From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv


I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either
from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no DJ
jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

I have a Roberts Streamium but:

It either buzzes or plays the radio, it won't wake me to music from a thumbdrive.
When the music comes on the clock shrinks to an unreadable size.

Any suggestions welcome, I don't even know what such a device might be
called so searching is a bit vague. I do have some old Android tablets but
the sound is not good due to their size. I also have an early Amazon Echo, biggest disappointment I have ever bought, did absolutely nothing useful,
now gathering dust.
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Indecision is the key to flexibility
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

Jeff Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

I retired my Pure DAB radio for a Lenovo Smart clock, then upgraded that
to a larger Nest Hub, the Lenovo now lives in the kitchen.

<https://store.google.com/product/nest_hub_2nd_gen?hl=en-GB>

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.

You can choose various clock styles when it's idle, the one I use has
42mm tall "split flap" style digits

Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no DJ jibber jabber.

Mine starts Times Radio on a timer M-F, but you could use a playlist
from other online sources, don't think it can play from USB

Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

The 2nd gen is supposedly better quality, I have a pair of speakers for
better sound.

I have a Roberts Streamium but:

It either buzzes or plays the radio, it won't wake me to music from a thumbdrive.
When the music comes on the clock shrinks to an unreadable size.

Somewhat pointlessly the display can end-up with a static logo of the
station being played, but you can swipe the touch screen to go back to
the clock.

Any suggestions welcome, I don't even know what such a device might be called so searching is a bit vague. I do have some old Android tablets
but the sound is not good due to their size. I also have an early Amazon Echo, biggest disappointment I have ever bought, did absolutely nothing useful, now gathering dust.

If stray light keeps you awake at night you can program it to go dark at
after a certain time. You can use speech control, or can turn off the mic.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26 Jul 2025 06:38:24 GMT, "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either >from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no DJ >jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

I have a Roberts Streamium but:

It either buzzes or plays the radio, it won't wake me to music from a >thumbdrive.
When the music comes on the clock shrinks to an unreadable size.

Any suggestions welcome, I don't even know what such a device might be >called so searching is a bit vague. I do have some old Android tablets but >the sound is not good due to their size. I also have an early Amazon Echo, >biggest disappointment I have ever bought, did absolutely nothing useful, >now gathering dust.

I have a more recent Echo device, the Echo Spot, which has a
reasonably sized display for a bedside clock, which you can set to a
variety of styles and colours, and which can dim at set times, and if
you can't read the time in the middle of the night you can just ask
it. You can even whisper and it will whisper back.

You can request a standard alarm verbally as you can from any Echo
device, but if you want it to play a radio station at a set time, you
can program a routine to do this using a phone app. I've set one up
for somebody who wanted to wake up to the sound of Radio 4, so I know
this can be done quite easily. I haven't experimented with playing
material from a local network, but if it can, it can do it whenever
you want. Anything it can do in response to a verbal command can be
programmed for a set time every day by typing the verbal command into
a routine using your phone. The grandchildren have even discovered
that you can tell Alexa to play fart sounds, so I suppose you could
set this as an alarm if you really wanted to.

Rod.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26/07/2025 07:38, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

Never thought about previously but looked at my Roberts radio and the
alarm can only use Internet Radio, VHF FM, DAB or buzzer. Seems
short-sighted of them but does not bother me.





--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

To the OP:-

Have a look at majority.co.uk - they do a wide range of radios and one
may suit you.

They are based at Histon (on the A10 just north of the A14 Cambridge
northern by-pass) hence why many models - especially some of the older products - are named after villages and townships around Cambridge.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26/07/2025 in message <xn0p8qyfe6t8igl00e@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either >from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

Many thanks for all the replies :-)

I found that when you get down to the manual the 2 stage alarm either
sounds a buzzer or plays a radio station, and I did need to dig into the manual to find out. Waking up to a presenter who is wetting themselves at their own wit is just too much for me in the mornings.

The only exceptions I could find were some of the August M300 and M400
range but you still have to check the manual!

I have ordered the MB420 and hope it fulfils its promise...
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
By the time you can make ends meet they move the ends
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26/07/2025 07:38, Jeff Gaines wrote:

. I do have some old Android tablets

I also have an early Amazon Echo

Home Assistant ...
--
Adrian C
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26/07/2025 07:38, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no DJ jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

No, what you want is a radio cassette recorder with a built in
clock/alarm, then you can be woken up by your desired cassette tape.

