I beg to differ. My co-worker (also a sirius subscriber) listens to him the entire trip to work (on FM) then comes in and dials him up on her clock radio here. I am not a Stern fan, but listen by default (we don't have cubicle walls between us). There are those people who listen to the entire show...

 

I've got the sirius antenna right next to my regular antenna (on the cabrio it's in the front). Doesn't bother me a bit...

 

Me too.

 

You all miss the point!

Getting sat radio is the best thing you can get for your mini or any other car. I strongly prefer Sirius. It has better content overall. XM has the Baseball draw but thats it. Sirius music is much better. Sirius Has NPR...So much more.

The math on howard is easy. He costs 100 million a year (80M for the show and 20M for production). Customers pay $12.95 per month to listen. How many customers does Sirius need to pay that bill. Lets figure of that $12.95/mo Sirius keeps $9. There are costs of doing business and costs to acquire customers (like the $50 rebate they have going on now).

Depending who you talk to howard has 12-15 million people who listen to him on a daily basis. Does each person listen every day? NO. Do they listen for the whole show? NO. But each day people tune in to hear the show. His fans are also hard core. So here is the $100,000,000 question. What percentage will want to hear howard from day one. then what percentage will want him early in the year. Well if you think 1 in 10 of his fans will pay starting from day one thats 1.2-1.5 million people. Using that $9 again thats $10,800,000-13,500,000 monthly and 129,600,000-162,000,000 annual. Remember that we have already adjusted for cost of doing business. Using the most conservative number of 1.2M listeners that yields almost $130 Million over the break even number.


Now lets boggle the mind. Sirius's estimate is that 70% of Howards people want him from day one.

Can we say hardware shortage.

 

Yes, getting satellite radio (XM or Sirius) is so much better than local radio. (Personally, I don't care if Sirius has NPR - I have two NPR stations out of D.C. when I want to listen to them.)

I really don't understand the "Sirius music is so much better" blanket statements people keep making. Is that really true across all genre's - every conceivable style of music is better on Sirius? It would help the debate if people qualified what kinds of music they listen to when praising the programming of either service.

I am going to sign up for the Sirius trial and see for myself why all the claims of better programming.

 

Okay, I've just spent 30 minutes with Sirius (the Alt-nation channel to see how it compares to XM's Lucy) and am ready to go crazy. What's with the persistent annoying "DJ" chatter between songs? Ugh - I can get that for free on my local FM stations.

And while the music selection may be more diverse, it's hardly "better" imho.
Sirius seems like it follows the WalMart mentality with its programming - lots of "cheap" stuff. But a wider variety of "bad" music isn't what I'm after - again just mho. I'll stick with XM, thanks.

 

Amen! (and I'm a Sirius subscriber) I heard one of the idiots jabbering about having just seen "Meet the Fockers" the other day, and switched stations. The next day he started talking about it again. If I want nonsense chit-chat, I'll listen to Howard - just play the music!

Try "Left of Center - 26" instead of Alt-Nation, I think the music is better. Alt-Nation is pretty much an alternative version of Top 40; the same stuff over and over again. Spectrum 18 and Disorder 24 might be good for you, too.

 

english soccer channell is the only hold up for me, otherwise i vote for xm

 

SEVENTY PERCENT!!!! Sirius can't be serious!!! It just won't happen. They should get down on their knees and thank the radio Gods if they get TEN percent. They are going to get a lot right off the bat, it will go up for a little while and then it is going to go down. As Stern loses exposure the number of people subscribing will drop to the hardcore. Those that just listen because nothing else better was on the radio won't stay.

As for NPR...I have the number one rated NPR station in the country right here. And most people can get NPR right off of the FM.

I agree with the others, the Sirius jabber is just too much.

 

Too bad you seem to be in the minority in here. A loud vote for XM is still just one vote...

I'm not too concerned with the impact of Stern, and I don't care which company makes more money. Both will survive just fine, and there will always be a choice between the two.

The NPR streams are also archival shows, and you get shows that aren't carried by your local NPR station. I have two NPR stations here, and there are still shows on SIRIUS that aren't available locally. However my favorite is the archival shows of This American Life, Fresh Air, and The Next Big Thing. Various times of the year they also run archival shows of Car Talk.

Again, I've had both. XM fell way short of the mark IMO. SIRIUS has better music, better personality, and in my experience better sound. The one thing XM had that I was interested in was the MLB "package", which they butchered. Comparing the availability of the NFL broadcasts on SIRIUS to the handling of the MLB broadcasts on XM shows how SIRIUS is quality oriented while XM is barely oriented.

Again I've listened to both. I get the feeling that some of the opinions being formed in here aren't based on actual comparison. I encourage any who can to listen to both (I know SIRIUS has a free online trial), make a choice, and let us know what and how you chose.

 

Just curious, how do you think XM butchered MLB? They played the broadcast of the home team. Sure I would have preferred the feed of each and every teams home feed but it really wasn't that big a deal and it did get me to listen to other teams broadcasters that I probably wouldn't have before.

