XM/Sirius merger approved

[HILLCYD]

My thought on the whole satellite radio deal is that you better spend a lot of time in your car or it ain't worth it. I wish it would have been around when I lived in Chicago and spent nearly 3 hours a day commuting. Living in the Des Moines area my commute to and from work is 15-20 mins, can't justify it. Especially now that we have 1700 and Mike and Mike is on every morning for free.

 

[brianhos]

I'd like to know how Sirius kicks the crap out of XM for someone who doesn't listen to any sports channels. I actually just listen to about 4 channels on XM right now, so wondering what better stuff Sirius has besides sports.

I think it is a personal preference thing. I got XM because at the time, there was no Sirius, or at least no one was using it yet. I could probably switch and not really notice a difference. I do like having the XM channels on DirecTV, it is nice to have that consistency.

 

[CYVADER]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

How does Sirius "kick the crap out of XM"?

Just wondering.

might as well ask why a rainbow is good or how posi track work. it just does. seriously though, the formats are similar, but the music selection for the formats are quite a bit different. i have found that xm likes to play a lot more underground stuff on stations of similar format to the ones i like on sirius, and also the sports selection is a ton better on serious.

just answering

 

[jumbopackage]

I like streaming via my cell phone ESPN radio wherever I go, and quite a few sporting events as well.

I do subscribe to XM, though I don't use it as much as I used to since my commute is now pretty much non-existent.

I very rarely listen to local radio, and I haven't listened to a local FM station in years, mainly because it's a non-stop commercial. I've noticed that when I listen to the Tony Kornheiser podcast, they mix the commercials into the conversation. I actually enjoy listening to those. Of course it takes a bit of talent and skill to do that, so I don't expect every station to do it, but I'd gladly sit through a funny, topical commercial over some over-produced crapfest that passes for local advertising these days.

 

[Rogue52]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

might as well ask why a rainbow is good or how posi track work. it just does. seriously though, the formats are similar, but the music selection for the formats are quite a bit different. i have found that xm likes to play a lot more underground stuff on stations of similar format to the ones i like on sirius, and also the sports selection is a ton better on serious.

just answering

ISU BET did answer this truthfully. He hit on the major difference between XM and Sirius as far as music is concerned. XM's playlists on 90% of its music channels is about 4 times larger than Sirius'. Sirius prefers to stay with top 40 hits no matter what genre it may be. This only makes sense though since the pioneer of the FM format, Mel Karmazin, is the CEO of Sirius.

As far as sports is concerned, it's pretty much NFL vs. MLB. Otherwise, it's Howard Stern vs. Opie and Anthony.

I prefer the more obscure playlists. I can always turn on FM channels if I want to here more 'hit' type music. This is why I subscribe to XM. Also, I'd prefer to have MLB games. Who listens to NFL games over the radio anyway?

 

[brianhos]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

ISU BET did answer this truthfully. He hit on the major difference between XM and Sirius as far as music is concerned. XM's playlists on 90% of its music channels is about 4 times larger than Sirius'. Sirius prefers to stay with top 40 hits no matter what genre it may be. This only makes sense though since the pioneer of the FM format, Mel Karmazin, is the CEO of Sirius.

As far as sports is concerned, it's pretty much NFL vs. MLB. Otherwise, it's Howard Stern vs. Opie and Anthony.

I prefer the more obscure playlists. I can always turn on FM channels if I want to here more 'hit' type music. This is why I subscribe to XM. Also, I'd prefer to have MLB games. Who listens to NFL games over the radio anyway?

So outside of sports it sounds like XM is the clear choice. If I want top40, I will just turn to the top40 channels.

 

[superdorf]

I probably will get flamed for this... but I love Sirius. You get NFL, Howard, NASCAR... And they have an excellent 90's alternative station.

I haven't every heard XM... so I don't know what I may be missing.

Like I said earlier, I will be very glad when baseball is on Sirius too.

 

[CYVADER]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

So outside of sports it sounds like XM is the clear choice. If I want top40, I will just turn to the top40 channels.

i don't listen to the pop music channels though. i like the punk and alternative stuff, and the stuff they play on those stations aren't going to be top 40 songs or bands, but they are songs and bands that have a pretty good following. so not necessarily top 40 music on sirius, just more familiar music in general. most of what i listen to on sirius won't ever get played on fm channels. does this make sense?

 

[cyismydog]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

ISU BET did answer this truthfully. He hit on the major difference between XM and Sirius as far as music is concerned. XM's playlists on 90% of its music channels is about 4 times larger than Sirius'. Sirius prefers to stay with top 40 hits no matter what genre it may be. This only makes sense though since the pioneer of the FM format, Mel Karmazin, is the CEO of Sirius.

