[SLAPSHOT]

Purchased a car that has one installed, should I get a subscription? Anyone use it? My car is Ipod compatible, so I already have lots of music and books to listen to, is Sirius worth it. Thanks

 

[BikeGeek]

Do a search...a lot XM and Sirrius users here and I know there's a couple threads out there.

 

[BSEVEER]

For about 150 bucks a year you can't go wrong. Lots of good music, comedy and Howard too.

 

[Potroast88]

I have XM in both of my cars, but I have Dish Network at home and they have Sirius music channels. Both have pretty good music stations. I can't stand listening to FM anymore. I think it is definately worth the price to get quality programming.

 

[MOTODH]

My dad has one, got it for howard pretty much. Lots of channels but I found my self going back to regular radio rather than flipping through

 

[robdamanii]

For about 150 bucks a year you can't go wrong. Lots of good music, comedy and Howard too.

Howard is a dipsh!t and his new show is really getting hit hard in Barrons.

XM has MUCH better hardware, and awesome content. 200 channels including MLB, NHL, O&A, R&F, artist confidential, Ellen, Good Morning America (or whatever it may be), traffic, etc etc.

If you're going to go with Satellite radio, get XM. Otherwise, go buy an Ipod and get kazaa or bittorrent.

 

[blt2ride]

Personally, I don't have it, but a buddy of just got in installed in his car. To be honest, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I played around with it one day; there is a lot of music, talk, news, etc. If you spend a lot of time in your car, I think it's a must have...

 

[bluebug32]

Don't know much about sirius, but I have XM and love it. They seem to offer more.

 

[Atomic Dog]

XM has MUCH better hardware, and awesome content. 200 channels including …Ellen… etc etc.

If you're going to go with Satellite radio, get XM. Otherwise, go buy an Ipod and get kazaa or bittorrent.

You mean all this time I've been missing out on listening to Ellen on my daily commute? Damn!

The much better hardware and channels thing is pretty subjective. Plenty of people happen to think you're wrong on that. Just depends on what you're looking for. Sirius happened to have some channels that I really dig that XM didn't carry. I'm perfectly happy with Sirius. Chances are I'd be happy with XM as well if I gave it a chance.

I think both services have a free trial period so you can listen online. Check em both out and see which one fits your needs better.

 

[robdamanii]

The much better hardware and channels thing is pretty subjective. Plenty of people happen to think you're wrong on that.

Ahem.

Myfi? Tao? Airware? Howabout 3 current models that can be used as TRULY on-the-go satellite radios? Howabout the Helix that's coming in march that is another on-the-go model? When sirius has an on-the-go model that even comes close to the value and eas of use of those models, I, as well as many other tech-heads out there, give XM a great big plus in that column.

Channels....XM has quite a few more of them. Period.

Yes, you get a few specialty channels on each that you don't get on the other. If you absolutely need them, then go with that service.

All I can tell you is that Mel Karmazin is going to run Sirius into the ground. He did it with Infinity's terrestrial radio empire in the NY area, and he'll certainly do it with Sirius. Meanwhile, Panero and co are continuing to narrow their loss margins and continuing to add new subs at an alarmingly fast rate. And let's point out that when looking at Sirius's last earnings report, big Howies half a billion dollar contract didn't even yet hit the books, and they're STILL not narrowing their loss margin substantially. XM has twice the audience, a wider variety of content (note I did not say music, but across the board content), and superior technology.

 

[Atomic Dog]

Ahem.

Myfi? Tao? Airware? Howabout 3 current models that can be used as TRULY on-the-go satellite radios? Howabout the Helix that's coming in march that is another on-the-go model? When sirius has an on-the-go model that even comes close to the value and eas of use of those models, I, as well as many other tech-heads out there, give XM a great big plus in that column.

And for those of us who don't have a need for a portable unit and don't want to deal with plug-and-play unit cluttering up the dashboard of the car, none of that matters. My eclipse head unit works just fine for me.

Though I don't have extensive experience with it, supposedly XM has much deeper playlists. You get a lot more songs that never made it to the radio, less repeats, etc. Some people really like that, some want to hear all those great songs they grew up listening to.

All I'm saying is that it is pretty subjective as to what sort of content you enjoy. What's best for you may not be best for the original poster.