 

I prefer to hear the broadcast of my team, even on the road. This would still allow you to chose to hear the other broadcast if you wanted to try something new. Plus there are some real historic broadcasters who I'd like to listen to even if I don't root for that team. So when my team isn't playing well, or has an day off; I can't go searching for (I'm going to spell these wrong I know) Cailus, Uker, Miller, Sterling, etc unless their teams are playing a home game.

I prefer the way SIRIUS broadcasts both the home and away broadcasts for the NFL... in fact I like switching between them to see how badly my team's play is upsetting the other broadcast! It seems kinda mean, but it's fun... I miss that with the MLB package on XM too.

The pregame and postgame shows are broken into or out of without regard, and that's if they even let you listen to them. It's not like anything else is being played on that stream, except for the stupid recording about where you can go to see or hear the game listings.

And the biggest rip off, is you can't listen to the broadcasts online. You can listen with your XM account # to almost anything else but the MLB package. Why? I paid for it, why can't I hear it? They give no explanation.

I paid for an MLB package and it's incomplete (that's the reason I bought XM, you don't need to pay "extra" for any sports package on either XM or SIRIUS). And IMO the insult to the injury was the lack of music content, I was glad I didn't cancel my SIRIUS account for my shop.

Also of note (separate from the MLB part):
When you pay for SIRIUS you get all of SIRIUS. When you pay for XM there are a few streams you have to pay extra for if you want them.

 

XM has the subscriber base. Sirius does not.

XM has the backup plan for its satellites, Sirius does not

As to which has the better songs, whatever, thats all personal choice, no one is right and no one is wrong.

Man, this is just like a Zaino/Canuaba war ... go buy what you like and if your neighbor dont like it, so what?

Go in peace ... as they say ... and spend your money as you see fit

 

the problem here and in many other 'compare this vs. that' threads is that a lot of people look for validation of what they have done through others doing the same. so if i have sirius and i need the validation of others, anyone who has xm is wrong and possibly mentally ill.

fortunately, out of all the issues i have, i don't have that one.

 

YOU hit it on the head. Its all about validation ... did I do the right thing...

I would say, so what? If not, just cancel it and order the other service. (OK, you got to buy a new receiver). We all make mistakes

 

You two are so cute. :smile:
The thread started with a question about the content of each, so as to help with a decision over which to buy. As usual it went off topic, but seemed to be back to a "compare and contrast" sort of discussion. I didn't see anyone looking for validation... anymore than I do in the mod threads.

Not sure, but I think most forums talk about these sort of things... but, maybe I'm just looking for validation in that regard.

But thank you for your useful insight!
Cheers!!

 

I,and I'm sure StlMINI, dont particularly like to be called a dunce so ... Lemme see if I can figure this out. Maybe I got it wrong. You got a lot of smilies in their so I Could be WAY off base ... in which I apologize ...

Point one:

You wrote:

"... The music on XM is no where near the quality as it is on SIRIUS" along with at least eight (8) other opinions bashing XM.

I wrote:

"As to which has the better songs, whatever, thats all personal choice, no one is right and no one is wrong. ... "

You expressed your opinion ... a personal choice. Are you saying I can't express my personal opinion ... which is "that its all personal choice"?

So ... Please Explain how I was OT there or a dunce

Point 2

You wrote:

"As usual it went off topic, but seemed to be back to a "compare and contrast" sort of discussion"

I wrote NOTHING in this thread to the end. On the other hand, you wrote:

"I get the feeling that some of the opinions being formed in here aren't based on actual comparison. I encourage any who can to listen to both ... make a choice, and let us know what and how you chose."

Looks to me that you asked for a comparison? I dont get what your saying here at all. How do I get to be a dunce there?

Point 3

Validation. If someone seeks an opinion, most likely they seek support for a preconceived idea or something they already bought. They may not consciously realize they are doing it but its human nature to seek comfort from those with like ideas. A lot of this has to do in how secure one may be in our convinctions.

Wingnut, you have a strong opinion on this subject, seem secure in your Sirius conviction, and therefore probably could care less about any pro XM arguments (and of course, I read it before). However, for a satellite radio newbie, as the originator of the thread may be, consider the following...

If XM has a 2:1 subscriber ratio lead and I was looking to get satellite radio, I, personally, would wonder why the majority of satellite radio subscribers have XM. What do they know that I don't know? Of course, thats only my personal opinion ...

Therefore, if I had a preconceived idea to go with Sirius as my choice, I would seek validation. Moral support is always good. Again, there is no right or wrong since its a "personal choice" ... subjective. -

This concept of validation is NO different from a MINI owner joining various MINI forums and talking about MINIs. It Validates their choice in buying thier car to be surrounded by others of like mind. I doubt you would seek a Hummer or a Cobra forum for MINI support.

So ... explain please, how I was OT?

 

i happen to like not only being called a dunce, but BEING a dunce! the best is when someone inmplies that i am a dunce. SAWEEEET! it means that people are paying attention to me... which i crave... which is one of my issues.

 

ROFL,

 

Apology accepted! What a whiz-bang stand-up guy you are!

