Digital radios with recording features

Round-up by: Mary Lojkine

Last updated: 12 May 2005

After the clear sound, the coolest thing about digital radio is the option to pause, rewind and record live radio. Not all digital radios have these features, but they're worth looking out for, because they give you a radically different listening experience. Instead of cursing when the phone rings in the middle of a programme, you just hit pause, take the call and then pick up where you left off. Likewise, if you miss a key detail -- such as a phone number -- you can rewind the broadcast and hear it again. The most sophisticated radios have timer recording, enabling you to record entire programmes and listen to them at your convenience.

The BT Aviator 10M has a simple rewind function that lets you wind back the last ten minutes of the current broadcast. The Roberts Gemini 11 offers similar functionality, but sets it up so you can either pause or rewind the broadcast. The PURE Digital Sonus-1XT isn't a true recording radio, but it does have built-in record timers and an optical out, enabling you to connect it to a MiniDisc player and record programmes. Finally, the PURE Digital Bug has a wealth of recording features, including the ability to record programmes on to an SD memory card.