XM Radio. Yeah or Nay?

[XNASA]

What are your lessons learned if you have it?

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. Don't get the Delphi Roady.

It's a cheap piece of crap. Went through two of them because the antenna jacks shorted out.

XM the service isn't bad. I have Sirius now, mainly for Stern and NFL games. I think Sirius' music programming is slightly better than XM as well (better musical genre categorization than XM), but XM now has Air America.

[pstokely]

8. The roady2 is fine

But the speakers on the headphones have stopped working and the volume know on the batter pack fell off (but only paid about $20 through web deal).

[Kire]

26. that's the first I've heard that opinion

most everybody else I've heard says XM's music programming is better than Sirius.

I'm listening to Sirius' Underground Garage Channel 25 right now. It's awesome. I like Sirius Disorder and First Wave too.

I don't have XM, and I'm not going to get. I bought the lifetime subscription to Sirius. It's good, as long as your equipment doesn't break three times. I'm hoping it will pay off.

I too got it for Stern, but I like a whole lot of different things on it. I just discovered they have the Barclay's English Premiership League though 2007. Only one more season to go, but it's going to be great. XM has the world cup, but that is only for a month, the EPL is for a year.

[Pale Blue Dot]

2. I say yeah.

I take a 4-hour drive to see my son, and xm is a godsend. I don't think that I could keep my sanity without Air America, but the comedy channel (150) is great, and XM 44 (Fred), plays alternative bands from the '80s. Ahem. :D

I say go for it, especially if you have a lot of long drives.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

3. Yea.

I have 1 delphi and boombox to go with it, a roady for the car and a myxm portable delphi xm player. As you can see i'm a big fan! I listen to air america but also channel 30 (latest hits), channel 46 (classic rock), channel 49 (arena rock), channel 54 Lucy (alternative rock), channel 27 (movie soundtracks), XM pops (classical music), vox (opera, choral music) and fine tuning (a mixture of different genres and artists).

[KitchenWitch]

32. Do you have to get separate subscriptions for each unit?

[mwooldri]

41. Kindof. $12.99 for first radio, $6.99 for next 5.

And you have to pay quarterly too.

Mark.

[GOPFighter]

4. Last year I got XM for Air America and MLB

I love both, but after I got it I found I love the incredible range of non-stop music available. I highly recommend XM especially if you don't have Air America available locally and/or if you love music and hate commercials.

[station agent]

5. Opie and Anthony's show

is downright filthy.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

39. Ron and Fez comes on that channel and is fkin hilarious

especially the political talk

[kwassa]

6. I like XM, but ......

They did away with two of my favorite music channels, one devoted to latin jazz, and one devoted to afropop, without warning. I think they are still available over the internet, but I do my listening in the car. Pissed me off. I've already paid for three years of service to lock in a low price.

They have all these rock channels whose concept eludes as to what the format is, and yet have no roots rock type of channel. They have no funk channel. They have two channels for French pop, and I don't know why.

I have very broad musical tastes, and like many different genres. Before they had something for most of my tastes, but not so much now. And it is commercial and pledge-drive free. Good classical, jazz, blues, soul, latin, many rock channels.

So, a mixed bag. It is great on long trips. I only listen to satellite and NPR.

[Room101]

7. Get Sirius

XM NO longer has complete commercial free music like Sirius. I find Sirius more entertaining than TV i'm addicted and no longer dread long drives.

[YankeyMCC]

9. I have Sirius

And I can't not go back to terrestrial radio

If you're an O & A fan I've heard they are now on terrestrial radio as well as XM.

I selected Sirius for Stern, BBC, NPR and NHL

[GOPisEvil]

10. I like XM a lot, and I recommend professional installation.

It will look more like original equipment.

I drove from here to LA and back and only dropped a signal for a minute while I was under an overpass. No static, lots to listen too.

[bridgit]

11. i say nay...maybe, we had it but dumped it out...

though rented a car recently that had it and now i miss it :cry:

[XNASA]

12. Thanks. I went out right after work and got hooked up.

I got a Delphi MyFi which is portable and has an internal as well as external antennae. I can listen to it on the train through ear buds. It can also store 5 hours worth of tunes internally.

Can't wait to try it in the car tomorrow. I might not even need to install it. Just hang it on the dashboard via a special clip and listen to it via my car radio.

So far, I'm diggin' it.

Thanks all.

[GOPisEvil]

14. I hope the FM modulator works there in the big city.

I hope there is one good FM station you can listen to without other stations bleeding through.

