Xm ????????
07-07-2008, 01:08 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-17-2006
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 1,851
The one thing i was wondering does your fizz out every once in awhile. we keep on getting little bouts of static fizz with it.
Usually when we're near some tallish building or in our car port (but often just for no reason) it just seems like it should be strong enough to come though. It's annoying to the point where if it keeps it up i don't know if we'll keep it.
Usually when we're near some tallish building or in our car port (but often just for no reason) it just seems like it should be strong enough to come though. It's annoying to the point where if it keeps it up i don't know if we'll keep it.
We have the same problem backing out of our car port, which is on the north side of our house, and the sat signal comes from the south.
Sounds like you don't have terrestrial repeaters in the urban core, or they are offline, to deal with the problem of tall buildings blocking the sat signal.
07-07-2008, 01:30 PM
#12
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
I have XM in another car new car and the free trial period expired. I didn't renew. although I was pestered a couple of times on my On-Star.
Yesterday I received a phone solicitation from XM. When I indicated the local Jazz broadcasts sounded better than the XM (and admittedly, I am NOT an audiophile) and because of this I don't use the XM she went into the sale tactics....this station. that staion, this that and the other, while traveling, etc. I said no couldn't accept paying $12/mo for something I don't use. She then adjusted the price to $77/year. I said no it would need to be way better. She offered $77 for EACH of the NEXT 2 YEARS. Nope don't want it. Other concessions were made, according to what she obviously read from a script, and then hung up.
I'm writing this because I believe XM has some type of mandate before (and If) the merger with Sirrius.
I've read, on other forums, the same type of practices by XM.
Yesterday I received a phone solicitation from XM. When I indicated the local Jazz broadcasts sounded better than the XM (and admittedly, I am NOT an audiophile) and because of this I don't use the XM she went into the sale tactics....this station. that staion, this that and the other, while traveling, etc. I said no couldn't accept paying $12/mo for something I don't use. She then adjusted the price to $77/year. I said no it would need to be way better. She offered $77 for EACH of the NEXT 2 YEARS. Nope don't want it. Other concessions were made, according to what she obviously read from a script, and then hung up.
I'm writing this because I believe XM has some type of mandate before (and If) the merger with Sirrius.
I've read, on other forums, the same type of practices by XM.
07-07-2008, 08:22 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: 08-17-2006
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 1,851
The $77 a year for XM USA is a good deal and is one they use to try to get people to stay with them.
I currently have 3 subs with XM Canada, but don't know yet how many I will renew when the time comes.
I currently have 3 subs with XM Canada, but don't know yet how many I will renew when the time comes.
07-07-2008, 08:44 PM
#14
Member
Join Date: 01-17-2008
Location: Dallas
Posts: 84
Before you spend the money, XM radio is no great thing, IMO. Spend the money on an Ipod instead.
XM's sound quality is garbage. It's only just better than streaming audio over the web. To my ear, it sounds thin and tinny, and there is a noticeable fuzz or delay on hard consonants like "t" or "s" sounds. MP3 sound qulity is much better, and CDaudio is better than that. Maybe I'm too far north and I don't get a strong signal from the satelites. I dunno.
Also - while it's true there is 170 some odd chanels to choose from, only 5 to 10% of that content will appeal to any given individual. Get a hold of their chanel list and read through it to see how much of it you will ever listen to. Hits of the 40's? Seriously?
They tout it as being commercial free.... strange... I listened to five minutes of somebody telling me how great some noise-cancelling headphones are, and how I can order my own pair from such and such a web site just the other day.
There is also no local news, traffic and weather, obviously. That may not seem like a big deal, but I drive in the city all the time and found that I missed the traffic reports. I was switching back to local FM stations around the top of the hour to get traffic reports, and leaving it there most times.
My 90 free days expires in early September and I won't be paying to subscribe. I'm glad I was able to get a free trial period... it probably saved me some money. I'll be buying an Ipod instead and loading up my favourite songs, plugging into the aux. jack, and there you go.
Just one man's opinion, worth exactly one half of bupkis, but I found XM radio to be a major let down.
