Yesterday I bought an Argon iNet 1 (Internet Radio device) for my mom and grandma. For my mom so that she can listen to Norwegian radio stations when down in Hungary, and for my grandmother so that she can listen to some Hungarian radio stations when here in Norway.

It’s funny to think about the fact that radio stations have been on the internet for ages, but that we only have been listening to them through our computers. That can easily change with such a “killer device” as Argon iNet 1 (supports the following formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, AIFF and Real Audio – No Ogg Vorbis). Via your existing broadband internet connection (wireless or not) you can listen to almost endless amounts of radio stations (more then 12.000 stations are listed) and they all get loaded automatically. Stations are available from all corners of the world, even from the Vatikan state. iNet 1 comes with 67 Hungarian radio stations preconfigured. And if you are still missing a certain station then you can quickly add it to the list on the iNet homepage.

My favourite radio channel, Slager Radio, was for example listed, and the first show I listened to was Lali Király with Boros Lajos. Thereby the name of this article (saying that this device is totally king). He also part of Slager’s morning show, Boomerang. A radio show that my colleague truely hates.

iNet 1 comes with both Ethernet and wifi (WEP and WPA), and if the internet isn’t enough for you, you can listen to normal FM-radio. You can also enjoy your entire digital music collection from your computer via iNet 1. I guess this is through UPnP (system requirements for streaming media from the computer are Windows XP, Mac OSX 10.2 or newer). And it doesn’t stop there, in best RTL Shop style I can tell you that you even subscribe to and listen to your favourite podcasts over a cup of coffee in the kitchen. My first podcast was Guardian Weekly. This device is awesome!!!

Some of the radio stations that I have been listening to, stream with an amazing quality. It is actually so good, that it leaves the DAB quality in the dust. So here is what I want from Argon, a net radio device that fits in with my homecinema system.

The iNet 1 is designed as a beautiful retro style table radio, in real wood. A lovely finish! The table radio also comes with a bass port and an alarm with snooze-function. The device comes with stereo sound output and a connection for headphones. If you want better quality on the FM broadcasts then what the built in telescope antenna can provide, you can screw the telescope antenna off and put another one in its place. Another handy feature included is a line input, so you can quickly connect your iPod to the radio. The FM-radio even comes with the RDS/RadioText, so that you can see the names of the stations.

iNet 1 is built up around technology from the English manufacturer RECIVA, who via the internet regularly maintains and updates the station lists and software for your radio. With iNet 1 you will also get access to a dedicated homepage, so you can via your computer define your own favorite channels and add more to the list. This way you can easily overlook the endless possibilities and adapt your internet radio the way you want it. I found it real easy to add a set of radio stations and podcasts as my favorites, but found the web site to be badly designed. As you can see from the screenshot, there is to much empty space on the pages and another thing was the pop up windows.