According to various sources, the supply of XM Satellite Radio's retail products appears to be running thin, and some products have even run to the end of their life.The RoadyXT, once seen as a technological accomplishment when it was unvealed in 2005, along with the fan-favorite SkyFi2 are now officially "end of life," and no more units are available from major distributors, according to people familiar with the matter. UPDATE: I was just told that "there are still plenty" of RoadyXT/SkyFi2 units out there, but that Best Buy and Circuit City have stopped selling them a while ago.
Additionally, according to sources, new Pioneer Innos have been back-ordered from Pioneer for about two months now, and fresh stock won't be available until mid-June at the earliest. The aging Inno, now 2-years old, was also once considered a gadget-lover's dream.
Back in Fall of last year, XM CEO Nate Davis told Reuters that the company plans to introduce new portable receivers in 2008, citing a strategy to partner with GPS and mobile phone providers.
Sadly, nearly six-months into the year, we have yet to see any evidence of this (unless you consider the BlackBerry deal as fulfilling the latter).
So what gives? Has XM completely abandoned the retail market?
At least Sirius has released the Stiletto 2 and apparently has plans for new receivers like the Stratus 5 and the Starmate 5. Yes, they don't look like leaps in technology, but at least it's something.
Where is XM's new portable radio? Where's the "new Inno"? What the hell is XM thinking?
At one point, I had learned that a "new Inno" was indeed in development - featuring additional buttons and a larger connector. Unsurprisingly, the next-generation device was also to have some RIAA-limiting functionality that would only allow for "disaggregating" of songs recorded individually, not recorded as a channel. But since then, the buzz has gone silent, and I don't know if it's even still in the works.
Now business is business. It's understandable that the current state of retail doesn't support the case to dedicate a large budget to R&D and the release of new devices. But, at some point, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you don't come out with new products, don't be surprised when sales continue to decline.
There's value to further developing sleek new gadgets, even if they don't fly off the shelves. Consider them to be "flagship" products - much like the Corvette is to Chevy, or the Viper is to Dodge. Sure, they don't sell as much as a mini-van, but they keep your company in the top-of-mind - especially with enthusiasts.
A touchscreen portable device with gigs upon gigs of storage may be expensive, and only sell a paltry number of units (though, at a high margin), but it certainly doesn't position your company as being stale.
Don't be like terrestrial radio. Don't relegate your service strictly to vehicles. Don't be isolated to devices that people scoff at. And most importantly, don't allow a merger to get in the way of growing a business.
Thanks for the info. I will work on it.
I don't get it. The Stiletto 2 simply needs a firmware update, and it'll get XM. Why in the hell would XM want to make new XM products? They have no intention of existing, and only still exist because the FCC has dragged this out.
If you want to blame, blame the FCC for being less decisive than an asian woman in traffic.
Was that really Nate? I wouldn't be surprised if he commented on this story. He should.
Ryan, great job.
XM is dedicated to disappointing the customer and shareholder at every turn. Just when you think it can't be possible we had to pay $20 million to exit a contract with Starbucks, we now find $120 million of liquidity socked away for MLB. No new retail products, all bets placed on OEM which is having the worst sales year in a decade, no marketing to speak of. I hope and pray the Sirius deal goes through and EVERY ONE of XM's management is fired the same day.
"According to various sources, the supply of XM Satellite Radio's retail products appears to be running thin, and some products have even run to the end of their life."
This sounds exaclly like HD Radio. Retailers wil not keep products on the shelves for too long, if these products are not selling. Satrad, like HD Radio, will eventually be a bust. Internet Radio is coming this Fall in-dash, so Satrad and HD Radio are just placeholders. Consumers do not like paying for subscriptions for radio, nor do they like paying for new HD radios, for more of the same crap. Satrad is just another form of terrestrial radio.
Just like HD Radio, Satrad will eventually be a bust. The Internet has killed tham all!
I simply don’t see the value in pursuing the retail market with sat rad. It’s simply been destroyed by the IPOD and the FCC. The IPOD allows listeners to move freely, record days of content, listen for many hours before recharging, and is very light. The technology for a radio simply doesn’t allow these features. So that market has gone away.
The FCC denuded sat rad with their reduction in power of the FM Modulators. Now you have to spend 30 bucks on a receiver and 200 having Best Buy hook it up. It simply doesn’t make any since.
Sat rad is now an OEM centered product, the retail market has disappeared to the point it’s hardly worth spending valuable resources on. This is especially true when you consider XM is having to borrow about 170 million dollars to pay for the MLB contract, that vaunted contract has ended up being the biggest boondoggle of all the lousy sat rad deals for both companies.