I bought one a few a few years ago from the Radio Times shop. A Roberts.

It even has long wave.
--
Max Demian
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27/07/2025 in message <10651qd$1q2ls$1@dont-email.me> Max Demian wrote:

On 26/07/2025 07:38, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either >>from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it >>would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no DJ >>jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

No, what you want is a radio cassette recorder with a built in
clock/alarm, then you can be woken up by your desired cassette tape.

I bought one a few a few years ago from the Radio Times shop. A Roberts.

It even has long wave.

Something like that which use a thumbdrive or SD card would do it, I
haven't seen a cassette tape for years!

The August has arrived and it plays the thumbdrive, I'll report back
tomorrow whether or not it woke me up on time :-)
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
It may be that your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others. --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27 Jul 2025 11:36:52 GMT, "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
wrote:

The August has arrived and it plays the thumbdrive, I'll report back >tomorrow whether or not it woke me up on time :-)

I've just glanced at the Amazon page for the August M300, and it says
in the heading:

"Wake to your Favourite Music from USB and SD or FM Station"

which implies that it will.

Rod.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:47:43 +0100
Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On 26 Jul 2025 06:38:24 GMT, "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music
either from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network.
Ideally it would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no
DJ jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

I have a Roberts Streamium but:

It either buzzes or plays the radio, it won't wake me to music from
a thumbdrive.
When the music comes on the clock shrinks to an unreadable size.

Any suggestions welcome, I don't even know what such a device might
be called so searching is a bit vague. I do have some old Android
tablets but the sound is not good due to their size. I also have an
early Amazon Echo, biggest disappointment I have ever bought, did >absolutely nothing useful, now gathering dust.

I have a more recent Echo device, the Echo Spot, which has a
reasonably sized display for a bedside clock, which you can set to a
variety of styles and colours, and which can dim at set times, and if
you can't read the time in the middle of the night you can just ask
it. You can even whisper and it will whisper back.

You can request a standard alarm verbally as you can from any Echo
device, but if you want it to play a radio station at a set time, you
can program a routine to do this using a phone app. I've set one up
for somebody who wanted to wake up to the sound of Radio 4, so I know
this can be done quite easily. I haven't experimented with playing
material from a local network, but if it can, it can do it whenever
you want. Anything it can do in response to a verbal command can be programmed for a set time every day by typing the verbal command into
a routine using your phone. The grandchildren have even discovered
that you can tell Alexa to play fart sounds, so I suppose you could
set this as an alarm if you really wanted to.

Rod.

Can you program it without using 'phones and 'apps'? Not that I intend
to buy one, just wondering.
--
Davey.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27/07/2025 in message <nj5c8k9352lemufr5ilq780ek4q8ms1aam@4ax.com>
Roderick Stewart wrote:

On 27 Jul 2025 11:36:52 GMT, "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
wrote:

The August has arrived and it plays the thumbdrive, I'll report back >>tomorrow whether or not it woke me up on time :-)

I've just glanced at the Amazon page for the August M300, and it says
in the heading:

"Wake to your Favourite Music from USB and SD or FM Station"

which implies that it will.

Rod.

Yes indeed!

Makes it rare if not unique.
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
That's an amazing invention but who would ever want to use one of them? (President Hayes speaking to Alexander Graham Bell on the invention of the telephone)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27/07/2025 13:50, Davey wrote:

On Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:47:43 +0100
Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote:

On 26 Jul 2025 06:38:24 GMT, "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com>
wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music
either from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network.
Ideally it would have:

A decent size clock that I can read without specs.
Start playing music at a set time from the thumbdrive or network, no
DJ jibber jabber.
Built in speaker, clear but hifi not needed

I have a Roberts Streamium but:

It either buzzes or plays the radio, it won't wake me to music from
a thumbdrive.
When the music comes on the clock shrinks to an unreadable size.

Any suggestions welcome, I don't even know what such a device might
be called so searching is a bit vague. I do have some old Android
tablets but the sound is not good due to their size. I also have an
early Amazon Echo, biggest disappointment I have ever bought, did
absolutely nothing useful, now gathering dust.

I have a more recent Echo device, the Echo Spot, which has a
reasonably sized display for a bedside clock, which you can set to a
variety of styles and colours, and which can dim at set times, and if
you can't read the time in the middle of the night you can just ask
it. You can even whisper and it will whisper back.

