bobsz,

I don't mean to highjack this thread, but as someone else who loves internet radio, can you tell me what hardware you use to listen (besides a Chumby)? I have a Grace Mondo and I love it! I added a bluetooth transmitter so I can send the signal to a proper stereo when I want more volume than the table top radio can deliver. My Infocast 8 (with Chumby 8 firmware) handles music duties when I am working on projects in the garage. Just curious what others are using. A desktop or laptop seem a bit cumbersome to use as internet radios.

Iheartradio has been adding many stations and services that are not available on the Chumby Iheart widget. While I would love to have all of those stations available via the widget, Chumby is by far the most economical internet radio. I have three Infocast 3.5s, and the cost for all three is less than the price of one Sangean WFR-20.

How do you like it? I haven't heard much about Sangean.

@Steevo- My aplogies. Those URLs don't work on my Chumby. I *used* to get WABC, didn't realize how things have changed. I tried some alternate links I had on my PC that used to play fine in Winamp, but now they just forward to that horrible flash player. Thank you for letting me know how they're up to something. Even on VLC, I can't easily find the 'real' link to the stream anymore. It goes to a page where VLC then picks up the stream. (I wonder if iheart is checking the browser, and blocking things like Chumby.) I just checked and some of the stations that used to be on Shoutcast (including WABC) aren't there any more. leo_keil above notes a lot of changes to iheart non-Chumby versions. So, it looks like you really did uncover something significant with iheart. Let us pray they're not going to sell it to Google.

I have another couple of shots I can try to find the direct link to these streams. Sometimes it's possible to find older mp3 streams from before they upgraded to aac. Sometimes the links to mp4a's can do funny things, like make your player try to download it rather than stream it. I'm really annoyed by this, so I'll be trying hard to find away around the Borg. This homogenized radio across the country is terrible. On the other hand, if the Borg put Jeri Ryan in that flash-player window, maybe I could tolerate it.

@BoloMKXXVIII and Joan Jett- I've wanted to buy a radio for years, but never did. I just couldn't decide what to go with. (That's why I bought my 1st Chumby.) Hope you can tell me more about your radios. I can't figure out the market, many of the models have been around for years. I haven't seen anything "wow" new lately. I'm also curious about the station providers. It seems like a lot of the stations come through 3rd parties, rather than straight through the web. The Sangean seems like a great radio with good sound, but I don't know what they limit it to 12 station presets. Do you have to type in additional URLs for >12? Can you type in your own URLs like in "My Streams?" (I used to have a good Sangean Short-wave radio.)

The Mondo looks very cool. Just my same reservations about station providers. It seems like Grace has more options. My big question is, how's the sound for both of them. And do they get good wi-fi connections? Please give me any more about how you like your radios.

As for my internet listening, I do use my PC a lot because it's hooked up to a good sound system. I've got a C1 in the same room (bedroom) for casual listening. Believe it or not, I really like the sound of the little C1 on its own. In my living room, I have another C1 plugged into a decent Sony Bookshelf system. The sound isn't the greatest "hifi," but it's ok. Sometimes I'll plug powered computer speakers into a Chumby, which makes surprisingly good sound. But yes, I really do want to buy a real radio. My apartment's on the ground floor, so I got really lousy radio reception before web radio.

I'm also looking for a 'portable' web radio solution. For wi-fi, I'm lucky enough to have a real "classic" pocket device I can use with earphones. It's an HP iPaq 111, one of the last real PDAs. It puts most small tablets to shame. It has Windows Media Player, but I installed a different player that works very well with streams, and sounds great. Unfortunately, it's getting a little old, and the battery's not holding a charge well.

This is another thing I'd like to buy- a small "entertainment" tablet with speakers, mostly for web radio. I don't need a tablet for serious browsing or work or even video, but I'd like good sound. Anybody have one like this? There was an old thread on this I can't find. I'd seen a small tablet with big speakers, I think it was an Archos, but I can't find it now.

