XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You - Gizmodo Comments

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

ViperBorg — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:30:09 EDT

I REALLY don't like this. I'm a Sirius subscriber, and after listening to XM once, let me make that clear, once. I HATED, no LOTHED XM. If, after this "Merger" buyout, etc, etc, etc, Sirius starts sounding ANYTHING like XM, I'm canceling.

ViperBorg

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Gofastmazda — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:08:31 EDT

@YOBNAFgniliec: HD radio isn't free, it's still paid for by advertisements. Still don't know how anyone can think that HD is a worthy rival of either XM or Sirius, as the channel selection for HD is still going to be much, much more limited than either satellite brand.

Gofastmazda

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

male roof blower (CFB) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:49:18 EDT

You mean finally I won't have to decide between football or baseball? Then again, it wasn't really that tough of a decision because, at least to me, you are getting much more your money's worth from baseball because there are 10 times as many games, and because your team plays more than once a week and sometimes during the mid day on a weekday, it is much harder to be in front of a TV for every baseball game than it is to be in front of a TV for every football game.

@Monty: By combining their subscription base, they are lowering the price per person they have to spend by doubling the people. You could look at it that way or look at it as they need half as many satellites because they no longer need separate satellites for each company. Additionally, they will no longer be in a bidding war for rights to broadcast different sports or celebrities. Do you really think Stern's contract would have been nearly as big if there was only one satellite radio company? They do still have competition, though. iPods and HD Radio are actually good examples of competition. Both can be commercial free and with one you get to choose what you listen to, and for the other you have a more narrow focus on each genre, making it easier to find what you want to listen to. Really, the only advantage that satellite has over HD Radio is that you can listen to the same radio station anywhere.

male roof blower (CFB)

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

spgass — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:04:35 EDT

The merger does nothing to convince me that satellite radio is worth paying for: [lowtechtimes.com]

spgass

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

strider_mt2k — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:28:11 EDT

I haven't listened to Howard in more than a year.
He's sitting on a fortune and gets to retire doing what he loves.
HE HAS NOTHING TO BITCH ABOUT AND NOTHING TO REBEL AGAINST, NOR WILL HE.

I say listen to the music!
Uncle Les Davis on Pure Jazz 72 hold his classes nightly, and there's plenty of other great content to be had if Classic Jazz isn't your thing.

strider_mt2k

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

mattbrown — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:18:23 EDT

RAMOONNNN!!!! Howard Stern is a cunt.

mattbrown

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Gofastmazda — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:52:27 EDT

I got stuck with Sirius in my car and changing to XM isn't an option (damn factory stereo integrated with A/C controls).

I'm hoping this means that both XM and Sirius equipment will get to choose what channels from both are available. I'd love to see several tiers of pricing, incorporating both sets of channels. I hope they ditch Sirius' Lithium and keep XM's Lucy, though. Lithium sucks.

Gofastmazda

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

TVGenius — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:47:48 EDT

@lafond66: Yeah, but we won't. They'll be turned into Sirius clones with lame, shallow playlists. Karmazin will run all the quality XM people, like Eric Logan, out.

TVGenius

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

knappoleon — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:42:27 EDT

WE GET BONED. THATS RIGHT...THE AMERICAN CONSUMER GETS BONED AGAIN BY SOMEONE WHO GOT PAID OFF IN THE DOJ AND FCC. PRICES WILL RISE. MEL KARMAZIN WILL SCREW YOU ALL.

HOWARD STERN SUCKS. O & A PARTY ROCK.

SATELLITE RADIO DOES NOT REPEAT NOT COMPETE WITH ITUNES, OR ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGY. THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT IN THE MEDIUM BUT THE CONTENT.

knappoleon

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

lafond66 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:32:14 EDT

As long as I get to keep my XM channels without Sirius garbage I'm happy.

lafond66

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

JJ910 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:04:04 EDT

This means we are f***ed. Read the term-sheet for their merger and you will know what I mean! :)

JJ910

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

DaBigCasino — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:01:16 EDT

as long as my bill does not go up more than $5 and i get nfl and nba games i am good with it

DaBigCasino

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

curtian4 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:47:53 EDT

I wonder if the FCC will look into the issue of compatible equipment and open standards. It'd help competition if a 3rd party manufacturer could make an "open receiver" that would receive both XM and Sirius signals (and any other transmissions like HD Radio, FM/AM, Slacker, Internet radio via wifi, etc).
[www.publicknowledge.org]

curtian4

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

whootowl — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:46:41 EDT

Within a year commercial-free channels will be difficult to find.

whootowl

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Mayor McRib — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:46:15 EDT

Make no mistake...nothing helps the consumer more than direct competition. In short, as a subscriber you are going to get screwed.