 

[robdamanii]

And for those of us who don't have a need for a portable unit and don't want to deal with plug-and-play unit cluttering up the dashboard of the car, none of that matters. My eclipse head unit works just fine for me.

Though I don't have extensive experience with it, supposedly XM has much deeper playlists. You get a lot more songs that never made it to the radio, less repeats, etc. Some people really like that, some want to hear all those great songs they grew up listening to.

All I'm saying is that it is pretty subjective as to what sort of content you enjoy. What's best for you may not be best for the original poster.

The point is that XM HAS those options available while sirius has NOTHING of the listen on the go nature. That's my main point of contention.

Sirius is just not going in a competitive direction. Howie was supposed to take their sub rate through the roof. He failed at that miserably.

I'm just sayin'....

But hey, if it works for them, that's not my business.

 

[Atomic Dog]

The point is that XM HAS those options available while sirius has NOTHING of the listen on the go nature. That's my main point of contention.

I completely agree with this, but the Original poster's car already has a receiver, so he doesn't need it either.

Honestly, the main reason I started with Sirius was because they had a damn good deal at the time. (Just over a year ago) I got the equipment free, so it was $150 cheaper to get started. Had XM had a similar deal I probably would have gone with them. Despite the fact that Sirius has a bit too much replay of songs for my taste, it's still a helluva lot better than some crappy Clearchannel FM station.

Now cue Brian with his "XM sux, get Sirius!" message in 5...4...3...

 

[I Are Baboon]

Purchased a car that has one installed, should I get a subscription? Anyone use it? My car is Ipod compatible, so I already have lots of music and books to listen to, is Sirius worth it. Thanks

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, yes, I have Sirius in my car and I love it. It's worth it to me, but I don't carry around a bajillion songs on my iPod. I've only had it for a couple of weeks. I have one of those Plug and Play units that has three wires hanging from the dash, but they don't get in the way at all. Man, having Sirius in the car is making my 45 minute drive into work so much more tolerable.

My take on the XM vs Sirius debate is that they are both a million times better than FM radio, so pick whichever one you like. The music content really isn't that much different (so XM might break down genres a little more...so what). I went with Sirius because of their NFL coverage. As far as the hardware unit I have....it works fine. It gets reception, stores 30 preset channels, has a large four line display, comes with a remote control, and is easy to use. What else do you really need it to do?

 

[BurlyShirley]

I loved mine until it got stolen.

 

[I Are Baboon]

I loved mine until it got stolen.

Can't you report that to Sirius and have the unit shut off, or the service anyway. I wondered what would happen if the unit got stolen. I figured you could call Sirius and have the unit deactivated permanently.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Can't you report that to Sirius and have the unit shut off, or the service anyway. I wondered what would happen if the unit got stolen. I figured you could call Sirius and have the unit deactivated permanently.

yeah, i got it shut off imediately. Whoever stole it must've been retarded, as they just cut the antenna off anyway, and stole the unit. And they cant activate it themselves either. Just pisses me off thinking about it.

 

[MOTODH]

What channels do yall listen to?

 

[I Are Baboon]

yeah, i got it shut off imediately. Whoever stole it must've been retarded, as they just cut the antenna off anyway, and stole the unit. And they cant activate it themselves either. Just pisses me off thinking about it.

That's my contention....that anyone who steals a satellite radio unit is a moron. They don't realize that THEY CAN'T USE IT.

 

[DirtyDog]

Howard is a dipsh!t and his new show is really getting hit hard in Barrons.

XM has MUCH better hardware, and awesome content. 200 channels including MLB, NHL, O&A, R&F, artist confidential, Ellen, Good Morning America (or whatever it may be), traffic, etc etc.

If you're going to go with Satellite radio, get XM. Otherwise, go buy an Ipod and get kazaa or bittorrent.

Sirius channels are just better. A lot of people share that opinion. I've had Sirius for a couple years - long before Howard and I'll probably never listen to his show. Doesn't matter to me - lots of great channels to listen to. Even my friend who got XM with his new truck is thinking about having the whole thing replaced so he can get Sirius. Where did you get the information you formed your opinion with anyway?

 

[DirtyDog]

What channels do yall listen to?

