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back to article Roberts reveals radio with raunchy recording features

Roberts has launched a fresh DAB radio that lets users record their favourite broadcasts to an SD card. The Roberts RecordЯ rocks up with a bunch of nifty features for DAB users, but the headliner is the ability to record up to 24 hours of radio broadcasts. Roberts RecordR After slotting said memory card into the radio, all …

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  1. FanMan
    FAIL

    Underwhelming

    I've often wondered why cheap radios sporting massive record and playback haven't flooded the market by now.

    A measly 24 hours, and for this they want £100? Puny. I'll stick with podcasts on my iPhone, thankyouverymuch.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      @FanMan

      I've read the operations PDF on Roberts website and 24 hours is the limit for one recording, NOT the total hours of material that can be stored (limited by memory card capacity).

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    2. Smithy
      Reply Icon

      Short-term Use: More Storage Than You'll Need

      The 1 hour recording limit could be a licensing issue, it's the same situation recording HD footage on compact digital cameras due to costs and not always the media. It simply means you have to be ready to press record again.

      It does mean you don't know exactly how much recording you have left due to the variations in the recording/compression unless the Roberts records a constant bit rate which has higher compatibility rather than variable bit rate. I.e. based on my 128kbps CBR recording of internet radio (constant music) for 60 minutes, the filesize is 55.2 MB which means a 1GB (1024MB) flash stick is enough to record 18.5 hours of radio. If the quality of the recording is a high 160kbps then decrease by 25% which gives you 13.875 hours of recording.

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  2. Kevil
    Coat

    Raunchy?

    I know I'm often turned on by inserting SD cards.

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  3. Purlieu

    MP3 ?

    or useless mp2 your article fails to mention this important pont, also mono or stereo ? exportable ?

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    lowercase display with no descenders

    that's so 1970s it's almost retro.

    Who remembers the part number of the ubiquitous 7x5 matrix character generator then?

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  5. Jim 59

    DAB

    Is sounds good for a DAB. But DAB is a poor technology, offering excessive weight, high prices and large power consumption. In a straight race, FM would beat eventually beat DAB out of existance. Due to vested interests the govt will cut off FM in a few years.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Design

    Roberts intentionally retro radios look rather nice. However, when they attempt 'contemporary' design, the results are a bit Binatone-ish.

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  7. AbortRetryFail

    Eh?

    How is this raunchy?

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  8. The Vociferous Time Waster
    Trollface

    Hope taping is killing music

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Taping_Is_Killing_Music

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  9. Richard Cranium

    Hope they've solved the software bugs

    I got an earlier model with the record to SD function years ago, 200 quids worth. Trouble is it eats D cells so fast it's only affordable on mains and it gets "blue screen of death" every few weeks and needs a reboot. I did read that they have a software fix but email to their support desk gets no response.

    Plus the record function is too basic. Something like a sky+ setup to schedule recordings and give a replay menu would be useful. I bet the "24 hours recording" is a single file you have to listen to from the start, no skip to 1hour 30 mins, far less "skip to [start of my favourite program]". I'm afraid Roberts have lost the plot, need to keep up with technology. Things like integrate radio with WiFi/ethernet connection into domestic LAN and integrate to desktop software or maybe some Bluetooth and smart phone/tablet integrations. Maybe mute when the phone rings for example - or even pause program...

    You may ask why bother with a discrete radio at all? My answer is that I can wander round the house and garden doing my chores and carrying the radio, big speaker and decent amplification so I can hear it above noisy background without resorting to earphones/headphones which I hate.

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