Serius Satellite Radio

[Phoenix]

Thanks!

[carbonedge+]

I did and have hardly listened to any local FM stations for almost a year now. The best benefit to me is if you travel alot, you don't have to search for stations as they come in range. You have all channels available anywhere; except for the occasional tree cover and underpasses...

[Lex Talionis]

once you go Satellite, you never go back.

 

Terrestrial radio.. no thanks.

[PrinzII]

My wife and I plan to continue service but with the new head unit.

[akirby]

Just picked ours up Saturday and I have to say I'm disappointed with the sound quality so far. Regular FM seems so much better. Am I listening to the wrong channels?

 

Which channel do you guys think sounds as good or better than regular FM?

[Lex Talionis]

In a simple nutshell explanation, what you are experiencing is the compression that has been reported that they put on 'some' (yes, not all) of the digital signals/channels to save bandwidth. Some people report hearing it, some do not.

 

I have also read that it is something they are experimenting with regularly so channels that have this noticeably vary at times as they try to tweak and tune the signals for best compression/codecs given all the data they are trying to send.

 

Just for fun.. try listening on the internets via the available web interface to subscribers and then listen via your radio and see if you can tell a difference on the same channel as one is piped totally different than the other.

 

For me, it has been SO long since i have suffered through terrestrial radio (literally 3 years now), Sirius sounds totally normal to my ear.

 

oh.. and by the way.. it has never been, for me, which "sounds as good or better than regular FM" - it has totally been about (1) the content content content and (2) commercial free (depending on if listening to music or talk channel) and (3) number of choices to listen to - I can take a hit in sound quality for vastly improved content and interesting new choices.

Edited May 5, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[akirby]

In a simple nutshell explanation, what you are experiencing is the compression that has been reported that they put on 'some' (yes, not all) of the digital signals/channels to save bandwidth. Some people report hearing it, some do not.

 

I have also read that it is something they are experimenting with regularly so channels that have this noticeably vary at times as they try to tweak and tune the signals for best compression/codecs given all the data they are trying to send.

 

Just for fun.. try listening on the internets via the available web interface to subscribers and then listen via your radio and see if you can tell a difference on the same channel as one is piped totally different than the other.

 

For me, it has been SO long since i have suffered through terrestrial radio (literally 3 years now), Sirius sounds totally normal to my ear.

 

oh.. and by the way.. it has never been, for me, which "sounds as good or better than regular FM" - it has totally been about (1) the content content content and (2) commercial free (depending on if listening to music or talk channel) and (3) number of choices to listen to - I can take a hit in sound quality for vastly improved content and interesting new choices.

 

I fully understand compression and how it can be changed program to program. And I understand the other benefits of satellite radio. I was just curious whether people were foregoing quality for the other features or if they thought it sounded just as good as FM.

[Lex Talionis]

your understanding of that detail wasn't clear on your first post, but is now.

 

so, as I said and I guess more useful to you, for me personally, the quality sounds 'just as good as FM' to me (as compared to say FM when I am exposed to it by those not having satellite). That is, I personally have never listened to my satellite and said... "wow, this sounds different" in terms of quality. I have said many things, sound quality was never one I zoned in on and noticed enough to comment on it. so that tells me, it is not an issue to my ear.

[Phoenix]

Sirius made it easy to "think" it over.

 

I just got a card in the mail letting me buy one month and get three with a three month contract.

 

They're betting you forget to turn it off and continue month to month. Easy marketing.

 

Sound wise, yes, it's certainly not hi def. It's more like "AM Talk radio".

 

Favorites are 011 (BBC Radio One) and several bluesy stations. Stuff that isn't on the radio (yet -- or I just haven't looked hard enough) in Phoenix.

 

Stuff I've liked:

Always having radio...even in the sticks. Always being able to find a BB playoff game....not that I care anymore. Always having stations that I know I like. You'll give up sound quality when you're in the middle of nowhere.

 

I didn't have a dislike. I can deal with inferior sound quality in the car. I keep the sound low anyway. I just didn't know how much it was before putting up this post...

 

$13 a month.

 

Good thing. Satellite radio isn't like high speed internet. You can do without it just fine. But for 4.33 a month for the next three months, that's cool.

[ablb]

We'll give it a try when the MKX gets here. But I'm sure we won't listen to it and will drop it.

Sweetums informed me real quick that this is her ride and THX was NOT an option, it's a standard feature.

 

ab

[solas989]

Ours is being turned off - of the stations we listen to, I can NOT stand the compression - it is horrible to pay for something that sounds bad.

 

I agree that it does help knowing the stations no matter where you are - but it is not worth it imo.

 

We have media players we hook up to play to get around that.

 

Plus, a lot of the "music" stations have too much talk. If I wanted to pay someone to listen to them, I would listen to my wife for free ( )

 

Solas

[HG3535]

We've had Sirius for several years now and really enjoy it. My wife’s last vehicle did not have it and since the Edge is hers she’s realizes what she was missing. I have not had any sound quality problems, so far so good.

[Blueice]

I guess the only question I have is it worth paying $12-$13 per month for this feature. Seems like a lot of money unless your in the vehicle and using it 8 hours a day. That's just my perspective. John

[solas989]

Really the only person that can determine if it is worth it is the user. Some dont spend much time in their cars, but love it. I spend maybe 1-3 hours in my car, and can not stand it.

 

To me, it is not. I love my music and I will rip apart sound quality - and this is my first experience with Sirius and I HATE the horrible compression issues on the sations I listen too. Others it does not bother. If you can not hear the compression, then dont worry about it.

 

I do not listen to all channels and maybe the compression is not as bad as others, but I will refuse to pay for something that sounds worse than I can get for free (HD or SD radio).