Wow! You're a sensitive little thing, aren't you?
Never said you were a dunce when you wrote that. (In fact I posted a picture later on, and for some reason you've taken offense at it... do you feel like a dunce?)

Perk up! Have fun!

You aren't too clear here...
I wasn't saying being off topic was bad, for instance when you wrote:
"Why did Stern get fired from DC101? (which gave him his break to go to NYC)."
or
"Greaseman went WAY too far. Sterns comment about Air Florida was just really stupid on his part. Greaseman deserved what he got."

I couldn't care less if the discussion goes off topic! (I do this all the time, it's fun!) I was saying that everyone who posted in this thread were either offering opinions, or were off topic, I didn't see anyone looking for validation. In short, I thought everything was kosher and was disagreeing with the "validation idea".

If it makes everything sunny and warm for you though, you can accuse me of... well, something... maybe... like... posting funny pictures? Oops, I guess.

And I wasn't saying it was bad to be on topic, in this case "compare and contrast mode". Which is why...

Looks to me like I asked for a comparison! What ever was I thinking! Oh, I remember. I was thinking maybe people who were up in the air over which to chose should see if they can find a free trial period for each. And let us know which they decided to go with.

Honestly, the nerve I have to suggest something like that... man!

Nobody gets to be a dunce, they're just born that way.
I also don't think I called you as a dunce, certainly not back in the thread where you found those quotes.

This is the assumption I disagree with. When I seek opinions in a forum thread like this, it's because I'm up in the air over the issue. I also assume that the people who post in the forums believe in their opinions and aren't looking for validation.

That is some good readin'! And furthers your previous points about your choice of XM over SIRIUS. Bravo! You know, from what you just wrote... I would guess you feel secure in your selection of XM. If I were in the market for a satellite radio, and I read that, I would get the idea you like and would recommend XM.

I don't think I would accuse you of looking for validation in your choice though.
Hey! You know, I think I remember reading (somewhere previous to your Three (3) Point quagmire) where any opinions expressed in here are probably just people looking for validation.... I think you agreed with it too!
Yup! I was right! See, look:
"YOU hit it on the head. Its all about validation ... "

Now you're just talking crazy circles! Silly, silly stuff!
I think the original post that started the thread wasn't looking for validation, it was asking what XM people liked about XM and what SIRIUS people thought about SIRIUS. (You could tell when they wrote, "I'm trying to decide between XM and Sirius.", or at least that was the hint I used...)
You may have gotten confused back when you agreed that the people posting in this thread were looking for validation... which I think isn't at all what those people were doing.

So you know what I did?

Instead of getting all defensive and icky and writing a mean message about how I thought that was out of line. Or worse yet, writing a genuine note about it, just to have the genuine tone become misconstrued and come off as sinister. I did something else, something fun and kinda cute.

Figure it out yet?

I posted a cute little picture, full of humor, and wrote a note which alluded to the idea that I thought people were actually posting valid stuff, and not just looking for validation.

Since I didn't get snippy, since there really isn't anything to get snippy about, I didn't think I'd find a Three (3) Point arguement about how I kicked your puppy and insulted your manhood. But...

Hey! I'm betting that a person with a sense of humor would post something like:
"i happen to like not only being called a dunce, but BEING a dunce! the best is when someone inmplies that i am a dunce. SAWEEEET! it means that people are paying attention to me... which i crave... which is one of my issues. "
If I saw something like that, I'd think the person who wrote not only had a sense of humor, but was funny too. A post like that would sure be great to read.
So there you have it. And although I did enjoy our time together, I get the feeling that we just don't communicate to each other well. Maybe we just need a break, you know, see other people. A little perspective may do us both some good. It's not you, it's me... I use pictures, and you... well you like bold type. Maybe if you'd tried to laugh a little more, or just smiled once in while... I don't know... I just can't seem to make you happy anymore. Good luck, and I hope to see you around out there...

Luv, WN.

 

Fair enough. You explained it well, and your points well taken.

I did say at the very top Maybe I got it wrong. You got a lot of smilies in their so I Could be WAY off base ... in which I apologize ...

You did have a lot of smilies in there so not sure how to take it. I will go back to taking my prozac now and chill. I've been painting any just consider that the fumes overwhelmed me when I sat down today and read ...

I'll go get my little pills now

 

 

XM Radio vs. Sirius programming by genre

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6466_7-...4.html?tag=dir


I am interested in anyone that has some product photos (sat radio units) in their car. I have the 04 HK setup, I am interested in my options.

 

I had XM in my mini for a year. That was before I knew any better. Once I educated myself on which sat radio provider was better I quickly gave away my XM receiver and bought a SIRIUS one. After a few hours anyone could easily see that SIRIUS is far better than XM. SIRIUS has good music and XM just has music. Yes some stations have DJs on SIRIUS. To me that adds a personal touch and I like it. With XM not only do you get sub par music but it starts to seem like its playing from an ipod put on random, cold and computer generated.

I am a shareholder of both XM and SIRIUS but in my car I will only listen to SIRIUS.

 

What is going on here? this thread is getting more and more violent everyday. heh heh heeeeeeee