Key Internet Radio Features:
• Easy access to more than 10,000 worldwide internet radio stations
• Search by country or genre
• Worldwide Podcasts
• Stream your music stored on your PC, MAC or Network Attached Storage (NAS)
• High Network Security

Additional Features:
• Head phone out
• Alarm clock
• 10 Radio station presets
• WIFI connectivity
• Sleep timer

Box Contents:
• Internet radio
• User guide
• Quick guide
• Warranty card
• EU and UK power plug

Technical Specifications

Processor/MEMORY
Chorus 2, 133 MHz
64 MBit Flash & 32 Mbytes SDRAM

Dimensions/Weight
Dimensions: H: 158 mm x L: 120 mm x D: 120 mm
Packaging: H: 207 mm x L: 180 mm x D: 180 mm
Weight: 1 kg
Quantity per master carton: 4 pcs

Speaker
Speaker: 2W mono linear magnetic full range loudspeaker
Audio interfaces: Headphone out (stereo)

Network
Interfaces: 802.11b/g,
Network security: WEP, WPA, WPA2

SUPORTED AUDIO FORMATS
Internet radio streams: MP3, WMA, Real Audio
Audio streaming: MP3 (CBR/VBR, up to 320 Kbps), WMA, AAC (Unprotected)
Playlists supported: M3U, PLS

SUPORTED SERVICES & PROTOCOLS
UPnP, HTML (Web GUI), DHCP, Fixed IP, WLAN, CIFS/SMB
Podcast: Podcast (MP3), ID3 (V1.0 / V2.0)
Internet radio services: Mp3 Tunes, Podcasts, On Demand
LCD display: 4 Lines Blue/Black display

FIRMWARE
Incorporated firmware-upgrading option. Ensures that the radio is updated with the latest software and services.

Minimum requirements for Internet radio
Connection: Router with wireless 802.11b/g connection (broadband internet connection required for internet radio)

Minimum requirements for Media Player
streaming
PC connection: Windows XP or Vista with MediaPlayer 11 or other UPnP servers e.g. Twonky. CIFS/SMB shared folders can be accessed also.
Mac connection: Mac OS X 10.3 or higher, UPnP software.
NAS device: UPnP compatible hardware (UPnP Server) or CIFS/SMB sharing.

Languages supported
English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Netherlands, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish.

Frequently asked questions:

What is Internet Radio?
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.

What is a WiFi Internet Radio?
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. 

Can I log into a Public WiFi hotspot?
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

Can I use my 3G modem?
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.

Is the Radio also a Media Player?
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.

Is it expensive and what is the sound quality of Internet Radio in South Africa?
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 ZAR 0.05 an hour). A relatively small price to pay for on demand access to the world’s premium radio content.

What kind of content is available?
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.

Where can I buy the Alto and/or Tube in South Africa?
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.