XM's sound quality is garbage. It's only just better than streaming audio over the web. To my ear, it sounds thin and tinny, and there is a noticeable fuzz or delay on hard consonants like "t" or "s" sounds. MP3 sound qulity is much better, and CDaudio is better than that. Maybe I'm too far north and I don't get a strong signal from the satelites. I dunno.
Also - while it's true there is 170 some odd chanels to choose from, only 5 to 10% of that content will appeal to any given individual. Get a hold of their chanel list and read through it to see how much of it you will ever listen to. Hits of the 40's? Seriously?
They tout it as being commercial free.... strange... I listened to five minutes of somebody telling me how great some noise-cancelling headphones are, and how I can order my own pair from such and such a web site just the other day.
There is also no local news, traffic and weather, obviously. That may not seem like a big deal, but I drive in the city all the time and found that I missed the traffic reports. I was switching back to local FM stations around the top of the hour to get traffic reports, and leaving it there most times.
My 90 free days expires in early September and I won't be paying to subscribe. I'm glad I was able to get a free trial period... it probably saved me some money. I'll be buying an Ipod instead and loading up my favourite songs, plugging into the aux. jack, and there you go.
Just one man's opinion, worth exactly one half of bupkis, but I found XM radio to be a major let down.
Just as bad. iPods with Apple Lossless decoding is pretty good...almost CD quality. Not to mention that iPods are always commercial free...LOL
07-07-2008, 08:53 PM
#15
Member
Join Date: 06-24-2008
Location: Zion, IL
Posts: 43
My brother got XM down to $6.00 a month for the next year. He thinks it is worth it. I on the other hand see no advantage, and agree with the others about the iPod. I am taking advantag on XM with my 3 months, but when thats over I will not be renewing.
07-08-2008, 12:20 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: 09-13-2006
Location: USA
Posts: 378
Like my XM... 50s 60s 70s sports... traffic...
was talking to XM about two weeks ago... trying to clear up a billing thing... minus (-) sign you have have a positive balance and do not owe money... no sign... is a negitive balance and you owe...
online stated that my balance was $49.53... thought that it was to the good side... suggested that they change the webpage to read
"you currently OWN"
or amount of time remaining before payment due
side note... trying to tell the lady that last number of my account was "THREE" after saying "three" four or five times if finally said "TRACE(?))... she said... "oh, three". so my accent is really bad or???
another trick i use that on star and xm don t like... i use "secure cards" and have them expire in 11 (eleven) months... that way when my subscriptions are need renewing in 12 months the card has already expired and can not be renewed automatically...unless i give them a new "secure card number). use this trick on all my purchases. all so found out that on star and phone min are not billed by the same company... "secure cards" are only good for one vendor... ha ha ha
Like on* safe and sound
Like my AAA paid for it for yrs... in the past 3 yrs i have gotten back everything i have paid in... flat tires... one 150+ mile tow... one 57mile tow
three or four 20 mile tows... Ha Ha
Like the XM... will have to remember to negociate next time.
was talking to XM about two weeks ago... trying to clear up a billing thing... minus (-) sign you have have a positive balance and do not owe money... no sign... is a negitive balance and you owe...
online stated that my balance was $49.53... thought that it was to the good side... suggested that they change the webpage to read
"you currently OWN"
or amount of time remaining before payment due
side note... trying to tell the lady that last number of my account was "THREE" after saying "three" four or five times if finally said "TRACE(?))... she said... "oh, three". so my accent is really bad or???
another trick i use that on star and xm don t like... i use "secure cards" and have them expire in 11 (eleven) months... that way when my subscriptions are need renewing in 12 months the card has already expired and can not be renewed automatically...unless i give them a new "secure card number). use this trick on all my purchases. all so found out that on star and phone min are not billed by the same company... "secure cards" are only good for one vendor... ha ha ha
Like on* safe and sound
Like my AAA paid for it for yrs... in the past 3 yrs i have gotten back everything i have paid in... flat tires... one 150+ mile tow... one 57mile tow
three or four 20 mile tows... Ha Ha
Like the XM... will have to remember to negociate next time.