Sat Rad Retail, RIP
This is exactly why SIRI is a better stock to buy right now; XM doesn't have their act together, and are on a sinking ship. Sirius on the other hand, if they hold out long enough, can have the best of both worlds - if XM goes bankrupt, they can buy the MLB contract and add it to their expansive list of services...SIRI is a steal today at $2.58, people...snatch it up while you still can...
The last line of this post says it all....How can a company in the midst of a billion dollar merge justify the expense associated with the release of a new product to the retail market? Sure i'd love to see it but it just doesn't make sense given the current situation.
Thanks for the info.
I'll ignore it
Yes! They're playing right into our hands!! We've managed to slip a few stuffed envelopes to keep this merger stuck in the mud. They're stuck in neutral!
Signed,
Dave the NAB guy.
Portable devices like the i pod Touch are far superior and once inter net radio takes off, by by satellite radio. The inno has a limited memory and poor battery life so XM needs something new and better.
There is a new portable to be launched by XM in late Q3/early Q4 of this year. 2 versions, mid and higher level. Inno was a clusterf*ck near the end and Pioneer didn't help the cause. TTYL
I'm waiting for a cell phone with full XM functionality. I don't see why Samsung can't combine one of their smart phones (which tend to be fairly cutting edge) and the technology in the Nexus. Dock the phone for live XM, allow recording for portable use. To me this makes a ton of sense for XM.
Why spend a ton of money on new products if interoperability is the way of the future?
"I'm waiting for a cell phone with full XM functionality."
You can't really find this with XM. But. Any Mobile Winders Phone + SiriusWM5 = a cell phone with full Sirius functionality. The XM alternatives can't exist because XM does not stream its full lineup.
To the point: If you're not going to introduce new products, might you keep a few faves in limited production? I adore my SkyFi2 and I like my Inno, limitations notwithstanding. Do I have to keep a few in stock now?
It over for Satrad and HD Radio - both have been trumped by iPods, cell phones, the Internet, and "personalized music services of Slacker, Pandora, and Last.fm.
Sounds to me like XM may have some interoperable or XM/SIRI product that just can't be put on the market until the FCC gets off their fat arse. I also wouldn't be surprised if XM and SIRI have a slew of collaborative projects at the ready with any number of hardware companies that can't get off the ground without the merger's approval. God knows with over a year's worth of waiting that all the engineers have probably figured out a lot of doodads that they're itching to reveal if only given the chance.
Someday ... ???
Doesn't matter. Once my merger goes through and you want an interoperable receiver, the only choice you'll have will be the Sportster 6 or Stiletto 3, and we won't even give you XM plebes a discount on it. Heck, you'll even pay an activation fee if you want SIRI programming!
Brady, you're missing the point of my post. I'm not talking about streaming online content which limits the channels you receive. I'm talking about a fully functional XM receiver. The Nexus uses a dock with the Mini Tuner so there's very little bulk in the actual unit. This would be perfect for a cellphone, since the battery, screen and memory are all existing features of the phone. Besides adding a dock, the hardware issues would be minimal. The next step would be software. Since most people use their XM in their car this would be a perfect convergence device.
Still love my original Inno — my only regret is paying as much as I did, but it was worth it to keep the super FM-transmitter. :)
There's no money for marketing.
There's no money for R&D.
Joe - WHY can't they produce an interoperable receiver without a merger? What is magic about a merger that suddenly a big curtain will come up and reveal all of this mysterious information?
Way back when XM filied a patent for a plug-and-play receiver that would use finger print recognition inplace of buttons - in other words, your pinkie would be 5 / 10, index finger would be 4 / 9, middle finger 3 / 8 and so on. What the hell happened to this device?
I still love the Inno, it blows the Stiletto 2 away. I'm not interested in any portable with the DRM limitations of the Stiletto. The ability to record blocks and delete all songs you don't want rather than deleting an entire block is the single biggest innovation in these receivers. Wifi is nice if the sound quality is there but I've never found myself wishing the Inno had a wifi option. A micro-SD card would also be nice but again, I've never found myself wanting for this. The ability to record and delete at will is the best and this is the only radio from either company to allow this functionality. This was the only upgrade I wanted out of the original MyFi so for me, the Inno is perfect. Come out with a radio that's DRM free with a way to get a signal through a cement wall and you've got me back in the store. Right now, Inno is still the best radio on the market by far. And what's the point of having product at retail when literally no one is buying it?
Hence the need for an open access or open device condition (or whatever its called) - maybe we'd have a cell phone with XM or Sirius capability built in etc.
