A group of Internet radio equipment manufacturers and broadcasters will release a set of guidelines at the upcoming IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Sept. 4–9.
The Internet Media Device Alliance plans a press conference to discuss its guidelines, described as a “baseline certification standard” by the group. The goal is to future-proof standalone Internet radio players.
“Through this, the IMDA aims to protect consumers, broadcasters and manufacturers by aligning the competing technologies used to stream and receive Internet radio,” a press release states.
Harry Johnson, chairman of the IMDA steering committee and president of OEM company vTuner, stated: “The industry needs to harmonize the technologies used by device designers and Webcasters to ensure neither they nor the end user lose out … The shift in [Internet radio] listening habits to dedicated devices, which lack the flexibility of the PC but are much more affordable, needs one standard to be implemented across the entire ecosystem. [Otherwise] manufacturers will face a technology war, broadcasters will face rising costs and consumers will face owning obsolete products.”
