Squeezebox usable in Canada? - Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums

kebuchan · 2010-05-03, 07:58 PM

Hi,

I know one can use a Squeezebox in Canada :-) I wasn't sure what made sense as a title ... but here goes...

I just bought a Squeezebox Boom.. it's on sale $149.99 at Best Buy in the US. Anyway, had it about 2 hours and it's awesome ....

My Dad's birthday is coming up and I wanted to pick one up for him (if ithere's any left)... my parents live in Toronto and so far all I could find was 4-5 Toronto radio stations on the radio. So... just wondering what content they would actually get to listen to that was Canadian or at least CDN based.

Is there another Internet Radio device that might be a better option for Canada, maybe a Grace Internet Radio?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Kevin

apn · 2010-05-04, 08:33 AM

Squeezebox is totally usable in Canada or anywhere else; I've just acquired another BOOM for a total suite of four units (a Duet and three BOOMs).

I've not searched exhaustively for Canuck content, but I do have radio stations from TO, London and Calgary in my favourites, plus a host of mainly UK and US stations.

If you don't find Canuck stations in the menu, I've discovered that the SB's search function works well if you have a station call-sign or other portion of the name. You can also web-search and there's a way to add new stations via the URL, although I've personally not had to do this (yet).

hugh · 2010-05-04, 10:33 AM

Although some stations may require setup, you should be able to program any Internet Radio station of which there are tons in Canada.

The following is a link that explains how to add radio stations to the Squeezebox Radio.

notsure · 2010-05-04, 11:53 AM

Speaking of the Squeezebox Radio, I would currently avoid this model like the plague.

Logitech recently released a firmware for it (which is forced on users) and it broke most of the alarm functionality and any wireless network connection reliability. While they were in a hurry to release this firmware so they could support their new Touch product, they don't appear to be in any kind of hurry to release any fixes for the well documented/well reported issues that any "normal" user is experiencing. Some of the newer beta builds (which require you to install your own server) have fixes for some of the issues.

I bought this as a gift for my wife and it's been as useful as a $200 paperweight for something like the past month. Support has been no help at all.

Lastly, they supposedly sell an accessory pack (which contains a battery and remote) for this unit but NOT in Canada. Since I bought the unit in Canada, I would expect them to sell these accessories for it here without forcing me to go through Europe or the States.

No more Logitech toys for me.

kevsim · 2010-05-04, 12:15 PM

I agree, stay away from the Squeeze radio, mine worked fine till the update, now the alarm is all screwed up and the internet connectivity is brutal..

Might sell to a sucker and try the Sony Dash...

blueroomelectro · 2010-05-05, 12:38 AM

I have an old generation 1 Squeezebox. I haven't used it in a couple of years as I've replaced it with an AppleTV which now supports internet radio streams.

I do miss the very configurable alarm(s) but that's all I miss. Turns out my Samsung LCD TV has some very nifty multiple alarm functions too now I wake up to CityTV Breakfast TV in HD.

apn · 2010-05-06, 10:50 AM

Wow, sorry to hear of the probs w/ the Radio and the SBS 7.5 update.

Never been a big fan of the Radio (esp. with BOOM on sale for us$149 at BB this week), but I totally agree that Logitech needs to properly test software updates before inflicting them on unsuspecting users.

My systems have been working flawlessly even with the new update, but I did notice one anomaly; the alarm fade_in on my alarm clock BOOM stopped working after the most recent update. Now I get "instant on", which can be a jolt.

There was already a Bugzilla report filed, so I voted.

On one hand I appreciate that Logitech continues to enhance the software, adding new devices AND new functions to existing devices, but I hope they've learned a valuable lesson from the legion of Radio users afflicted with problems.

notsure · 2010-05-06, 11:16 AM

Users having to "vote" to get bugs fixed is another reason I won't be a repeat Logitech customer.

Bugs affecting basic documented funcationality should be fixed... period. Only fixing defects if enough users actually vote for them in the bug system is unacceptable. The percentage of users that would actually register to use this system is likely very small.

Still absolutely no sign of a new firmware coming. Logitech has been quiet on all fronts. I get the feeling they think if they bury their heads in the sand deep enough people will stop complaining (i.e. give up).

apn · 2010-05-06, 07:13 PM

Yeah, I hear you.

I don't know how much weighting the "voting" carries, but I only did so after posting on another forum and others asked me to vote.

Still, for me, the benefits of this system far outweigh the minor, hopefully short-term inconvenience of the alarm fade_in being broken.

To have access (from anywhere in my house, yard, garage, pool) to a 2TB music library AND a massive selection of internet radio is phenomenal, and to do so at a fraction of the cost of Sonos or other systems just makes it more compelling.

Still, Logitech needs to get serious about software development if it wants to be taken seriously in this market segment.

