Is Sat Rad getting "killed by the iPod?" (1 Viewer)

Here is the blog entry by Lefsetz which kinda started things, suggesting that iPod adaptors becomming standard on Ford, GM and Mazda vehciles are the beginning of the end for Sat Rad.

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.p...tellite-radio/

and Lee Abrams' response in his blog:

http://leeabrams.blogspot.com/2006/0...ing-radio.html

While Lefsetz has a point, to a certain extent (that Sat Rad isn't going to be to the level of adoptation as iPods are, and that Sat Rad should do a better job of marketing what they have to offer), I think he misses on one point where Sat Rad has an advantage: In the discovery of music.

He dismisses this by saying that most people of the iPod generation will probably be discovering music over the internet and will be downloading music with P2P programs. Problem is, you are talking about a small part of the iPod lifestyle. One of the things that makes the iPod so popular is that it is easy for the technically inept to fill up their iPod, mainly through the iTunes store, or by burning CDs through their software.

This doesn't really lend itself all that well to the discovery of music, tho. Yes, iTunes can push musical artists, but there is only a limited way to do that, and you are limited to what is new, not what is already out there and may have been forgotten. Also, iTunes doesn't quite carry everything. That's why I still have a $15 gift card still sitting unused.

There is also the potential of Podcasts, but those can be pretty limited as well, and doesn't offer an easy way to extract a song if you want to keep it around, which the Inno can do.

While iPods is a killer app in a lot of ways, it isn't in the discovery of music. It is very insular in that regard. It encourages you to just listen to your collection of music and not really expand your mind much.

Jason

I hate to say this.....I'm having a really busy day so I haven't
had the chance to read the article.

I can only assume that, yes, iPod is killing satellite radio to some
degree. And, if it's not iPod it will probably be the rumored increased
subscription fees within the next year.

I have an iPod. However, I couldn't enjoy the iPod without XM
radio. For without XM, I would have no idea what new music is
out there for me to download to my iPod.

I still think that in order for iPods to succeed, you need radio
exposure. Hopefully, there are many people like us who are tired
of FM radio and listen to satellite for their dose of new music.

If they do raise the fees i'd recomend everyone get a multi-year subscrption before then.[i most likely will this december]

I'm not so sure about the iPod "Killing" satellite radio. The iPod, can not bring you Stern, NFL football, traffic and weather reports, baseball, etc. Sure, I love my iPod as much as the next person, but I believe that satellite radio has much more to offer then just music.

Well, someone mentioned that they could get O&A podcasted, so there is one off the list. You can also get traffic and weather locally.

Jason

Well, someone mentioned that they could get O&A podcasted, so there is one off the list. You can also get traffic and weather locally.

Jason[/quote]


True, but you can't podcast every baseball and football game available on satellite radio. I believe there are just too many choices on satellite radio for the iPod to put a major dent in the industry. Again, a large majority of satellite subscribers (XM and Sirius) get the radios because of the speciality programming. Sirius (Stern, football) XM ( Baseball, O&A). The music is just the added bonus.

I have had sat radio in my car starting in 2002, and have had an iPod since 04. I have not, nor do I have any desire, to put an iPod adapter in the car.

As others have said, its all about discovering new music. I like the fact that I do not know what will come up next, and there is a better than even chance that it may be something I have never heard.

iPods can't do that, but its obviously good at allowing me to bring high quality music with me when I travel.

Now, if I could get sat radio in a plane, then for me, maybe sat radio could kill my iPod!

Brian

I think Lefsetz may be right, unfortunately. My own experience with friends, work associates, etc., is that most people simply don't care as much about music as I do. I think the mere fact that we take the time to post on this board means we care more about music than many people do.

I know we're in the infancy of the satellite radio industry, but maybe it comes down to the simple fact that most people don't want to pay money for radio. I know the same was said at the beginning of the cable era, but maybe radio's different for people.

Of course, better marketing might give XM and Sirius more of a fighting chance, so let's not let current management off the hook just yet.

I think Sat. radio still has a great chance against the ipod. With all the new handheld radios coming out lately that have the built in storage I think they will catch on as the price drops and the signal reception is improved. User's could then get the best of both worlds. I know some of the handhelds only hold around 6 hours of personal music but honestly I think that is enough.

The reason i got Sat. radio in the first place was the variety of music and the exposure to new stuff. I constantly find my ipod useless because I usually put it to shuffle songs and then i skip through the ones I dont want to hear. I burn myself out on music very quickly that way.

I plan on totally ditching my ipod within the next year and getting a portable xm radio if the reception is up to par.