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These features are well-produced, but they don't always get updated or changed out on a timely basis. This week, I heard a feature on end-of-year tax tips. The advice was sound, but it came several days too late to do anyone good. I guess someone wasn't paying attention to the kill date on the spot, if there was one. But hey, at least it kept XM out of dead air (or broadcasting CNN's spots for which XM didn't get paid).
I'm really looking forward to the XM music channels going commercial-free -- not only for the listening benefit, but also because we'll no longer have to read any more posts on this board with that "nyah, nyah" tone about Sirius being the only one with all its music channels commercial-free. And it looks like XM will be offering more commercial-free music channels for a lower monthly charge than Sirius. Hmm.
Steve, Host
Or maybe you just haven't gotten the second half of the email that is coming after Feb 1 that XM will raise the monthly subscription price. I hope this is not true, just a thought. But there is no free lunch. if XM was supplementing their lower monthly cost with ads, and now they drop the ads, where is that revenue going to come from? I am always leery of businesses in such situations. There is almost always a catch.
1. Instead of listening to inane chatter on my morning drive, I listen to one of the Jazz stations. It's like I'm in a rolling coffeehouse on my way to work.
2. Sirius makes their music channels available online; I've been listening every day at work on my PC, and it sure beats listening to the dull roar of plastic injection molding machines outside my door.
3. On my treadmill at home I've been listening to an MP3 player. This is great, but even with 1.5 gig of storage I found myself constantly refreshing the music on there. What I did is run a second set of speakers from my home theater (where the Audiovox home cradle is located) down to my treadmill, and now I just crank "Big Rock" while I walk/run. I've had my MP3 player since October, and the selections on "Big Rock" are much better than I've been picking for my MP3 player, that's for sure.
Needless to say, I'm more than getting my money's worth out of this purchase so far.
Why did I pick Sirius over XM? Well, to be honest IMO it was six of one, half a dozen of the other. Both services let you sample their streams online, and I found stuff I liked on both services. What really gets me is the PLAYLISTS. You hear regularly hear stuff that you just don't get on standard AM/FM, or your own music library for that matter. For example, on the way to lunch today I heard some bizarre Star Wars Disco thing on the 70s channel, that was a "jazzed up" version of the Star Wars theme, and the cantina theme. Really cool, and NOT something you would EVER hear on FM, except maybe on Dr. Demento (is he still around? lol).
What "sealed the deal" was that I liked the functionality and look of the Audiovox PNP2 over the Delphi Skyfi, and the hardware was cheaper to boot. The NFL is certainly going to be a nice bonus this fall. One thing I really like about the PNP2 unit is that if a song is on you really like, just push a button and anytime that song shows up ANYWHERE on Sirius, the device will automatically tune to that song. I've heard you can see what is playing on 5 different channels at once, but I haven't cracked the instruction book yet to figure out how to make that work.
That said, I'm sure I would have been just as delighted with XM. There are no losers who pick either service, unless of course one of them bites the dust. But hey, you pays your money and you takes your chances with new technology. Considering how much I'm enjoying mine, and my technophobe wife's reaction, both services will succeed. Yes, that's right, I gave her my login to the Sirius website and after getting hooked on it at work, she wants a Jam Pack of her own this weekend. She actually told me this week that she doesn't understand why anyone who subscribes to one of these services would ever buy another CD; there are channels encompassing so many different types of music, it's like having your own personal, massive MP3 player.
So, uh, anyone ever installed on of these things in a Ford Escape?
I agree with what your wife said. If people try this I do not see how they will ever go back to std AM/FM radio. I was skeptical at first because of the monthly cost, but sold now 100%. The no commercials and great playlist are awesome. The star wars song you mentioned is the Meco version. It was a big hit in the disco crazed 70's. Of course I know this because I was the kid that saw star wars 12 times, just in the theather. Yaeh I was a little nuts over anything star wars, at the time. I have a much more sane life now..LOL.
