XM - Sirius Merger

Saw this article on the XM-Sirius merger this morning..... Excite News - Satellite radio companies to pay $19.7 million (http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080724/D92483K00.html)

Looks like the two companies are one step closer to merging. I'm still wondering if the merger is going to be better or worse for us XM customers. It should be better, but who know what will happen when the companies and the regulators get through with it.

I have been sort of following it too. Not really every bump in the road to the merger, but more so just keeping an eye on things. I may be mistaken, but I think I remember hearing something that if a merger occurs, there may be a compatibility issue with the hardware.

I think it stuck in my head because, we as RL owners are XM; but, I think the hardware/standards that will go forward will be Sirius. At the time, I kind of put it on the back burner, because it was a long way off. Now it is looking like the merger might just happen. Like I said, I might be way out of line here, but one way or another we will have to deal with the new company.

A monopoly is usually not a good thing for the consumer unless there's some legislative restrictions.

Whatever they do, they better have the consumer's best interests. When they first announced this merger over a year ago, they said it would provide better service and more options. Now, there are compatability issues, and who knows what that will do to the prices.

With MP3s and Ipods, they best be careful or they will lose out on customers who will just convert their stereos to accomodate these formats instead of paying monthly.

I for one will not make any sattelite radio changes to my vehicle. If it doesn't receive it anymore, then its gone. But I do believe that I read some time ago that it should not affect existing customers. But if the prices go up......:rolleyes:

I read recently that the merger is almost a done deal-a judge, I believe, has approved the merger.
From what I can tell, it won't affect current users too much. However, they might later offer a radio that you can pick and choose what stations you want to subscribe to. Current XM/Sirius radios will not have this option.

I like my XM but I really only listen to a few stations and I don't think I want to continue to pay for stations that I never listen to.

I don't care what they do, so long as Opie and Anthony and Ron and Fez stay put on 202

I read that off the shelf radios that can receive both XM & Sirius stations will be the first things to come to market, with-in a year. They will have a tiered, cable like station line up offering. Factory radios for cars/trucks will be available in 2 to 3 years. Current subscribers will continue to receive programing from XM or Sirius but not both.

I purchased a Lifetime Subscription from Sirius when I bought my 2004 PT Cruiser. They allow you to transfer it to another radio for $75 (up to three transfers only). When I bought the RTX two days ago, I had to also buy a portable Sirius radio -- which I did.

The RTX only has "XM-ready" features, not a fully-functioning XM radio. From what I understand, you must also buy and install some other gizmo for it to be usable (maybe the antenna?). I was hoping to transfer the Sirius subscription over to the RTX once the merger completes in October.

The folks at Sirius were A-Number-1 cooperative about the transfer to their portable unit. I was such an old customer they couldn't even do it with their computer. They had to do everything manually -- then decided not to charge me the $75, which was a great deal. As I recall, I paid $350 for the Lifetime and have used it for 5 years, now. I bought it on the very last day that such a deal was offered. They may have offered it since then.

But they have no specific data on any of the details about what will happen in October. No idea of whether the services are interchangeable or switchable. I was afraid the Lifetime would be voided because of the merger, but they reassured me all contracts will be honored for both sets of customers.

http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1648 (http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1648)


More info on the merger from Sirius-XM Satellite Radio, Inc.

http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1648 (http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1648)


More info on the merger from Sirius-XM Satellite Radio, Inc.

VERY interesting information, LL. Thanks for posting it. Looks like the merger's a done deal. It's going to be interesting to see the effect on us XM subscribers. My biggest fear is that it's going to be just like cable TV....you have to pay lots of $$ to get the really good stations. Prices going up, up, up?? Aren't monopolies fun!

About 2 weeks ago, my wife leased a 2008 Explorer. She has a very short drive to work, and because a close friend is the sales manager of the dealership, I usually do very well on price. Normally, we lease her vehicle, and I purchase my vehicle. I usually put much higher mileage so, when I actually buy a vehicle, I try to purchase something that will last for 150,000 to 200,000 miles (that's why I have a RL!; I put 180k on my 1999 CR-V).

Anyway, because the Explorer had Sirius (with 6 months free), I am now in the strange position of subscribing to both companies. As far as content, there is good and bad on each side. Depending on what they charge, a pure "ala carte" selection will easily allow a subscriber to cherry-pick what they want. It will be interesting to see what menu choices become available. Of interest to this thread, is a little blurb I found will cruising around the Sirius site. Radios they offer for sale all have a "guarantee" that they will work after the merger. A quick check on the XM site has no such thing. Possibly a small hint of what may come down the line.

While on the topic, my personal observations after using both systems, seem to indicate that XM works better. While certainly not a scientific study, it seems that the XM reception is stronger. There are noticeably less drop-offs then with Sirius. Again, this is just from driving and listening. Possibly the Honda radio and antenna are better then the Ford's. Maybe the Honda has a better installation; I really cannot say. Just that from a user standpoint, the XM in the Ridge seems to work better.

One thing that is really nice in the Explorer is the SYNC interface. It may not be perfect, but it is pretty sweet. The Bluetooth connectivity with a cell phone is clean and the system integration works well. The built in speaker and microphone are excellent. The USB and Auxiliary input ports offer a great deal of flexibility. I have used iPods from several "generations" as well as a flash drive and a 2.5" USB hard drive, and all work well with SYNC. If you are thinking of a new Ford, this is well worth the price of admission.

I think these type of interfaces are the way to go and I would hope that a forward thinking company like Honda will offer something similar in the future. This will probably happen about the time they offer a locking tailgate on the RL! LOL!

Ron and Fez...noon to 3.

And I think this merger will be a lot like the sprint/nextel merger. They are one company now, but most of the hardware stays the same because they are on different platforms. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Sprint is phasing out the Nextel IDEN push to talk service and replacing it with EVDO Rev A based QCHAT service. It took a few years to get started, but it's going to be finished within a year. No more Nextel.

I had a Sirius Sportster unit in my old Grand Prix and recently connected it in my new (to me) '06 RTL. Sound is terrible...way too much static. Never had a problem in my Grand Prix. Funny thing is, the person who leased my RTL never cancelled their XM subscription, so I currently have both....and like Sirius 10X better. The XM fades in & out way too much for a factory system and the music content is much better on Sirius, IMO. XM/Sirius announced today that they are offering each others "best of" content, so XM'ers can get the best of Sirius & vice versa. Might look into this.

My question is, has anyone else had an issue with the sound clarity coming from their factory XM system?? The only time I ever lost a signal with my add-on Sirius unit was if the vehicle was in a closed building...the factory XM in my RTL fades out if I drive down a street lined with trees on both sides. I initially thought it was due to the XM antenna being inside the vehicle vs on the roof.

My XM subcription runs out this coming June. I'm happy with XM with very little fade and good sound. I have the XM tuner buried in the dash, hard wired to a Alpine H-U. I was going to re-up when the time came but ran across this alternative. http://www.slacker.com/products/portables/

I haven't researched this enough yet but it works thru your PC and wireless connections. You can play it in your car via MP3 port or FM modulation. I like the fact that it's portable too. It stores the radio and your playlist for use in the car or portable use. It says you can skip, delete and request songs and refreshes in WI-FI hot spots. The premium service runs $90 a year plus the cost of the unit. $200 for 25 stations and $250 for 40 stations plus more storage.

Anyone out there use this or can offer any insight.

Thanks

I've been to the linked website and find the product interesting. I don't have XM in my RL and I think this could be a suitable alternative as long as the FM modulator works properly. The cheaper system package has no monthly charge with limited ads broadcasted.

I'm interested in this enough to want to investigate it further.