Roku has taken its original SoundBridge network music player (which won 2004 and 2005 CES Innovations Awards) a step further. It lets users access traditional AM/FM radio along with their digital music library using simple and familiar radio controls.
A few simple buttons for presets, scan, and source select make digital music accessible. Other features include a SD/MMC card slot and a volume-ramping alarm that wakes users to digital music or a choice of seven alarms. It also grabs podcasts
SoundBridge Radio comes with a vacuum-fluorescent display (VFD) that is double the resolution of the original SoundBridge. The remote control is also similar to that of the original SoundBridge, so users can browse and select digital music by artist, title, album, composer or genre from from a distance.
The display shows the name of the song and artist playing. The built-in clock updates from the Internet and there's a built-in light sensor which auto dims the display at night.
SoundBridge Radio includes all of the traditional features of SoundBridge. It can access playlists from both Mac and Windows-based computers, and supports music streaming in MP3, WMA, AIFF, WAV and un-protected AAC formats.
In addition to supporting all major digital music formats, the Roku guarantees SoundBridge can play music from services using Windows Media DRM 10 such as Napster, Walmart.com and Musicmatch.
In addition, SoundBridge is certified to work with Real Networks' Rhapsody music service. Apple iTunes support allows playback of un-protected AAC or MP3 files.
SoundBridge Radio will sell for $399 beginning in early November when it arrives at consumer electronic retail stores nationwide.
For more information, visit www.rokulabs.com.
- Portions From a Roku Press Release
