Sirius unveiled a whole slew of new devices and services yesterday. Three in particular caught my attention:
I’m a gadget guy and I like portables, so the WiFi-enabled Stiletto appeals to me. I found the first generation slightly too large, so this 25% size reduction has resulted in a sleeker package. Both Stiletto models outshine my XM Helix in the beauty department, and more importantly, they offer a couple of home docking solutions. Interestingly, Steven Chalker, the only person I know who regularly used a Stiletto intends to sell it and stream Sirius to a TMobile MDA instead. (Was Zing was involved with v2? Surely not v3…) Expect the Stiletto 2, with souped up Altec Lansing headset, to ship this fall @ $350.
Satellite radio is now… satellite TV! Well, before the holidays. Hopefully… Since we remember seeing this demo before and hearing of a Spring ’07 launch. Assuming this comes to pass, the $300 Backseat TV unit will pull down Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel (for $6.99/mo extra) to your minivan.
Whole home audio streamer Sonos is providing 80 stations of Sirius (via the Internet) to their devices. Existing Sirius customers can add service for $2.99/mo, otherwise it’s the full $12.95/mo. Sonos doesn’t come cheap, but everyone I know with units swear by them. If I didn’t flip gadgets (and methods of acquiring media) so frequently, I’d look into investing.
Bonus Coverage: Orbitcast scored an interview of Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin. I’ve got to wonder, with all this cool stuff, do they really need XM?
“IÂ’ve got to wonder, with all this cool stuff, do they really need XM?”, If you can’t tell the difference, you don’t listen.
That comment is pretty much devoid of useful information. If you have a point to make, please elaborate.
I’ve used both services and find them mostly interchangeable (for general music – my primary usage), unless someone is looking for a specific sport or is interested in one of the unique non-music shows or stations (Howard Stern, Oprah, etc).
Do you have a differing opinion of content? Or is your comment related to audio quality? Something else?
Satellite radio has great promise, it overcomes the short comings of terrestrial propagation. I think both Sirius and XM do an outstanding job, and there are significant differences in original programming, but I will confine my remarks to music programming. Sirius music channels are more often voice tracked or are devoid of DJ / announcers who have a hand in the music they are playing, they appear to have narrower play lists typical of conventional ( free ) radio. XM channels usually employ folks with a connection to their musical format, they are entertainers, but they are also experts in their particular genre, further the XM music library seems larger and playlists a bit more eclectic consequently less repetition. I’m more likely to be surprised by something I hear on XM. If music on Satellite radio is a background to your life, it probably does not matter, if you still buy music, go to concerts, and read music trade publications, you might find XM more engaging.
Now that is an excellent comment. Thank you for taking the time to share. :)
Related – My personal interactions with an XM DJ (Chrome) as a former customer (not blogger/PR) is what encouraged me to come back. I can also say that I’ve really been enjoying the selections on Lucy the last few weeks.
I’ll be adding the TV version when that comes out – but I thought that XM was going to do the same…. As for why Sirus needs XM – they dont – they just need the subscriber base. XM’s base is bigger than Sirus.
I have to admit, I love the concept of the Stiletto even if there are obvious drawbacks (like the 4-hour battery for live radio). It’s a lot like having Internet radio streams accessible from anywhere – only here, you’ll also hear professional DJs.
Now if only Apple could build WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (AT&T’s 4G), or that future 700MHz tech into the iPod. Your music catalog suddenly grows ten times larger!