Scenario: Don't like our new prices and a la cart service? Ok then just throw away that receiver that you bought and pay no attention to that Satellite button that is on your factory car stereo.

Mayor McRib

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

jcoberg10 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:18:33 EDT

well they have to compete with AM/FM radio still (which is Free) and mobile broadband is bringing internet radio, and streaming music to many Phone and laptop users at high speeds in more places than ever. Plus, HD radio is out now which is also a subscription "FREE" service just have to buy the hardware. Now 1 company will have all of the content and all of the userbase, more revenue, combined with lower cost should improve services. cost more than likely will not go up or down but just remain stationary, in order for them to stay in business and also stay comeptitive with other options in the market.

jcoberg10

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

rushevents — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:13:16 EDT

Yeah, it'll be cheaper - if by cheaper you mean offer a "Basic" package for 11.95 then offer a la carte a lot of the channels I already get included for the 12.95.

Want sports talk - OK. Want NCAA games oohhh that'll cost you an extra couple of bucks. Want the NFL? Couple of bucks more.

Want Rock radio? You got it! Want Thrash Metal (a la XM's liquid metal)? Ooohh that's cost you a buck or 2.

Ok so with Tax your bill is 1 million dollars Muwahahaha!!!

rushevents

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

tucker — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:10:30 EDT

@mrxcel: i have some ocean front property in Arizona that i will sell you cheap - the Sirius HD reception is really good.

tucker

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

nadafinger — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:08:18 EDT

The spin on this that Howard Stern gave a while back was that the new company would be able to better utilize the broadcast spectrum. The spectrum was split in half in order to accommodate competition, despite the original "invention" requiring the full spectrum. Supposedly this will mean they will be able to offer better audio quality be eliminating redundant music channels, as well as mobile video w/audio. I'm not sure whether I believe it all or not, but if they are telling the truth it should be cool.

nadafinger

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Duncan345 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:03:34 EDT

@mrxcel: A lot of this depends on where you live. In larger cities they have installed radio signal repeaters so that you don't lose service when you do not have line of sight to the sky. For example, I live in Mississippi and I lose my Sirius signal just by driving under trees, overpasses, downtown Jackson, etc. When I drive through New Orleans, however, I don't lose signal at all because of the additional equipment installed in larger cities.

If the companies merge I imagine they would use all of the existing equipment that they have in place... it can only get better.

Duncan345

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Duncan345 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:59:03 EDT

@Colonel35: Are you sure about the compatibility issues? I heard an interview with the inventor of the satellite radio technology on Howard 101 and he/she said that they are nearly identical. If I am remembering this right, the difference is Sirius equipment requires a signal from multiple satellites and XM only requires a signal from one. When asked about a merger, he/she said that existing equipment would work just fine in the future. Have you heard otherwise or was that your own theory?

Duncan345

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

mrxcel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:54:39 EDT

CRAP...

I have one car with XM and one Car with Sirius, let me start by saying that XM is FAR Superior. You can go under a tunnel and still have XM, not the same with Sirius... Even though i purchased the Sirius "HD" what ever the f that is and it plays on my 2008 MB C-Class with Harman Kardon Premium Sound package, it does not sounds as clear as XM on my 2006 Passat.. (w/o premium sound package).

IMO XM is way better that SIRI....

I piggy back with some users I wonder how they are going to merge content b/c SIRI is lacking... maybe SIRI would improve???????

mrxcel

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Rususeruru — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:48:24 EDT

@FedExin & CODIFEROUS: Thanks guys, glad to know I'm not the only one.

Rususeruru

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

liquidsoapdispenser — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:42:37 EDT

@Monty: Good question. I can see that the merged company will have lower long-term advertising, employment, and overhead costs, giving the company a better chance of surviving. But I'm not sure I see what the new motivation will be for the merged company to charge less.

liquidsoapdispenser

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

EBone — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:38:00 EDT

Not sure how eliminating the competition element of the market will result in lower prices. Seems to me that the two companies have been competing for the lower priced subscription rates. Now there will be no need for that.

