I ever made, at least for under 200 euro.

I never would have heard Classic FM and the pieces of classical music I recognise vaguely but never have been able to name.
Nowadays it sends me to sleep at night, and at weekends the added bonus of Mylene Klass.:)

Also a superb programme of folk music on Saturday evening from WGBH in Boston presented by some Irish guy.

Agreed, got a PURE internet radio in the early 2000's and it's been in use pretty much every day since.

Anyway the Nokia 6310i from 2002 sounds better than most smart-phones today :pac:

Malmsteen

I have an Roberts Stream 105 which I have had a number of years now. Bought it to listen to all my favourite stations from the Uk with no problems. Bought a cheap Fm transmitter that plugs straight into the earfone jack so I can tune in Other radios in my house/garage to listen to what ever I am tuned into, would be lost with out this internet radio now so was a great purchase....

Brendan Bendar

Malmsteen wrote: »

I have an Roberts Stream 105 which I have had a number of years now. Bought it to listen to all my favourite stations from the Uk with no problems. Bought a cheap Fm transmitter that plugs straight into the earfone jack so I can tune in Other radios in my house/garage to listen to what ever I am tuned into, would be lost with out this internet radio now so was a great purchase....

Could you go into a bit more detail on how that Fm transmitter thing operates.

Not technical, just a bit more info as I would be interested if it suited my set up.

Have a Roberts stream 202, great little item.

Tks

Malmsteen

You can buy them cheaply on reputable websites
Just plug it into the eaphones port on your device like you would a pair of earphones, select a frequency on the digital read out and then tunes your other radios to that frequency thats it simples......

RubyRoss

I'm definitely going to get an internet radio but don't know much about them.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to easily access Irish FM stations (Radio 1, Newstalk); BBC (Radio 3, 4, Five Live); and automatically download podcasts (Damn Interesting, This American Life). Is that possible?

Currently, I use the phone for BBC and other podcasts, but it's cumbersome.

The main advantage of internet radio will be never having to wake up to RTE's Sunday Miscellany ever again.

Comhrá

RubyRoss wrote: »

I'm definitely going to get an internet radio but don't know much about them.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to easily access Irish FM stations (Radio 1, Newstalk); BBC (Radio 3, 4, Five Live); and automatically download podcasts (Damn Interesting, This American Life). Is that possible?

Currently, I use the phone for BBC and other podcasts, but it's cumbersome.

The main advantage of internet radio will be never having to wake up to RTE's Sunday Miscellany ever again.

Or even worse.......'World affairs' if you have to wake up at 8am on Sunday mornings.
Stories about general elections in places like Democratic Republic of Congo, or the rhino horn trade in Kenya or civil unrest in South America.

I have a Roberts i93 which is a great radio but the software seems a bit glitchy at times. Occasionally when I turn off the radio, I find both alarms get cancelled about once a month or so, making it absolutely necessary to check they're still displayed on the screen after tuning off the radio. It had two software updates but I still notice occasional lapses of function.

RubyRoss

Comhra wrote: »

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Or even worse.......'World affairs' if you have to wake up at 8am on Sunday mornings.

I'm rarely awake to hear World Affairs, but I don't mind it. In general I think Ireland could do with more coverage of world affairs.

Sunday Miscellany is painful though - the stories are nearly always poorly written, poorly told, and uninteresting. And then there's Marian ...

Roberts i93 sounds good. I'd probably keep the old digital alarm clock anyway; it's the only piece of technology that stays alive for decades

wnolan1992

I'll echo recommending an internet radio. I got one at the start of the year and it's hands down the best purchase I've made in a long while.

Mine's an FM/DAB/Internet combo with Bluetooth so it covers all the bases really. I found listening to radio on the phone was very awkward and it drained the battery quite a lot.

What I would say though is, make sure you get a decent brand. Mine's something like "Ocean Digital" or something, and it's lacking a number of ways that are irritating. Like, they use a TFT screen, so if you angle it even slightly you can't see what's going on, and for some bizarre reason there's no way of adjusting the volume of the radio, you've to do that through whatever speakers you're attached to. Not serious problems, but just irksome enough that if I had my time over again I'd be putting up some more money into getting a better model.