You can request a standard alarm verbally as you can from any Echo
device, but if you want it to play a radio station at a set time, you
can program a routine to do this using a phone app. I've set one up
for somebody who wanted to wake up to the sound of Radio 4, so I know
this can be done quite easily. I haven't experimented with playing
material from a local network, but if it can, it can do it whenever
you want. Anything it can do in response to a verbal command can be
programmed for a set time every day by typing the verbal command into
a routine using your phone. The grandchildren have even discovered
that you can tell Alexa to play fart sounds, so I suppose you could
set this as an alarm if you really wanted to.

Rod.

Can you program it without using 'phones and 'apps'? Not that I intend
to buy one, just wondering.

You will probably need an app to connect it to the home WiFi. I often
asked it to play mellow magic after the alarm. One morning it asked if I
would like it to do that every morning...



Dave
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27/07/2025 in message <1065f7u$30m1o$1@dont-email.me> David Wade wrote:

Can you program it without using 'phones and 'apps'? Not that I intend
to buy one, just wondering.

You will probably need an app to connect it to the home WiFi. I often
asked it to play mellow magic after the alarm. One morning it asked if I >would like it to do that every morning...

That's the station I am trying to get away from, spends its whole time
asking me to enter competitions and saying it doesn't play the same tune
twice :-(
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
If Bj||rn & Benny had been called Syd and Dave then ABBA would have been called ASDA.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 27/07/2025 16:15, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 27/07/2025 in message <1065f7u$30m1o$1@dont-email.me> David Wade wrote:

Can you program it without using 'phones and 'apps'? Not that I intend
to buy one, just wondering.

You will probably need an app to connect it to the home WiFi. I often
asked it to play mellow magic after the alarm. One morning it asked if
I would like it to do that every morning...

That's the station I am trying to get away from, spends its whole time asking me to enter competitions and saying it doesn't play the same tune twice :-(

It will play most radio stations. It will also stream off the DLNA
server but that is a bit tricky. It needs:-

http://ourjukebox.io/

I starting using it because Mellow Magic went DAB Plus or something so
it would no longer play on my old Roberts Radio Alarm...

Dave
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:50:23 +0100, Davey <davey@example.invalid>
wrote:

I have a more recent Echo device, the Echo Spot, which has a
reasonably sized display for a bedside clock, which you can set to a
variety of styles and colours, and which can dim at set times, and if
you can't read the time in the middle of the night you can just ask
it. You can even whisper and it will whisper back.

You can request a standard alarm verbally as you can from any Echo
device, but if you want it to play a radio station at a set time, you
can program a routine to do this using a phone app. I've set one up
for somebody who wanted to wake up to the sound of Radio 4, so I know
this can be done quite easily. I haven't experimented with playing
material from a local network, but if it can, it can do it whenever
you want. Anything it can do in response to a verbal command can be
programmed for a set time every day by typing the verbal command into
a routine using your phone. The grandchildren have even discovered
that you can tell Alexa to play fart sounds, so I suppose you could
set this as an alarm if you really wanted to.

Rod.

Can you program it without using 'phones and 'apps'? Not that I intend
to buy one, just wondering.

Some of the functions of the alarm clock version (Echo Spot) can be
programmed from the device itself because it has a touch screen, but
other devices in the same range don't even have this, only a power
cable and no means of physically connecting anything else.

You can't even connect it to wi-fi without first pairing it with
something that has Bluetooth, normally a phone but I suppose a tablet
would do as well. You install the Alexa app first, and the Echo device
will search for it when first switched on, then after you accept the
connection it will ask which wi-fi signal to connect to.

The app includes all the things you can control from the screen, plus
a few extra such as tone controls, and the times to dim the screen and
switch to "do not disturb" mode, and programmed "routines" if you want
thm. Once you've set it up you might never need it again if you just
want to use the device as an alarm clock or ask Alexa daft questions.

Rod.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 26/07/2025 in message <xn0p8qyfe6t8igl00e@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

I want a device that will wake me in the morning by playing music either >from a thumbdrive or by streaming it over my home network. Ideally it
would have:

An update on this.

I went for the August BH420:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09336S2S7

It is one of the few alarm radios that will play a flash drive instead of
just buzzer or radio.

The sound quality for mp3 files is fine, clear and bright, an audiophile
might want better but it's a bedside alarm so fine for me.

The DAB radio is not as sensitive as the Roberts Stream but it's a lot cheaper.

I haven't tried FM.

