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Hello,

After some advice again as not sure and want to check before I buy one,

Revo Pixis RS Colour Touchscreen Internet/DAB/DAB+/FM Radio with Alarm Clock and Wireless Network Audio Streaming - Black/Gunmetal

I have found the above on Amazon and want to know will I be able to pick up the bbc radio of my orange box wi fi. Looking at the feedback its got it would seem I can but just wondered if some more technical person could take a look for me and confirm before I waste my money.

Thanks.
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I have external speakers for my main computer with a bess unit which gives excellent stereo sound  and a small pair which plug into my laptop usb port.

They turn both computers into a radio/CD player.

I also have earphones for listening alone.

My smartphone can also pick up the Wifi and has earphones

In other words I have never felt the need for a dedicated radio.

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[quote user="johnycarper"]Hello,

After some advice again as not sure and want to check before I buy one,

Revo Pixis RS Colour Touchscreen Internet/DAB/DAB+/FM Radio with Alarm Clock and Wireless Network Audio Streaming - Black/Gunmetal

I have found the above on Amazon and want to know will I be able to pick up the bbc radio of my orange box wi fi. Looking at the feedback its got it would seem I can but just wondered if some more technical person could take a look for me and confirm before I waste my money.

Thanks.[/quote]

As AnO has written, there should be no problem with receiving the BBC Radio streams and podcasts, in France or elsewhere. I'd be more inclined to look at the other aspects of your intended purchase: are you really going to be using it to receive DAB in France (which is still very much in its infancy). Similarly, from what I have read, the screen on this leaves something to be desired and seems to be more of a gimmick. We have used very cheap (£30-35) Internet radios with FM from Medion - bought from Aldi years ago: the user interface is not brilliant but once the presets are set up, it works quite well. We have also used a Pure internet radio, which has a nicer, much better user interface and works just as well, but is rather more expensive. However, many MP3 players and cheap smartphones can do Internet Radio with far better user interfaces - I would seriously consider whether one of these devices would do the job for you. In our case, a smartphone has pretty much replaced the dedicated internet radios.

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[quote user="NormanH"]I have external speakers for my main computer with a bess unit which gives excellent stereo sound  and a small pair which plug into my laptop usb port.
They turn both computers into a radio/CD player.
I also have earphones for listening alone.
My smartphone can also pick up the Wifi and has earphones
In other words I have never felt the need for a dedicated radio.
[/quote]

Funny enough I was walking round Darty yesterday (Mrs Q was in C&A's next door) and they had these Bluetooth speakers for under €30. Seeing as they had free WiFi I gave them a try for the radio and also some music I had on my old Samsung Smart Phone. I was very impressed with the quality from something so small. They had a big Bose one as well which costs around €400 and there was little different (apart from the gimicky stuff that nobody really uses on the Bose) between the cheap and the Bose.

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Does this not rather depend on where you would like to receive the signal. I have a tablet, but there is no way the signal from the Livebox, 3 story's up, would reach when I am working in the cave. However, I have a Logitech Squeezebox which performs beautifully in that situation.

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We have a Logitech Squeezebox which performs excellently as a dedicated radio in the kitchen, where we would not want a computer exposed to the kitchen atmosphere of grease, flour etc.

It plays BBC or ClassicFM most of the day with a good sound, and no problems, and leaves the computers free for internet browsing.

We undertook a lot of research, and this was the best radio for us, and we have been very pleased with it.
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interesting reading the comments on this thread. I've just been looking into this as at the moment I listen to the BBC via the slybox thru the telly.

So I am looking at internet radios and the Avox Indio looks like the one I am going for (next month when I get paid....it's always next month though isn't it ?)

One thing to be aware off is that Radio 5 live, and Test Match Special (on Radio 4LW) are blocked (rights restricted) for some of the big sports events....if they are something you listen to. They are OK via satellite but not via the t'interweb.

 

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Another said:"If streaming is the only requirement then the cheapest Android tablet plugged into an amp will do the job."

I'm not sure why Another's advice hasn't been followed up. I would only add, check out the sound quality reviews on prospective tablets, MOH has a Nexus 10 plus free radio app and it's superb.

For me it doesn't make sense to restrict your possibilities and mimic 1920s technology, when so much is available via a tablet.

Steve
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[quote user="SC"]Another said:"If streaming is the only requirement then the cheapest Android tablet plugged into an amp will do the job."

