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  1. #1
    Suspended Smokey's Avatar
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    Sirius XM Preps Bankruptcy

    "As expected, Sirius XM is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a report late Wednesday (Feb. 10) in the New York Times.

    Overwhelmed by fast-accruing debt, the satcaster needs to make a $400 million payment this month and is believed to be some $175 million short of its goal. The company is also looking at almost $1 billion in debt payments for 2009."

    With 20 million subscribers which is about 18 percent of US households, one wonder why they are losing money. May be huge payout to celebrities (like Howard Stern's $500 million contract) have something to do with it

  2. #2
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    At what, 10 bucks x 20 million?
    THATS only 200 million.
    SIRUS is one of those concepts thats flawed from the begining.
    If their stuff was highq then fine...BUT IT AINT.
    Why pay for something that is free?
    A friend likes the service to listen to talk radio, but there is nothing there you on find on the net.
    Dont have the net at work? DOWNLOAD PODCAST.
    Sirus is a hammer looking for a nail.
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  3. #3
    Rep points are my LIFE!! Groundbeef's Avatar
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    I never really bought into the sat radio thing. It sounded ok at first, but then I decided I really didn't want to pay for radio.

    Secondly, I get XM/Sirrus on my DirecTV channels. It is OK, but they don't play music all the time. Everyso often they have "commercials" for XM/Sirrus services, and other things. If I'm paying for "commerical free" radio, it would be best to include commercials that are produced by your home company.

    All, in all, I just wasn't impressed with it.
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    At what, 10 bucks x 20 million?
    THATS only 200 million.
    SIRUS is one of those concepts thats flawed from the begining.
    If their stuff was highq then fine...BUT IT AINT.
    Why pay for something that is free?
    A friend likes the service to listen to talk radio, but there is nothing there you on find on the net.
    Dont have the net at work? DOWNLOAD PODCAST.
    Sirus is a hammer looking for a nail.
    STFU dumbass.

    Not good news for me. I just sub'ed to the "Mostly Music" plan @ $11/mo, because I like the Classic Rock stations "Deep Tracks", "Classic Rewind" and "Classic Vinyl", but there are also some other more contemporay stations that satisfy my Rock-n-Roll needs as well. Other than the initial cost of hardware (I went the cheapest route possible) the expense for me was easily managable. I dropped HBO/Cinemax from my FiOS TV plan and I'm ending my subscription to Blockbuster since I don't really rent too many DVD's at this time, so that more than makes up for my monthly plan.

    The thing is, here in North Texas the local FM Rock radio stations absolutely SUCK with the exception of one or two, and only during certain times of the day. When I come home from work I just press one button on my remote and my favorite music genre starts playing with NO commercials... another aspect of FM radio I hate. To top it off, on Deep Tracks, the DJ's I grew up with at WMMR in Philly are the DJ's that spin the CD's throughout the day. These DJ's were part of the infancy of "Album Oriented Rock" at MMR, which Led Zeppelin and I'm sure many other Super Groups of the time were strong supporters of (Led Zep refused to release singles in their heyday).

    If it's true that they're really going to file Chap. 11, then that's a sad day for me and the DJ's that were such an integral part of my musical upbringing.

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Woochifer's Avatar
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    The problem I have with Sirius XM is that they've eliminated a lot of the more adventurous music channels as part of the merger. Three of the channels that I regularly listened to as part of the XM feed on Directv are now gone. If I was an XM subscriber, I would've canceled right then and there.

    Sirius had a different programming focus than XM, but it seems that their programming is now mostly bumping the XM channels. Sirius is more about celebrity DJs, sports, and a mainstreamed variety of music channels. I thought about getting Sirius so I could get the radio feeds for the L.A. sports teams that I don't pick up in the Bay Area. I still might do it -- Vin Scully's calls on the Dodger games alone might be worth the price of admission. With the former XM channels that got axed, Sirius XM is not worth it for the music alone.
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  6. #6
    nightflier
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    Well they're filing for Chapter 11, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the programming is going away, right? After all, that satellite is still spinning around up there.

    But if SatRadio does go away, I wonder what that will do for HDradio, remember HDradio?

  7. #7
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Angry

    Quote Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
    STFU dumbass.

    Not good news for me. I just sub'ed to the "Mostly Music" plan @ $11/mo, because I like the Classic Rock stations "Deep Tracks", "Classic Rewind" and "Classic Vinyl", but there are also some other more contemporay stations that satisfy my Rock-n-Roll needs as well. Other than the initial cost of hardware (I went the cheapest route possible) the expense for me was easily managable. I dropped HBO/Cinemax from my FiOS TV plan and I'm ending my subscription to Blockbuster since I don't really rent too many DVD's at this time, so that more than makes up for my monthly plan.

