Rio Digital Audio Receiver with Rio Digital Audio Connector (PCI)

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Product Details

Product Manual [1.07mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059YXO
• Item model number: 90260096
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,027 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 3, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
The Rio Digital Audio Receiver streams music directly from your PC to any room in your house via existing phone lines through a home phoneline network (PNA) or via an Ethernet network. It works with your existing speakers and stereo setup to transfer MP3 and WMA files at up to 10 megabits per second without interrupting the regular use of your phone line. The receiver can simultaneously stream different music selections to different rooms wherever an additional receiver is located.

The Rio Receiver features a large LCD display that shows song, album, and artist name, bit rate, and total playing time. Play functions include play, pause, stop, fast forward, and reverse within a song, and skipping backward and forward as well as repeat and random. The Rio Receiver also comes with a remote control.

You can sort music by artist, title, album, or genre and then customize the Rio Receiver's interface to view your playlists. It is compatible with existing digital audio software such as RealNetworks Jukebox and MusicMatch Jukebox.

Using a standard telephone line, the Rio Receiver operates on a separate frequency from your telephone or modem, allowing you to use your telephone line normally without interference from your Rio Receiver. The receiver requires connection to a home PNA from your PC, or use of the included Rio Digital Audio Connector PCI card installed into your PC.

The Rio Receiver also supports 10 Mbps Ethernet. You can connect the receiver to your existing Ethernet hub with a standard Category 5 Ethernet cable, or directly to a host computer using an Ethernet crossover cable.

The Rio Receiver requires a desktop PC running Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, or Me on an Intel Pentium MMX with 200 MHz processor at minimum. You can connect the Rio Receiver into a stereo system via RCA jack connection. It also has an integrated amplifier that allows the Rio Receiver to act as a stand-alone component using external speakers (either bare-wire bookshelf speakers or powered speakers with a 1/8-inch jack).

Included with the receiver is the Rio Digital Audio Remote, a 15-foot standard phone cord, a 6-foot standard phone cord, a 6-foot RCA cable, and a software installation CD-ROM that includes the Audio Receiver Manager software. The optional Rio Digital Audio Connector PCI card is also available if you do not already have a home PNA.

Product Description
The Rio Digital Audio Receiver is the simple solution to turning your personal computer into your personal digital audio jukebox. The Rio Receiver streams music from your PC to any room in your house by simply plugging into an available phone jack. It works with your existing speakers and uses your home's existing phone lines to transfer MP3 or WMA music files and playlists anywhere in your house. The digital audio is sent over your existing phone lines without interfering with your phone service. Download music from the Internet onto your PC, create Playlists of your favorite CDs, and enjoy them with your Rio Receiver. You can sort music by artist, title, album or genre and customize the Rio Receiver's interface to view only information important to you. All you need - is PC with Windows'98 or higher, Rio Digital Audio Connector Card (HPNA) and (optionally) PNA Networking or Ethernet networking for PC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rio Receiver - Discontinued for a reason., November 9, 2001

By A Customer

My Rio Receiver plays music flawlessly, I admit. And to have a 10 Watt amp built in is brilliance (10 watts, by the way, is plenty for the average person, but won't do for a big party or large room - get a real amp and plug in to the rca jacks).
There are sub-optimal realizations in the brilliance, and I think this is why the product is being discontinued. The device relies on software running on a computer and that computer, if not stand-alone with no security, must be logged in and running the program. The software driving the device has never been updated and is orphaned now that the product is discontinued. The software also can not play an album in album order. It plays everything in alphabetic order. Big problem when you listen to an album that has an order to it (Pink Floyd - The Wall, or Classical movements, etc).
The makers discontinued the product too soon, in my mind. If they had analyzed the competitor's product they could have adjusted and put out a new version of software. This type of device has a place in the home and the market is JUST STARTING to emerge. I 'ripped' over four hundred CD's onto my hard drive and am sold on the technology. No more fumbling with cases and putting things back when done playing them - rip 'em once and then just select the album and push play. Put the CD in a safe place, though, hard drives can crash.
I like the box, but since it is discontinued I would guide anyone looking for MP3/WMA playback to look at AudioTron from TurtleBeach. They continue to modify the unit and have 'got it right' when it comes to the implementation.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Good product gone bad, May 9, 2003

By A Customer

I own three of these. I also own three AudioTron (Turtlebeach) units. Sonic Blue missed the mark on several points:
1. You MUST run THEIR software on your server.
2. You MUST log in ( and stay logged in)to the server for their software to work (it SHOULDN'T, but does!).
3. They don't pay any attention to Track Numbers on an album. It allways play in ALPHA order. This will not do!
4. They don't have digital out.
5. They abandoned the product, even though you can still get them (as of 5/1/03) they are NOT supported and will NEVER have an patches.

The thing that they DID get right is that the unit has it's own 10 watt amplifier (if you choose to use it). And the the analog audio quality is much better than that of the AudioTron. (But the AudioTron has digital out).

At current prices...these are worth the price. At the retail price...they died horribly. But realize that the price is low because the product died a horrible death and is not supported.

If you do get one - just remember to have your Ripping software create an M3U playlist for each album. Then you have the unit play in album order.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works as advertised-Great box!, May 7, 2001

By	T. M. Laird-mcconnell "thermous" (Bellevue, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just received it and I couldn't be more pleased. It's compact, it does what it says it will do, and I already can't imagine going back to shoving CD's around.

I do wish it had a radio tuner. If it had a radio tuner, I wouldn't have to hook it up to another stereo at all.

The display works well, but you do have to get pretty close to be able to read it.

The remote is nice for controlling next track, but to pick genre etc, you really need to be at the display...which makes sense.

In a certain sense, it is so easy to use and works so well, that it seems anticlimatic. It just works quitely and efficiently in the background.

I'm completely happy with it. Great product, and every stereo sold should have this capibility!