Product Description

BLIK RadioStation is the ultimate ‘one box’ digital radio device providing an unprecedented choice of over 9 000 stations from around the globe. Whether your favourite station is broadcasting from your home country on DAB Radio or on the other side of the world on the internet radio platform - BLIK RadioStation is ready to deliver. BLIK RadioStation can even receive traditional FM radio transmissions perfect for when DAB or Wi-Fi internet radio reception isn’t available. Contemporary In Every Detail From its ultra-modern casework to its state-of-the-art internals it’s easy to tell that BLIK RadioStation comes from a new generation of multi format multi functional digital radios. More Than A Radio BLIK RadioStation is much more than a radio. As well as having a digital alarm clock (with sleep and snooze functions) BLIK RadioStation will also allow you to play music files stored on any Wi-Fi enabled PC or Mac in your home. BLIK RadioStation has been designed in the UK and features a custom version of Frontier Silicon’s Venice 6 module the world’s most advanced digital radio chipset. M-Port - iPod® Revo’s M-Port technology allows for quick and easy connection of an iPod® (or other MP3 devices or sound sources) to BLIK RadioStation. FM Radio For fans of traditional FM radio BLIK features an FM tuner with RDS. Digital Alarm BLIK includes advanced digital alarm features including multiple alarms and sleep and snooze functions. Media Player BLIK Wi-Fi also offers full media player functionality enabling the user to listen to audio tracks stored on PCs or Apple Macs connected to the same local Wi-Fi network. Simplicity Using BLIK Wi-Fi couldn't be simpler with no complicated set-up operations and no software to load. Wi-Fi Connection BLIK Wi-Fi automatically connects to your existing Wi-Fi network and uses your broadband connection to access the Frontier Silicon Internet Radio Gateway. The Gateway then uploads the very latest station listings automatically lea

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53008 in Consumer Electronics
• Colour: SATIN BLACK
• Brand: Revo
• Model: REVOBLIKSTATION-BLACK

Features

• BLIK RadioStation Hardware Features
• Wi-Fi Internet Radio
• FM Radio Receiver with RDS
• Digital Alarm Clock with Sleep & Snooze
• Plug an iPod® into BLIK’s M-Port and you have a Quality iPod® Speaker System

Customer Reviews

Good Internet radio, poor alarm clock radio.
Since I own BOTH the Revo Blik and the Revo Radiostation, and many people are likely to consider both these models together, I thought I would review and compare both.

First if you are thinking about it for the first time, a few words about standalone Internet Radio. When you are buying an Internet Radio, you are relying on a 4-way relationship between the manufacturer, the service provider 1 (the BBC or whatever), the service provider 2 (Reciva, Frontier or whatever portal the radio chipset uses), and the service provider 3 (you, or more specifically your WiFi network). At this stage, if you buy one of these, you are an early adopter. If things don't work, it may be very difficult to determine where the problem lies. But the good news is that Revo in particular are very friendly on the phone, you should have no problem returning a radio if you can't get it working, but best of all it usually does work first time and I have found it to be a truly life changing product.

Now to these two models. First of all, they look identical, but the Radiostation gives you DAB, and is future proofed with DAB+, for an extra £50 (which seems quite expensive). If you want DAB, then your choice between the two is made for you, but I don't so I won't mention it again.

The main difference between the units is that they utilise totally different chipsets and Internet interface. The Blick uses the more established Reciva, whilst the Radiostation uses the new Frontier Silicon technology. Which one is best? Only time will tell I guess. I have heard a lot of people complain about the Reciva technology, but whilst there are a lot of people using Reciva, the Frontier technology is new. I have personally never had a problem with my Reciva units, but have already had a few problems connecting with the Radiostation. If you want to take advantage of the BBC Listen Again programmes, and for me this is the main reason for owning an Internet Radio, I would leave the Radiostation well alone for now. The Frontier model seems to scroll through your added stations and podcasts much better, but with Reciva model you are able to add the XML for a podcast which give you a list of programmes, whereas with the Frontier model you are stuck with the latest download. This needs to be fixed by Frontier Silicon.

Now to the units themselves. These two units are the first proper attempts at WiFi clock radios, and they are both decent attempts. Bedside radio is vital to me though, and there are a number of niggles. Which one is best sorted by any future firmware updates will determine which unit is saved from eBay! My Radiostation arrived with labels advising me to perform a firmware update, which implies they knew it was not perfect when they sent it out.

Niggle 1. And the most important. The Blicks alarm volume comes on far too loud. The Logik iPod clock alarm that I owned before this was even louder, but this is still too loud. If you need to get up quickly fair enough, but if you want to get up slowly it will annoy the hell out of you. Please fix this immediately Revo, it needs to be the same volume as used previously. If in your state of just woken panic you try to turn the volume down, it will just switch the unit off, leaving you to switch on again. Not very good for a clock radio. The Radiostation scores on this one with its adjustable wake up volume.

Niggle 2. The Radiostation then lets itself down. It has 4 alarms, against the Blik's 2. But the Blik can be programmed for weekday or weekend, and the Radiostation cannot. So the Blik's 2 are better than the Radiostatio's 4.

Niggle 3. If you have programmed these units to come on in FM or DAB mode (I would never set an alarm to come on in WiFi mode, not reliable enough), then the unit HAS to be in standby when you fall asleep. Don't you dare drift off with a podcast or listen again stream so that it doesn't go quiet into standby, because if you do, the alarm will come on with, not FM or DAB radio, oh no, but the buzzer. You will have your insides deposited on your bed sheets if you make this mistake. A firmware fix is required soon please.

Niggle 4. Both units have two many buttons on top, which are impossible to find in the dark. Useless. Just use the remote instead, but both remotes tend to require two presses to work every now and again.

Niggle 5. These are mains powered units only, despite what the manuals may lead you to believe with the inclusion of a battery compartment. Don't you dare disconnect the power from the unit because you will lose a number of settings including the time.

Niggle 6. The Blik loses about 10 minutes a week. At least the Radiostation can update the clock automatically from the DAB signal.

Niggle 7. Both units are advertised as RDS FM. Unless you live next door to a transmitter forget it.

In summary, both these units are great as Internet Radio's but hopeless as bedside alarm clock radios. I am hoping that future firmware updates will resolve many of my niggles.

Shame about the display screen...
If only the display screen was better this would be a 100% 'must have.'
The screen is only viewable/visible if you are looking at the screen at the same height, i.e. that your eyes are at 90 degrees to the screen. The angle of screen acceptance is very small.
The little feet are also slippery, pity as most people will place this radio on a polished surface where it might slip around; stick other rubbery feet onto the radio if this is a problem.
The manual/operating guide is a .pdf file on a CD; a printed manual would have been nice, it's easy to get an up to date manual from the Revo website or updates could be on the CD.
The operation of the radio is a joy.
The Internet Radio feature is very easy to setup and use.
Sound quality from the internal speaker is good as it the quality via the stereo jack.
The remote control is good and seems to work well.

A real must have gadget.
I live in Norway and my town has just now got DAB radio. For a long time i have been looking after a DAB-radio or an internet-radio. Then this fantastic radio pops up. It can streem music from the computer too. And an FM radio as well.
I agree that the display is narrow-angle, but the sound is good, the time to switch channels is just 2-3 sec, and it looks so nice.
You can acess 8000 radiostations and many tousand podcasts. You can add new stations and make many favorite lists via the Frontier radio-interface.