As far as sports is concerned, it's pretty much NFL vs. MLB. Otherwise, it's Howard Stern vs. Opie and Anthony.

I prefer the more obscure playlists. I can always turn on FM channels if I want to here more 'hit' type music. This is why I subscribe to XM. Also, I'd prefer to have MLB games. Who listens to NFL games over the radio anyway?

Yeah, I agree with you on that, I've never listened to an NFL game on the radio, but I love listening to Mike Shannon broadcast the Cardinals games. Sometime I even turn off the sound on the TV and just listen to the radio,because Mike Shannon is that good.:yes:

 

[alaskaguy]

I drive up to 1,500 miles per week sometimes... And if they raised the prices I would drop my subscriptions immediately.

I love the service, but I don't think I would pay any more than I do for it.

There have been a number of links that claim that the merger will eliminate competition. The merged companies will have a complete and total monopoly of the satellite radio market. But that is meaningless. Satellite radio has to compete with my regular radio and my CD collection. And for many others it has to compete with iPods, TV, talking on cell phone with friends and a thousand other ways to pass the time.

Five years ago there was no satellite radio. When one company came along (I don't know who was first, Sirius or XM), should the FCC have shut them down for daring to monopolize the market? So why is it now that there's two going back to one we have a potential calamity that the government has to worry about?

 

[alaskaguy]

Sirius has the Grateful Dead channel. Case closed Sirius is the superior option.

 

[alaskaguy]

Re: XM/Sirius meger approved

ISU BET did answer this truthfully. He hit on the major difference between XM and Sirius as far as music is concerned. XM's playlists on 90% of its music channels is about 4 times larger than Sirius'. Sirius prefers to stay with top 40 hits no matter what genre it may be. This only makes sense though since the pioneer of the FM format, Mel Karmazin, is the CEO of Sirius.

As far as sports is concerned, it's pretty much NFL vs. MLB. Otherwise, it's Howard Stern vs. Opie and Anthony.

I prefer the more obscure playlists. I can always turn on FM channels if I want to here more 'hit' type music. This is why I subscribe to XM. Also, I'd prefer to have MLB games. Who listens to NFL games over the radio anyway?

I'm familiar with Sirius but not XM since the XM signal strength doesn't cover this area. Sirius offers 80 music channels that cover just about every genre. If XM is really a superior product music wise the merger will make me a happy camper.

 

[alaskaguy]

My thought on the whole satellite radio deal is that you better spend a lot of time in your car or it ain't worth it.

I don't spend hardly any time in my pickup but Sirius is still worth it.

Sirius is part of my basic Direct TV package. I don't watch much television but listen to a whole lot of Sirius courtesy of Direct TV.

 

[HILLCYD]

I don't spend hardly any time in my pickup but Sirius is still worth it.

Sirius is part of my basic Direct TV package. I don't watch much television but listen to a whole lot of Sirius courtesy of Direct TV.

My Directv has a bunch of music channels that I can listen to for free, still not sold.

 

[keepngoal]

Sirius is the bomb IMO.

Rolling Stones Station, Big12, NFL, 70s and Channel 198 ..... Their morning show is the best I have ever listened too. Every day after the chill'ins are dropped off, i push pre-select 5 twice for 198.

-keep.

 

[jumbopackage]

My Directv has a bunch of music channels that I can listen to for free, still not sold.

I listen for the talk radio, mostly, which aren't included. Instead of having to search for the local AM sports talk station, you can drive across the country and listen to the same station the whole way.

 

[brianhos]

Sirius has the Grateful Dead channel. Case closed Sirius is the superior option.

XM has a Led Zepplin channel...

 

[brianhos]

I don't spend hardly any time in my pickup but Sirius is still worth it.

Sirius is part of my basic Direct TV package. I don't watch much television but listen to a whole lot of Sirius courtesy of Direct TV.

XM is on DirectTV, Sirius is dish network.

 

[alaskaguy]

XM is on DirectTV, Sirius is dish network.

Thank you for the correction.

I have Dish not Direct TV. And Sirius is part of the basic package which includes 80 music channels but no sports or talk radio.

Direct TV is not an option here just like XM since the signal can not be captured for either.

 

[dmclone]

I've had both. They are not that much different. They both have good channels. My wife currently has XM because that's what came in her car. I also have a little XM tool on my Vista sidebar that allows me to play XM, I have a few channels of XM through directv, and I can stream the online XM to my PS3. Like I said, they are both good but if I want sports talk radio I still listen to KXNO because it has local content.