If you are a little tired of your local AM and FM radio stations – same old, dull tunes – why not try the phenomenon that has been gradually coming into its own and has now well and truly arrived – internet radio . in contrast to conventional radio, internet stereo sends its signals through the internet rather than from audio receivers that are fixed in one location sending out radio waves. This allows it to be truly worldwide.

With quality second to none, web radio can hold its own with the best audio around – plus sound quality is vitally important with regard to audio. A leading digital stereo commentator explains: “Internet stereo has the big advantage that the channels can use modern audio codecs. ” This is what gives the sound quality an edge over the sound produced by, for example, DAB electronic radio, another player on the block, and one being heavily advertised, especially in the United Kingdom, by this kind of big names as the BBC. (In the United States, digital radio is recognized as superior to FM – this cuts out annoying static, and is especially useful in car radios – many listeners are now also tuning in to satellite television radio. )

With more than ten, 000 stations sending out songs, chat and news through all over the world, internet radio provides listeners an enormous choice of hearing material, from classical songs through reggae to 1980s rock and everything among. There is a growing number of web sites providing portals through which you can access the station of your choice. Just one example is shoutcast. com, which gives access to eight thousand internet radio stations.

Anyone with the broadband connection can entry internet radio via their own computer, or buy specifically built receivers that appear just like radios – nicely, that’s what they are, after all: in around $ 200.

At the Consumer Electronics Show this year, manufacturing giant Sony announced that by 2011, 90 per cent of all its products would have web connectivity. If they put wi fi in their audio products, it will cost only a little more to enable all those products to receive internet stereo. In fact, many mobile phones are already able to receive internet stereo through Wi-Fi or 3-g – Nokia’s ‘smart phone’ comes with a standard radio software.

2 classy looking internet radios are the real Evoke Flow and Roberts Stream 202.

the particular Evoke Flow, launched past due last year, has a smooth shiny black finish and looks not really unlike your average little FM radio, but there the particular similarity ends. Using fingertip search you can find radio stations globally by typing in the 1st three letters of their title, or you can locate any songs genre you want. This stereo is portable and will also give you traditional FM and apply radio, and access the music collection you have stored on your computer.

Roberts Stream 202 is a compact model, operated simply by batteries as well as mains run, so you can take it anywhere. Information on a small screen in the top of the radio allows you to browse radio stations easily – it offers wi fi and DAB/FM radio as well. You just need a broadband link and a modem and/or router to get started.

Afghanistan to nyimba, zambia – listening to the world.

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