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
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Now, I can understand having both services if they're used in different places; like masspector, I seriously looked at the Roady, and thought about just getting that for wifey's car instead of another PNP2. The rub is that she's mostly into country music, and while it does appear that that the XM and Sirius offerings are clones of each other, you never know if the playlist quality is the same. I'm aware that it would cost me a couple extra bucks a month more to have both services, but it would be nice to be able to try out both XM and Sirius for an extended period of time to judge which one fit my listening needs better.
That said, I can't imagine XM being that much better than Sirius I'd return my PNP2. Perhaps if Sirius' quality slides, or they cheap out and start using music industry playlists instead of real live DJs, then I'll really look at XM.
Now, on Jan 19th Sirius is going to revamp their playlists from what they are currently. All this info is on their website, but it looks like they're doing major adjustments to their rock channels and minor adjustments to the rest of the genres.
kirstie_h, both providers let you sample their channels on their websites. Really dig in and do some serious listening, but you'll more than likely call it a draw. There are definate differences, but they're not overwhelming. From my sampling XM, the impressions I got of both services is that Sirius has more of a "hits" focus, e.g. they're more likely to play stuff you've heard before, even if "before" is 20 years ago. XM plays a decent amount of hits also, but is more liable to play things that you've *never* heard before, even if you're familiar with the artist.
I *personally* prefer the Sirius method, because while I like being exposed to new music as much as anyone, I love hearing old stuff I haven't heard in years, which Sirius delivers on. I'm not saying XM *doesn't* deliver in this area, like I mentioned earlier, my only exposure to XM is listening for about an hour total on their website, hardly enough time to judge the entire service. I just remember skipping around the XM channels a lot because I would listen to a couple tunes that I'd never heard before/didn't like, and get bored.
Anyone choosing today has a giant advantage, because there aren't any programming commitments and the hardware is really quite cheap for what you're getting. Buy a Roady or PNP2, and if you don't like it just return it. All you're out is that first month's fee plus activation ($5 for Sirius if you activate online, I dunno what XM's is). I have to check to see if they're still valid, but I believe both devices have a rebate deal going on where you buy the unit plus their respective car kit, and you get the home kit for free. You mail in for the Roady home kit, and with the PNP2 you buy the home kit when you buy the PNP2 but then send in for a rebate.
The main difference between the hardware is that the Roady is smaller than the PNP2, and uses a cassette adapter while the PNP2 uses wireless FM modulation. I liked the PNP2's large display, but both units have a nice "feel" to them. Some people find the Roady a bit odd, because you navigate using a "wheel" in the upper right corner of the device than click down to select a channel. I personally didn't find it obtrusive when I was playing with it in Best Buy, however. Now, you can buy an integrated FM modulator for the Roady to use in lieu of the cassette. The device is built-in to a cigarette lighter adapter, I *think* it was $40.
I didn't compare the Delphi SkyFi unit, because it's insanely expensive in comparison and it's really no better than either the Roady or PNP2 IMO (unless you're set on XM, that is, in which case it's worth matching up against the Roady for the bigger display). The SkyFi is *currently* $99, same as the PNP2, but the car kit and home kit are $70 each, putting the whole shebang at $240 vs. $150 for the PNP2 (after home kit rebate, which costs $50 up front), and $120 for the Roady (assuming the mail in offer for the home kit is still valid).
Finally, there are boomboxes for both the PNP2 and the SkyFi, but *not* the Roady.
Whew, that pretty much does it for the shopping process I went through two weeks ago. Good luck, kirstie_h, and anyone else reading this who is debating between both services. I'm pretty certain that whichever service you choose, you'll love it. Less than a month ago I was still in my "paying for radio is insane" phase, and I would have never discovered it if I hadn't gotten such a huge bounty of Best Buy gift cards for Christmas. In retrospect, I wish I'd known about this earlier! It is WELL worth paying the <$200 cost to get started. Heck, I'm going to do it again tonight when we voyage to Best Buy after dinner and buy our second PNP2 Jam Pack in two weeks!