    The thing is, here in North Texas the local FM Rock radio stations absolutely SUCK with the exception of one or two, and only during certain times of the day. When I come home from work I just press one button on my remote and my favorite music genre starts playing with NO commercials... another aspect of FM radio I hate. To top it off, on Deep Tracks, the DJ's I grew up with at WMMR in Philly are the DJ's that spin the CD's throughout the day. These DJ's were part of the infancy of "Album Oriented Rock" at MMR, which Led Zeppelin and I'm sure many other Super Groups of the time were strong supporters of (Led Zep refused to release singles in their heyday).

    If it's true that they're really going to file Chap. 11, then that's a sad day for me and the DJ's that were such an integral part of my musical upbringing.

    FUNNY that you keep doing stupid crap (like paying 11 bucks for something thats free)
    and then call ME a dumbass.
    Musicchoice on cable is 40 channels of music that is higher quality than sat radio,
    with the compression almost anything is, really.
    The high end crowd that want quality dont want the service, and as long as joe sixpack can get free music of any quality THEY DONT EITHER.
    Hammer with no nail.
    I get thousands of radio stations on the net for FREE, again with higher sound quality,
    what do I need low res crap at 11 bucks a month for?
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  8. #8
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    I call you a dumbass because you've proven it time after time. Ask anybody.

  9. #9
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    you guys ever counted the number of horrible commercials on radio? I mean its tough to listen. I love XM on Directv. It sounds great..no car ads...it is wonderful. I hope it doesn't go away!

    nothing is free..with free radio you have to tolerate all the annoying commercials and duplicate station playing the same crap.

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    I agree Tarheel_. The only thing I miss about DirecTV are the XM stations I used to listen to. With FiOS, it's back to Music Choice and Urge, both of which suck.

  11. #11
    nightflier
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    Better sound quality...

    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    I get thousands of radio stations on the net for FREE, again with higher sound quality
    ...than what, a Bose clock radio? Sorry, but I have yet to get good sound quality from any Internet radio station. Technically it's possible, but there isn't a station out there doing it, unfortunately.

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    I agree with this as well. Not only that, but I've found very few that aren't commercial free, or that give me a steady diet of the kind of music I like. One station I have bookmarked is "Pink Floyd rock-o-roma 60's" (which in actuallity plays 70's - 90's Pink Floyd anyway. IMO Internet Radio is quite chaotic and difficult to navigate. Again, XM is a one-touch option that my receiver handles quite well.

  13. #13
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    I gotta laugh at the people who constantly say "why pay for radio when you can get it for free"

    Tell me one FM radio station where I can hear Robin Trower, Robert Cray, Traffic, songs from Metallica other than Enter Sandman, etc.

    You can't honestly compare FM radio to satellite radio, FM is a joke.
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    Sirius will carry on..

    Between Mel Karmazin and Charlie Ergun, Sirius/XM is here for the long haul. Karmazin is a brutal competitor and is a self made billionaire for a reason. Ergun is cut from much the same mold. Sirius will be here for a long time after they come out of bankruptcy. I'd go so far as to say they will be the dominant, mobile entertainment medium going forward. Content, real-time access and millions of bored drivers will ensure it's survival. People want to get into a car, flip a switch and listen to a live nfl or mlb game, news, entertainers, countless genre's of music, interviews and so on without having to manage an iPod's contents, spend time managing their podcasts and so on. Access completely blankets North America so when someone travels to LA from NY, they can have access to the same familiar stations without having to igure anything esle out. The only threat I see to Sirius/XM's future is wide area wifi access. If people are able to seamlessly access the internet wherever they go, hardware manufacturers will undoubtedly blanket the market with wifi enabled head units and portables. If this were widely available now, Sirius XM in trouble. Fortunately for them, this kind of service is a long way off and will probably stay that way due to terrestrial radio company lobbies.
    Last edited by bubbagump; 02-14-2009 at 05:54 PM.

  15. #15
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Cool

    I run my computer through my main system and the sound, while not audiophile q,
    is quite good sometimes.
    AND has anybody on this site heard of file players?
    You can put high q files on several types of players and listen all day...
    you dont even need radio.
    And theres a new form factor called an netbook, with a 8" or so screen, you can play files all day long off of it.
    They thing about the sat radio, the quality sucks big time.
    SO, people will pay for water but not radio, eh?
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  16. #16
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Cool

