17th December 2005
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#1 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Bucks County/Philly, PA Thread Starter  | Thoughts on Sirius Satellite radio.
Whether following Howard or inevitable trend...what are your thoughts on making a move to satellite radio?
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17th December 2005
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#2 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 15,704
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Originally Posted by Jamz Whether following Howard or inevitable trend...what are your thoughts on making a move to satellite radio? |
If the audio quality was stunning, I'd be in for sure. I've heard it is actually sub-par. 
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But everything one day will cease.
All the iron turned to rust;
All the proud men turned to dust. | |
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17th December 2005
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#3 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 658
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I've had a few rental cars with satellite radio - compression artifacts were so bad I switched to FM - and I'm no snob in that regard. I listen to 96K or less MP3s all the time.
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17th December 2005
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#4 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jun 2002 Location: New York
Posts: 12,784
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The last thing I need is another monthly expense.
I certainly would not buy it just for Stern - so he can drop the f-bomb without being bleeped. Wow. This is going to make him funnier/more entertaining? The fun with Stern was seeing him push the envelope and dance on the edge of the cliff.
Now there is no cliff. Same dance that looked crazy dangerous before now just looks silly.
And sports? I am going to PAY to hear sports on RADIO?? get real.
As for music, the audio quality would have to KILL. I have heard bad things about it. I also heard that if you are driving fast it doesn't work. Is that true?
I get 100 channels of commercial free music through my cable box. Sounds good too. Thats all the "radio" I need.
Besides, how long do you think it will be before this subscription service starts sneaking in a few commercials? I am old enough to remember when they told us that "Pay TV" was going to be commercial-free. What a joke. You pay for it and you still have just as many ads.
Even after the commercials are over and the show is supposedly under way there is a little annoying cartoon in the lower corner advertising some OTHER show that this cable station has coming up.
You can't even go into a movie theater without being subject to ads.
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18th December 2005
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2005 Location: East Coast, Sweden
Posts: 1,491
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What is this thing you're talking about? Is it an american thing only? I've never heard of it. There's FM here...and DAB. That's it. Satellite radio...  | |
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19th December 2005
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#6 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Dec 2002 Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 12,491
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Originally Posted by petsematary What is this thing you're talking about? Is it an american thing only? I've never heard of it. There's FM here...and DAB. That's it. Satellite radio... |
Digital radio, pay per month, no commercicals.
Sirius and XM. XM is the larger but Sirius has Howard Stern and now the ex-Viacom CEO Mel Karmazin. He left Viacom so there is a lot of buzz for Sirius. He left in a huff, could be an ego move, maybe not. Viacom owns a lot of Radio, Media, TV, Publishing, Movie Studios | |
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19th December 2005
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#7 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Florida
Posts: 2,501
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I'm planning on getting XM before the next baseball season.
Although ... I hope the music channels are better sounding than what's been described on this thread about sirius.
-dave
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19th December 2005
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#8 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Miami FL
Posts: 10,183
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i got sirius and i love it. The sound quality isn't great, but its as good or better than FM (definitely better than a 96k MP3!!!). The programming is 100 times better, uncensored, with no commercials. I think its definitely worth the money.
I like it because i can listen to any kind of music i want, whenever i want, with a lot of variety...also DJ Premier has his own show, thats what really sold me on it. News, talk, sports, comedy, any kind of music you could want...the programming is great. Blows traditional radio out of the water in that regard.
If nothing else, buy it just to **** clear channel over 
As far is it not working when driving fast, thats not true. The only time it cuts out on me is when going into a parking garage or something like that.
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19th December 2005
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#9 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2005 Location: East Coast, Sweden
Posts: 1,491
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Originally Posted by lucey |
Oh, just like normal then. We didn't get commercial radio until '94 here. But I wouldn't pay for radio - the radio license is included in the TV license here and if I was in the states I don't think I'd pay for that satellite thingie.
It's weird man...all the commercial channels over here are just stupid euro-poppy-crappy-music stuff with no real programming. Just bullsh1t talk and crappy music. No real shows with real content. If you want that, you turn on SR (public service, swedish BBC). We live in different worlds, you and I.
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20th December 2005
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#10 | | Gear addict
Joined: Aug 2005 Location: DC
Posts: 312
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I thought one of the selling points of satellite radio was that it was supposed to sound better?
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20th December 2005
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#11 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Bucks County/Philly, PA Thread Starter |
I'm not completley convinced it's worth the move yet. My car dealer sells Sirius.
One of the serviceman told me that the technology is not quite there yet. He claims it suffers from similar reception problems that cell phones exhibit i.e. poor reception in tunnels, heavily treed areas, certain areas period. On the other hand, I have 4 cell phones on my account. Also, what if I want a stationary "in home" unit. Are they better than the mobile units?