Anyone want to guess how much AM/FM/CDs/MP3s I've listened to since subscribing?
I spend at least 50% of my driving time listening to the conservative talk radio shows and don't find the satellite programming choises even remotely comparable to the AM band broadcast.
XM's programming is more to my taste, it's less expensive, and they are going commercial-free starting Feb. 1. That being said, the Skyfi unit is less appealing than the audiovox. There is no song seek alert, and the full artist/titles are usually not displayed. No big deal, IMO the music is better.
Just listen to both before you choose.
vadp- you bring up an unusual comment. I do not see people buying satellite radio to listen to talk radio. I see it as more of a music outlet as evidenced by the abundance of music channels over talk channels. I have sampled a few of the XM talk channels to see what they are like and I did not find them to be political one way or the other. If you want to listen to conservative talk radio, stick to AM. They are all syndicated anyway so you should be able to pick them up almost anywhere in the country. Maybe people are tired of all the rhetoric and just want to listen to a huge amount of good sounding commercial free music for a change.
I don't like listening to the same band's music (ala a CD's worth). With FM being mostly obnoxious ads and then awful DJ's just to get a few minutes of songs (let alone the sound quality) I had moved over to listening to AM talk radio as well just so I had something to listen to.
AM talk radio can be interesting (and I still listen once in a while) but since I had XM installed in my car as a gift, I have slowly become a convert.
It's all about the programming and SAT radio is where it's at (IMO).
I'd say that now 85% of my time (in the car) is tuned to the XM band and the remaining 15% is AM for mostly local news/talk.
vadp, my other problem with the talk radio stations I get right now is that some of my favorites are only partially broadcast, or not broadcast live. I live in an alleged major market, and yet I get some on a one-hour delay, and another, the last hour is replaced by a local hack. I noticed that the satellite stations carry live broadcasts, which is nice should I ever want to call in and spend an hour on hold
I think that because of channel selection, I'm going with XM. Because of the way my dash is set up, I think it's going to be a real mess if I go with a portable unit that needs an adaptor kit, so I figure I'll get the XM Commander.
Question - I am definitely getting professional installation. Am I better off going to Chrysler, or a good audio shop for the purchase/install?
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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I did a serach of this discussion for "lease" and found someone's post that mentioned Best Buy and Circuit City remove systems they've installed in leased cars, but I find it hard to believe they can remove the antenna cable and leave no evidence of its installation or removal, especially since they do the job for free.
I don't think they do it for free - it's part of the cost of the lease.
tidester, host
I know the Circuit City near me does a really excellent job on installations. Crashtest, all we can do is ask how the installation will be done. The antenna wire can be brought in unobtrusively sometimes-like through a hatchback, through the rear brake light, trunk, etc. I wouldn't worry about the car being ruined. The only thing that would bother me is the hassle of having to remove equipment at the time I'm going through the process of leasing a new car. The process, including car shopping, already takes enough time for me...
Most dedicated audio shops have experience in installing this stuff. Since that is all they do, they stand to get hurt bad if they do a bad job and word of mouth destroys their rep.
You may pay more for an audio shop installation, but in my BMW, it was worth it. Besides, the shop I used has a deal that the installations they do will not void my warranty. A big plus.
My installation can be seen at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/skimblz_
-Paul
While I have seen a lot of high school "kids" working at these shops, I have found a few who are professional and know what they're doing.
Installing a SAT radio antenna and FM modulated receiver is a very simple project and I would guess that your average BB or CC has done hundreds of them by now.
This is most likely far more than the specialty shop.
As always, check out the shops you'd think about using. Ask to see pictures of their work (the best shops always have photo albums of their stuff), meet the people working there and then make a decision.
CC installed my FM modulated XM system in a 2 year old Maxima last June and it's functioned perfectly since and looks as good as an FM modulated system could (with the extra tuner).
Your suggestion of looking at their previous work is an excellent one. The audio shop I used had about 3 volumes of photos from simple head unit installations to complete competition stereos and everything in between.
