Why has iRiver deliberately crippled the T30 ?!

[andym]

Wondered whether any of the gurus here had heard why iRiver has deliberately removed the FM Radio functionality from the T30 in _some_ countries ?

The T30 seemed to be the perfect replacement for my much loved (but stolen) iFP-899, as menu systems are almost identical and it is even more compact. But NO - iRiver (in their infinite wisdom) have decided to remove the FM Radio capability from the European and North American versions. WHY ???!!!

But if you buy it in Asia, you are likely to get the FM Radio version - clearly seen in the top right model (blue) from a Korean review

This is reiterated in P.32 of the T30 PDF user manual (warning: 2.3Mb file) from the iRiverAmerica.com website.

Sorry, but with Apple dominating the market, I simply can't understand why iRiver would deliberately cripple out one of the functions that differentiates it from the iPod !!!

As I used the radio and recording functions a lot on my iFP-899, it looks like I am now going to have to purchase a Creative Nano / Muvo Micro instead of another (third) iRiver product

Thanks for any clarity on this iRiver madness folks,

Andy

[doodosh]

I'd like to know this one too. The past flash players had line in but the T-30 doesn't?!

[andym]

Originally Posted by doodosh

I'd like to know this one too. The past flash players had line in but the T-30 doesn't?!

Actually both the T-30 and T-20 do have a Line In socket, it is the T-10 that doesn't.

UPDATE
I have now been in contact with a friend in Hong Kong, who has found the following link clearly showing that the HK version of the T30 does have FM Radio capability - just scroll down the linked page until you see the following graphic



Which brings me back to my original question - does anyone know WHY ???!!!

[mattie08]

i think iriver are starting to think about future models and those who have purchased earlier iriver products are being left behind and forced to buy an expensive uprgrade- but still.............. IPOD SUCKS ASS!!!!!

[jeff]

My guess is gang, that iriver america left out the FM tuner to reduce cost and offer a very viable and cost wise competitor to the ipod shuffle.

[andym]

Originally Posted by MisticJeff

My guess is gang, that iriver america left out the FM tuner to reduce cost and offer a very viable and cost wise competitor to the ipod shuffle.

Hi Jeff
Yes - well that could be one theory... BUT
a) if so why did they not go the whole hog and give it a different model number - or T40 for full (Asian) functionality?
b) wonder about the economics of seperate circuit boards - could it not just be crippled firmware ? Have heard of this before in the IT world
c) by comparison the Creative Nano Plus has almost identical functionality to the (Asian FM-enabled) T-30, and yet is still priced to compete with the iPod Shuffle
d) certainly any radio lover reading the T30 manual would be pretty miffed to find that this option was not available.

Just my 5c's

Andy

[Greg34]

After having owned the 512 IFP-895 whose mic no longer records (conveniently after the warranty expired!) and the 1G-895 which failed to record the first time I used it when I went to a concert (for my own personal use, mind you), I have decided to buy the Creative Zen Nano Plus.

Why?

First, it is smaller than any Iriver flash player. I really love how small and sleek it is-- very portable and unobtrusive.

Second, it has inline recording and FM so I can record a radio program right to it and listen to it later. This will be great with recording some NPR programs which tend to be consistently very good, let alone music review programs I listen to.

My 895 used to do all that before it broke but the 895 lacks an efficient, sleek design. I want to carry the Nano flash player conveniently in my pocket and nobody will notice it is there.

I think Iriver will get the message once people return the flash players that they previously but erroneously assumed would have both FM and inline recording.

As for the Ipod Shuffle, I think given the capabilities of the 895 series and the Nano plus, it's cute, sleek, and very marketable BUT a waste (& inefficient use) of money.

If Iriver offered a sleek flash with all the aforementioned features, of course I'd buy it. Right now, I'm going with the competition. I hope Iriver is reading this!

[Inkubus]

Hi!

I'm gonna try to explain what's happening (I have written to iriver many times)

The difference in manufacturing costs between making it with radio or without it is very small (2$?)
The FM tunner functionality is not available in the european version because of custom taxes.
We should check if the circuitboard is the same and if it's possible to unlock the FM tuner installing the korean firmware

I have tried the creative nano plus but I don't like it at all.
The power output is too small (5mw/ch vs 15mw/ch of T30) and you can't programme the FM tuner to record a show (no begin no end). For example if you want to record a night show you must stay asleep until it begins and then the player is without battery.

[richardms]

If the radio is anything like the one in the H340 then its not worth having.

I can only get stations to actually be in stereo if I hold the headphone cables up in the air and move around, whereas a $20 boombox in the same location gets more stations and without static.

[bonjonno]

The T30 DOES have line in recording. The Cowon iAUDIO 5 is a similar size & price, has line in and FM radio. But some say iAUDIO's line in recording quality is not so hot. Anyone out there know for sure?

[Inkubus]

Iriver's answer:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for contacting iriver customer service. You can not use FM tuner even though you upgrade as Korean version after buying the player in Europe.

If you have further enquiries, please feel free to contact us again.

Regards,
sunny

[herjen]

Also on mine T10 there is no radio! (European) Pretty stupid i think.
But is the radio in the player but just not activated?

Regads,
Herjen

Note: owner of the t10 for 2 days

[apap]

I got an e-mail from Digimania today,they are selling the T10- 1gb version for 199.00 Euros.
According to them the radio works, or else they wouldn't advertise it as so.