I love my Inno.
If internet radio has the same reception quality as cell phones, then it is something for the 22nd century.
I love my Inno.
If internet radio has the same reception quality as cell phones, then it is something for the 22nd century.
I love my Inno.
If internet radio has the same reception quality as cell phones, then it is something for the 22nd century.
This is not news. XM tuners have been in poor supply on and off for 2 years now. Walk into any electronics retailer and Sirius will have more units available then XM at any given time. There are so many things broken here at XM that I hope the merger goes through even if I lose my job. So many people have given up here it's ridiculous.
>>>>>>So many people have given up here it's ridiculous.
Of course. A predictable result of a merger which basically discourage and demoralizes all the employees.
It sounds like XM is in some sort of trouble. The quality of the ROADY XT is fine, but is it interoperable with Sirius? Like most things electronic these days, they can be upgraded over the airwaves, like cellphones. I am at this point tired of waiting for a decision from the FCC. I am considering switching over to SIRIUS, and just buy a new radio.
It sounds like XM is in some sort of trouble. The quality of the ROADY XT is fine, but is it interoperable with Sirius? Like most things electronic these days, they can be upgraded over the airwaves, like cellphones. I am at this point tired of waiting for a decision from the FCC. I am considering switching over to SIRIUS, and just buy a new radio.
Why should XM spend big bucks developing and releasing new products when with the merger it might be a whole new game. You can count on it that Mel has not put all of his cards on the table. New technology could be released that could add all sorts of capabilities that the merged company does not want to reveal for fear that they would have to share it with outsided interests currently courting the FCC, i.e. Georgetown Brothers and others. One could say that both XM and Sirius are playing it close to the vest until the ink in dry on a merger agreement. Then and only then will the really good stuff be announced. Things are not going to be the same going forward.
xm must love this news they are selling all their radio's right before the radio's will be completely useless when xm and/or the entire sat radio industry implodes in greed and arrogance. The question is what are the poor suckers (who are buying this soon to be obsolete crap) gonna do? "end of life," is right..... At least Best Buy and Circuit City have stopped selling them a while ago and are making sure when the entire sat radio industry implodes they wont have to the mobs of anger customers.
NO! to "merge" MONOPOLY
Plenty of HD Radio's choices out there in retail
http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_buy_an_hd_radio
HD Digital Radio • IT'S TIME TO UPGRADE! •
HD Digital Radio. It's here. It's local. It's free. DISCOVER IT!
Is that a stolen Inno in the picture?
That IS my stolen Inno in the picture!
You know what is amusing, in light of dwindling inventories for XM?
The FCC decision is now, according to Booyah Cramer, 100 days overdue! Not like that holds any significance.... is it, however, entertaining...just like him.
btw... does anyone know how he came up with his count?
My local Wal-Mart quit selling Sirius and XM altogether . Who is the guy at XM , that is in charge of retail ?
The INNO is listed for sale here at 69.99 right?
IF there was demand for an XM portable, these wouldn't cost less than dirt would they?
My point is, when retail is dropping off the face of the earth, and you are only getting 35% share of that, why bother.
XM is a sinking ship but using their limited resources for auto is the correct business decision hands down. (for once)
No surprise here, if you’re on the verge of going out of business why innovate or produce current non-selling products? Both companies were huffing and puffing but now XM is hunched over with its hands on its knees. Thanks Mr. Martin!
Retail sucks because nobody will buy until the merger is decided. Why pump money into something that nobody is going to buy? Everyone I know who is interested in satellite radio refuses to even consider buying until the merger is over.
What about the bigger picture? XM has been focusing its efforts on the plug-n-play receivers. The newer line of Xpress receivers (R, RC, and to some extent the EZ) are really cool, and blow away the comparable Sirius receivers. To me, the Inno is darn near perfect as a satellite radio receiver.
"HD Digital Radio. It's here. It's local. IT”S FREE."
AND WORTH EVERY PENNY! Haven't you TESTICLE radio DOUCHES realized FREE FM suffered a solid kick in the crotch and all you offer is (H)ardly (D)iscernable radio as a band-aid to sooth it’s wounds.
“We have multiple channels of free (ie valueless content) for your listening enjoyment! “WSUX ….HD …...RADIO”! More crystal clear NOTHING up after these lame ass commercials”! “93.1 KFAG HD RADIO’S finest more after this extended commercial break! WHIV+… HD’s only, only place for the “VIRUS” we’ll be back after a lot of repetitious messages from our sponsors. “WGAY… HD RADIO’s POWER BOTTOM STATION! And now back to our extended commercial break”!