I'm not sure why Another's advice hasn't been followed up. I would only add, check out the sound quality reviews on prospective tablets, MOH has a Nexus 10 plus free radio app and it's superb.

For me it doesn't make sense to restrict your possibilities and mimic 1920s technology, when so much is available via a tablet.

Steve[/quote]

I think this is a good way to go. For lower-cost options there are still some Tesco Hudl mark 1s around at £80, and the Hudl 2 has even better speakers apparently.

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I have a Nexus 7(") and a Samsung Galaxy S2 7". My Nexus is the Mk1 and has just updated to Android 5.0 Lollypop as all Google devices get the latest version of Android before any other devices which some might consider a plus but not essential.

Both tablets are very good. I bought the Samsung because the original Nexus did not have a rear facing camera which meant it was not very good for taking pictures. More to the point you couldn't really take them at all. The Galaxy S2 on the other hand does have a rear facing camera but then was more expensive new. Another thing I don't like about the Samsung is the Menu, Home and Go Back buttons are 'hard' buttons in that they are mounted into the case and are very sensitive where as the Nexus ones are on the lower screen area and are always at the bottom regardless of screen orientation and equally important they are not so sensitive. Might not seem much but I also use mine as a book reader in bed and as I sleep in 'the buff' I found that any proximity to my body can make the menu pop up, it can go back to the 'Home' page or simply go back to the reader home page. Not a massive problem as I can turn the device upside down but then sometimes when I hold it at the top I accidently touch one of the buttons and the same thing happens. It is just a pain at times.

Memory wise the Nexus and Nexus 2013 or Mk2 if you like does not have a micro SD slot so you can't add memory (the new Nexus 9 doesn't either). The Samsung does and mine has 16gb as standard plus I added a 32gb micro SD card. The Nexus has just 16gb but to be honest I have never run out of space. To give you an example it will hold a complete season of Game of Thrones in Standard Def, about 20 books and a few music albums with (a little) space to spare.

The sound on both is pretty good and having tried a Bluetooth speaker in Darty the other day I am rather tempted to get one. The Samsung by the way comes with Dolby Surround earphones which with a decent action film are quite mind blowing. The Nexus did not come with earphones but has a socket for them and the Samsung ones work fine on it.

I bought both my devices via Ebay (France) and paid about 80 Euros each plus postage. The Samsung I bought towards the end of January (nobody has any money then and it was an unwanted present) and when I checked with Samsung it had 22 months warranty left on it. You need to keep looking on Ebay and you can still find them at that sort of price if you look hard enough. The new Nexus 9 is on the pre-order list and is a replacement for the Nexus 7 (2013) so you can expect to see a lot of cheap 7" versions around after Christmas is you can wait that long.

Hope that helps you a bit.

 

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  • 1 year later...

I listen to radio via either a satellite box conected up to the tv (limited to the lounge) or on my laptop via Orange Livebox (throughout the house, terrace and the garden).

At present if I want to listen to music in the workshop (cave) I schlep down with the laptop and power cable everyday and hook-up to a set of amplified speakers via the headphone outlet on the laptop and only if I don't intend to operate any machinery (dust). My present task is varnishing a set of abri doors I have made (4-coats either side) so no dust to inhibit the use of the laptop for several days there then. On completion and fitting of these doors I will be making 2 sets of garage doors so it will be a return for a prolonged period sans music (more dust).

Amazon.fr currently are offering a Kindle Fire http://www.amazon.fr/Fire-%C3%A9cran-17-Wi-Fi-sp%C3%A9ciales/dp/B00ZDWLEEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448829346&sr=8-1&keywords=kindle+fire for €59.99.

Now I must confess that I know diddly squat about tablets but figure from reading previous posts on this thread that a cheap tablet could be the way to go and the answer to the dust issue with the laptop.

I would leave a cheap tablet permanently in the workshop, connected up to the speakers, with a view to charging the battery daily (battery run time for Kindle Fire is supposedly 7 hours). I also only listen to one radio station, a music station transmitting from south Florida, so I suspect I won't require any internet radio apps or whatever.

My questions are:

Will the Kindle Fire be adequate for my requirements?

With the laptop the music is saved in my bookmarks. Will this be possible with the Amazon os Fire?

It comes preloaded with Kindle Apps (otherwise known as spyware
in my book) but for an extra €15 they will remove it. Is it worth shelling out the extra as I wouldn't want them and imagine they would be intrussive.

