 
By Eliot Van Buskirk
All signs point to 2003 becoming the year of the digital audio receiver (DAR). For starters, a reporter for Time.com called me this week while researching a story on these devices. Also, a number of heavy-hitting DARs were introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, which is generally a decent indicator that a product category's time has come.
Senior editor, CNET Reviews (March 25, 2003) In case you don't already know, DARs connect PCs to stereos, using a wide variety of networking options, such as Ethernet, HomeRF, 802.11b, 2.4MHz, 800MHz, FM, and USB. So far, consumer response has been tepid, but with so many PC hard drives bursting at the seams with MP3s and an increasing number of consumers installing home networks, it's only a matter of time until DARs become a staple of the modern home. But those factors may not be enough to make 2003 the year of the DAR; to increase adoption rates significantly, consumers need a product that's easy to use and appealing to look at as a part of their home-stereo setup. In the spirit of last year's dream portable audio device column, here are the features that I think the ultimate DAR needs in order for more consumers to bite. 1. 802.11b connection Since the main point of these devices is to send digital audio from a PC to a stereo, it only stands to reason that the connection used to do so is of the utmost importance. For my money, nothing comes close to 802.11b. This protocol has a wide range--100 to 150 feet, depending on the construction and the layout of your home--and ample bandwidth that's capable of delivering uncompressed, high-quality audio. Plus, it's easy to install once you have a wireless network. These factors should make 802.11b a shoo-in. 2. Scheduled play After I set up my unit, I want to be able to walk over to my computer, surf to a DAR-configuration site, and choose the audio programs that I know I'm going to want to hear (one for each time slot throughout the week). Later, I could jaunt over to the device and hit the Internet Radio button to hear my favorite online-radio show--chosen from a pool that includes every Webcast in the world--playing at that moment. 3. Scheduled record If TiVo has taught me one thing, it's that I shouldn't have bought the company's stock four years ago. If TiVo has taught me a second thing, it's that people like the ability to record broadcasts and play them back at their leisure. This would either require an internal hard drive or the ability to send audio back across the network to your PC. I'd prefer the second option because PC hard drive space is so much cheaper, which brings me to my next point. 4. No hard drive A cursory glance at CNET's hard drive listings reveals that you can buy a 120GB hard drive for about $130. So why on earth would you pay more than $1,000 for a DAR with a much smaller hard drive built in? Today's home-networking options are so robust that it doesn't make sense to store files on the DAR itself--unless you're Richard Pryor in Brewster's Millions. 5. Audiophile-level sound My dream DAR would have a signal-to-noise ratio that exceeds 100dB, for clean sound; a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.002 percent, for high fidelity to the original signal; and a wealth of jacks--analog, optical, and digital coaxial--to ensure the best possible connection to my stereo. 6. Optional TV display To get around the screen-size limitations of stereo components, I'd want a video output that connects to my television. That way, I'd be able to browse songs, playlists, artists, genres, and Internet radio in full color from a decent distance. However, I'd like the unit to be operable without a television, too; that feature should be available when I want it, but I shouldn't be forced to use it. 7. Portable device integration Put a USB 2.0 port on the front of a DAR and embed the device drivers in the unit's upgradable firmware so that I can download songs directly to any portable MP3 player that uses either USB 1.1 or USB 2.0. Sure, I could just connect the portable to my computer, but it'd be nice to pick songs and playlists for transfer from the couch. After all, I already spend enough time at my PC. 8. Line-in recording and encoding Sure, it's possible to record old cassettes and vinyl to your computer's hard drive, but it's no cakewalk. This is especially true when it comes to vinyl records, which must be processed by a phono preamp--your stereo probably has one inside of it--to replace the bass frequencies that are removed to ensure that the needle stays in the groove. Instead, let me sit on the couch and listen to each side of the LP, as my dream DAR records it to WAV or MP3 and automatically separates the tracks into individual files. 9. A new look Digital audio receivers are not your father's audio component, so there's no reason why they should look like it. How about an all-white chassis à la the iPod or a blue, LED spectrum analyzer across the front panel? Anything that makes these units look like the modern Internet appliances that they are would be fine by me. Bonus: Give me two lasers--representing bass and treble--that project different dynamic patterns onto my ceiling. A friend of mine back in high school had a device that did this, so such technology must be pretty cheap by now. Frivolous? Sure. But this is my dream, and I want it included. 10. Wireless headphone connection Say, for instance, that you're up late writing a technology column, but your significant other is trying to sleep. Rather than working in silence, I'd want my dream DAR to include a wireless 2.4MHz transmitter that's compatible with a pair of optional, wireless headphones. Please, no more wires--this is 2003, people. Well, that was fun, but I know there's a lot that I missed. To fill in the blanks, send your dream DAR features to MP3Insider@cnet.com, and I'll collect them for my next column (just like I did last year with your dream portable audio device). I know for a fact that device manufacturers keep an eye on these wish-list columns in search of ideas to incorporate into their prototypes, so this could be your chance to tell them what you want.  MP3 Nugget: Epitonic forever
In the past four years or so, I have seen an inordinate number of great music Web sites fall by the wayside--victims of fleeing investors, harsh licensing laws, or the dot-bomb economy. That's what makes this week's MP3 Nugget such a rarity: I get to announce the fact that the glorious Epitonic.com is back online. If you get all the musical variety that you need from the FM dial, this site will not hold much allure. But if your taste runs toward the eclectic, Epitonic has the goods. The site features an expertly crafted selection of downloadable MP3s, artist/album descriptions, full album streams, and a black-box feature that lets you store you favorite tracks in an online locker, which you can even use to create streams for your friends. Plus, you won't wake up the next morning feeling dirty, the way you might after spending all night downloading unauthorized music from P2P networks.
Senior Editor Eliot Van Buskirk covers portable audio and music-related issues for CNET Reviews. Have a question for him? Let him know!
  MP3 demographic increasesA memo from the Consumer Electronics Association asks its manufacturer members to supply U.S. troops with MP3 players. Evidently, the plan has the blessing of both the RIAA and the Pentagon. There's no word yet as to whether the soldiers will be court-martialed if they use P2P sites to fill the players with music. iPod battery fix?As you may know, iPod users have been complaining quite a bit recently about the fact that their beloved devices lose the ability to hold a charge after about a year. Apple has finally released a firmware upgrade that could solve the problem. Download the patch  Downloading MP3s at workAre you milking that corporate LAN connection for all it's worth, downloading movies and music all day? You might want to consider a different approach now that the RIAA is cracking down on so many companies for allowing employee file sharing. If you're lucky enough to be gainfully employed in 2003, think about cutting down on daytime P2P use--unless you want to join the jobless millions. CNET News.com's article Talk back to a congressmanAre you incensed by the fact that you have no right to copy a CD that you legally purchased? If so, your chance to change the much-derided Digital Millennium Copyright Act is at hand. CNET News.com's article The curious case of the disappearing iPodsLooking for the most inexpensive iPod, the 5GB version? Good luck--they are in very short supply. Apple iPod review
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