It picked up the time immediately from DAB but that's where it all went
pear shaped. The clock didn't change it was stuck on that time. I have
tried a factory reset and different ways of setting the clock and I can
set it but it doesn't work.

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll
let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
If you ever find something you like buy a lifetime supply because they
will stop making it
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 29/07/2025 in message <xn0p8v8vx4613x800u@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll
let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!

All is well!

Replacement picked up 70 DAB stations immediately and woke me up this
morning to the sound of my choice of music on my flash drive so well
pleased.
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
640k ought to be enough for anyone.
(Bill Gates, 1981)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 31/07/2025 in message <xn0p8y5d375gbhr011@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

On 29/07/2025 in message <xn0p8v8vx4613x800u@news.individual.net> Jeff >Gaines wrote:

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll >>let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!

All is well!

Replacement picked up 70 DAB stations immediately and woke me up this >morning to the sound of my choice of music on my flash drive so well >pleased.

If anybody is following this the unit failed to come on via the alarm yesterday and today. The clock keeps resetting to 1/1/2024 and the time to 12:00. Being collected Monday for refund. will have to look for something else.
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Here we go it's getting close, now it's just who wants it most.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

On 31/07/2025 in message <xn0p8y5d375gbhr011@news.individual.net> Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 29/07/2025 in message <xn0p8v8vx4613x800u@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll >>> let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!

All is well!

Replacement picked up 70 DAB stations immediately and woke me up this
morning to the sound of my choice of music on my flash drive so well
pleased.

If anybody is following this the unit failed to come on via the alarm yesterday and today. The clock keeps resetting to 1/1/2024 and the time to 12:00. Being collected Monday for refund. will have to look for something else.

ThererCOs been recent reports of short power outages, is the radio perhaps somewhat sensitive to these? Has anything else been affected?

Perhaps try a mains filter or ups?
--
Spike

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 09/08/2025 in message <mfodthF87lkU1@mid.individual.net> Spike wrote:

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

On 31/07/2025 in message <xn0p8y5d375gbhr011@news.individual.net> Jeff >>Gaines wrote:

On 29/07/2025 in message <xn0p8v8vx4613x800u@news.individual.net> Jeff >>>Gaines wrote:

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll >>>>let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!

All is well!

Replacement picked up 70 DAB stations immediately and woke me up this >>>morning to the sound of my choice of music on my flash drive so well >>>pleased.

If anybody is following this the unit failed to come on via the alarm >>yesterday and today. The clock keeps resetting to 1/1/2024 and the time to >>12:00. Being collected Monday for refund. will have to look for something >>else.

ThererCOs been recent reports of short power outages, is the radio perhaps >somewhat sensitive to these? Has anything else been affected?

Perhaps try a mains filter or ups?

I wondered if it was power, unfortunately it doesn't have a back up battery.

However, I have a UPS for my computers and if there is a power cut the
alarm would wake the dead!
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
That's an amazing invention but who would ever want to use one of them? (President Hayes speaking to Alexander Graham Bell on the invention of the telephone)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.tech.digital-tv

On 09/08/2025 in message <xn0p9c2rwbdpxjw013@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

On 31/07/2025 in message <xn0p8y5d375gbhr011@news.individual.net> Jeff >Gaines wrote:

On 29/07/2025 in message <xn0p8v8vx4613x800u@news.individual.net> Jeff >>Gaines wrote:

So it's being picked up for return and a replacement is on the way, I'll >>>let you know if the alarm works as require as long as the clock works!

All is well!

Replacement picked up 70 DAB stations immediately and woke me up this >>morning to the sound of my choice of music on my flash drive so well >>pleased.

If anybody is following this the unit failed to come on via the alarm >yesterday and today. The clock keeps resetting to 1/1/2024 and the time to >12:00. Being collected Monday for refund. will have to look for something >else.

Final, final, word on this of anybody is still awake!

The new Roberts Sound 49 turns on the flash drive as an alarm, released 15 August 2025.

I got one direct a few days early and have been using it for nearly a week.

Only reads FAT/FAT32 so couldn't read my exFAT flash drive but fine with FAT32.
Playing USB you can randomise it, the alarm seems to go back to the
beginning each time.
No network radio which my Roberts Stream 830i had.
Piece of wire as a DAB aerial, not telescopic.

So, got there in the end :-)
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
640k ought to be enough for anyone.
(Bill Gates, 1981)
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2