Sirius XM unveil MiRGE: World's 1st interoperable satellite radio

I like to see this however it seems that there wouldn't be much use for this now that the channels have merged and you are essentially getting the same channels on both services.

The only benefit I see is that someone who owns this might experience less dropouts of the signal if in fact it can continuously receive both signals simultaneously. But that is not how it is sounding to me.

Well I guess we'll see what happens and if this helps the bottom line. For some reason I just don't think it will. We need them to offer the services as a merged company as a whole. Don't charge for two subscriptions. Give all of the channels for one low price.

I must be really lost with this but didn't they just merge all or most of there music channels, so what do you get with this that you cant get with adding the best of service to an existing radio?
Unless I missed channels that are exclusive to one service (which is very possible) this seemed to make more sense before everything was merged and channels were removed. Unless of course they decide to shut down the radios that don't receive both.

This is essentially an overpriced xPress RC with an overpriced subscription. They're only satisfying the FCC by offering an interoperable radio... a pointless interoperable radio.

I have to agree with the other comments here. It doesn't make sense to pay $20/month for both services when the channels are being merged. The only thing I really want from the XM side is the baseball. The radio itself looks pretty cool but I'll stick with my old Starmate Replay since it has a great FM transmitter in it.

I could see it being made for sports fans, who want All games and not just a select few

Looks nice but I'm not willing to pay $249! I'll stick with my Starmate Replay as long as I can...

I agree with the first two posts...I don't see a major need for this. You can already get the other service as a "best of". I'm looking forward to some pics but this should have come out before the the channels being merged.

Well, for me, this is good - the way programming is currently set up...

EWTN... Sirius Hits 1...

Of course, I get EWTN on terrestrial, too. I like being able to get it through the satellite.

And yes, I do keep a Sirius subscription and an XM subscription still. Why?
-128kbps streaming through my Stiletto 100.
-EWTN wherever I go, especially when it doesn't come in on my terrestrial AM (often) and after 6:30 at night when the local station goes off-air here.
-Sirius Hits 1 in the morning.

BUT... I LOATHE the sound quality of the music channels on the Sirius side, so I keep XM for that.

And, my NavTraffic function requires XM. If I didn't have NavTraffic, I'd probably tolerate Sirius's PAC CODEC and save a couple of bucks.

What I want is this radio that lets me do WiFi streaming at High Quality, and a NavTraffic tuner as a second sub. Then, I'm good.

So how will family plan radios work? Will you be able to add on a Sirius radio and/or an XM radio for $6.99/mo? That would be killer.

This would have been a great radio if it was around before they made both services practically the same! I'm guessing they made this solely to honor the terms of the merger. Unless they un-merge a lot of channels (which I really don't see happening), what's the point?

Sirius subscribers can now get MLB :)

Very Nice. This will be my next radio.

This thing is almost completely pointless now. Especially at $250.

Makes me wonder how the next generation stilettos will be...

Again, it is about satisfying the merged company's obligation to the agreement they made with the FCC. It does not have to make sense, but this is what the FCC wanted, so they are giving them what they wanted....

No matter how you look at it, this is a good thing for Sirius XM. As a longtime rep, I have personally witnessed customers and dealers struggle with the idea of "Best Of" programming ever since the companies merged. The main question I hear is “When are the companies going to have a radio that does all of the channels?” Well now it looks like there will finally be one. Even if it doesn’t sell, it will be an excellent tool to show the value of existing radios and programming packages. I think Sirius XM has done a decent job conveying the message about “Best Of” programming, especially with what limited time there was before the holiday push. However, I believe that this radio will be a wake-up call to everyone else who still cannot understand the barriers that exist and cannot be changed by merging the companies on paper. i.e. The fact that no single satellite system can provide all of the content and the fact that two subscriptions need to maintained for the 19 million subscribers who wanted either Sirius or XM channel line-ups when they first subscribed.

BUNCH OF BABIES ALWAYS CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY CRY

S T F U

Amazing what 6 months can do. This thing would've been very tantalyzing last summer.

Now, like the other post says - it's really just a check of the box to the FCC agreement. I suppose if you were a new subscriber there could be a benefit or if you were a hardcore sports fan. Otherwise - eh.

My curiosity is if the reception would be any different. I get a great signal in my office at work for XM, terrible for Sirius. I'm assuming this radio would change neither.

I am highly skeptical about this item until someone shows us the antenna aiming screen and how exactly the identically-named XM and Sirius channels are grouped.
I also want to see two distinct channels of each of the "Best Of" channels before I believe that this is anything but another vaporware B.S. product like the interoperable radio has always been.
Finally I want to know what is the point of this, and what fool would buy it?