I would imagine that regarding programming, once the merger is done, they'll just start carrying each others programs for a while, until they figure out the hardware angle. You'll hear Howard whether you have an XM unit or a Sirius unit, etc. I would also imagine that some channels would merge, like the decades channels. No reason to have two different '80s channels.

EBone

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Grifter — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:32:56 EDT

WOOOHOOOO! I can finally get HOWARD STERN in my new Honda Accord without having to buy an Sirius reciever! I am stoked. Now if you already pay for XM you will be able to select (if I am not mistaken) certain channels or possibly the best of all worlds of both. Now no more contracts like XM, I can just buy a lifetime service plan and not have to pay yearly fees either. I honestly didn't think this would happen. SHWING!

Thanks Giz! You have made my day.

Grifter

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

whootowl — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:32:48 EDT

Best jump on the 5-year contract now before the landscape gets any more competitive.

whootowl

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Monty — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:31:34 EDT

They are losing money now, so they merged. How is it that this is going to push the price down? Maybe I just do not understand economics, but it seems that the price would probably go the opposite direction of what we are all hoping for.

Monty

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

FedExin — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:23:55 EDT

@CODIFEROUS: Hey there, it actually seems to be a bandwidth issue, not your receiver. When you tune in to stations such as Lithium, Howard, or Shade 45, the bit rate is much higher than others. Flip between Howard 100 and Reggae Rhythms (right next to each other on the dial) you'll hear the difference.

Maybe the merger will bring higher quality overall? It stinks to hear great programming sound like mud.

FedExin

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Colonel35 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:12:27 EDT

@Balance_In_Life (PSN): As their satellite/signal/repeater systems are completely incompatible, I suspect Sirius hopes to converge on a single platform and eke out the savings with greater economies of scale. However, to develop, build, and launch these satellites is not cheap (read: billions).

So...my guess is, the medium-term (6-12 months), we'll see hybrid radio units that can receive both signals (even if the companies bill it as a single service by that point), but they'll probably continue to support the millions of Sirius/XM users who've already invested in single-mode receivers (including those with built-in car units not easily upgraded).

Long-term, they'll standardize the satellite technology and--unless it's just a matter of simply dropping one format or the other--will sure enough require a new generation of receivers to work.

This is why I've been suspicious of this move all along; just because they have congressional/legal approval, doesn't make physically combining these companies any easier.

Colonel35

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

firesign — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:07:07 EDT

umm, i thought it was xm buying out sirius.

firesign

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

CODIFEROUS — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:03:09 EDT

@Rususeruru: I do like the "TiVo-esque" controls and remote though. But it is a pretty low end unit.

CODIFEROUS

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

i BaldEagle — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:01:15 EDT

@Way: In my excitement, i didn't even read the entire thing, my mistake.

i BaldEagle

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

CODIFEROUS — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:01:11 EDT

@Rususeruru: I have the same receiver, and it seems like you and I have something in common. I was thinking of getting a radio unit that supports Sirius, rather than a stand alone over the air receiver.

CODIFEROUS

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Stacky Botrus — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:59:07 EDT

SUCK IT DOWN WITH THE SHOCK AND AWE IN 2008 BABY WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!™

Stacky Botrus

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Way — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:58:11 EDT

@i BaldEagle: That's what it says in this article, as well.

Way

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

i BaldEagle — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:52:55 EDT

Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, I'm curious as to the fine print of the merger. If you read the report off the AP it says Sirius is buying out XM, interesting.
[ap.google.com]

i BaldEagle

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Rususeruru — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:49:48 EDT

This would excite me more if my Sirius receiver didn't sound like it was playing 96kbps MP3s. Maybe I just need to upgrade from my Gen1 Sportster? Does anyone else find the audio quality to be atrocious? And no I don't us an FM transmitter, my home theater setup and my vehicle both have line-in ports I use.

Rususeruru

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

agentUrge — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:48:28 EDT

I'm interested to see how they'll pull this off...by that I mean, how are they going push each other's content on either network?

agentUrge

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Geisrud — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:39:55 EDT

So they're implying that mobile broadband is a competitor to satellite radio?

Geisrud

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

DMcGrew — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:39:55 EDT

YYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DMcGrew

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Balance_In_Life (PSN) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:39:18 EDT

So what does this mean for the average consumer? I'm just wondering, I have XM and love it. Just don't want to lose it or the radio i have.

Balance_In_Life (PSN)

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

Darrone — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:38:46 EDT

Yea... I don't really see this is a "monopoly" since there just isn't enough interest for competitors to survive.

Darrone