[herjen]

I checked the website digimania.nl And in the Specifications doesn't say that there is a radio on it.
Are you talking about Portugal or Canada?
BTW: they sell the T10 (without radio) for 175 euro. So it's 25 euro for the radio? :S

[apap]

Herjen, it's their home site: digimania.be. If you go to specs or something,and read down a little they mention included radio. On their main site, they just have the 199.00Euro price. Also it's available in only two colours,according to that site.

[apap]

Double post,sorry As.

Adding to all this, can anybody here actually confirm if the European T10 is SUPPOSED to have a radio built in? I want one, but if it doesn't, I'll get one sent to me from Canada when they get sold over there.

I e-mailed Digimania about this, I'll wait for their response.

[herjen]

In whole europ the T10 doens't have radio, only Korea and....canada? im not sure. I still can't understand why!? Isn't it easyer for iriver to just make one T10 for over the whole world?

If you get response from Digimania let me know

Herjen

[andym]

Just heard from my friend in Hong Kong again - iRiver HK has finally got stock and he managed to ship me a T-30 (with FM Radio) yesterday !

Hopefully should receive it by the weekend, and will then post a basic review here for those that are interested !

Andy

[apap]

Well Herjen,got an e-mail from digimania.be, they confirm that the European T10 has no FM tuner included.Why they advertise it as such on their website is beyond my understanding. Isn't this also illegal by them?I know in Canada they would have a shitload of ppl on their ass trying to sue them for false advertising.

Also they mentioned that the only the Asian version has tuner, that the American version doesn't either, which I kinda laughed it off, you US guys can confirm their wrong, true?

On a side note, so after all I've gathered, the T10,20,30 European version doesn't include tuner right?Which if true is totally lame on Iriver's part,I'm going to wait and see if the Canadian version has tuner,if not I'm gonna have to get me an American version.Please Iriver, how many steps back are you going to take for that one step foward you took?

[LRa]

For the T10 I know that only in europe it doesn't have a radio but the weird thing is that for some reasons in america the battery lasts only 45 hours compared to 53 in asia and europe...
VERY bad job iriver.

[andym]

Now that Apple have launched the iPod Nano - iRiver are dead in the water with their new T-series UNLESS they can differentiate, and fast !!!

To anyone listening from iRiver :

1) wake up and smell the roses !

2) due to Apples flash deal with Samsung, you are no longer going to be able to beat the the iPod Nano on price

3) you certainly can't beat it on ergonomics or coolness

4) BUT you can still beat it on functionality - for now !

NOW would be a great time to ditch your mad marketing decision to sell crippled T-series models. Start shipping FM enabled versions of the T30 to Europe and N.America, otherwise a year from now iRiver is unlikely to be a global player in the MP3 market.

Just my 5c's worth...

Andy

[n0yd]

for myself, the loss of radio function in the versions with the crippled firmware is not as frustrating as the lack of UMS support.
disabling the radio in europe was to do with some kind of tax on radio recieving devices. Removing UMS support (in certain markets) appears to be the result of a business deal between micro$oft and reigncom (the iriver parent company) after reigncoms profits took a big hit upon apples entry into the korean mp3 player market.

"Apple is starting to make a major dent in the South Korean music market, with competitor iRiver hoping the stem the iPod tide. iRiver owner Reigncom recently began appealing to nationalistic sensibilities to lower Apple interest, pleading with Korean consumers to buy from local manufacturers instead. Meanwhile, the company is looking nervously at its strong position in the flash-based portable mp3 market, with the shuffle now threatening that dominance. But the Korean market does have its unique characteristics, with some unsure that a screenless iPod will succeed. To hammer the point home to Korean buyers, Reigncom took out several advertisements on March 1st, or Korean Independence Movement Day, hoping to protect a homegrown mp3 industry."

"The intense portable mp3 space is creating some horrific earnings results, with iRiver parent ReignCom Ltd. the latest to show a big downturn. The Korean portable mp3 manufacturer revealed a quarterly operating profit loss of 82.8 percent, with total earnings hitting 2.92 billion won ($2.91 million) on revenue volume of 122.6 billion won (US$122.2 million). But overall sales jumped 46 percent, with heavy turnover powered by some deep price discounts. Those low prices, coupled with heavy marketing costs, helped to create the earnings drop."

both quotes are from http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/results?title=Reigncom

"[Reigncom] also plans to roll out MP3 players installed with 'Janus', the next-generation digital rights management solution of Microsoft, set to be unveiled in June. "For use of legal digital music sources, the company will initially adopt Microsoft's digital rights management solution."

from http://english.etnews.co.kr/news/det...002&art_grad=9

'janus' , the two faced god of intellectual property, is installed with windows media player 10, which ships with european/north american t10/t20/t30/h10/h10jr. these players can only operate on a system which has the "media transfer protocol" installed. this is a little something cooked up by our friends at Micro$oft which also is a part of WiMP10.

Players which only operate on a system with, and can only transfer music through, software which checks to see if youre a good little consumer with corporate approved music... can anyone else see where this is heading?

p.s. yeah,yeah,yeah, just call me fidel...

[n0yd]

edit: post deleted, sorry i kinda hijacked this thread, its the frustrated zealot in me i suppose.