WATFORD, ENGLAND—Frontier Silicon announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it will support the Sirius Internet Radio service on its Venice 6 multi-standard receiver module. The Sirius Internet Radio service gives subscribers access to numerous channels of music as well as talk, news, comedy, and sports programmes.
According to market research from Bridge Ratings, a radio audience measurement analyst, around six million U.S.-based subscribers listen to Sirius Radio via satellite, mainly in their cars.
One practical aspect of Venice 6 is that it lets audio manufacturers add the Sirius Internet radio service connection to a range of audio devices, such as tabletop radios, clock radios, and micro CD systems, without a rooftop satellite antenna.
Frontier claims that its modules and ICs are already used in 80% of DAB radios. The Venice 6 module is the latest addition to its product range, adding Wi-Fi connectivity to the DAB/DAB+/FM capabilities offered on earlier modules. Wi-Fi connectivity gives Venice 6-based radios access to over 10,000 Internet radio stations and free online content like podcasts and “Listen Again.”
Since Venice 6 can receive Sirius Internet Radio, consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to produce familiar tabletop radios, microsystems, and clock radios that also have access to the Sirius’ commercial-free channels for a monthly subscription fee.
Anthony Sethill, CEO of Frontier Silicon, says that the Sirius radio service "is already very popular with consumers in the USA, with millions of subscribers regularly enjoying it. Implementing Sirius on Venice 6 is going to let our customers quickly bring to market new easy-to-install home audio products that will bring this high quality Sirius content into the home."
Venice 6 is claimed as the only multi-standard radio capable of receiving Internet radio, DAB/DAB+, FM, and music streamed from a network server. Based on Frontier Silicon's Chorus 2 processor, it streams radio stations and music files in a variety of formats and protocols, including MP3, WMA, and RealAudio.