    Quote Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
    I call you a dumbass because you've proven it time after time. Ask anybody.
    YEAH, I am a dumbass in spite of being proven right over and over again.
    The only "dumbass" behaviour from me is trying to tell a hardhead like you anything.
    HAVE to find out the hard way, which is quite entertaining , even tho sad at times.
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  17. #17
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=bubbagump]Between Mel Karmazin and Charlie Ergun, Sirius/XM is here for the long haul. Karmazin is a brutal competitor and is a self made billionaire for a reason. Ergun is cut from much the same mold. Sirius will be here for a long time after they come out of bankruptcy. I'd go so far as to say they will be the dominant, mobile entertainment medium going forward. Content, real-time access and millions of bored drivers will ensure it's survival. People want to get into a car, flip a switch and listen to a live nfl or mlb game, news, entertainers, countless genre's of music, interviews and so on without having to manage an iPod's contents, spend time managing their podcasts and so on. Access completely blankets North America so when someone travels to LA from NY, they can have access to the same familiar stations without having to igure anything esle out. The only threat I see to Sirius/XM's future is wide area wifi access. If people are able to seamlessly access the internet wherever they go, hardware manufacturers will undoubtedly blanket the market with wifi enabled head units and portables. If this were widely available now, Sirius XM in trouble. Fortunately for them, this kind of service is a long way off and will probably stay that way due to terrestrial radio company lobbies.


    People are having a hard time buying groceries and paying rent, sure they will pay for radio.
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    People are having a hard time buying groceries and paying rent, sure they will pay for radio.[/QUOTE]

    The economy will certainly impact new subscriptions for the short term but when (if??) the credit markets loosen up, Sirius will see subscriptions increase and also be able to more easily finance their way out of their short term debt. SiriusXM is a roughly 2 billion/year business. A businessman like Charlie Ergun doesn't make a move on a business like SiriusXM without a profit motive. Factor in that virtually all auto manufacturers offer Sirius XM connectivity an no cost. Many also offer paid subscriptions for a period of time to jump start new subscribers. Creative subscription financing will bring many more people in. Being able to roll a lifetime subscription (currently defined as the life of three radios in my experience) into a car loan will probably be common. They'll probably do other things such as increase advertising and add services (ie. video, video services..)to increase revenue. After what will probably be a chapter 11 re-org this week, SIrius will re-emerge stronger than ever.

  19. #19
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Right on, Pix

    Quote Originally Posted by pixelthis
    At what, 10 bucks x 20 million?
    THATS only 200 million.
    SIRUS is one of those concepts thats flawed from the begining.
    If their stuff was highq then fine...BUT IT AINT.
    Why pay for something that is free?
    A friend likes the service to listen to talk radio, but there is nothing there you on find on the net.
    Dont have the net at work? DOWNLOAD PODCAST.
    Sirus is a hammer looking for a nail.
    I'm with you there, bro, (you sadly misunderstood guy).

    Nobody was going to releave me of $18/mo. (as it was when I first checked), for radio. Off-the-air sucks for lack of choice where I am, but the Internet has good lots at sufficient quality.

  20. #20
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    I'm with you there, bro, (you sadly misunderstood guy).

    Nobody was going to releave me of $18/mo. (as it was when I first checked), for radio. Off-the-air sucks for lack of choice where I am, but the Internet has good lots at sufficient quality.
    Like the Pioneer Kuro fiasco it all boils down to marketing.
    WHO wants to buy a high end TV at "Costco"?
    LIKEWISE Sat radio tries to be all things to all people.
    High res music on a few genre channels, with lower q on talk , sports, and comedy
    might have been a better mix than uniformly crappy low res over a wider range.
    You have to give people something usefull that is not duplicated elsewhere,
    especially in hard times.
    Net radio sounded better, and theres a ton of it, than the sat stuff I heard.
    A thousand JAZZ stations on the net, how many on sat?
    Theres' a lot of cool tech out there that is just not marketable.
    Alhough I would pay 10 bucks a month not to have to hear Howard Stern
    ever again.
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    "A thousand Jazz stations on the net"? Really? Direct me to them dumbass. I want ALL 1,000 of them. How many are commercial free? How many of them are higher resolution than XM dumbass?

    "You have to give people something usefull that is not duplicated elsewhere, especially in hard times"

    And what do you give us that's useful dumbass?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    I'm with you there, bro, (you sadly misunderstood guy).
    Do you swallow Feanor?

  23. #23
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Thumbs down

    Quote Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas
    "A thousand Jazz stations on the net"? Really? Direct me to them dumbass. I want ALL 1,000 of them. How many are commercial free? How many of them are higher resolution than XM dumbass?
    A tin can on a string has higher resolution, assclown.



    "You have to give people something usefull that is not duplicated elsewhere, especially in hard times"

    And what do you give us that's useful dumbass?
    Cant beat your company, which spent fifty million dollars on a Chip that produces
    digital images (real state of the art) in greyscale
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  24. #24
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Rich-n-Texas]Do you swallow Feanor?
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  25. #25
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    Where are the 1,000 stations dumbass? You didn't answer the question DUMBASS

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