Radio Tuners

[Jackson Dell Weaver]

Color me dumb.  What did I miss?  There is an installed base of something like 2 Billion computers in the world and radio has never lobbied to have a radio tuner (local stations on AM and FM) installed as a core part of the operating system. 

Would you not think that with all the combined brain power of the conglomerates, someone would have thought of it?  It sure would build audience faster than streaming or HD.  Anyone got a comment here?

[Mihail]

I believe you're talkiing about a hardware item (like the TV tuners that do exist), rather than something that could be built into,say, Windows or Mac OS.  I can't imagine there'd be much of a market for that when the consumer can stream music from websites without the additional hardware.

[placebo1969]

Windows Media Center has a built in FM tuner and there are many options for Mac OS X--RadioSHARK, coming to mind. 

[Rob Stutson]

Would you not think that with all the combined brain power of the conglomerates, someone would have thought of it?  It sure would build audience faster than streaming or HD.  Anyone got a comment here?

Manufacturers would balk at the additional hardware cost of a tuner - even though it's minimal. 

And the TV tuners on the market with FM capability (Hauppauge Win-TV for example) all come with software.

Forget about AM on a PC radio - too much digital "noise".

[Jackson Dell Weaver]

You're of course correct - AM would never make it past the RF noise - but FM would seem to be a simple addition to the existing sound cards (though I'm not claiming to be an engineer).  The issue isn't the technology - it's the opportunity.  My point is that with consumers spending so much time in front of a computer screen, it's a great place to have an easily accessable radio. 

Your car has competitive media -  CD, cassette, satellite, maybe an I-Pod hookup - but it's anchored with a RADIO.  Why not computers - that's all I'm saying.

[954]

I think TV tuners, on a board, have been available since the 80s or easrly 90s. Too expensive for me and I didn't have a fast enough PC for sound.

Besides, why use up CPU resources on something easily accessible off-the-pc. I have two TVs within reach of the PC and a radio/cassette/CD and a shortwave radio and a record player within ten feet. Positioned so they can easily be heard in the kitchen, too. (The radio will be moved closer when I rearrange stuff.)

You show me a car in which a free-standing TV and CD player and record player are practical, and I'll admit that it doesn't need a built-in radio any more than my PC does.

I think I'll put on a record and make breakfast now.

73s and have a great weekend!