D-Link DSB-R100 USB FM Radio with MP3 Software

by D-Link

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 1.2 inches ; 7.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000488VF
• Item model number: DSB-R100
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The D-Link DSB-R100 USB PC Radio is a stereo FM band (no AM) radio receiver with a USB interface. The PC Radio will easily install on any system with Windows 95 Release 2, 98, or 2000 with a USB port. It comes with an antenna and connecting cables that plug into a USB port and the line-in on the PC's sound card.

The DSB-R100 provides the user with the ability to listen to favorite radio programs or music right from the PC. The radio is powered off the USB bus, so no external power supply is needed. The radio works just as easily as does a car stereo, and up to 200 stations can be preset. The software can record music or programs from the radio and save them in the MP3 format. The software also has an available sleep and wake function that allows the user to record radio programs while away from the PC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars D-link USB radio, November 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: D-Link DSB-R100 USB FM Radio with MP3 Software (Personal Computers)

For those of us who grew up with FM receivers the size of a PC, this is a revelation. The radio looks more like an antenna than an FM Stereo tuner. A good deal of the compact size comes from the fact that all of the amplification is located in your PC or your powered speakers. The cables need to be hooked up to a USB port, as well as either a Line-In or Mic-In connector on your sound card. I can't find fault with the hardware, but the software has been a nightmare.

I've installed the radio on two Windows 98 machines and a Windows 2000 Professional machine with miserable results. I was never able to get on-screen volume controls to work under Windows 98, and after several weeks all of the software quit working entirely. Under windows 2000 Pro, everything worked O.K. for a couple of months, then I started getting an error message on start up that said that a number must be between 1 and (about 2 billion). All of the station names disappeared, and the volume controls in the D-Link software stopped working. Upgrading to new drivers resulted in the software being unable to locate the radio, even though Windows said that it was there and working correctly. Uninstalling the software still resulted in Windows trying to start it on boot up. Reinstalling the software was unsuccessful, as I kept receiving the 'unable to locate radio' message.

So, now I'm left with a [dollar amount] paperweight. Perhaps this is the reason that you don't see a lot of USB radios on the market. While it is a great concept, the software is definitely "not ready for prime time". If you really need to integrate a radio into your PC, you should probably look elsewhere.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It works, but is disappointing, August 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: D-Link DSB-R100 USB FM Radio with MP3 Software (Personal Computers)

I wanted an FM tuner that I could use to schedule and record shows on my local Jazz stations and NPR. Car Talk, This American Life, etc. You know, time shift the radio like a VCR does for the TV. This product _should_ have done the trick. But no, the software is minimal and has no capabilities to record more than one timed show. This product can be replaced with a simple FM receiver from Radio Shack.

I sent email to D-Link offering to code this up for them. How hard can it be? If I had the protocol spec I could certainly do it in no time. No response. This thing is sitting on the shelf along with all the other failed products that _should_ have worked.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars poor software, August 6, 2002

By 

Roger Hsueh (Cerritos, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: D-Link DSB-R100 USB FM Radio with MP3 Software (Personal Computers)

Okay, so I only listen to KCRW in santa monica, and I can usually just turn off the software interface once the radio is on -- but does the interface have to be so hideous?
Hardware wise, the radio can pick up signals semi-competently. I've found plugging in my own antenna array helps. Your mileage may vary.