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AMP Radio 1.5 ($10 Shareware) One great thing about the MP3 format is that it supports both static (file-based) and streaming (network-based) content. The players we have looked at so far have been best suited for playing static files. But if you want to focus on streaming MP3 from around the world, there are other choices. You need to sort stations by category, and it would be nice if you could record streaming content... AMP Radio provides both static and streaming MP3 file playback, with a focus on streaming content. The action starts in the Main Window, which contains all of the controls you'd expect on a player, including on/off, play/pause, forward, rewind and stop. For audio, there are bass, treble and volume controls. The display will show the title of the current stream or file, play time, and VU meters for right and left channels. To switch between the tracker (streaming) and playlist (static) windows, you can click on the appropriate button in the Main Window.
Main Window The streaming Tracker window will show several categories of streaming content, with a familiar Finder type of display. Clicking on the triangle for a category will cause the stations for that category to be retrieved and displayed. For each station, you can see the number of other people listening, the maximum number allowed, and the bitrate of the broadcast. Higher bitrates offer better sound, but not all users can take advantage of them. If you are still using a 56k modem or less, you should really thing about upgrading...
Tracker for Streaming MP3 Stations AMP Radio can also play static MP3 files, and supports the same Finder like display in the Playlist window. You can create play lists for later retrieval. The only feature that seems to be missing is a random or shuffle mode, although you can order files the way you wish. Other than this omission, this package also serves as a fine MP3 player.
Playlist Window for Static MP3 Files The final, and what we thought was the most compelling feature of this package is accessed via the Record button in the Main Window. When listening to streaming content, press record and the audio will be saved to a MP3 file, ready for future playback. The unpaid version limits the record time to 3 minutes, and disables the feature after 14 days. Hopefully enough time to see if it does what you need. For those who want to focus on both streaming and static MP3 audio playback, with the ability to record streaming content, AMP Radio is the right tool. Have any other MP3 gadgets you'd like us to look at? Let John know via e-mail, or share it with the rest of us in the Mac Gadget Forum. Useful Link |
