Satellite Radio Has Advantages Over "Free" Radio http://beta.fool.com/kwmatt82/2013/...ver-free-radio/31973/?source=eogyholnk0000001 Interesting Article imo but could go both ways 
Satellite Radio Has Advantages Over "Free" Radio
- Thread starter whitewolf8214
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What advantages? That article seems to be all about the business, and not about radio listeners.
OK, having just bought a new Chrysler w/free 1yr sub, I'm going to start a list.
Advantages:
- - No ads
- - Drive anywhere in the coutry without driving out of range
- - Lots of themed channels
Disadvantages:
- - Subscription cost
- - Frequent (every 5-10 minutes) dropouts
- - God-forsaken "VJs" blabbing in between tracks.
Is anybody else hearing dropouts while driving?
The VJs may not be as bad as advertisements, but they're getting there. I do NOT need an announcement of the song's artist or title since it's already right there in front of my face on my hand-dandy touch screen console.
BTW - whoever it was who told me you could back-space satellite radio to hear something over again has a better receiver than that built into my Chrysler.
OK, having just bought a new Chrysler w/free 1yr sub, I'm going to start a list.
Advantages:
- - No ads
- - Drive anywhere in the coutry without driving out of range
- - Lots of themed channels
Disadvantages:
- - Subscription cost
- - Frequent (every 5-10 minutes) dropouts
- - God-forsaken "VJs" blabbing in between tracks.
Is anybody else hearing dropouts while driving?
The VJs may not be as bad as advertisements, but they're getting there. I do NOT need an announcement of the song's artist or title since it's already right there in front of my face on my hand-dandy touch screen console.
BTW - whoever it was who told me you could back-space satellite radio to hear something over again has a better receiver than that built into my Chrysler.
I agree with you on pros and cons I just thought it was an interesting article and their positions on it
I'm not the one that told you that, but mine in my Ford Fusion does that as long as you have it turned on.
I just bought a new F-150 in Feb., and I get the dropouts if I go under a steel framed bridge, just generally driving around, not so much.
Now, I do not think I will keep my Sirius after my trial period, the sound quality on the music channels sounds like terrestrial AM. I find myself listening to the talk channels because of it. Hard to justify 180 bucks a year for Nascar radio and RoadDog Trucking radio....
I have xm in my pickup(factory) and sirius in my service van(after market) and have excellent service on both with maybe one dropout a week.
Well, it seems like you (stogie) and I are the only ones with dropouts. Anybody know what can cause that? I didn't think bridges did it, but maybe they are. Is the sound delayed a long time after reception and before it comes out the speakers?
Forgot about that "con". I find the music warbley, or as though the musicians are under water. Hard to describe the effect, but I think it's compressed too much. I don't think I'll keep it after the free 1yr either. Lousy sound quality; frequent dropouts driving around the Washington beltway. And to Philadelphia and back.
Forgot about that "con". I find the music warbley, or as though the musicians are under water. Hard to describe the effect, but I think it's compressed too much. I don't think I'll keep it after the free 1yr either. Lousy sound quality; frequent dropouts driving around the Washington beltway. And to Philadelphia and back.
I also find the sound quality not so great. Maybe it is compressed or something. Only notice loss of reception on overpass structures.
Oh yea,I get dropouts here.That's to be expected in mountainous terrain.There are lots of places where they basically cut through a mountain to build the road,almost always hit a dead spot in those areas.Still,they don't last long,just a minor nuisance when you have a great tune on.As for sound quality,the roady jams,sounds at least cd quality to me.I did adjust the fm signal level higher,had to adjust the bass level down on the car radio. I have the roady set to broadcast on 107.3,get very lil interference on that frequency.Oh,and I just have the antenna velcroed on the dash.Comes in great,windshield wipers don't phase the signal at all.
I have the roady set to broadcast on 107.3,get very lil interference on that frequency.Oh,and I just have the antenna velcroed on the dash.Comes in great,windshield wipers don't phase the signal at all.
We have XM in our '08 Pathfinder. The only time it drops out is under the roof things over the gas pumps, but that's to be expected. Doesn't miss a beat anywhere else, even under trees. No mountains here in Florida so that helps, I'm sure. The sound quality is awesome on the factory Bose system.
AHA! So you guys (or gals) DO INDEED get these dropouts. I would expect this issue in tunnels, but not driving at 75mph under a bridge. It just adds to the issue of sound quality for me. My fancy car entertainment center can also stream from phones, USB drives, SD cards, and MP3s on CD. So I'm not exactly wanting for quality or zero dropouts if I skip SiriusXM.
It just adds to the issue of sound quality for me. My fancy car entertainment center can also stream from phones, USB drives, SD cards, and MP3s on CD. So I'm not exactly wanting for quality or zero dropouts if I skip SiriusXM.
I get some dropouts when I drive down some tree covered roads here in town, and on some bridges. Overall not enough to bother me.
I like the sat radio, especially when driving away from home. While I do listen to some music, most of the time I'm listening to the 'right' and 'left' political yakkers, they are such a hoot to listen to!
I like the sat radio, especially when driving away from home. While I do listen to some music, most of the time I'm listening to the 'right' and 'left' political yakkers, they are such a hoot to listen to!
You got it, warbly. Its compression, or bitrate. They dont use too much, they'd rather add the 417th flavor of jazz channel or something instead of improving the sound quality. Sounds like a bad mp3. From 1999. On a 1965 radio. With dying batteries. <shrug>
I get some dropouts when I drive down some tree covered roads here in town, and on some bridges. Overall not enough to bother me.
I like the sat radio, especially when driving away from home. While I do listen to some music, most of the time I'm listening to the 'right' and 'left' political yakkers, they are such a hoot to listen to!
+1 on all that.
Advantages on my receiver - Can rewind back something like an hour to anything you were listening to even if you changed channels.
Song and Artist Alert - have a favorite song or artist? The receiver will alert you if that song or artist is playing on any channel.
Can record up to 10 songs
Ticker for stocks or sports
Can listen to same favorite channels anywhere
MLB all teams no restrictions. Real big feature for me.
There are some channels where I agree the DJ may talk too much or too long over a song. For the music channels I most listen to, The Decades, Hits 1 and 20 on 20, The Highway I don't find that very often. In particular 60's is great, with very good DJ's. On trips besides talk radio, some of the comedy channels are good too.
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The sound quality is inferior to FM radio but I still have three radios active. As long as I get promo rates every year I'll keep them active but as soon as I have to pay full price I'll disconnect.
I've heard of others getting promotional prices as well. Sounds like they got two prices, one for those willing to pay the retail and those that will either get the deal or drop the service. They would rather get something than nothing. Don't know what their net profit is for their retail price and if they really make much if anything on those "deals" they give.