I had a Roady 2 that I played through my cassette player with an adapter, but now I have an XM-ready stereo. :thumbsup:

[XNASA]

15. I found a few empty frequency slots.

I thought I found one freq that didn't have any station to either side of it, then I did a google search and found out that there's a station in Lowell Indiana that using it. Drats.

I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to check it out I guess.

I no longer have a cassette player in my car. :( I put in a new radio last year and figured I'd never need one. Wouldn't you know it.

[pstokely]

19. I have to change the frequency slots often on the highway outside the city

if my antenna is out of the way but many cars have automatic antennas that can't be adjusted like that.

[pstokely]

17. does anyone make audio units that use Wifi signals to get web stations

like AAR's internet feed?

[mwooldri]

40. Like this perhaps?

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/internet-radios/acoustic-energy-wi-fi-internet-radio.aspx

Yep, it's more house-bound than anything but it's an audio unit dedicated to getting Internet radio - via a wifi link.

Mark.

[Maat]

20. I have it also!

And I love it; it is totally portable, and I take it from car to car (which makes things workable for me).

Everything has worked VERY well.

I'm an Air America addict, particularly on the weekends, with Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s "Ring of Fire," and Thom Hartmann from 9-12 (PST), and then comes "State of Belief" at 2 (PST).

I used to have Sirius, but after they lost Air America, I just couldn't stay.

We get Sirius music via our DISH-TV, and I do like their music better, particularly a station called Buzzsaw (harddriving rock for someone my age - in their 40's).

But listening to XM indoors is 1,000X easier - the signal is strong, and I don't have to have the antenna outdoors. And, as I said, I love Air America - I couldn't live without it.

http://www.abesofmaine.com/viewproduct.asp?id=dlsa1011311p1&l=CNET

I love that unit!

[Kire]

27. I am so happy.

a second opinion that Sirius music is better than XM (see first one above)

From what I've heard before this thread is that XM is better music wise than Sirius, but two people say the opposite. That's why I'm happy. I have Sirius.

I listen to the Podcasts of Air America, though not as much to justify the 50 bucks or so that I paid for the premium service that provides the podcasts. I'm learning to live without Air America. We get Thom Hartmann and Stephanie Miller and the Young Turks, though, but Sirius has one left wing channel and three right wing ones, including Fox News. So that sucks. But I just don't listen to those channels, obviously.

Anyway, sorry for hijacking an XM thread with talk about Sirius. I'm very happy with the whole satellite experience. I get exactly one terrestrial channel where I live: a free form college radio station that just plain sucks. Actually, two if you count the local AM station. Oldies. :puke:

[XNASA]

28. I took it out for a test drive yesterday and it works great.

I just clipped it to my A/C vent, tossed the antenna on the dash, and listened via my car radio.

Near-perfect reception.

I drove from about 25 miles south of Chicago, up through the Loop and to Skokie and it only dropped out once.

I'm very satisfied.

Indoors the antenna is just sitting on top of our entertainment center, out of view and the signal is very strong. No dropouts at all.

[Ouabache]

13. My Sirius at home is better than XM at workplace

I have Sirius via Dish Network TV, but the channels seem infinitely better to me than the channels on the XM for business where I work. imho.

[pstokely]

16. I can get the XM signal better than I get the Sirius signal at my apartmen

I had to tape a car antenna to a piece of wood and stick it out the window past the ledge to get the Sirius signal

[Ava]

18. yay

we have it in the car and a little hand held thing that can be played on the house speakers or used like an ipod.

[Maat]

21. And that's what I love about it.

And my hubby is always switching cars - so I just carry it from car to car (to home to portable use, etc., etc.).

[gollygee]

35. I'd love one of those

I have the Roady 2 and I'd love to use it inside but I haven't gotten the thing for that yet.

[Va Lefty]

22. Had XM for a year and a half

Love it! My favs are Lucy (XM 54)-Alt Rock hits, Comedy channel (XM 150), Deep Tracks (XM 40) -Deep Album Rock and The Boneyard (XM 41) Heavy Metal. Only downside is it will spoil you and you won't want to listen to "regular" radio anymore.

[Zorra]

23. XM has Air America, Sirius doesn't. I have a Roady 2 that slips

right into a Belkin Boombox made for XM reception and it rocks. I can listen to Air America and good tunes anywhere, at home, in the car, or at the beach.

[RobbinsdaleDem]

24. Got it a few months ago and love it.

My husband and I got it for Air America and baseball. All of the great music channels, comedy channel and news channels are just icing on the cake.