Hard Attack
Backspin
Octane
Alt Nation
Chill

EZ movin

 

[I Are Baboon]

What channels do yall listen to?

I am constantly surfing the channels while driving. Let me tell ya, playing with Sirius is about 10x more dangerous than talking on a cell phone! Anyway, I find myself always going back to:

Octane
Faction
Backspin
1st Wave
Big 80's
Hair Nation
Alt Nation

Outlaw Country

and ESPN Radio

 

[MtnBikerChk]

The point is that XM HAS those options available while sirius has NOTHING of the listen on the go nature. That's my main point of contention.

Sirius is just not going in a competitive direction. Howie was supposed to take their sub rate through the roof. He failed at that miserably.

I'm just sayin'....

But hey, if it works for them, that's not my business.

all of your posts are negative.

you are always right.

move on.

 

[Austin Bike]

Sirius is great.

I just sprung for the lifetime subscription. I can't listen to commercial radio anymore.

 

[Austin Bike]

Oh, an Howard needed to bing in 1M listeners for Sirius to break even on the deal. They went from 600,000 last year to 3.3M this year.

He has earned his keep and then some. There is a huge annuity to getting people hooked. Each person is worth 3-5 additional subscriptions over time. I can think of 2 people that I have convinced already and it has only been one year. My wife has convinced 3 or more as well.

 

[robdamanii]

Sirius channels are just better. A lot of people share that opinion. I've had Sirius for a couple years - long before Howard and I'll probably never listen to his show. Doesn't matter to me - lots of great channels to listen to. Even my friend who got XM with his new truck is thinking about having the whole thing replaced so he can get Sirius. Where did you get the information you formed your opinion with anyway?

Barron's this month has an interesting bit one it, and SEC filings are a blast.

And yeah, everyone loves sirius huh? That's why they're nearly 3 million subs behind XM? Yeah. Perhaps you've got friends who love Sirius for the content, but you're in the minority of people who would rather have Sirius.

Oh, an Howard needed to bing in 1M listeners for Sirius to break even on the deal. They went from 600,000 last year to 3.3M this year.

He has earned his keep and then some. There is a huge annuity to getting people hooked. Each person is worth 3-5 additional subscriptions over time. I can think of 2 people that I have convinced already and it has only been one year. My wife has convinced 3 or more as well.

Howard did not bring 2.7 million subs. Sirius itself brought in 2.7 million subs. And to prove that point, why did XM go from about 2.5 million up to 6+ at the year end WITHOUT howard? If you want to talk about 3-5 additional subs, then XM has sirius over a barrel anyway. And NOBODY is worth half a billion a year, no matter WHO they are.

all of your posts are negative.

you are always right.

move on.

You got it toots. I'm damn right about this one. XM is an INFINITELY superior company with infinitely superior talent.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

all of your posts are negative.

you are always right.

move on.

Now MBC, you're forgetting Rob is 23 and been around the block a few times. Haven't you learned by now it's all about Hybrid cars and XM radio:mumble: He knows what he's talking about, remember he's 23 years old and seen EVERYTHING

 

[justsomeguy]

My wife's car is Sirius ready (it's not getting hooked up because I refuse to be bent over by the dealer for $850 for a module and a 20 minute install).

I spent three weeks listening to XM on my dad's sailboat while cruising South of the border. Diverse channels, good music (the best was listening to Kerry's concession speech while 70 miles of the coast, 500 miles South of SD).

I have Sirius on our boat (Sirius ready deck + a little black box and we're ready to go) and it's been a nice compliment to the Ipod.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Barron's this month has an interesting bit one it, and SEC filings are a blast.

And yeah, everyone loves sirius huh? That's why they're nearly 3 million subs behind XM? Yeah. Perhaps you've got friends who love Sirius for the content, but you're in the minority of people who would rather have Sirius.

Well sh*t fer brains Sirius hasn't been around as long and is just starting to blossom. I love Howard Stern and think his Sirius show is pretty damn funny, and the music is way better, I've listen to them both. You're so bitter about Stern and Sirius, were you ass raped in the Sirius station by one of Stern's Wack packers?

