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Satellite Radio Is Officially Here
dragons_flight writes: "XM Satellite Radio has officially launched, initially selling equipment only in the Dallas and San Diego markets, but going national by Nov. 15. A reciever for home or car costs ~$300 plus a $10/month subscription service. Many new cars will be pre-equipped with satellite-ready radios. XM provides 100 digital channels, a signicant number of which are commercial free. Sirius satellite radio says they are committed to launching be the end of the year." Any readers out there with the equipment for this have comments about it? ($10x12 + $300 makes $420 I'll be putting toward other things.)
It is hard to sell commercials without an existing user base. Once you have the customers, than you can zap them with ads.
love is just extroverted narcissism
Satellite radio is a great concept, but I have a hard time seeing too many people subscribe under the current terms. The "itch" that this addresses (too many commercials, not enough variety) isn't severe enough to justify the $300 + $120/year. Especially not when cheaper "scratches" exist, like CD players. The audiophiles that I know are more likely to spend their money on MP3 and CD alternatives.
Maybe if they can get enough cars to come with the hardware preinstalled, they have a shot. But until they have that installed base of hardware, this service is a pilot project at best.
** The opinions expressed here are my own, and do not reflect those of my employers - past, present, or future**
Accept the fact that some people like not knowing exactly what's available or do not have the time to compile playlists. Take the time to come up with a valid complaint, like why the hell would I spend $420 the first year to listen to the radio?
Instead of supporting this form of broadcast, why not send some money to your local public radio organizations instead? (Sorry to everyone else if this is largely a US idea.) They insulate you from the blatant and sickening commericialism. They don't ask you to install special equipment. They (usually) broadcast things which expand your mind and make you more informed. They do not just allows themselves to be swept along in every popular culture movement you can think of, etc.
In short, they don't ask for much, and they deliver quite a lot in return. It's an excellent investment. Please consider sending them the $420 instead.
Please mod this post only if you think others should/n't read this. I have enough ego^H^H^Hkarma. Thanks!
I listen to the radio on my way to work. I listen sometimes in the evenings. Mostly I just bounce around between about 4 stations looking for something interesting.
And I don't pay a cent.
Why would someone pay for something that is moderately better when they have a perfectly acceptable *free* version already available?
This is very comparable to the popularity of Napster. Sure you occassionally D/Led a song with a clipped ending... or the person logged off during mid D/L... but it was free. And the masses spoke.
In my view.. Radio is public, free, and analog. I just can't imagine subscribing to the radio.
Ugh.
antidigerati
I see a few repeated thoughts against subscription radio. Here's a some thoughts on why they're wrong.
:) Subscription-based media access works (cable TV, newspapers, magazines), despite the wide variety of high-quality, free sources (network TV, indie 'zines).
Anti-1) Just buy CDs.
At $10/mo. you can't even buy one CD/mo. Assuming good playlists, this is a cheaper way to get a variety of music. As for the $300 one-time cost for the radio, that will come down. CD players debuted at $500 - $1000 (?? just buy blank tapes at $0.50 ea.!); likewise for VCRs, DVD players, etc.
Anti-2) Listen CDs for good selection; don't rely on radio.
CDs play for 70 min max. Then it either stops, repeats, or you must switch discs. The point of radio is fire-and-forget. Pick station, and not have to interrupt work to fiddle with music selection. Multi-discs CD players reduce the problem, but don't remove it.
Anti-3) Use MP3 player to play large compilation discs.
Like Anti-2, it reduces effort, but still requires effort (both up-front to make the MP3s, and possibly to switch discs). But it's also Anti-1 -- you gotta have discs before you can rip 'em. Unless you steal music, but that's another discussion.
Anti-4) Just make your own mixes, and listent ot them. Why listen to corporate-run radio?
Uh huh. Just like you make your own DVD mixes, rather than getting cable-TV for movies, news, variety, etc.
For many of those people, the objections will be sufficient deterrent to trying digital radio. But early adopters are funny beasts, and are not easily stopped
There are many obstacles, but I think subscription, digital radio could work.