Thanks for your advice. And Steevo, sorry I gave you some outdated info. But remember, resistance is *not* futile. I'm going to keep trying.

That does work, but for stream type I had to set to pls, not mp3, which is one of the four selections.

Thanks! You're really the guy.

BTW, saw the discussion of internet radios. 

I have a Tangent quattro, it was great until it failed, an error regarding network adapter not found.  I took it apart and there is a USB wifi adapter in it. I got one on ebay for $5 with the same chipset but I haven't put it in.  I hope that fixes it, that is a nice unit for an old one. 

It has a nice wood case, made in Sweden.  2 line display, amazing sound.  I guess since mine failed I can't really recommend it. 

I found it at the swapmeet for $10, and it worked for a year or two.  At that price it was great, that Grace thing is close to $200.  You'd have to want that bad IMHO.

Thanks to all for the suggestions about web radio players. I'll be checking them all out. (Never even thought of the BB tablet.) I wish *I* was lucky enough to find one at a garage sale! I'm still surprised how few internet radios are being made. Maybe people don't understand the streams are free, unlike Sirius XM. But with what we're seeing from iHeart, maybe they won't be free for long, anyway. One of our major Rock stations just started a contest/advertising blitz for iHeart.

Well, one of them will be on my birthday-present list. (My birthday's the same as Chumby's- an honor.)

Another off-track question- has anyone ever considered streaming from a computer to a "stereo" receiver via an FM transmitter? I know good ones are not cheap, but don't know anyone who's gotten a real one. (Just "toys.")

@Steevo- sorry for the confusion about the terminology of mp3 vs pls, etc. The file extensions pls and m3u are like playlists for streaming files. They tell your player to just play each song and move along to the next. A playlist can be made up of different format content, eg either mp3 or AAC (m4a). Oog is an open-source music encoding/streaming format. The stream type can also be called xspf, but the stream filetype is .ogg. Our Chumbys will play them fine. If you add one to mystreams, you'd guess you'd "check" the pls file type. For some reason, it also plays (but sounds a little different) if you check mp3 (though it's not mp3!)

Oog fans say it produces better sound even with more compression.

WBUR is a Public Radio station that is 100% news/talk programming, mostly world and national news. They have a lot of nationally-carried programs they create themselves. If you'd like to try an oog stream, try them:

http://wbur-ogg.streamguys.com/wburlive.ogg

They also have lower-quality pls and m3u streams.

@BoloMKXXVIII- I've been checking into the Blackberry Playbook as you mentioned. The reviews agree with you, actually most rave about the sound. I have 2 questions I can't find answers to: Does it have the ability to natively stream web audio and video? It looks like you need 3rd party apps, but you obviously do it - not a problem? Also, can you describe how loud the thing plays- ie, comparable to the C1 or something? Can't find any info on the watts output of the speakers. Thanks.

@BoloMKXXVIII- Thanks- you covered everything I needed to know. I've never had a tablet, still using and "ancient" HP PDA. That's why I'm off base with some of my questions. I plan to use it for browsing and typing- email, etc- but also as a radio. One main benefit to me it that it's *not* google. It sounds like it is what I'm looking for. I will try to get my hands on one to try. Sad to say the 16 GB ones are starting to sellout.

Thanks again.

Thanks for keeping an eye out for me. I jumped right on it, but it looks like the $159 is just for the Canadian stores. Fair enough I guess, considering it's RIM. Still, I'm going to check in case I get some kind of coupon or something with my regular Staples junk mail.

BTW, I did get to handle one, and it's like touching a porsche. The thing was locked down solid at Radio Shack, but I could test the browser, streaming (easy), even the typing in portrait mode was easier that I thought. Unfortunately, speakers were pointing straight up, but I could still hear the sound quality. Stereo separation seemed great. Now I've just got to get the money together. Fun researching though, thanks.