If this radio came out two years ago, there may never had been a merger.

Too little, too late.

This would have been a great idea BEFORE SiriXM decided to fire everybody on the XM side and make all the channels the same. Now there's no need for it...and who has $250 burning a hole in their pocket for something they don't need anymore? Not me. I can hardly justify having ONE subscription these days, let alone two.

will it?

Looks like POS design factors, though.

Wasn't this the device that was at least eight years away and would cost at least $800?

This will be a $99 dollar radio by summer, they're going to sit on the shelves at that price (or ANY price according to the market). For $20 cheaper you can get an iPod touch that does more, or for the same price you can get a 120GB iPod that holds ALL your music. And you know beyond the fan boards like this, they're not going to advertise it. Someone at Sirius XM needs to be fired.

This is crap. The FCC forced this product, and now, you have a true dog. No one needs this. No one wants this. It's simply fulfilling the unnecessary rules forced on them by ClearChannel through the FCC proxy lobby.

This is a stupid footnote to what was a stupid process in all senses.

So, would all of the complainers been happy if this had come out last summer, lured lots of us enthusiasts into paying for an expensive radio, THEN done the channel merger? Of course not! Then the arguments would have been that it was a sucker punch.

I see this primarily appealing to sportsfans who need every broadcast.

Has anyone done an actual comparison between the $16.99 XM Everything Plus Best of Sirius package, the $16.99 Sirius Everything Plus Best of XM package, and this $19.99 package?

I can't think of any station that is offered by either service that isn't on XM Everything plus Best of Sirius, other than Sirius Hits 1.

Sirius Everything plus Best of XM is missing baseball play by play and three or four music channels. But if you as a Sirius subscriber are going to remedy that, and you're going to get a new radio anyway, why not just get an XM radio instead of this one, and save yourself the $3 a month?

This radio might not be all that useful today, but is the first step of what needs to be done inthe long term. Sirius XM needs all their subscribers to have interoperable radios at some point in the near future. When that happens, they can eliminate the XM and Sirius split and create a merged channel lineup.

This would be great for truckers or anyone that travels a lot who love sports. You would essentially have every major sport and team covered with this. It's not all about music, if that were the case, then just hook up your mp3 player to your non-factory cd player and listen to what you want all the time.

If you want one of these I am sure they will be available on ebay for less than $25 by next fall.

The new subscription package appeals only to sports fans.

This is NOT the kind of thinking that will save the company. As JonE says above...."Someone at Sirius XM needs to be fired."

Anonymous | January 8, 2009 9:52 AM | Reply
Sirius subscribers can now get MLB :)

Where do you see Sirius subscribers can get MLB now? It doesn't say this anywhere on the Sirius website.

Samuel Scamera writes:
"This would be great for truckers or anyone that travels a lot who love sports. You would essentially have every major sport and team covered with this. It's not all about music, if that were the case, then just hook up your mp3 player to your non-factory cd player and listen to what you want all the time."

* * *

XM Everything plus Best of Sirius gets you MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL. The NASCAR coverage is better on Sirius, but the main race channel is available on XM. College sports are on XM, too. So, what's missing?

There are some EXCLUSIVES on both XM and Sirius that are ONLY available on that sat radio service. Not even the Best Of will get those channels. Like Clear Channel on XM and Canadian on Sirius.

As far as I can tell, the only thing you can't get from a "best of" package is a handful of channels, most programmed by Clear Channel (WLW and talk channels, mostly). While it would be nice to have these channels, it's not worth the cost of the unit to be able to get them.

>> Wasn't this the device that was at least eight years away and would cost at least $800?

Max, as this thread clearly indicates, it is a totally useless device for almost all listeners. FCC required them to do it, they did it, that's the end of it.

Nobody's going to buy this turkey. Why would anyone? Both services have the same programming.

Totally an accommodation for FCC. Nothing more.

this radio is useless now
with news about the free slacker BB app
and the iphone and i would assume ipodtouch app
coming out soon sirius/xm should look into
the iphone/ipodtouch scene

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL games are the only channels that havent crossed to both platforms with either regular service or the "best of' package..........This radio is pointless.....Sirius/XM better offer MLB to the "best of XM" package this season, this merger is a joke

The FCC is not just the reason they did this? They have much more bandwith, more satellites, so I am assuming you will be able to do a lot more with this device, more channels, video, even downloads, correct me if I'm wrong? All their radios will have this function in the future I assume?

>> The FCC is not just the reason they did this?

It absolutely is. They know they can never make money with the receiver because the programming is essentially identical on both services.

>>> They have much more bandwith, more satellites, so I am assuming you will be able to do a lot more with this device, more channels, video, even downloads, correct me if I'm wrong? All their radios will have this function in the future I assume?

