I’ve been seriously thinking about buying a satellite radio package that I can use in both my car or home. The software that you’ve provided links to look very interesting! Have you tried the TimeTrax software yourself? If so, what bitrate does it record songs at?

XtremePCR is a free alternative to the stock software that does a lot more, and does it better:

http://www.xtremepcr.com

Last week TimeTrax came out, it rips MP3′s directly from the satellite radio, with full artist and song names on them. Leave it running overnight and you end up with a directory full of MP3′s.

http://www.nerosoft.com/timetrax

Originally posted by mterk
[B]Does anyone know if XM receives a signal in England?
-Mike [/B]

As stated earlier: No.

Besides, Europe has a good terrestrial digital radio network as well as Worldspace, and other people looking to launch an XM Radio style service too.

XM covers the continental US, plus much of Alaska, Canada, Mexico and surrounding waters.

Most of Europe, however, already has satellite radio service. Check out http://www.worldspace.com. Their receivers are a generation ahead of XM’s (and two ahead of Sirius) so you might want to see them just for the coolness factor. (I particularly like the Hitachi model.) Worldspace doesn’t have XM’s variety but if you’re an English speaker stuck in the boondocks, I’m told it’s a Godsend.

Also, if I remember correctly, the European Space Agency announced earlier this year that it would be devoting some aging satellites to developing a new commercial European satellite radio service. (Search on slashdot.com for details.)

Originally posted by mterk
[B]Does anyone know if XM receives a signal in England?
-Mike [/B]

I think Alcatel is working on a European version.

This quarter XM hit 692,253, an increase of 209,178 over the previous quarter.

That is an average increase of 2324.2 subscribers per day (or 69,723 / month).

Originally posted by buffasnow1
I spoke with a Sirius rep yesterday. He said that the new Audiovox line of satellite receivers will soon be marketing a product that allows the subscriber to carry music with them on their waists. I can’t wait!

I don’t know about XM radio, but the basic Sirius subscription includes a password that permits the user to stream music, via a computer with a high speed internet connection, at no additional charge. No fancy software is available or required.

Thanks

Josh

(One to skip for me too……)

As for paying for radio: $10/month is like buying lunch at work 2 times. I’d gladly trade the food where I work (hospital) for the pure listening enjoyment anytime!

Do you have cable or satellite TV? I bet 25 years ago people would have scoffed at the idea of paying for TV broadcasts. Now, TV is almost worthless without the value enhanced cable channels – that you pay for.

I look at satellite radio the same way – but with a benefit. I pay for cable TV, but I still have to endure commercials on most channels. With satellite radio, I have the exact type of station I want to tune into without any commercials and without suffering through the painful “morning DJ” chit chat.

I was skeptical about “paying” for radio, too – before I got Sirius. Now, I will have it in every vehicle I ever own. It is worth the $13 a month for me.

BTW, there is a Weather Channel station for whatever part of the country you live in. No traffic congestion /GPS yet – maybe someday.

Judie :0)

I will however, pay for radio + GPS enabled intelligent traffic/weather maps to help me avoid traffic congestion and know what the weather is going to be like anywhere I go.

Until XM adds this form of additional services, satellite radio is simply a waste of satellite bandwidth and technology.

F.

SIRI and IGCE looks like good targets for Wednesday Entry for me.

THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE I SPECIFICALY TALKED ABOUT XM RADIO AND SIRUS NETWORK!

I have the Delphi portable unit for home, and have it hooked into my PC already. I’ve been curious about the benefits of the XMPC version, and this review has answered some of my questions. It also introduced me to Media Center; I’ve been looking into a timer for XM recording, andf this one is the best I’ve found. The benefits of the PC version v what I have:

1. Less cabling arounf the computer. No need for an additional power source.

2. Programming the recorder seems easier; I don’t have to remember to turn on the separate XM box.

3. Being able to just hit a button to remember the info on a song is worth it’s weight in gold. Again, I listen to a lot of new music, and really enjoy downloading it (I always try the Apple Store first on my iBook; if it’s not available, off to Kazaa). I cannot tell you how many times I’ve scrambled for a scrap of paper, interrupting whatever I’m doing.

I think the debate over sound quality is a moot point. It’s great, and I cannot tell the difference between a CD and the XM on my system. It’s WAY better than FM. That is a fact.

Re: reception. I live in an area where I do not get a constant signal while driving. (due to mountains). Mother nature WAS here first. I do get great sound at home, with partial (2-3) reception from the satellite, even thru trees.

If you appreciate music, entertainment and nostalgia, satellite radio is for you. This system for the PC seems well thought out; I may need to indulge.

Thanx for all the info.

For the matter at hand, I would just say that XM has high fidelity audio and leave it at that.

One of the cool features of XM and Sirius is that they can both supposedly download new codecs to devices as they are developed, so the music quality should only improve over time.

The difference is actually much easier to hear than you might expect. Try listening to almost any music that has trumpets, e.g., on one of the jazz, 40s or classical channels. For whatever reason, XM’s compression can distort trumpets horribly and it’s painfully easy to hear when the signal is uncompressed. I’ve had friends who don’t know the first thing about hifi audio or signal processing ask me what the hell is wrong with the music when that happens…

Anyway, I think that it is especially because XM’s marketing department is misleading about this, it’s important for reviewers to accurately call them on it. Just for reference, Sirius has the same type of problems, as do most systems that use lossy compression schemes, such as MP3 players.

Originally posted by redbike2001
[B]Fitz…for what it’s worth to you, this is copied right from the FAQ page on the XM Radio site:

“How good is the sound quality of XM PCR?

The sound quality of the XM PCR is equal to any XM Radio model such as the Delphi SKYFi, and is comparable to CD quality.”

[/B]

There is a little bit of degredation in speed, plus the sound quality isn’t that great and then there are the other usual problem you can encounter with streaming audi (reset streams, etc). But, if you are in the situation like Dreamer described, it might be a solution.

I just realized that buffasnow1 had mentioned the streaming audio previously. DOH.

Judie :0)

“How good is the sound quality of XM PCR?

The sound quality of the XM PCR is equal to any XM Radio model such as the Delphi SKYFi, and is comparable to CD quality.”

That’s cool that Sirius offers the streaming option to its customers. The only problem with streaming is that it takes up some portion of your bandwidth. Do you notice any degradation in your Internet speeds?

Eric

I have a Sirius reciever in my truck. As a subscriber, I am also able to get streaming audio content on my PC. You can try it free at http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1018209032790.

Click “Listen Now” at the top of the page.

I am not sure if XM also offers something like this, but I bet they do.

Judie :0)

You can buy an XM radio and try it out without activating it. Even radios that haven’t been activated can receive a bunch of stations for free. So, you can buy the radio and see if you get reception without the bother of activation (which is pretty trivial anyway). If it doesn’t work for you, just return the radio.

Fitz

Originally posted by TheDreamer
[B]I’ll admit that I’ve been curious about XM radio for some time….but the question I haven’t heard answered…is whether they work at all indoors.

Specifically, would it work from my cubicle at work.

It is the one place where I can’t get radio…. I also barely get cellular….

I really don’t want to buy it and then find out the answer is no….since I can’t think of any other reason to justify having it otherwise.

The Dreamer [/B]