Geeks.com sent us in a pretty cool computer gadget: a vintage-looking internet radio device, the iMedia100. I have a soft spot about classic-looking devices that have modern features, so this was an interesting experiment for me. Read on for more.
The iMedia100 uses a well-structured wooden frame design and while it does not have the standard hi-fi size, it can easily fit in many places around the home. On the front we find a 3-inch LCD screen (white text with blue bg), a big volume knob, and ten buttons that can operate the device in its basic form in case you lost the accompanied remote control. On the back there’s an Ethernet plug, a line-in and a line-out, a USB port (the device can playback audio via USB FAT32 keys), and a wifi antenna connector (antenna included). On the top, there’s a mono 5Watt speaker. The remote control could definitely have a better and simpler design (AppleTV anyone?), but even in its current state is pretty easy to operate. The iMedia100’s internals and logic were manufactured by BridgeCo, running on top the embedded microkernel KnOS.
The device supports mp3, wma, LPCM, WAV, and playlists with PLS, M3U and ASX. You can playback music either via Ethernet, WiFi or Homeplug. It also supports UPnP 1.0, which is something that worked wonderfully with Windows Media Player 11. We had no problem connecting the device via DHCP via Ethernet and Wifi WEP. In fact, the only thing that’s probably this device is missing in terms of networking was A2DP/AVRCP support via Bluetooth…
The device turns on within about 6-7 seconds. In the home screen you will find your “favorites” (you can set/unset channels as favorites), a list of pre-configured radio stations, a recently played list, and a sleep timer on/off switch option. On the top of each screen the date and time can be seen — the device gets the time automatically from the internet, it only asks for the timezone from the user. If you click “internet radio”, you go to a separate screen that let’s you select a station by country, genre, or new stations that you added via the myradio123 web site. Clicking a station will start play it back, and depending on the metadata found in the stream, the iMedia100 will scroll text with that data.
In the settings you will find a networking wizard, date/time options, language options, profile management (the iMedia100 supports up to three different networking profiles), LCD brightness and firmware upgrade. Firmware upgrade is a stinky point. Unfortunately, the iMedia100 does not automatically download and install a newer firmware — even if it’s capable of checking it out and telling you that there is a new version out. Instead, it reboots, and when it reboots instead of loading the normal screen, it shows an IP address. When you load that IP address on your browser, the iMedia’s built-in web server kicks in and serves you a page that asks you to upload to the device a newer firmware file. Unfortunately, there is nowhere on the internet that we know of (or mentioned in the documentation) as to where to find that firmware file. The company that ODM’ed the iMedia100, Vtronics, has a download/support page for the gadget, but when you submit the form, nothing happens. I emailed the company to ask for the newer firmware file that my device reports that exists, but nobody replied so far.
The second stinky point is with myradio123.com. It actually works pretty well, it’s just that I feel that if this web site ever goes down for whatever business reason, you won’t be able to update your iMedia100 anymore — at least not as straightforwardly. Maybe the iMedia100 should have had a full web interface to take care of playlist management that rather than using a third party web site.
Overall, this is a good product. The line-out feature is great, and listening to internet stations from around the world in high quality via our big speakers and amp, feels great. The “Alternative rock” stations are on rotation in our home since we got this gadget!
Rating: 7.5/10
Thanks E.
I only wish I could tweak the software more
No ogg support == no purchase from me.
Period
yeah, damn evil MP3s!
The only time I have ever run into an issue with something not supporting ogg is when I get a music file from a friend who is super anal about “free” and has ripped all his CDs and converted all his MP3s to it.
I honestly don’t see why people like ogg so much.
Edited 2008-07-22 18:27 UTC
Oh well, why I am not surprised…?
Maybe you can find the answer to your question here:
http://www.vorbis.com/faq/
HTH
As far as I can tell, this won’t be playing any of the BBC’s streams either, so no sell here.
A whole thread, my posting included, was deleted here. I didn’t get any notice about this, no one pointed me out what I did wrong.
Given my account, you can see that I’m a longtime respected user of OSNews.
A heartfull thank you for this kind of treatment.
p.s.: If someone is interested. It was about Eugenia posting reviews here although she claimed that she “turned her back on OSNews” several times. But exploiting the website for reviews for profit/free devices seems to be still a nice thing to do for her.
That was it and I can’t understand the need to delete speculations like that, other than being unprofessional. KTHXBYE.
I have left osnews, but I have also said that I would post original content occasionally. And yes, some freebies are not a bad deal when I have given my life for this site, and even ended up to the hospital once while working on it day and night. Given the fact that we don’t get paid a dime to work on this site (and I did work hard on it since 2001), then I do enjoy getting some review items — and of course be honest about them on my review.
And btw, I was NOT the one who deleted your comment. So starting this polemic against me, is unfair. Read the rules carefully if you want to know why your comment was deleted by someone else in the team.
Article VIII in the OSNews terms of use states, “any comment along the lines of “Why is this OSNews?” will immediately be moderated down”
This is because we find it annoying.
DESIGN KNOCKOFF. This is a knockoff of Tivoli Audio’s radio. Same type of wood enclosure. Same big knob position. Similar LED information window. The buttons on Tivoli are above and below and are circular instead of square like here. And Tivoli likes to use Sirius Satellite Radio.
GOING GOING GONE. Sold out. At about $150.
EUGENIA. Sorry you had to go. Sorry too if I misspelled your name. Live well and be happy. I wish you had made enough to live on while providing Osnews stories. I wonder how our whole economy will suffer if we don’t pay our wonderful Eugenias enough to live their dreams.
Thanks,
Jim
“And Tivoli likes to use Sirius Satellite Radio.”
So I would get to pay for the device AND the subscription to Sirius? Now that is a bargain…NOT