Internet sports radio's benefits and pitfalls

An internet sports radio, similar to the normal one, provides several stations but requires a wireless network connection in order to work. This device comes with both advantages and disadvantages.

One of the benefits of online radio is having more channel options compared to the offerings of FM or DAB. For example, DAB provides an estimated one hundred stations and the exact count is determined by your location.

With the help of the wireless network, other stations located in foreign countries become reachable too. Given the large number of stations to choose from, a person can select channel through various ways such as searching by genre. So if you have specific sports, you may easily filter the stations based on your choice.

Another advantage of this device is that you can replay a game on BBC or other stations that you missed. Accessing a podcast enables you to listen to the previous shows. If you have a record of your favorite plays in a computer or another mobile device, you can also use the online sports radio to watch them again via media sharing.

However, it is difficult to manage podcasts because there is no opportunity to fast forward or rewind a particular show. This is one of the downsides. Another is the time difference. It means there will be a lengthier delay on live streaming via online connection than the typical one. Broadcasting through wireless network creates a 20-second interval.

One more restriction of this kind of radio is the internet itself. It will obviously not function when the connection is absent. Using Wi-Fi connectivity or wired Ethernet is obligatory all the time. If you have no access, it means you will not be able to hear using your online receiver. In addition, data limit is a hindrance. Running an internet sports radio adds to your data consumption. A live stream of 128 kbps during an hour takes about 56 megabytes of data.

Depending on your preferences, an internet sports radio can be considered as a boon or not. No matter how you weigh these pros and cons, it still good to know that we can listen or watch games in numerous platforms.