FAQ’s - Qualcomm Reciva Internet radio service as used in some Rotel Products.

Qualcomm discontinued support for their Reciva based Internet Radio services on September 13, 2021.  The server shutdown terminates Internet Radio services for all Qualcomm Reciva based products. Below are answers to common questions and information related to potential upgrade paths based on software versions installed on the Reciva radio module.  

Q: Which Rotel products use the Reciva Internet Radio Service?

The following, now discontinued models used the Reciva service - RT-12, RDG-1520, RCX-1500, RT-09, RT-1570.

Q: What was the Reciva Service?

The Reciva Internet Radio service was owned by Qualcomm and provided an online database of internet radio streams, that enabled various manufacturers products to provide internet radio.

Q: Why is the Reciva service no longer operating?

Qualcomm the owner and operator of the Reciva service took the decision to cease the operation of its servers and they were shut down on 13th September 2021.

Q: What does the shutdown mean for Rotel products that were using the service?

The product will no longer be able to reach the Qualcomm server which had provided the URL link to the Internet Radio Stream, this will result in “Finding Gateway” or “Reciva Server Not Responding” being displayed on the units display. Where a customer has stored pre-set’s these may continue to work as long as the broadcaster continues to use the same URL, should the broadcaster change the URL at any time the pre-set stream will cease. 

Q: What are Rotel doing to reinstate the Internet Radio function?

When Qualcomm made the announcement that they were ceasing the service, Rotel took steps in May 2021 to reach out to end users to advise them to upgrade the internal software of their units to the most current version of software which is V266-a-137-a-014 or newer. This software version is required so that any future software upgrade, that may be made available, is able to be made online via dedicated Rotel servers.

Q: My unit has the latest software version V266-a-137-a-014 or newer, but I cannot get Internet Radio?

The current software version is an interim solution to allow the unit to reach dedicated Rotel servers, currently Rotel are testing a Beta software solution, and any consumer with a product with version -014 or newer can take part in the Beta process. To participate in the BETA program contact your local authorized Rotel dealer providing the following detail:

Your Name, Your Email, Model, Current Reciva Service Pack Version (Last 3 digits) and the 8 digit Reciva Serial Number. Rotel will then, where possible, add the unit to the Beta program. Rotel expects the Beta test to be finalized by the end of January 2022.

Note: Service Pack Version and Serial Number information can be found in setup menu by selecting <Settings> → <Version>→ <Service Pack> and rotating the encoder to also find the <Serial Number> .

Q: My unit doesn’t have the latest software version, what happens now?

Without the latest software version including all Qualcomm Reciva modules with Service Pack Version ending in  -007, it will not be possible to download any online update as the unit will continually be seeking the Qualcomm server. Rotel are therefore currently investigating the possibility of a hardware update to enable a new Internet Radio Service. This is likely to require installation of a new hardware module, which would be carried out by a Dealer or Service Centre. At this stage the cost of the module and fitting has yet to be confirmed and further details are likely to be available once the Beta test is finalised.