2010-05-03, 07:58 PM	#1
kebuchan Rookie Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1	Squeezebox usable in Canada? Hi, I know one can use a Squeezebox in Canada :-) I wasn't sure what made sense as a title ... but here goes... I just bought a Squeezebox Boom.. it's on sale $149.99 at Best Buy in the US. Anyway, had it about 2 hours and it's awesome .... My Dad's birthday is coming up and I wanted to pick one up for him (if ithere's any left)... my parents live in Toronto and so far all I could find was 4-5 Toronto radio stations on the radio. So... just wondering what content they would actually get to listen to that was Canadian or at least CDN based. Is there another Internet Radio device that might be a better option for Canada, maybe a Grace Internet Radio? Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks, Kevin

2010-05-04, 10:33 AM	#3
hugh Member #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 47,501	Although some stations may require setup, you should be able to program any Internet Radio station of which there are tons in Canada. The following is a link that explains how to add radio stations to the Squeezebox Radio. __________________ As of January 2012, I am no longer the owner of the Digital Home website. If you have questions about the operation of the site, please contact VSAdmin. For personal inquiries contact me at the Hugh Thompson website.

2010-05-05, 12:38 AM	#6
blueroomelectro Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 676	I have an old generation 1 Squeezebox. I haven't used it in a couple of years as I've replaced it with an AppleTV which now supports internet radio streams. I do miss the very configurable alarm(s) but that's all I miss. Turns out my Samsung LCD TV has some very nifty multiple alarm functions too now I wake up to CityTV Breakfast TV in HD. __________________ Bill My blog

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2010-05-04, 08:33 AM	#2
apn Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 569	Squeezebox is totally usable in Canada or anywhere else; I've just acquired another BOOM for a total suite of four units (a Duet and three BOOMs). I've not searched exhaustively for Canuck content, but I do have radio stations from TO, London and Calgary in my favourites, plus a host of mainly UK and US stations. If you don't find Canuck stations in the menu, I've discovered that the SB's search function works well if you have a station call-sign or other portion of the name. You can also web-search and there's a way to add new stations via the URL, although I've personally not had to do this (yet).

2010-05-04, 11:53 AM	#4
notsure Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ottawa, ON; OTA, XBMC, ATV Posts: 1,639	Speaking of the Squeezebox Radio, I would currently avoid this model like the plague. Logitech recently released a firmware for it (which is forced on users) and it broke most of the alarm functionality and any wireless network connection reliability. While they were in a hurry to release this firmware so they could support their new Touch product, they don't appear to be in any kind of hurry to release any fixes for the well documented/well reported issues that any "normal" user is experiencing. Some of the newer beta builds (which require you to install your own server) have fixes for some of the issues. I bought this as a gift for my wife and it's been as useful as a $200 paperweight for something like the past month. Support has been no help at all. Lastly, they supposedly sell an accessory pack (which contains a battery and remote) for this unit but NOT in Canada. Since I bought the unit in Canada, I would expect them to sell these accessories for it here without forcing me to go through Europe or the States. No more Logitech toys for me.

2010-05-04, 12:15 PM	#5
kevsim Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 145	I agree, stay away from the Squeeze radio, mine worked fine till the update, now the alarm is all screwed up and the internet connectivity is brutal.. Might sell to a sucker and try the Sony Dash...

2010-05-06, 10:50 AM	#7
apn Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 569	Wow, sorry to hear of the probs w/ the Radio and the SBS 7.5 update. Never been a big fan of the Radio (esp. with BOOM on sale for us$149 at BB this week), but I totally agree that Logitech needs to properly test software updates before inflicting them on unsuspecting users. My systems have been working flawlessly even with the new update, but I did notice one anomaly; the alarm fade_in on my alarm clock BOOM stopped working after the most recent update. Now I get "instant on", which can be a jolt. There was already a Bugzilla report filed, so I voted. On one hand I appreciate that Logitech continues to enhance the software, adding new devices AND new functions to existing devices, but I hope they've learned a valuable lesson from the legion of Radio users afflicted with problems.

2010-05-06, 11:16 AM	#8
notsure Veteran Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Ottawa, ON; OTA, XBMC, ATV Posts: 1,639	Users having to "vote" to get bugs fixed is another reason I won't be a repeat Logitech customer. Bugs affecting basic documented funcationality should be fixed... period. Only fixing defects if enough users actually vote for them in the bug system is unacceptable. The percentage of users that would actually register to use this system is likely very small. Still absolutely no sign of a new firmware coming. Logitech has been quiet on all fronts. I get the feeling they think if they bury their heads in the sand deep enough people will stop complaining (i.e. give up).

2010-05-06, 07:13 PM	#9
apn Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 569	Yeah, I hear you. I don't know how much weighting the "voting" carries, but I only did so after posting on another forum and others asked me to vote. Still, for me, the benefits of this system far outweigh the minor, hopefully short-term inconvenience of the alarm fade_in being broken. To have access (from anywhere in my house, yard, garage, pool) to a 2TB music library AND a massive selection of internet radio is phenomenal, and to do so at a fraction of the cost of Sonos or other systems just makes it more compelling. Still, Logitech needs to get serious about software development if it wants to be taken seriously in this market segment.