HD RADIO .....MORE OF WHAT YOU’RE NOT LOOKING FOR, SAME LOW PRICE!!!
HD RADIO .....LOCAL LOSERS LISTEN FREE (PLEASE!)
I sold two of my coworkers on the SkyFi2 in the past month, plus I got the refurbed Inno2. I have really enjoyed it, and somehow my office roof is thin enough that I get a sat signal through the damn ceiling. I have no windows or even line of sight to the outdoors in my office, yet I can use the Inno2 indoors (and I'm in a small town nowhere near a repeater either)
I would still like to see ultimate convergence in a device. Throw it all in. Give me a cellphone that uses Blackberry or Windows Mobile, CDMA & GSM (so you can activate it on any carrier), full GPS with NavTraffic and XM Weather reception, and WiFi, for reception and streaming indoors. Use a standard miniUSB power connection, and have it fully interoperable, so I can collect signals from both SDARS, and toss in a 20-40 gig HD. Of course make it microSDHC compatible so I can expand that capability. That would be the ultimate cutting edge unit.
And throw in a battery from a road grader to power it.
Is indecision at the FCC slowly killing XM? --Motley Fool
XM will go bust if they don't merge... and at that point they will be a ripe target for anyone looking to step into the market for nothing (apple, clearchannel, or maybe google will take this).
It is anyones guess what happens next. Sirius could easily place themselves into agreements with all car manufacturers, or perhaps take their business and merge / partner with some internet group to become a Multimedia company. I think the biggest benefit in to a stockholder is Mel's ability to think beyond just subscribers, and as a result can make SIRI into another Viacom for new media.
His biggest enemies:
- This merger whether it goes through or not, it paralyzes his ability to move forward (its like having sold options on a stock which is slightly out of the money and you dont know how to play it)
- Howard Stern, who needs to be present in some capacity on 100 and 101 for the next 10 years to keep Sirius viable and subs from dropping.
- Debt, which at this point can nearly be paid off, but remains paralyzed by this merger
The irony of the NAB and all the Opportunistic Special Interests push is:
- iPods and Internet radio will ultimately make terrestrial radio completely irrevelant and all of the NABs members will have spent a fortune on the wrong battle.
- All of the minority programming which is being tossed around will be irrelevant as no NON-Subscribers will be interested in buying tuners, so it really becomes a complete waste of spectrum
The FCC is actually in the worst boat:
- Regardless of the outcome, the FCC will surely face some class action suit for destroying stockholder equity due to incompetence.
If you believe you cannot sue Federal Agencies, you are really not a student of history: A group of American Indians in 1996 remain to this day in a lawsuit for over $100B with the Bureau of Indian Affairs which ultimately resulted in perjury charges against two agency heads. Also places like Foxwoods are the direct result of lawsuits smaller than this.
Or more recently: Washington, D.C., March 11, 2008 – A coalition led by the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and supported by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.), today asked a federal court to prevent the Bush Administration from implementing a proposed Medicaid regulation that would cut $5 billion in funding to safety net hospitals.
I could go on, but the only ones poised to win in this entire contest in any capacity is Sirius. So savvy investors who HAVE to own Sat Radio interests, go to SIRI.
Dickhead Dan Murphy is the idiot in charge of retail marketing with XM. Don't understand why they would take the RoadyXT off the market, but continue to sell that crappy EZ. My local BB and CC have plenty of satrad junk, the Wally World here has Sirius stuffed every where in electronics trying to get rid of the crap (even saw a Visor) and one lone XM Audiovox XpressEZ. If you're gonna have a retail program, you should have someone in charge who knows retail.
Nate, I thought the judge told you to stop playing with your Inno in public!
The “bigger” picture shows XM can focus all the effort in the world on Plug & PRAY and still not sell it. The newer line of non-selling XM receivers lead the market in lack of sales. Who needs sales when your stuff is cool, after all sales are for viable companies? To me the Inno is the best non-selling device you know of.
How is FCC indecision effecting any potential R&D for both companies? These companies could potentially be over a year down the road in the wrong direction. Compound this with weakening subs, tight credit market and rising costs. This does not play out well.
The longer the FCC drags this out, the worst it is for these companies. Some decision, any decision, will at least position these companies where they can begin to execute. The FCC literally has them by the nuts. They aren't moving to the right, left or forward.
Stack, you could make those options able to be powered off and on much like current phones. Hell the Bushnell Onix 400 does most of these things already, just not the phone portion.