With the FM modulated solution, I knew the dash was coming apart to fit it in there. That was a major concern and I didn't feel comfortable with a Best Buy or Circuit City kid doing that to my then 3 month old BMW. My big draw was the fact that this shop has a 'partnership' (verified by the dealer) that any work they do will not void any warranties on the car (for audio or interior trim stuff). A BIG plus for me.
I guess the solution you go with depends on what is being done.
I apologize for my over generalization about BB and CC. I do contend though, that you can get a less than ideal installation if you are not careful - regardless of vendor.
-Paul
-Paul
>My big draw was the fact that this shop has a 'partnership' (verified by the dealer)
>that any work they do will not void any warranties on the car (for audio or in-
>terior trim stuff).
Really? I imagine that any dealer has a (profit) motive to do just the opposite, i.e., make a blanket statement that work done by any shop other than an authorized dealer's would automatically void the warranty. Besides, isn't it the manufacturer which actually has the authority to say what does and does not void the warranty?
(Nice car and sat. radio setup you got there, by the way.)
I can only see it as (1) BMW knows their stereos bite, so having somebody else work them is a good thing or (2) having an external audio shop makes BMW's look that much better.
Either way, the shop did a flawless job on the install and introduced no rattles in the car. I've had no electrical problems, no audio problems, and I'm a happy camper.
Thanks for the compliments.
-Paul
I was a little concerned about the antennea placement as the roady instruction book says it must be installed outside of the vehicle. The CC guy said a lot of customers installed it in the dash or rear tray with no problem, so to try that first and then mount it outside if needed. He said it all depended on the shape of the windows and where you placed it.
To do my activation, I just hooked up the unit in the car and then activated. I did not worry about hiding wires, etc until i had it working good. Then I tried several, antennea/head unit placement combinations. For me, outside the car and on the dashboard gave the same reception, so I opted for dashboard install since it was easier to run the wires that way. I then just ran the wires along the existing creases and crevices, hiding them. In the camry the only thing you see besides the head unit is the antennea which is about the size of a half dolar and two inches tall in the corner of the dash, and about 2 inches of the wire coming out of the casette adaptor. The rest is pretty well hidden and you have to look really close to see the wires. The head unit fits perfect in the cubby ahead of the gear shift. I used the holder that came with the unit, but did not stick it down. It fits perfect and snug. It is a little reach while you are driving, but I thought this was a fair trade off for a very professional looking install. If anyone is interested I can email them pics. Just let me know.
The QX4 install was not as clean. I did the same procedure and hid the wires as best I could, but there was not a great place to put the head unit and still have reasonable access. The arrangement of the interior trim did not allow for hiding the wires as completely as the camry and you can see about an inch or two in a few places, if you are looking for them. I am also going to be using the home kit, so I needed the head units accessible to be quickly removed.
I guess the bottom line is, try the install yourself if you are into that, you can always have the pros do it later. And $50 for the install does not seem too bad to me. Just if you do it yourself, be careful and patient and do not use any sharp tools. I did the camry before the QX4 and the QX4 took twice as long because it was harder to get the wires just where I wanted them without tearing up the trim pieces. BTW these cars are bought not leased.
You mention the home kit, but I haven't seen a Roady home kit mentioned in any advertising or at XM's Web site.
Please respond no later than Wednesday, February 4 to jfallon@edmunds.com with your daytime contact info, make/model of vehicle and a sense of the entertainment technology you have and aspire to own.
Thanks!
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Delaware Online
Two key advantages: Choice - and no ads (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Steve, Host
I think the home kit is similar to the home kit for the skyfi. I have not recieved it yet, but will post the details once I have it and have it hooked up. I have not seen any real info on it either. Just during december, if you bought the roady, you got a mail in rebate certificate that you mail in to have the kit shipped to your home. The promo ended dec 31. The CC guy said that in the future they would have more parts and accesories for the roady, but at that time all they had was the roady unit itself.
Boneyard Rocks!
