Internet Radio Deals

It has now been about 4 months since I made the leap and ordered a Logitech Squeezebox Duet, an Internet radio with deluxe remote control designed to connect to your home entertainment center, stereo, or other external amplifier. As is no doubt the usual case, I hooked mine up to the receiver in our TV room that already handles our TiVO HD, Dish Network receiver, Apple TV and HDTV. It's an entertaining room!

With the Squeezebox you can receive any of thousands of Internet radio stations just as with any other Internet radio, and you can also install the free Squeezecenter software on any Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux PC and use the Squeezbox to stream your music. If you are using iTunes on your computer the Squeezecenter software understands how to navigate your iTunes Music folder, but iTunes is not required, any directory structure containing music files can be used. All that is required is that your PC with the music is on the same network as the Squeezebox Receiver, it comes with built in Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port.

In addition to Internet radio stations the Squeezebox also supports streaming music services like Rhapsody, Pandora, Slacker, Napster and Last.fm as well as the podcast service Mediafly. If you have a premium account with one of these services Squeezebox will use it so you can have custom designed radio on your home sound system with no commercials ever. This is the killer use of Squeezebox for me, I love it to death.

If you already own an iPod Touch or an iPhone you can save hundreds of dollars by buying the Squeezebox Receiver without the deluxe remote control by installing the iPeng iPhone App, it's pretty darn cool. Like the remote sold by Logitech in the Duet package, iPeng will also display album art while playing a streaming music service or your own music from your iTunes collection. iPeng does not play your music, it is just a very elaborate remote control for any model of Squeezebox.

You can buy just a Logitech Squeezebox Receiver and use iPeng to control it if the price of the Duet is too high for your budget.

I am very, very pleased with my Logitech Duet so I'm giving it a 5 star rating.

Now there is also the matter of support. Logitech has a separate support operation for their Squeezebox product line and they offer free, live telephone support with an intelligent human being who speaks well and knows the product inside out. I found out about this when I upgraded my Mac Pro on the day that Snow Leopard was released and it broke the Squeezecenter server I use to stream my iTunes. The pleasant, intelligent young man I spoke with knew exactly what the problem was and exactly how to fix it. This was the kind of tech support consumers dream about, they are fantastic. So if the Squeezebox product line sounds too complicated for you, no worries, you can get free help.

They also make a Squeezebox Boombox too. It's on my wish list.