Why XM/Sirius Radio Is A Waste Of Money

With over 14 million satellite radio subscribers in the United States, XM and Sirius have outsmarted these people by selling a product that is well not worth the money. The only reason to buy satellite radio is if you are too lazy and defiant to click through your favorite stations when there is a commercial on FM radio. Here, you will learn the differences between FM and satellite radio, and why there are better alternates to satellite radio.

Satellite radio comes in 2 basic forms - the integrated car stereo, and the portable player, much like an iPod.

Satellite Radio vs. FM Radio
More stations, less commercials. That is the reason to buy XM or Sirius radio. But not without exception.

• Less commercials- keyword less. Originally, there were no commercials. This is all about money, so $15 a month for your subscription is not enough for XM or Sirius. Expect to hear more commercials on satellite radio, because they can make much more money by playing commercials on their stations. A commercial here, a commercial there does not bother you right now. It should, because it will only get worse.
• You listen to what they want. If you don’t like a song, you’re going to have to pull an “FM” and start switching through stations. The real downside to radio is that you can’t say “I feel like listening to ____” and expect to hear it on the spot.
• More stations- but since you can only listen to one radio station at a time, there really isn’t that much variety. The stations are just a bit more specialized. XM is just a minor enhancement over FM, it is nothing revolutionary. So why not invest in a more versatile device? (cue iPod commercial)

Satellite Radio vs. iPod (or your favorite portable music player)

• Essentially, iPod’s have a radio. With Shuffle Songs (a dandy little feature the iPod comes with), you can SKIP a song instead of having to switch through stations to find something you like. This way, you get a good variety of music and it is all music that you like.
• A big argument in favor of satellite radio is that it exposes you to new music (FM radio does the same thing by the way). In the iTunes Music Store, there is a program called “Just For You”. Based on what is in your library, iTunes gives you recommendations on what to buy. Then, you listen to the 30-second sample, and buy it if you like it. And now you get to listen to it whenever you want!
• With an iTrip, you can tune your music to an FM radio station, so you can listen to it wherever you want.
• You can get music for free by using “Just For You” in iTunes to find new music, and download it through BitTorrent sites such as torrentspy.com (you need a bittorrent client). note: some torrents are illegal to download

March 6th, 2007

Entry Filed under: Hardware, Music Technology, all posts