Steve, Host
(A newspaper reporter is hoping to interview satellite radio subscribers by Thursday, March 18, 2004. Interested parties should call John at
714.966.5831 or e-mail me at jfallon@edmunds.com with the make and model of your satellite-radio-equipped vehicle and the name of your city and state of residence.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com )
Steve, Host
1. Ability to listen to all content from your home computer online. This will give me music in my office which is in a hospital and otherwise unable to get good radio reception or satellite reception.
2. Sports programming (NFL mostly).
3. NPR.
After looking and listening to samples of the both on the internet, the music channels/streams seemed pretty comparable. The extra $3 a month is not a big deal - in fact I will probably purchase the first year up front and take advantage of the $10/month promotion they are offering now.
Has anyone had any problems with Sirius? Complaints?
Personally, I'll stay on the month to month plan for the near future as the potential savings generated from a lifetime subscription has yet to be proven, especially if the original receiver or company fails.
I'm about to add XM to my Jeep Wrangler and have no problem paying the additional rate. I just have to find a place to mount the antenna.
Any ideas on where to mount and which antenna to select?
-Paul
http://www.radiotown.net/audio/
Here are some links for stories about them.
http://mercury.blogs.com/radio/2004/04/antisatellite_r_1.html
http://mercury.blogs.com/radio/2004/03/are_the_antisat.html
I just leased a new Chevy Avalanche with factory XM (that and a sunroof were the two must-haves for me), and other than for quickly checking that the FM and AM bands worked (and they were playing commercials, of course), I have not listened to them at all. Someone was asking me about all the antennas on the truck. "That one's for OnStar, and that one is for XM." "What's the tall skinny one for?" "Oh, that's for Ancient Modulation!"
The other day I impressed my co-workers on the way back from lunch when before our very eyes we saw the sheriff's department blocking off the road. I flipped over to XM Instant Traffic and within one minute they were reporting the accident that had just closed the road. Not even the local AM news station is ever that fast. XM rocks!
BTW, I learned something about getting a new GM vehicle with XM. While I was waiting on the finance folks to run up the paperwork, the sales associate was out in the parking lot setting up OnStar and XM. I guess after getting OnStar activated they transfer directly to XM. They had already started the XM sign-up process when I got into the truck, and the XM rep was asking about my particulars (name, address, etc.). I chimed in and told him I already had an account with XM. He said it would have been nice to know that in advance, because he was already setting up a new account for me. He was very pleasant about it, but it really was a headache for him because he had to back out of what he was doing, cancel the new account and add the radio to my existing account. So word to the wise, if you already have XM and buy a new car with XM, make sure you are in the vehicle when the set-up is done. They need either your name and address or the radio ID from one of the radios you already have. Saves a lot of time! I'm still getting the first three months free, and then they automatically add me to the Family Plan (they asked for my permission first).
I've read that this has been a problem with Nissan & Infiniti versions of XM receivers, and am wondering if anyone has found a fix or solution to this glitch.
Thanks in advance...
P.S. - XM rocks!!!
This is different from Mlm4's Instant Traffic since you get to see alternate routes on a NAV screen.
Steve, Host
Maybe soon in cars?
It's a little annoying when you first start listening but your annoyance will diminish after a few months. It also becomes kind of a game to guess the rest of the bands/song name.
To my knowledge, Sirius doesn't have this limitation, but then they don't have XM's programming either..
Broadcasters seek ban on local satellite radio (Netscape News)
Steve, Host
I have an XM receiver in my car and it only shows a few letters. I also have an XM receiver (Alpine) in my Jeep. When a new song comes on in the Jeep, it scrolls the name across if it doesn't fit in the display. It does the same for the entire title. If Metallica comes on, I only see METALLIC on my car, but I see "Metallica" scroll past then the title "For Whom the Bell Tolls" scrolls by. This is an Alpine CDA7983 unit (I think). Their new XM ready unit I believe handles the title/artist the same way.
So XM is not limiting transfer size for title/artist that I can see. This may be more of a limitation on the hardware mounted in your vehicle.
-Paul