Ask Engadget HD: How can I get internet radio in my home theater?
By Richard Lawler 
posted Aug 12th 2009 1:30PM
posted Aug 12th 2009 1:30PM
"I have been looking at internet radio that I want to stream through my wireless network so it can be picked up on my home stereo. I have DirecTV that can pick up the network as well as a PS3 that also can see the network.
Would a program that runs on the PC be the best way to go or should one get a special tuner that is placed at the AV Receiver that connects wirelessly to the network be the best way to go."
So, can one of his networked devices double up as a streaming radio source or would a new receiver with the feature built in be the way to go? Let us know what setup works for you.
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I use my PS3 to tune into Pandora. Works great. I haven't tried last.fm or Slacker though
Do you just goto Pandora.com from the PS3?
yes. I just open the PS3 browser and go to http://www.pandora.com
log in with my account the first time and listen like I would from my PC.
I'm surprised, I tried this when I first bought my ps3 and the browser said it didn't have enough memory or something along those lines... I guess I missed this patch/improvement somehow. I'll try it again for sure.
-Eric
Denon has an ipod dock that is not proprietary and has its own remote and internet radio built in
I use AirTunes on my Airport Express.
I use this too. It is pretty reliable. Just got the Samsung BDP1600 so now we have Pandora, too! Neither one of these are audiophile quality. It is still radio.
Once you go HTPC, you never go back.
that is not his question.
"Answer the question jerk!" in my jokingly John McEnroe voice of course.....
Built in my Denon AVR
I use it quite often!
Gotta go with the HTPC comment. Media Center loaded up with RadioTime (free) and you're all set. Use it almost every day now.
does that work with extenders?
I still use my old xbox w/ xbmc, I use it almost every day - it can stream ShoutCast radio, not sure about others... Otherwise, there's an iPod Touch/iPhone app for Pandora and those are easy enough to connect to a HT receiver...
pandora also works on BB...use it all the time! It's saved a few parties, actually :-).
How sad is it that I use my BB for music in my car since my head unit broke! I wish the 8830 speaker was better... but yeah, flawless playback!
Pandora through the PS3 works but you get those crazy adds now unless you subscribe. That being said its not a bad way to go stillI just wish the browser worked better on the PS3.
Can anyone recommend some good high quality stations?
I am sick of tuning into streaming radio and finding it is an overly compressed signal. The only good sounding stations I find tend to play obscure music that I really don't enjoy. Pandora really does not sound good either.
Ever since my favorite radio station went under (106.3 for those in NJ) it has been difficult to find something decent to listen to.
My PS3 has problems with Flash players. e.g. kgsr.com . It stops frequently to rebuffer, and I know for sure it's not a problem with my internet or ethernet. I haven't tried anything else...too big a hassle...turn on PS3, set AVR input, turn on TV, open (crappy) browser, etc....Nope, too much trouble.
I use an older Denon 4306, and it only plays mp3 streams, It won't do Windows media or other formats, so the selection is limited. I've got a few stations I like and play them on the Denon often.
If your setup has bluetooth connectivity, then just stream right from your computer or iPod. If it doesn't, you can get a bluetooth adapter pretty reasonably. I have one hooked up to a Sony shelf system and it works great.
Sonos supports tons of internet radio stations including all the locals, SIRIUS internet radio, last.fm, rhapsody, pandora and very easy to use.
It doesn't handle every format, but I use my Apple TV to send streaming mp3 radio to my entertainment system. And I can use Airfoil to send any other streaming audio to the Apple TV.
In one room I use a Roku Soundbridge, which works pretty well for direct to net internet radio, and also can hit any iTunes or other dlna servers on your local network. Sonos and squeezebox are similar solutions. This is probably the easiest out-of-the-box experience if all you care about is internet radio.
In my other room I use an xbmc/ubuntu htpc. Both solutions work pretty well. The htpc is far and away the better solution IMO if you can commit the time to get everything set up. Windows Media Center is also a good HTPC.
I use the Squeezebox Duet. It can handle any streaming audio you can find on the internet and the controller is sweet.
I agree.....just picked one of these up last week and love it.
I want to stream MLB audio on PS3......
I agree with RAV Designs, SqueezeBox Duet is the ultimate solution. Simple to use, driven by opensource software, powerful enough to play almost any kind of audio you want to throw at it.
I have a (what they now call) a Squeezebox Classic -- The Squeezeboxen are far better for music streaming than any unified media system (and I have a PS3 and HTPC running XBMC): Dead simple interface, support for almost any format and service you throw at it, and (for me) the ability to stream lossless formats from my NAS and send them via S/PDIF to my receiver.
Squeezebox as well. I stream Radio Paradise & Soma FM mainly. It also streams my itunes library & Pandora to my AVR. The sound quality is amazing on the Squeezebox.
I have a Samsung Bluray player with Pandora support built in. BD-P1600. Works great. It also supports Netflix which I don't use.
The correct answer is Logitech Squeezebox.
It comes in 4 different flavors, great sounding onboard Dacs, streams any format you throw @ it, including my favorite "Flac Lossless".
Bang for the buc it's the best thing out there. I use a Qnap 439 Pro Nas with 4 x 2 gb Seagate Hdd's loaded w/ Squeezecenter 7.33, 1 Squeeze reciever piped into a Anthem Avm-50, Paradigm Studio 100 v4 Sig. series front & center, 4 Sig Lcr-5 inwall surrounds & Sig series sub 25 for Home theater.
A second Squeeze reciever on an older Yamaha high end reciever with an 8 channel speaker switcher hooked into 2 Paradigm Stylis oudoor speakers @ the hot tub on the upper deck, 2 more on the upper deck & 2 more on the lower deck @ the swimming pool.
And a third Squeeze reciever tied into an older Sony reciever in my Home Gym.
This setup has worked flawlessly & best of all, not even 1 ethernet cable in the loop, I use a Linksys Wrt-610N gigabit router to the Nas & every device from Squeezebox is WiFi enabled.
I Love It.
I use my iPhone. Download the app "tuner internet radio" and you can stream any of the ones you get from iTunes.
One more vote for a Squeezebox!
Nice web interface (SqueezeCenter) to all Squeezebox players from any computer on the local network or Internet. You can also control via an iPhone or iPodTouch running iPeng. Support for a large number of streaming services or iRadio stations, along with lossless format support.
Squeezbox Classics are great, but you can also purchase inexpensive Squeezebox Receivers WITHOUT using the Duet controller, but you'll have to use a program called NET-UDAP to configure them. After the initial configuration you can simply use the SqueezeCenter interface from any computer to control any room. $140 option to add audio zones to your home.
I have an xbox 360 instead of the PS3. I also use TVersity, but its not good for www.bbc.co.uk/radio1. Other than netflix on xbox, i do not watch internet video. I found that a cheap netbook was the perfect solution. I just have a bazillion foot audio cable that runs from my reciever. works great!
What are you using on the 360 to get internet radio?
My inexpensive solution was Apple Airport Express ($100) with my iMac running Rogue Amoeba's AirFoil ($25). Listening to AirTunes, Pandora, etc. Pretty much... if it is on the computer, I can send it to my home theater.