On August 17th, the FCC published a few documents that reveal that Sirius XM Radio Inc. are preparing to release a new product entitled the Sirius XM SkyDock.
Of course, Sirius XM doesn't want the FCC spilling the beans to eager bloggers like your's truly - so they requested a 45-day period of confidentiality. But we do know a few things.
First off, the model number for the new XM SkyDock will be XVSAP1V1. Additionally, we know that the FM transmitter is located within the SkyDock housing.
Here's a diagram, from the FCC, showing how the device interfaces with the vehicle:
The housing is inserted into the vehicle's cigarette lighter adapter socket and "is only capable of FM transmissions in association with Apple's iPhone or iPod Touch and Sirius XM iPhone/iPod Touch app," according to the FCC test report.
In other words, when you download the Sirius XM iPhone App, the upcoming SkyDock allows you to get the available satellite radio content in your car - all using a single device.
Now, if I'm reading that line correctly, this means the dock will only be able to stream audio using the Sirius XM iPhone App - does that presumably mean that nothing else will be able to be streamed using this dock? Hard to say for sure.
Stay tuned, I'm hoping I'll get an upclose preview of this device next week at Sirius XM's private event in NYC.
[View FCC Reports]
Here's a diagram, from the FCC, showing how the device interfaces with the vehicle:
The housing is inserted into the vehicle's cigarette lighter adapter socket and "is only capable of FM transmissions in association with Apple's iPhone or iPod Touch and Sirius XM iPhone/iPod Touch app," according to the FCC test report.
In other words, when you download the Sirius XM iPhone App, the upcoming SkyDock allows you to get the available satellite radio content in your car - all using a single device.
Now, if I'm reading that line correctly, this means the dock will only be able to stream audio using the Sirius XM iPhone App - does that presumably mean that nothing else will be able to be streamed using this dock? Hard to say for sure.
Stay tuned, I'm hoping I'll get an upclose preview of this device next week at Sirius XM's private event in NYC.
[View FCC Reports]
You can get more info here from the xmfan.com site:
http://www.xmfan.com/viewtopic.php?t=104961
There would be no reason to go to the trouble of building a dock with a sat. receiver if it could only get the channels currently available on the Iphone App. This is to make Howard and the Sports play by play available to the Iphone.
Believe it.
SiriusFm really does announce some dumb shit .
I hope you can receive Stern with it. If not then it's pretty useless.
This is very cool. I will probably buy it even though I wish it was on the Sirius platform.
Would be interesting if went for something along the lines of the xmp3 with the multiple tuners for recording, etc. If this were the case I would strongly consider getting one of these SkyDock devices and ditching my xmp3 in favor of a different receiver in my truck. I value the xmp3 for its portability but a bigger display with easier to use controls would be nice for the car.
This also brings up the question of subscriptions. Currently in order to use the iPhone app you have to have that feature on your account which of course costs extra - if I were to use the SkyDock would I have to add it to my account as an additional receiver? If that were the case and I wanted to use it outside of my car on the 3G network would I still need the the online listening feature? If you need both the additional receiver and the online feature you're looking at something like $10 extra a month just to use this device.
Skydock ,LOL
I am not sure that I completely understand this but I think I want one.
I just got a new car with a Sirius OEM radio. The reception is TERRIBLE! I will never activate that radio. I have been using an old XM radio connected to the ipod jack. This works well although there is a real mess of wires. If I could use my iphone instead, it would be great.
There is evidence in the FCC documents that this WILL be able to send iPod music through FM or a cassete adapter.
Sounds like it will be a good option for iPhone/iPod touch owners.
You can get O n A all day every day.
On second thought, you're right it would be useless without Stern.
If Howard is not available on the iPhone SkyDock I am going to smash my laptop with a sledgehammer.
"I hope you can receive Stern with it"
Stern will soon be upgrading back to good old FM radio and you'll be able to receive him then.
Well, at first this product didn't make any sense to me. But now after thinking about it a bit, this actually does sound like a good idea. Right now, I have a SkyFi3 and an iPod Touch in my car. Why not combine the two using the XM Radio Online app? If the app sees the XM antenna attached, then it will pull all the XM channels from there. If there's no antenna, then the app goes over the air or uses WiFi to grab that channel lineup. If I wanted to switch over to my own MP3s then I just close the app. I hope this won't cost too much.
1. In the diagram, what's the XM antenna for?
2. What differentiates this from the multitude of automotive FM transmitters already available for the iPhone/Touch.
so wait, this dock will enable SXM content to be streamed onto the iphone/ipod, even though there is an i-app that does the same thing but on a limited scale?
so a subber would now have to drop even more $$ down to hear SXM content on their apple device - yeah, that's great news.
I predict nothing but failure from this.
Ever since the merger I feel like I'm paying a monthly fee for CBS radio. Why don't they see the big picture? Sirius mgmt stinks.
Why not allow you to plug it in to the aux input? Mistake in my book. I have my iPhone in a cradle and plugged into the aux input. I don't have the Sirius/XM app because I already have XM in the car....I do stream Slacker to the car stereo and it sounds great....to be able to get ALL the XM stations on the app would be great, and I'd cancel my sub and pay the $3/month online fee.
I read somewhere that the Skydock accesses XM channels. With what said, you would need an XM subscription and the Best of Sirius package to get Howard. But yes, you will be able to get Howard, and MLB, etc. Thats the whole point of this (plus you'll get much better consistent reception via satelite.
Ryan - You have been begging for "cool technology" for years now.
I think they may just hit the ultra cool factor here. Looks like you are getting your wish!
I was reading some more details about this thing and the main function of it is to turn your iphone/touch into a Sirius/XM receiver when you set it in the dock. So yeah you'll be able to get all the channels on either Sirus or XM, which ever one you have.
The questions is will they charge you another subscription fee for using the iphone as your primary car receiver. I'm thinking you can just transfer your existing subscription over to your iphone if you wanted to but the main goal here is to get new subcribers from people who only have iphones and did not want to buy a Sirius receiver.
Sound amazing to me! I love the idea....if you will be able to pick up all the stations like my Inno. I still think SXM needs to work on their programming more though - repetition and chatty djs. I love the sounds of this new device though for my 3GS.
Unless you're a "geek/techie" I don't see a lot of interest.
Maybe it's because I pulled 24 years (and still going) for Uncle Sugar but I'm sure y'all know what KISS stands for and this sure dosen't look KISS friendly.
Gee, I hope they can charge me more for this as well. And still not get Stern
I agree, I also run an Ipod Classic 80gbyte thru the aux input and the sound quality blows XM radio away. XM online sounds like crap compared to Slacker on-line.
The picture above shows an audio out, so I suspect that the Skydock only provides, a dock for the Ipod/Itouch which can switch between allowing the SXM signal into the audio out or the output from the Ipod/touch. There will be an SXM radio built into the dock, so there will not need to have WI-FI access to a touch, and a SXM source for a docked Ipod. SXM will however epose how bad their sat broadcast sounds compared to personal Ipod music. Will there be a new version of Itunes S/W for Ipod (not touch) owners that provides the SXM interface? Or is this just an Itouch development?
What if you get a phone call while your driving? Will this work like a hands free device through the soundsystem? Pretty cool that they are turning a phone into a plug and play unit.
Unless SXM starts offering complete content over the iPhone app, I see absolutely no reason to go this route, especially if it's an FM-only interface to the vehicle audio. That makes it a third rate solution with degraded audio to boot.
I'll stick with my OEM Sirius/Travel Link and MLB iPhone app to gain access to the baseball Sirius should be able to carry. Blech.
You can Listen to Howard on your iPhone POCKET TUNES APP. Its $9.99 and you can stream just about anything on the Net. Including XM and Sirius if you pay for the service. Anything that isn't a Paid service you can stream as well. "To clarify"