Listen Live Online

Michael Haynes, PC Advisor

Internet radio is an amazing thing. No matter where you are in the world, there aren't many radio stations you can't tune into. And you don't need to have a swanky DMR (digital media receiver) to listen in either, as thousands of stations can be accessed using software already installed on your PC.

To hook up to internet radio, all you need is a broadband connection and a pair of speakers -- most media player applications boast online radio-streaming functionality. They usually feature station presets, handily organized into genres, along with all-important search tools. And stations which warrant a repeat visit can be stored as favorites.

So, whether you want a blast of alternative rock, or a soothing Gregorian chant, the chances are there's a radio station that'll fit the bill.

With such a range to choose from, it's a shame to be limited to the confines of a PC. But to really set your radio free, you'll need a DMR which can connect directly to the internet once on a network. There are plenty to choose from, all offering different levels of complexity and sound output. Some must be plumbed into an existing stereo system or powered speakers, while others such as the Noxon iRadio are self-contained, making them great to cart from room-to-room.

Most of these devices will stream music saved on a PC, which is great if you have a centralized collection that you synchronize with other media players. We'll cover this in the next few pages. But first, we'll show you how to listen to radio using a standard media player and how to set up a DMR for direct streaming.

Stream Web Radio Around Your Home

1. For this workshop you'll need a broadband connection and, if you want to stream music from your PC to another device, a Wi-Fi or Powerline network. You can use Windows Media Player to access internet radio stations. Click on the Media Guide at the top of the screen, then choose Radio from the list.

2. In the main Radio area is a selection of featured genres. Click on the Listen link for one that takes your fancy to begin streaming from that station, or click on the Radio Tuner link which launches a web page to browse others. On the right is a selection of genres, ranging from Hip Hop to Country -- click to make your choice.

3. Having chosen a genre, click on a station to launch it. Underneath the station name will be an option to add it to your list of Favorite stations, plus a link to its website. If the radio station permits streaming through Windows Media Player 11.0 there will be a Play link. Otherwise, there will be a link to visit its website.

4. To search for a specific station, return to My Stations on the previous page and type its name into the searchbox. After a moment it should appear in the list. To save the station as a favorite, simply click on it and select Add to My Stations. Return to the front page and it will be listed under My Stations.

5. For RealPlayer users, the radio option can be found in the View menu, Quicklinks or the 'Music & My Library' tab. Choose a genre from the list on the left, then click on a radio station to begin streaming. You can search for a specific radio station from the top of the RealRadio interface.

6. Once you've found a station you like, add it to your favorites by right-clicking on it and choosing Add to Favorites. Select the Radio folder in the Favorites fly-out list. If you wish, you can change the name of the link. The station will now be listed in the Radio list in your RealPlayer Favorites menu.

7. If you intend to connect a device such as the iRadio to a secure wireless network, you'll need to register it with your router -- assuming MAC (media access control) address filtering is enabled. Configure your router by opening a web browser and typing in its IP (internet protocol) address.

8. Type in the router's IP address. It will look something similar to 192.168.0.254, but you should find a sticker listing the relevant address somewhere on the router itself or on the box that it came in.

A logon screen will appear and you should enter your username and password to access the router's configuration screen.

9. Navigate to the access list setup. Enter the MAC address for the device you want the router to communicate with and give it a network name. Close the router interface and switch on your device. You'll need to enter a WEP or WPA security key into the device itself -- the more rigorous WPA is the recommended option.

10. Once past security, you can stream internet radio directly to the device. Common options include searching via genre, country or both. Plus, devices such as the Noxon can stream any music stored on a networked PC. To do this, click on the Media Sharing option within Windows Media Player 11.0.

11. If needs be, upgrade to WMP 11.0 by going to Help, Check for Updates. Relaunch the application and finalize the installation by specifying file associations and other options. Once it's satisfied, WMP 11.0 will complete its setup. You now need to click on the Library tab at the top of the screen.

12. Directly underneath the Library button is a small arrow which, when pressed, displays the Library options. Click on the arrow and select Media Sharing from the drop-down list. Finally, tick the Share My Media button and click ok to access the 'Media Sharing...' screen.

13. Providing the device is properly set up on the network and is compatible with WMP 11.0, a device icon should appear in the Sharing Settings box. Click on its icon. WMP may not recognize it immediately and will label it as an unknown device. However, you can distinguish it by its MAC code.

14. Click on the Settings button to configure which media to share. From here you can select which media types are allowed to be streamed. In the interests of security, do not enable allowing computers and devices to connect automatically. Click on ok and start streaming music and radio directly from the device.

Helpful Downloads

Autostreaming I'M Instant Media offers more than 350 content channels, each of which can be downloaded to your PC and watched on the free viewer. The easy-to-use interface offers a variety of podcasts and videocasts. Choose those you like and new segments will automatically download to your PC.

www.im.com

Take video with you For video on the move, have a look at ImTOO's $45 DVD to PSP Suite, which converts DVD movies into a PSP-friendly format. The converter will turn most video formats, including AVI, Mpeg, WMV, MOV, RM, DivX and DVD, to PSP MP4 movie format. There's a version available for iPods, too.

www.imtoo.com

Quick and Easy Another great media player is Apple's QuickTime Pro. Unlike the company's free version of this player, the $30 QuickTime Pro offers H.264 video compatibility and can record podcasts. You can even create and convert movies for iPod videos on the move.

www.apple.com/uk

Tips and tricks

Streamline your music collection While Windows Media Player 11.0 doesn't allow streaming directly to another computer -- except to a Vista PC -- you can still stream music and video over a network. This is handy if you have a desktop PC housing your music collection and a laptop that lives nomadically around the house. The simplest way is to set up a Work Group and enable Simple File Sharing. You can then share folders across the network, including your music collection, and create a shortcut on the desktop for easy access.

You can even change this shortcut icon to something more fitting, by right-clicking the shortcut and choosing Properties. Select the Customize tab and click the Change Icon button.

And keep in mind an easy way to play complete albums is to double-click the desktop icon and browse to the album you wish. Open the folder and on the lefthand side is the option to play all.

Useful Products

Netgear EVA700 The Netgear uses a home network as the backbone for streaming music and video. It can stream video in Mpeg1, 2, 4, AVI, WMV and xVid formats, making it ideal for getting content from PC to TV.

www.broadbandstuff.co.uk

Parrot Wireless Speakers If you've got a juicy home hi-fi setup, you don't want to spoil the effect with lots of wires trailing across the floor. Parrot's wireless speakers pump out 60W per speaker and, since they are Bluetooth-based, can stream from mobile phones and other devices that house music.

boysstuff.co.uk

Philips Streamium SLM5500 What we like about this wireless media server is that it operates through Windows Media Player, has simple folders for content added to My Pictures, Video or Music and supports even more formats than the Netgear device.

www.philips.co.uk