No. For the foreseeable future their bandwidth is tied up in sending essentially identical DATA to XM and Sirius receivers in cars that came with the respective receivers.

I would consider getting this but not for that price.

I was planning on dumping Sirius (thanks to the fact that im gonna be losing Pop2k and Cinemagic on the 15th) and was planning on switching to XM since basically all of the channels that I want are on XM. This would have been a lot more useful if they would have done this before they gave both services identical channel lineups.

Will this work with the Sirius and XM unversal equipment like the boom boxs and home kits?

Comments regarding most everything now available on both services (music) and every thing else available with a "best of" package. Just think, that with an interoperable radio (and cheaper ones that will probably come out in the future), SIRIUS XM can add other programming. Also, if an interoperable radio can be put out cheaper, and if it becomes commonplace, then it is also possible that Sirius XM will tweak their current offerings (for example, music) so that there are more differences between the two services.

will this radio be able to be transfered on a lifetime and get both services

I'm glad to see them sticking with the XpressRC design. That was by far my best unit I owned. Much better than my OEM integrated receiver in my car now.

i have three questions:
1. is a portable interop radio in the works?
2. could i add on this package to my current lifetime with sirius?
3. with the upcoming consolidation, what is essentially going to be different on either service? if i'm going to do it, i want to know if its worth it for essentially a few extra channels or only baseball and cc programmed stations.

I will not invest another penny in Sirius XM. I am disgusted with the loss of channels such as Disorder and the quality customer service is pathetic.

If I was going to drop $250 on a Satellite radio right now I would probably buy an Pioneer XMP3. Currently own 3 Inno's and this is the only thing better than an Inno as far as I can tell.

The point is less that the radio is useless and more that the $19.99 package is useless.

Assume you're on the market for a new radio. I can understand not buying a Sirius radio, because there are things on XM that aren't on Sirius w/ Best of XM.

But what about the other way around? Why not buy an XM radio and get XM with Best of Sirius (cheaper radio and $17 package), instead of buying this radio with the $20 package. With XM+BofS, what's missing? Hits 1? Some Sirius Canadian channels? Anything worth $3 a month?

This device should have been out years ago. It was a requirement of the DARS license each company was issued.

Both Sirius and XM actively pursued R&D on an interoperable radio long ago. Rumors circulated before the merger plan was announced in February 2007 that such a device was in the possession of CEOs Mel Karmazin and Hugh Panero.

If you look at XM's 2007 10-K report on page 12, XM recognizes that it is obligated to comply with the interoperable radio requirement and claims that it has done so. Then, on page F-43:

"Joint Development Agreement

Under the terms of a joint development agreement with Sirius, the other holder of an FCC satellite radio license, each party is obligated to fund one half of the development cost for a common receiver platform for satellite radios. Pursuant to the joint development agreement, in November of 2003, XM and Sirius formed a limited liability company for this purpose. During the years ended 2007, 2006 and 2005, the Company incurred costs of $1.0 million, $1.0 million and $1.3 million, respectively, in relation to this agreement. These costs are being expensed as incurred in research and development."

The same text appears in the 2006 10-K on page F-44 with 2004 replacing 2007 and the associated figure of $.9M. Similarly, the 2005 10-K, on page F-40, shows 2003 costs of $.6M.

So XM has spent at least $4.8M on a Sirius-XM device. It is reasonable to assume that Sirius incurred similar costs related to this project so this means it is likely that at least $9.6M has been spent during the period from 2003 through 2007 to develop an interoperable radio.

Despite the regulatory mandate to produce an interoperable radio, such a device was apparently developed yet it was not made available to the consumer. The FCC failed in its enforcement of that license stipulation both before the merger and in its review and approval of the merger. Then, post-merger it took this long to get it on the market?

This whole thing stinks on so many levels.

Nice. I'll be getting this when my boombox goes out.

We have Sirius and XM PNP's subscribed for life so we can switch between music, talk, MLB and NASCAR driver channels on long trips. If one radio quit, I would be looking for a Mirge.
If I can swap my XM radio three times and my Sirius radio three times, how many swaps do I get with a Mirge?

Being a salesperson who sells Sirius I can understand all the "cons" of this product and how this product would have been HOT a year ago. Personally I’m gonna wait for the portable unit with the mp3. I’m also gonna look past the portable unit is not gonna pick up the signals well, but I’ve become used to prerecording my satellite content. I’m a pretty much go-with-the-flow kind of person though. It doesn’t take much to please me.

where and when can i buy it?

I bought one in June. Its a month later and I love it. Anyone who loves sports has to buy one of these.