 

[robdamanii]

Well sh*t fer brains Sirius hasn't been around as long and is just starting to blossom. I love Howard Stern and think his Sirius show is pretty damn funny, and the music is way better, I've listen to them both. You're so bitter about Stern and Sirius, were you ass raped in the Sirius station by one of Stern's Wack packers?

http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/03/cx_ah_1103mondaymatchup.html

Brian, check your figures. Sirius had a 2 year lead on XM. So they've not been around as long eh? The plain fact is that Sirius has poor management and poor talent selection. We ALL know that Mel isn't the greatest choice of a CEO.

P.20- DON'T BET ON HOWARD

In this week's Barron's, the cover story makes a bear case for Sirius Satellite (SIRI) and XM Satellite (XMSR). However, if having to choose between the two, Barron's likes XM for a multitude of reasons.They state: "for companies with modest revenues and sizable losses, XM and Sirius have nontrivial stock market values- $10 billion for Sirius, $9 billion for XM."

Aside from highlighting how much money both Sirius and XM are losing, they then compare them to traditional media companies like Clear Channel (CCU).

Barron's declares: "We've consistently favored XM over Sirius, and we still do, despite Sirius' strides in the last 18 months."The reasoning for favoring XM is then detailed for a good 10 minutes of solitude reading. In an effort to spare you from further boredom, here's the short version:

-XM has double the subscribers, equal the market cap

-XM is likely to maintain its lead, despite Stern, due to its superior "stable of automotive partners," which includes every major Japanese car maker starting in 2007.

-XM partners control 60% of the U.S. market.

-XM's cost per acquiring a subscriber is $100-- versus $200 for Sirius.

-XM is the "institutional favorite."

Finally, towards the end of the piece, Barron's tones it down a notch: So far, Stern is paying dividends for Sirius." "For the first time- Sirius added more subscribers than XM.""... both are legitimate growth stories with clear paths to profitability." But given XM's edge... its stock looks like the better buy."

http://hundredpercenter.blogspot.com/

 

[Brian HCM#1]

http://www.forbes.com/2003/11/03/cx_ah_1103mondaymatchup.html

Brian, check your figures. Sirius had a 2 year lead on XM. So they've not been around as long eh? The plain fact is that Sirius has poor management and poor talent selection. We ALL know that Mel isn't the greatest choice of a CEO.

XM is likely to maintain its lead, despite Stern, due to its superior "stable of automotive partners," which includes every major Japanese car maker starting in 2007.
http://hundredpercenter.blogspot.com/

We'll see, just because XM has the edge in the auto market doesn't mean it will fly. When I buy another GM product, I woun't go with XM, I'll go aftermarket with Sirius. I think thats going to become more common. The Automakers will lose unless they offer both options.

 

[robdamanii]

We'll see, just because XM has the edge in the auto market doesn't mean it will fly. When I buy another GM product, I woun't go with XM, I'll go aftermarket with Sirius. I think thats going to become more common. The Automakers will lose unless they offer both options.

Not really.

People buy a car based on the CAR, not the stereo in the car. Although I'm sure there is a small minority out there that would flat out turn down a vehicle because of a satellite radio option, I highly doubt it will hurt auto sales. If they assumed it would hurt sales, you can bet that they certainly wouldn't have inked the deal. People who want an H2 won't turn it down because it has XXX satellite radio option in it. People who want an Accord won't turn it down because it has XXX satellite radio option in it.

As I stated....XM is quite a ways ahead of Sirius in their business dealings....all major Japanese auto manufcturers? That is a VERY substantial percentage of new vehicle sales. And every one of those sales will expose people to xm service, and they will by default subscribe to XM service since it's XM read. For the casual users, that will be more than sufficient, and the same will go for Sirius; if it's in the car, they will use it. And if they have Xm in the car, they will have to have specific reasons for having external Sirius equipment put in their vehicle (desire to listen to Howard) and visa versa.

And XM has an edge in the canadian market as well, with their 7 year exclusive deal with the NHL beginning next season. That will be a large contributing factor as both companies try to expand into wider markets.

By sheer numbers of people exposed to the service through vehicle sales and current subscribers word of mouth, XM won't be losing their position of having more subscribers and a greater market share anytime soon, if ever. Sirius is making a huge mistake pinning most of it's hopes on one person. That's ALWAYS a bad business decision no matter WHO the lynchpin is.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Not really.