Does anyone have any better solutions on the above

All replies and suggestions welcome

regards

cajal

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If it's your own money then wait till the end of January (it's when people get rid of their unwanted presents because it is a 31 day month and they are broke after Christmas) and buy proper one of Ebay. That's what I do for my 'toys' and there are some really good bargains to be had for things that are unwanted presents. I bought an 8" Samsung tablet for next to nothing which when it arrived I checked with Samsung and it had 23 out 24 months warranty left to run. Last year I got a Delonghi coffee maker, the 800 Euros type where you put the beans in the top and expresso etc comes out the bottom for 90 Euros. It was a Christmas present and used only once. My guests love in the morning when they have breakfast. I wouldn't dream of paying full price otherwise, not for the guests anyway. That's the sort of bargains you can get if you spend 30 minutes or so looking.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorted.....update if you are interested.

Decided not to wait until the end of January for an e-bay (knock off) sale as per Quillan's suggestion. I could be dead by then!!

Carrefour have a 7" own brand 'in store' priced at €44.99 which I pondered for all of 2 minutes but it was sadly lacking in features.

I initially attempted to purchase the Kindle Fire 7 via amazon uk on Black Friday as it was on offer for £35 but on submission of my purchase I was infomed it could only be purchased via amazon.fr ( Apparently Amazon Kindles have to be registered and can only be registered to an account and as my Amazon account has a French address it is only possible to purchase from .fr.)

I went ahead with the purchase with.fr and thanks to YCCMB's advice regarding a cover to combat the dust issue, which prompted me to buy a tablet in the first place, I purchased a neoprenne zip-up bag to operate it from.

Delivery was excellent - dispatced at 18.37 arrived 13.30 next day. Pretty much no set up procedures required apart from an initial download of updates following password connection to the Orange Livebox.  Disabled 90% of services - I don't need them and it prolongs battery power. I doubt whether I will ever download any apps as I can't envisage what I might need them for (possibly an anti-virus prog?)  The ads aren't particularly intrusive (the cost of a €15 subsidy) and are only apparent during screensave. The most difficult feature for me to adapt to is a fingerprint infested screen.

As a radio receiver in a workshop subject to dust it is perfect for the job. I was using my planner/thicknesser this afternoon and the Kindle was well and truly dust free with just the amped speaker jack lead cable, with a small grommet I fitted on it for extraa dust protection, protruding from the protective casing.

So let the music play seven days a week now and the hell with the dust. 

From now on Jimmy Pages' Stairway to Heaven will no longer be closed due to poor visibility. Axl Rose and Bob Dylan will no longer be Knocking on Heavens Door due to respiratory problems and the only concern I have is that if Jim Morrison tells his baby to Light My (Kindle) Fire as I wouldn't relish listening to Roy Wood and his Fire Brigade.

regards

cajal

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For grass cutting I bought some blue tooth Sony earbuds. You can wear them under ear defenders. I listen to talking books to pass the time and the lack of trailing wires means nothing gets tangled starting the machines. I also have a pair of over ear headphones, bluetoothed to phone/tablet. Great if you have a lot of cooking to do and don't want to disturb anyone else. Listen and watch youtube Wheeler Dealers cooking the saturday curry - the time flies!
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It's interesting what people use them for. I use mine for books, the weather, radio and cooking. I like Bluetooth because you can connect to just about anything. We have a couple of speakers to use in the garage, on the terrace etc. It also connects to our 'sound bar' rather than turn the Humax box on.

 

I like the BBC cookery recipes, you can make a personal folder on their website and use the tablet as a cookery book. I can 'carry' all the IGN maps of France on mine and use it for walking which  do a lot.

 

Books are handy. I use Calibre which other forum members recommended to load books onto the device (works with Kindles as well). Great when we visit the hospital for Mrs Q's treatments. I find a corner in the waiting room and read. I can even get newspapers if I want but to be honest I don't bother with them. There are thousands of free books out there to download and use.

 

There are lot of things I didn't know you can do with them and I now have a small section of very useful apps. A couple I found that are handy for me are meat cooking time, you enter the weight be it in lb's, kg or whatever, select the type of meat how you want it done, is it a fan oven and out pops the time required. The other converts any type of cooking dry weight or liquid measurement into another like a 'cup', 1/3rd of a cup etc. American pint to English or ml or the other way round. It doesn't get used much but it is very handy to have when you need it. Being able to tell my Humax to record a program when out and about and forgotten has saved my bacon a couple of times now although in fairness that app is on the phone.

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