 

Just my $0.01

[Blueice]

Really the only person that can determine if it is worth it is the user. Some dont spend much time in their cars, but love it. I spend maybe 1-3 hours in my car, and can not stand it.

 

To me, it is not. I love my music and I will rip apart sound quality - and this is my first experience with Sirius and I HATE the horrible compression issues on the sations I listen too. Others it does not bother. If you can not hear the compression, then dont worry about it.

 

I do not listen to all channels and maybe the compression is not as bad as others, but I will refuse to pay for something that sounds worse than I can get for free (HD or SD radio).

 

Just my $0.01

 

I won't be listening to it because I didn't get one, that is if mine ever comes in. It just wouldn't be worth the cost to me and as you have said it's not all that some say it's cracked up to be. Is the quality the same for XM and Sirus?

[Lex Talionis]

For those of you that claim to hear such bad sound quality.. post up some actual channel numbers as I am dying to hear what you think sounds so bad.

 

Granted, I have not been through all the possible channels, but I have had Sirius for many years (home and car kits) and as I said above, cannot discernibly notice this bad compression quality a few of you mention. I have my die hard fav channels, and they cover a gamut of genres, and just do not hear what you claim to hear and would think on at least one of my fav channels, I would sense this.

 

so post up some channel numbers you think are bad I want to have a listen. maybe I have just listened to satellite for so long now, I have adapted to it and those of you coming right from terrestrial are freshly in tune to it.

[solas989]

The stations I listen to are:

 

001, 060, 061.

 

When my wife drives, she listens to

 

050, 063, 111

 

I hear compression on all of these enough to not renew. There are others but I dont know numbers off hand (033 is one I think). I compare it to listening to Online Radio with a compression rate of 96bkps - not good enough for me to pay for it. It is worse on talk stations like 111. I know they have to cut down the bandwidth to accommodate the music stations but I hate the sound.

 

Now I dont know if geographical location affects compression, I have no idea but would think not - not too familiar with all the details of Satellite Radio. For reference, this is my FIRST exposure to Satellite Radio and have not heard it on other receivers other than in my Ford. Maybe there is a setup setting I need to change to enhance the sound???

 

IMO, paying for something that I feel is inferior is not worth it - especially in todays economy and where it is headed.

 

Solas

[Lex Talionis]

The stations I listen to are:

 

001, 060, 061.

 

When my wife drives, she listens to

 

050, 063, 111

 

I hear compression on all of these enough to not renew. There are others but I dont know numbers off hand (033 is one I think). I compare it to listening to Online Radio with a compression rate of 96bkps - not good enough for me to pay for it. It is worse on talk stations like 111. I know they have to cut down the bandwidth to accommodate the music stations but I hate the sound.

 

Now I dont know if geographical location affects compression, I have no idea but would think not - not too familiar with all the details of Satellite Radio. For reference, this is my FIRST exposure to Satellite Radio and have not heard it on other receivers other than in my Ford. Maybe there is a setup setting I need to change to enhance the sound???

 

IMO, paying for something that I feel is inferior is not worth it - especially in todays economy and where it is headed.

 

Solas

 

thanks.. I am going to listen to these and see if.. relative to other channels I listen to.. I can tell.

 

part of what I wanted to see is if, as you happened to mention, there might be some way in their technology to change these by geo location. I would find that hard to believe, but hey, I am not that technical on the details - only high level understanding. For example, I wonder if areas in a more heavily populated region like CA with 'likely' more subscribers (and overall bandwidth usage) would have different compression rates than say.. Iowa.

[akirby]

thanks.. I am going to listen to these and see if.. relative to other channels I listen to.. I can tell.

 

part of what I wanted to see is if, as you happened to mention, there might be some way in their technology to change these by geo location. I would find that hard to believe, but hey, I am not that technical on the details - only high level understanding. For example, I wonder if areas in a more heavily populated region like CA with 'likely' more subscribers (and overall bandwidth usage) would have different compression rates than say.. Iowa.

 

That would only be possible if they're using different satellites/transponders for different geographic areas. But that would also require separate encoders for each one to change the compression ratios.

 

It's far more likely that everyone gets the same compression and that some listeners and audio rigs are more sensitive to the compression than others.

 

I'm not even an audiophile and I think it sounds terrible.

[npggirl]

I continued! I adore my satellite radio...I have a ton of fav stations...

[CreamEDGE.]

Please, Sirius SUX. It constantly cuts.

 

XM plz.

[Lex Talionis]

Please, Sirius SUX. It constantly cuts.

 

XM plz.

 

XM.. bwa haa ha haa not! Sirius may suck, but everyone knows XM blows

 

my Sirius.. home and car and car kit I just sold with my VW never cut out. I listen nearly 8-9 hours a day while working. that is not an issue for me

[npggirl]

Please, Sirius SUX. It constantly cuts.

 

XM plz.

Mine rarely cuts out...

Just about as much as my fathers XM (I drove his vehicle for 6 months with XM in it)

[redwing2]

Have both Sirius and XM and for my money its XM. Sirius programing sux big time! And yes it cuts out way more than Xm. Too bad we don't have a choice.

[Otto Man]

Have both Sirius and XM and for my money its XM. Sirius programing sux big time! And yes it cuts out way more than Xm. Too bad we don't have a choice.

I honestly thought I would never pay for radio. But after 3 months I am totally sold. Little Stevens Underground Garage, Channel 25 is on all of the time. And don't forget you can listen online (when your not in your Edge or MK X), maybe at work, but certainly at home while you goofing off on these computers. The kicker is for 2.99 more a month you can upgrade to a much improved, higher compression "CD-Quality) sound. Always want a few more bucks.

I just added 18 months.