People buy a car based on the CAR, not the stereo in the car. Although I'm sure there is a small minority out there that would flat out turn down a vehicle because of a satellite radio option, I highly doubt it will hurt auto sales. If they assumed it would hurt sales, you can bet that they certainly wouldn't have inked the deal. People who want an H2 won't turn it down because it has XXX satellite radio option in it. People who want an Accord won't turn it down because it has XXX satellite radio option in it.

As I stated....XM is quite a ways ahead of Sirius in their business dealings....all major Japanese auto manufcturers? That is a VERY substantial percentage of new vehicle sales. And every one of those sales will expose people to xm service, and they will by default subscribe to XM service since it's XM read. For the casual users, that will be more than sufficient, and the same will go for Sirius; if it's in the car, they will use it. And if they have Xm in the car, they will have to have specific reasons for having external Sirius equipment put in their vehicle (desire to listen to Howard) and visa versa.

And XM has an edge in the canadian market as well, with their 7 year exclusive deal with the NHL beginning next season. That will be a large contributing factor as both companies try to expand into wider markets.

By sheer numbers of people exposed to the service through vehicle sales and current subscribers word of mouth, XM won't be losing their position of having more subscribers and a greater market share anytime soon, if ever. Sirius is making a huge mistake pinning most of it's hopes on one person. That's ALWAYS a bad business decision no matter WHO the lynchpin is.

You're missing my point, I'll get what ever car I want, however if XM is the only satellite option, I wouldn't go with it and opt for the basic system and put Sirius in. Stern is a great addition, and sorry I'd rather listen to him rather than Ellen. Martha Stewart is also on Sirius. Still prefer her over Ellen. NHL, who cares, Sirius had NFL which is way cool.

 

[yonton228]

Bleh, I have been a Howard fan for years now, prolly since I was 8. I have been planning on getting some form of satellite radio, and honestly I couldnt go wrong with either one. But since Howard is on Sirius, thats just one more thing that I would enjoy.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

You got it toots. I'm damn right about this one. XM is an INFINITELY superior company with infinitely superior talent.

Don't call me toots.

Witch Doctor.

 

[robdamanii]

Meh, witch doctor whatever.

You're missing my point, I'll get what ever car I want, however if XM is the only satellite option, I wouldn't go with it and opt for the basic system and put Sirius in. Stern is a great addition, and sorry I'd rather listen to him rather than Ellen. Martha Stewart is also on Sirius. Still prefer her over Ellen. NHL, who cares, Sirius had NFL which is way cool.

I get your point perfectly. However, you're missing the point that the CASUAL listener, who has no exposure to either station, will quickly take the easy route and take what's available to them. That means a larger exposure for XM. But whatever, I'm still betting that Sirius will not be able to close the gap with their current stable of talent. And to prove that point, here's some bedtime reading for you:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9181584/howards_end/

 

[stevew]

Don't call me toots.

Witch Doctor.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

I have Serius in my car as well. It's ok, I would much rather have XM. To all the people saying that XM has better hardware, When my mom bought her BMW a few years back, he told us that Sirius was making all the hardware for XM as well, just selling it off.

 

[robdamanii]

I have Serius in my car as well. It's ok, I would much rather have XM. To all the people saying that XM has better hardware, When my mom bought her BMW a few years back, he told us that Sirius was making all the hardware for XM as well, just selling it off.

Perhaps at the beginning of the game. More recently XM subcontracted Delphi to build the Skyfi, Myfi, and roady models. Pioneer jointly got them with the Tao. Samsung I believe is behind the Tao and the Helix.

Unfortunately, Sirius doesn't have the hardware capabilities of XM. If they did, I'd seriously put them in contention, but they don't. XM offers more choices both in hardware and programming.

Oh well....the number speak for themselves.

 

[ThePriceSeliger]

Perhaps at the beginning of the game. More recently XM subcontracted Delphi to build the Skyfi, Myfi, and roady models. Pioneer jointly got them with the Tao. Samsung I believe is behind the Tao and the Helix.

Unfortunately, Sirius doesn't have the hardware capabilities of XM. If they did, I'd seriously put them in contention, but they don't. XM offers more choices both in hardware and programming.

Oh well....the number speak for themselves.

This is true. This is the original XM, or close to it.