[KitchenWitch]

33. How is the reception in the Twin Cities area?

:hi: from a south suburban Twin Cities neighbor!

[wellstone dem]

38. I was driving with mine in DT mpls

yesterday and had no problem. I love my XM!

[intrepid_wanderer]

25. I want a Sirius...

... hopefully to go along with my new Auto... whenever I decide what to get that is....

[El Fuego]

29. I love XM and recommend it.

[Orsino]

30. That "commercial-free" is an introductory offer.

I only listen to the comedy channel in my wife's car. As I recall, there were once no commercials, but now I'm often tuning in just in time for a big break full of ads.

Unless "commercial-free" is in your contract, no corporation is going to turn down a free revenue stream.

[gollygee]

34. Many of their channels are commercial free, but some aren't

it depends on the channel. But they don't have a special radio stream just for people who haven't had the radio for long.

[GOPisEvil]

36. XM Comdey used to be commercial free though. Changing it ticked me off.

But overall, I'm happy with my service.

[gollygee]

37. Ah I see

I mainly listen to music and Air America so I'm not up on the comedy channels.

[Orsino]

43. Yeah. I rarely listen, and when I do...

...it's almost always to Comedy (I can listen to AAR on AM radio in my own car). When that one channel suddenly sprouted commercials, the whole service feels less worthwhile. Their "many commercial-free" slogan is not necessarily misleading, but it turns out to be inapplicable to this occasional listener.

I'm sure they'll sell as much advertising time as they can, on as many channels as they can.

[u4ic]

31. That you'll never get the damn number

out of your head.

I still remember my sister's, and her husband's, from the 1970's.

Of all the useless garbage in my head...:shrug:

[lies and propaganda]

42. i love my xm

theonly thing i miss is local radio ads, i heart it comletely!

[dr.strangelove]

44. Yeah on Satellite Radio - But Nay on XM - Go For Sirius.

I have both services, but only because I got a year long deal with both. When XM is up I will not renew it and will have a Sirius put in that car.

XM started putting commercials on their music stations. I primarily like satellite radio for the great tunes, commercial free. Why would I pay and get ads..

Sirius' music is commercial free and their CEO said in their last PC that they have no plans to change that.

As for the Opie and Fez or Howard Stern, obviously if you are a fan of someone exclusive to one provider, that should factor in your decision. But if it is just for the good tunes, I would go with Sirius.

[bertha katzenengel]

45. YAY.

I'm about to get a new receiver for the car (keeping the old one for the boombox in the house), but XM Radio is the greatest thing since sliced bread. VARIETY, and not just in music. But in music -- variety like you wouldn't believe.

Big fat YAY here.

[XNASA]

46. Thanks everyone.

I've now had XM since last Friday, the 5th, and love it. No complaints from me so far.

Don't let me stop you from still posting, I just didn't want to mislead any one.

This one is a foregone conclusion.

Thanks again.

[Taverner]

47. I prefer Sirius, but XM is almost as good

I just like Sirius' music lineup a little better.

But honestly, XM and Sirius are both miles above terrestrial radio. My thought is just go with one and you will be happy, irregardless.

[mvd]

48. A big Yeah!

Never have service interruptions with my indoors Roady 2. I changed from Sirius because of Air America, and they carry the full schedule now. They added an emerging artist channel (The Verge) that will hopefully diversify their music programming.

[DancingBear]

49. I had Sirius, but switched to XM

Here's why:

1) Air America. The "progressive" channel on Sirius is a joke. One hour of Hartman, the unlistenable Lynn Samuels, the Young Turks, etc. No comparison vs. Randi, Malloy, etc.

2) The music. The play lists are MUCH deeper on XM. For example, "The Vault", which is the Sirius version of deep classic rock, sounds like Classic Rock on Fm with a few more songs. It absolutely pales in comparison to "DeepTracks" on XM. For those who like folk music, Sirius did away with their folk station and replaced it with some rubbish called "Coffeehouse", which is nothing of the sort. XM still has The Village, which is true folk music. For jazz, both are pretty equal re: programming content - same with blues. The only thing I miss on Sirius is The Underground Garage, but so far my one-person campaign to XM has fallen on deaf ears. :) I could care less about any kind of rock music in the 80's, or 90's, or now.

3) The reception. Because of how the satellites are positioned, I would lose the signal (indoors) with Sirius 4-5 times per day, often for 30-45 minutes at a time. With XM, I have not lost it once, and the window antenna is just sitting on the sill - indoors.