The Black Oil

RubyRoss wrote: »

Ideally, I'd like to be able to easily access Irish FM stations (Radio 1, Newstalk); BBC (Radio 3, 4, Five Live); and automatically download podcasts (Damn Interesting, This American Life). Is that possible?

Currently, I use the phone for BBC and other podcasts, but it's cumbersome

I do most of my podcast listening in the car and can't give first hand experience on the radio side. My Roberts can pick up the podcast feeds alright, I wonder about the controls and whether I could pause if I had to go to another room/the bathroom, for example. Or, would I have to restart the episode? I've never really tried it, others here might be able to advise, or else I should RTFM. Just tried it with Car Talk and On Point, the pause button is also preset 4 on mine...doesn't seem to pause and just replaces the preset station with the podcast feed. D'oh.

LordSutch

MMayweather wrote: »

Internet radio (Roberts).

Hi everyone

I was planning on purchasing this internet radio -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008R8B8QC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1501699723&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=internet+radio&dpPl=1&dpID=41eKwromVwL&ref=plSrch

Does anyone know if I will be able to listen to live sport broadcasts on the BBC or will they block me?

Thanks

Would you believe, I actually own one of these, and its a real gem!

Bought it in July in Power City for €169 (now €189) and I'm not disappointed. Does everything I wanted it to do, and lots more too .....

My favourite feature is the 'Undok' app feature which allows you to control the Stream 93i from your smart phone. Favourite stations, Graphic EQ settings, Spotify (premium), DAB-FM-WiFi radio, sleep, wake up, volume, mute etc, so many settings on the app, which means you never really have to touch the radio itself. Another thing that really stands out for me is the sound quality which is very good for a relatively small radio (excellent bass), midrange vocals & top end are also well above average, speaking voices are amazing.

Two things that may escape you are the optional 'external' battery pack + you can also unscrew the telescopic aerial and plug in a coaxial roof aerial for improved FM reception if you wish to do so, but why bother when most if not all the stations are accesable on the internet setting )

I mostly listen to BBC Radio 2/Radio 3/Radio 4/Jazz FM (London) and occasionally Radio 5 live which (sometimes) seems to be off air due to 'broadcasting restrictions' > but I'll need to check that out for you again...

All in all I'd give the Stream 93i 10/10 for being an all round great Radio.

Hope this helps.
Any questions, just ask.

RubyRoss

The Black Oil wrote: »

I wonder about the controls and whether I could pause if I had to go to another room/the bathroom, for example. Or, would I have to restart the episode?

I got the Roberts 93i at the weekend and there's a pause button for podcasts.

So far, I'm delighted with it. There are a few online podcasts it can't pick up as they're not broadcast on any radio station, but it's not a huge deal

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

The UK stations, like BBC5 Live, or SportsExtra, or Talksport are definitely geo-restricted for Live Sports. There's no real way around that for a standalone internet radio.

The Black Oil

RubyRoss wrote: »

I got the Roberts 93i at the weekend and there's a pause button for podcasts.

So far, I'm delighted with it. There are a few online podcasts it can't pick up as they're not broadcast on any radio station, but it's not a huge deal

Just on that, does the 93i allow you to sync to Wi-Fi Frontier? http://www.wifiradio-frontier.com/setupapp/fs/asp/AuthLogin/SignIn.asp

This allows you to set up a favourites folder for stations (I have BBC and NPR ones, saves having to search manually through the device) and also podcasts. Some of the ones you're looking for might available through the link above.

Enjoy the new set.

wnolan1992

Jabari Tasteless Balcony wrote: »

The UK stations, like BBC5 Live, or SportsExtra, or Talksport are definitely geo-restricted for Live Sports. There's no real way around that for a standalone internet radio.

I also had 5 Live Geo-block PMQs once. :pac:

The Black Oil

wnolan1992 wrote: »

I also had 5 Live Geo-block PMQs once. :pac:

That reminds me that the odd element of Today on Radio 4 is sometimes blocked, but it's rare for current affairs.

wnolan1992

The Black Oil wrote: »

That reminds me that the odd element of Today on Radio 4 is sometimes blocked, but it's rare for current affairs.

I assumed at the time it was just a mistake to be honest, I think they were doing a commentary of a game later in the day, so they must've set the geo-block to kick in a bit early.

It did amuse me though to hear the intro to PMQs and then get that looping "Unfortunately, we cannot bring you the current sports commentary on this platform." message. :pac: