Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

abe · Oct 10, 2007, 07:19 AM

Sirius or XM?

Why?

Feeling minimalist 2 da

wallinbl · Oct 10, 2007, 07:20 AM

Sirius. Came with the car.

Gankdawg · Oct 10, 2007, 07:21 AM

Sirius. Stern.

abe · Oct 10, 2007, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

Sirius. Came with the car.

If the car came with a Dell and I asked, "Dell or Apple?" would you say "Dell. It came with the car."?

MacosNerd · Oct 10, 2007, 07:23 AM

XM because it came with my wife's car.

But does it matter since they're merging?

abe · Oct 10, 2007, 07:25 AM

Originally Posted by MacosNerd

XM because it came with my wife's car.

But does it matter since they're merging?

Some programs will be exclusively one or the other.

Choice will be needed.

ghporter · Oct 10, 2007, 08:19 AM

I get XM's music channels as part of my DirecTV package. This replaced another music service, and I find the programming on XM to be well designed and quite entertaining. But since I don't travel between major radio markets all that often (and I have two different iPods of my own, my wife has her own, and our son has HIS own), I don't need satellite radio in my car.

Big Mac · Oct 10, 2007, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by Gankdawg

Sirius. Stern.

QFT

wallinbl · Oct 10, 2007, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by abe

If the car came with a Dell and I asked, "Dell or Apple?" would you say "Dell. It came with the car."?

Yep. To switch to XM, I'd have to start paying a monthly subscription fee. I'd have to buy a radio and have it wired into the radio in my car. I'd have this ugly ass thing attached to my dashboard.

driven · Oct 10, 2007, 10:49 AM

I have both. XM in my wife's Acura, and Sirius in my SRT-10.

I generally like XM much better and if I had a choice I'd almost always go with XM, but there are a few pros to each.

XM:
+ Squizz (Alternative rock station is far superior to Sirus' Ocane)
+ Baseball. (That alone is worth having XM .. at least if you are a baseball fan.)
+ Generally a better variety and programming

Sirius:
+ Howard Stern (XM has Opie and Anthony, which are horrid to put it mildly.) At least I can take Howard Stern in small doses.
+ Playboy station (Actually not bad)
+ NFL (Not a big deal to me since I can watch it when I'm home on Sunday)
+ NASCAR (I live in the south so this is broadcast on 50,000 stations anyway.)

I have a portable XM receiver as well in the SRT-10 so I get the best of both worlds there. Hopefully the merger will go through soon and I can at least consolidate my billing.

MacosNerd · Oct 10, 2007, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by abe

Some programs will be exclusively one or the other.

Choice will be needed.

No you missed my point. Since they're merging does it really matter in the long run who you sign up for. Clearly they have slightly different programming. Stern is the most notable example but it won't matter if they gain approval to merge from the government.

AngelaBaby · Oct 10, 2007, 12:07 PM

Sirius, mostly cause of Stern.

Big Mac · Oct 10, 2007, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by MacosNerd

No you missed my point. Since they're merging does it really matter in the long run who you sign up for. Clearly they have slightly different programming. Stern is the most notable example but it won't matter if they gain approval to merge from the government.

And that's a big if, unfortunately. The traditional broadcast lobby is working to kill it because the merger would mean a healthier satellite market and therefore even more competition against them.

nonhuman · Oct 10, 2007, 03:39 PM

I don't have either, but until recently Zipcar had XM in most of their cars. Whenever I got in one I set it immediately to channel 74: the Blues channel. Fantastic programming. Never felt inclined to listen to anything else. Before I got my iPhone I did the same on JetBlue flights.

stevesnj · Oct 10, 2007, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Gankdawg

Sirius. Stern.

I have not vouluntarily listened to old style radio in 2 years, i can't stand it when I hear it and all the horrible pesonalities and tons of ads. I can listen to music all day with just some announcer interuptions that last no more than 15 seconds. Though I do pay for my radio it is worth every penny!!!

NYK Ace · Oct 10, 2007, 05:28 PM

sirius. stern.

macfantn · Oct 10, 2007, 06:40 PM

jason ellis has the best show on sirius
stern is great too

Stogieman · Oct 10, 2007, 07:23 PM

Sirius
I listen to Stern on the way to work and Scott Farrell on the way home. The Raw Dog channel is cool, I just wish it didn't have commercials like the music channels.

OldManMac · Oct 10, 2007, 11:08 PM

XM, because of Stern.

turtle777 · Oct 10, 2007, 11:15 PM

Neither. My iPod does just fine.

-t

peeb · Oct 10, 2007, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by driven

+ Playboy station (Actually not bad)

On the radio??

Mastrap · Oct 11, 2007, 02:31 AM

I thought about getting satellite radio for the car and then decided against it.

1. Got iPod, will travel.
2. The only frequent long-ish trip we make is to our weekend home and then we either listen to the iPod or to the CBC. And we've got all three CBC frequencies we need for the journey programmed into the car radio.
3. Nobody is making money on satellite radio yet. I'd like to know whether or not they'll stick around.
4. I don't need yet another fixed monthly outgoing. I am trying to reduce these, not increase them.

abe · Oct 11, 2007, 02:35 AM

Originally Posted by Mastrap

I thought about getting satellite radio for the car and then decided against it.

1. Got iPod, will travel.
2. The only frequent long-ish trip we make is to our weekend home and then we either listen to the iPod or to the CBC. And we've got all three CBC frequencies we need for the journey programmed into the car radio.
3. Nobody is making money on satellite radio yet. I'd like to know whether or not they'll stick around.
4. I don't need yet another fixed monthly outgoing. I am trying to reduce these, not increase them.

Listening to music on the radio compared to listening to it from your own collection is like the difference between having sex with someone vs pleasuring yourself.

The end result is the same but it's somehow nicer when someone else does it for you.

nonhuman · Oct 11, 2007, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by OldManMac

XM, because of Stern.

abe · Oct 13, 2007, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Bababooey?

Or Baby Gorilla?

nonhuman · Oct 13, 2007, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by abe

Bababooey?

Or Baby Gorilla?

I really have no idea what you're talking about.

goMac · Oct 13, 2007, 08:48 PM

FM. And my car came with XM.

driven · Oct 13, 2007, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by abe

If the car came with a Dell and I asked, "Dell or Apple?" would you say "Dell. It came with the car."?

No, but you might say "Windows. Came with the computer" (as opposed to Linux or some such OS.)

driven · Oct 13, 2007, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by goMac

FM. And my car came with XM.

Other than the occasional NASCAR race I haven't listened to broadcast radio since I got XM & Sirius. (Hopefully they will never have a nuclear attack because I'll miss the emergency broadcast announcement.) (smile)

Cadaver · Oct 13, 2007, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Gankdawg

Sirius. Stern.

goMac · Oct 13, 2007, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by driven

Other than the occasional NASCAR race I haven't listened to broadcast radio since I got XM & Sirius. (Hopefully they will never have a nuclear attack because I'll miss the emergency broadcast announcement.) (smile)

I just listen to music, and the audio quality for music on XM sucks.

Big Mac · Dec 5, 2007, 12:00 PM

I'm glad you're a Sirius subscriber but wowzers, is that supposed to be a signature image?

Dakar the Fourth · Dec 5, 2007, 12:02 PM

It belongs on the side of an 80s van.