ShoutingMan.com
Thankfully the Bay has one truly Public Radio station, KKUP. None of the DJ's are played, they have 15+ genres, and are 100% listener supported (quite possibly the only station in the country). Not that I would bet too many /.'ers are big reggae fans, but they have the most reggae hours on radio period. (XM just happens to have 1 reggae station I am streaming right now)
A point on XM radio, the trucking industry will be the first to take great use of this, on a trip to Mardi Gras from Indiana with my father, I failed to bring anything to read with me, and picked up all the free trucking magazines I could at local gas stations, and they were looking forward to XM in great force. It also interested me the amount of trucking companies who provided e-mail services built into their rigs to their employees so they could keep in touch with both their dispatchers and families.
Always remember not 'ALL' tech is created by geeks for geeks....
Why is everyone talking about the music possibilities of satellite radio. I'm looking forward to getting NPR and the BBC. Nether of witch I can get very well here in Florida with analog radio.
Many, many people actually *gasp* do listen to the radio, simply because some of us have other things to do than sit in chat rooms discussing hot new bands. (Hot new bands as in hot new bands, not as in 'popular' drek. Case in point, hardly any radio stations play good music. :p).
;) Now, a few more bucks a month shouldn't be a problem for techies (And it won't be for me once I get my &@$&* degree. :P), however, the world is filled with low-paid, hard-working non-techs.
This could be the answer.
Could. If they vary the music and play stuff that people who aren't brainwashed into ogling some ugly silicon-enhanced girl listen to.
They need to do this, and do it well. Subscribtion fee + equipment = less of a user base.
Seriously. Cell phone. Pager. EverCrack. ISP. Etc. People can't keep adding subscribtion fees on top of everything they already own/rent/etc.
Erm, anyway, the question is, "Is this such an advantage over normal radio that I should shell out money for it?"
(:
"DirecTV hackers' .. that almost sounds affectionate. I'm so sick of this geek culture accepting criminals just because they find a way around the control system.
They're providing a service. Pay for it. Its not like they're price gouging either. And by "they" I mean both Satellite TV and Radio providers.
SpamapS -- Undernet #Linuxhelp
We've had satellite radio here in Asia for a while now. Same for Africa, etc.
Here in Korea, you pay only for the equipment, which starts at $150.00. (it's portable if you want it to be). The signals are free for the next few years while they tweak and build the market and infrastructure. Lots of worldwide news, music and culture. Ground based repeaters fill in the low spots, similar to the cell bridges inside tunnels and subways. As always, the states are behind, and the consumer is being bilked.
Does this mean that the US has given up on producing a standard for digital radio over the normal airwaves?
Here in the UK we've had digital radio using the DAB standard that most of the world has chosen (shades of GSM here) for a couple of years. Unfortunately, the radios are expensive and no-one listens to it yet. They are dropping in price now though.
I do this, mainly to hear NPR, but my God, the do fundraisers OFTEN and LONG. It's painful to listen to them begging for money for a week and a half, when you *could* be listening to Morning Edition. g
Radio stations in central PA suck. A classic rock station that plays too-classic rock. An 'alternative' station that loses many hours of radio play in the morning to feature Howard (I listen to the radio for music, not talk). A top 40 station that again suffers from too much dj chatter and commercials, especially during peak driving periods.
I'll gladly pay $10 a month to get rid of that kind of crap, just as I'll pay $4.55 a day for a triple-venti, suguar-free, nonfat caramel machiato from Starbucks to get a decent cup of joe. Heck, I pay more for my cable modem & cable service, and this I'll be able to use on the road...
On 11/15 when the service is available in my area, I'll be signing up. Already ordered the equipment...
> the only formats I hear commonly are ... some Heavy Metal.
Got news for ya. Korn and Limp Bizkit are not metal. There is no true metal on commercial radio today. This is the problem with XM -- people who don't know the genre are programming the playlists. Their service is useless until they can provide something that I can't get anywhere else.