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20th December 2005
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#12 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 658
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Originally Posted by tvanveen I thought one of the selling points of satellite radio was that it was supposed to sound better? | Hey, it's 100% Digital - doesn't that mean it's perfect? 
The first place I had it in a rental was Vegas. No tree or tunnel problems there!! I heard they choose how much bandwidth to assign to different channels, so a talk-radio channel wouldn't get the data stream that main-stream pop might get. Perhaps my taste in music doesn't mesh well with their bandwidth allocations.
I'd choose to listen to just about anything that isn't popular right now.  | |
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22nd December 2005
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#13 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Boston
Posts: 165
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so just how much are the subsciptions?  | |
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22nd December 2005
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#14 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Miami FL
Posts: 10,183
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they have different payment options. You can pay by the month, which is roughly $10-$12, or you can pay every 3 months, every 6 months, every year, or you can pay around $500 and not have to make payments ever again. I pay yearly and mine is just over $100/yr.
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22nd December 2005
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#15 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 621
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There are plenty of good stations that play good music, but the whole thing sounds like a 96k MP3. It's inexpensive to get, but after listening to it for an entire weekend road trip I took with a friend who has it, I just couldn't stand to listen to the poor quality anymore. I did hear a lot of cool music that I wouldn't mind going out and buying though. It's been a while since I've listened to the radio and had that urge.
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22nd December 2005
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#16 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Olympia, WA/Anch, AK
Posts: 247
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I dig it.
WHAM DJ Flash super mashup mix live and then a DJ Primiere mix with all-new joints.
YESYESYES.
Though the G-UNIT Sundays get on my nerves. 1st wave is good. The first three hip-hop channels are decent, buyt the oldschool relies too heavily on RUN-DMC. And SHADE45 plays wayy too much Young Jeezy.
Oh and the DJ Muggs mix too. It's good.
My girlfriend has it, and it's entertaining. I want it in portable form. Mainly because I refuse to buy another iPod after my mini went MIA after two weeks of owning it. RIP.
-Nick
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22nd December 2005
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#17 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2002 Location: I left my heart, in...
Posts: 1,910
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My only experience has been in rental cars, but I love the stations and love the lack of commercials. Sound quality? Great in a rental car, no idea on a nice system.
I probably would have it by now if I didn't just discover internet radio. Quality, not great but killer to have in the background when doing stuff.
As always, 3 years behind the cutting edge. 
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"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way." - C. Bukowski
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25th December 2005
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#18 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Boston
Posts: 165
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Just goit back from a pery and a good friend was raving about XM all night.
I may have to give this sirius thought...ba-boom!
Happy Holidays. | |
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25th December 2005
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#19 | | Klaatu.. barada.. nikto..
Joined: May 2005 Location: Canada
Posts: 683
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How are the hard rock/metal/punk channels? Are there rock/metal/punk channels? The idea interests me... but maybe ill buy an iPod instead...
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25th December 2005
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#20 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 621
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Originally Posted by The Spark How are the hard rock/metal/punk channels? Are there rock/metal/punk channels? The idea interests me... but maybe ill buy an iPod instead... | There is channel guide in the Sirius website. I think there may be playlists too, but I'm not entirely sure about that.
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26th December 2005
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#21 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Miami FL
Posts: 10,183
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Originally Posted by The Spark How are the hard rock/metal/punk channels? Are there rock/metal/punk channels? The idea interests me... but maybe ill buy an iPod instead... |
honestly, i don't own an ipod, but i would say sirius radio is way more bang for your buck than an ipod.
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27th December 2005
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#22 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Bucks County/Philly, PA Thread Starter |
OK! My cousin received a one year subscription to Sirius as a Christmas present. I now have a cousin with XM and a cousin with Sirius. Can't wait to check them out. However, since Christmas is over I figure the next time I hang with my cousins will be either at a wedding or a funeral. 
I believe Stern is debuting 1/16.
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8th January 2006
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#23 | | Lives for gear
Joined: May 2004 Location: Lost Angeles
Posts: 1,804
| http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...ixcitytop.html
Howard Stern & Sirius article -- so who's gonna win? XM, Sirius, or neither?
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17th October 2006
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#24 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Bucks County/Philly, PA Thread Starter |
I received a one year subscription and the home/car unit as a gift from a good friend.
Very cool. Some quality sacrifice but reception is the biggest problem. Once I find a spot for the antenna it rocks. However, the reception does waver at times.
For me cool programs...all Stones, all classic radio programs, genre specific channels, comedy channels but most of all...good to hear Stern and crew in the AM.
I haven't tried it in the car yet.
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