XM Satellite Radio (1 Viewer)

[Gary Silverman]

I just got a xm satellite receiver for my car.I'm hoping to install it this weekend.

Has anybody done this installation for themselves or had it done? Would like to hear your experience with the installation and how you like the broadcasts. Thanks

 

[Bill Catherall]

I'd like to know if the XM radio stations broadcast commercials. If so, are the commercial breaks going to be shorter? You have to pay for a subscription, so hopefully they are commecial free, or at least very short.

On a similar note, I still don't understand why I have to pay for magazines and newspapers when they're loaded with advertising.

 

[BrianB]

On a similar note, I still don't understand why I have to pay for magazines and newspapers when they're loaded with advertising.

Because the advertising doesn't cover the cost of the mag + profit.

 

[Trevor Schell]

My Alpine Deck is XM ready..

Would this service be available in Canada..

I have not heard much about it.

Thanks,

 

[Lisel]

I'd like to hear how you like XM. I wish it were available here in Puerto Rico.

Lisel

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Does this cut out when you go under a bridge?

 

[Clinton McClure]

It is supposed to be commercial free, however I refuse to pay for something I get now for free with a few commercials thrown in. To me, it's not worth the money, but others may like it.
Here's their website.

 

[Ryan Wright]

It is supposed to be commercial free

Nope, not all of it. Many channels still have commercials. And if you live in a large city, you may have problems with reception. The people behind this are supposedly going to (or already have?) put repeaters on office buildings within cities to fix this problem.

I'd buy a receiver if not for that pesky monthly fee. Personally, I think they should just advertise like every other radio station and let the service be free. But, you do have to consider their significant startup costs. It's a hell of a lot easier to throw a tower on a hill than it is to lob a few birds into orbit.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I'd pay for something like this if they had channels dedicated to the following genres (which I see rather unlikely to happen: )

stand-up comedy recordings (uncensored, of course)

novelty music (ala Dr. Demento)

film scores

"lounge" music

something recreating the "Soft/Beautiful Music" format stations of the 70s and 80s, these played Muzak/101 Strings renditions of current hit songs (I HATED this when it was on the air but have a perverse desire to hear it again now)

Disco!

An all "weird stuff" channel playing nothing but stuff like old educational/instructional records (a local college station played a 1960's sex education record once and it was hilarious!)

Seems like pigs will fly before any of these actually get on the air though!

 

[Scott L]

Any comments on the quality of XM radio? You'd have to know they'd jazz it up and say "It's a new audio experience on your radio dial with the unmatched clarity of all-digital sound from coast to coast." But then it's susceptible to all sorts of compression.

I must admit I am very interested in purchasing one myself. Having crystal clear radio sounds like a dream here in Northern VA. But then again, I want stuff like local news, traffic, weather, etc...

And can the new XM radios still pick up regular analog FM stations?

 

[TyC]

XM actually does have a channel devoted to Link Removed and three for comedy.
XM will carry AM and FM stations in addition to XM.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I just found out that the average bitrate for an XM channel is only 40Kb/s, with a max of 65Kb/s. Not sure about the codec.

Scary stuff, wonder what the sound quality will be like.

 

[Gary Silverman]

Just an update on my xm tuner. Got it installed last weekend and I haven't listened to anything else in my car since. It sounds great, it works great and it's got everything that I want to listen to and then some.By the way, there are 70 music channels and 30 of them are commercial free. They do, however, have DJ's, but when there is a dj break, it's to talk about the music that they're playing. Actually very interesting stuff.I wouldn't hesitate to recommend xm radio to anybody. As Tony the Tiger once said, "It's greaaaaat!" Here's a note I sent off to them because I wanted them to know how pleased I am.

Did you know that your satellites can be received in heaven?

I know, because after installing my new tuner and subscribing to your

service, I think I died and went to heaven. XM radio is EXACTLY what I've

been looking for. I have just about given up on am/fm broadcast. It hasn't

had my kind of stuff for years and when the stations would finally come up

with a style I liked, it would only be a matter of time before they changed

formats and became something I couldn't listen to. I'm not that out there, I

like current dance music, blues, alternative rock, and others. No station

around here addresses these, or other genres very well at all. YOU do, and

very well, as I've noticed from my 3 days of listening. Now I won't mind

getting stuck in traffic, and I'm already catching myself taking long cuts

instead of short cuts to get to my destinations on the road. Keep up the

fabulous work.

 

[millercv]

And Jessee it looks like they've got the Dr. Demento covered too on "Special X"
Link Removed
Playlist looks like:
Geoff Muldauar - Brazil
Strawberry Shortcake "Live!" - New York, New York
Master Gunnery Sargeant William Dower - Armed Forces Workout
Ken Nordine - Edgar Allan Poe's, The Conqueror Worm
Frank Zappa - Evelyn, A Modified Dog
The American Lung Association - The 1966 Flu Jingle
Flo and Eddie - Gumby, We Love You
Richard Cheese - Holiday in Cambodia
William Shatner - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Raymond Scott Quintet - Powerhouse

 

[Eric Kahn]

In Feb. Sirius Radio is supposed to come online with 60 commercial free music channels plus 40 other channels of other stuff
it will cost $12.95 a month ($3 more than XM)
best thing is Sirius has no connection whatsoever with Clear Channel communications (XM does) the people who absolutly ruined broadcast radio

 

[AdrianJ]

Another question about XM. Do they censor their songs like FM radio?

 

[Eric Kahn]

I do not know if XM does any song censoring

right now I mostly listen to CD's in my car because the broadcast radio in CIncinnati, being dominated by clearchannel (they started here as Jacor) is absolutly crappy, except the puplic radio station WGUC which is great with its classical music format

 

[Ryan Peter]

The commercial says it's uncensored (at least the hip hop) at least the commericial where Snoop Doggy Dogg is falling out of the sky.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I've discovered that I can install the antenna INSIDE of my Miata, because of the soft-top. A couple of guys at miataforums.com have done just that.

I'm a little enthused. I only have a factory head unit in my car, and I've been reluctant to install a better unit or a CD changer in my car because of theft (I don't lock my car since it is a soft-top). It should be much easier to hide a satellite radio tuner.

I really want a wireless remote, though. I may wait for more models.

Also, I'm betting after Sirius launches that there will be some hefty equipment rebates with a 1-year service contract, a la DirecTV/DISH.

And who knows, maybe Siruis is better. Time will tell.