Obviously all of that shit running at once is not going to last for a few minutes on a conventional battery. But if your using navigation, your probably going to have it on your car dock (charging) and could even talk on it with bluetooth without having to take it off the cradle. If your mobile, you'll be on the phone, probably browsing the net, on WiFi, and likely at times listening to live or downloaded content. Your probably not navigating, so those features can be off, or able to be powered off.
Besides, to think that battery technology will not expand is ludicrous. If you could afford to converge all of this into one major unit, you could probably afford to spend some money on higher end batteries instead of the cheap shit that cell companies are slinging out on these disposable cellphones and cheap ass mp3 players.
I feel for your Ryan. Cleaning up these stupid posts.
Anyway. I agree with most. I have the Inno and Stiletto.
Aside from the lack for memory on both the XM and MP3 side. It is the BEST radio out there. The Stiletto is ok. JUST ok. Signal is crap. Can SINGLE record for only 10 hrs, the rest is in BLOCKS. I canceled my Sirius account over half a year ago. The Inno is still king!
But ,
An add on and a FW upgrade would allow the Inno more memory. Focus on accessories for whats out there now.
Wait on new radios till the merger is approved or denied. EXPAND on what exists now. Revitalise interests in these XM products.
The Inno is a great device. Im not sure what they need to do to improve it, other than battery life, and possibly better reception (if possible). But It really is great. And didnt the new color Express model just come out 6 months ago? How can they be out of supply already?
I think we're really starting to see the effects of what the NAB & FCC's in-decision has done. If something isn't decided in the month of June, I'm afraid it might be too late to save either company, regardless what kind of decision they come up with. Reality is starting to set in, that's for sure.
Sirius will be just fine. So will XM, as long as the merger is approved.
>> Besides, to think that battery technology will not expand is ludicrous.
Nobody said battery technology won't improve. When it does, you can do lots of things. Like build electric 18-wheelers.
But today, nobody wants a cell phone with a battery that is gone in a couple of hours because they listened to XM for those couple hours.
It must be so depressing for Ryan to wake up day after day and see the never ending depths of ignorance and naieveity www.Orbitcast.com has become. This thread alone shows still more blind, ignorant satradio fanboys stuck in the fact that this situation sirius and xm are in is of their own doing:
The "merge" aka MONOPOLY is quick grab for cash for management, a "merge" isn''t going to help either company in the long or short term, a "merge" isn't going to be positive for consumers in the long or short term. This "merge" scheme hatched for a quick payoff from a industry which is obviously failing, never making any money, and is one step from the grave with or without "merge". Thats what failing corporations do, management takes steps, puts out alot of BS to the press (which blind, ignorant, fanboys take as truth hook, line and sinker)
If there is no current product available in retail "merge" or NO! "merge" MONOPOLY there is little either company is doing to try to advance it's subscribers aka the life blood of a subscription service. There MUST be plenty of available product on store shelves at all times.
The FCC is doing it's JOB, everyone but the blind, ignorant satradio fanboys know a "merge" MONOPOLY is not only a bad idea, against the FCC's operation agreements with both sat radio companies, and if allowed to happen will ultimately destroy the entire satradio industry. The satradio industry is where it is due to positive direct competition between the companies., this is a major positive for both companies and consumers, yet due to poor management plans and performance the cash isn't flowing into Mel's pockets as fast as he'd like. Weekly management missteps continues to retard growth, aka $ale$, aka the bottom line. Mel is a smart guy, he see's the entire satradio industry soap bubble is about to burst and Mel's in a race with the "merge" MONOPOLY for a quick payoff before the entire industry implodes.
NO! to "merge" MONOPOLY
Bury me with my inno, still gripped with my cold, clenched fist.
Oral and Anus suck!
Sounds like you have a personal problem Howard, see a doctor before it gets worse, and don't scratch it!
Ron and Fezzie noon to 3
The Inno is the the BEST. some improvements needed, but still the best thing out there
"Brady, you're missing the point of my post. I'm not talking about streaming online content which limits the channels you receive. I'm talking about a fully functional XM receiver..."
Yeah, but I can get Sirius on my phone.
"Brady, you're missing the point of my post. I'm not talking about streaming online content which limits the channels you receive. I'm talking about a fully functional XM receiver..."
Yeah, but I can get Sirius on my phone.
[ end thesegoto11 ]
"Oral and Anus suck!"
Posted by: HOWARD4EVA
Howard4eva are you single??? We are into the same thing
Why isn't XM developing any new products? Because their programming is godawful! I finally gave up trying to find anything interesting to listen to on XM--and waiting for the merger--and converted my OEM to Sirius. The content is light-years better on every level.
"Why isn't XM developing any new products? Because their programming is godawful! I finally gave up trying to find anything interesting to listen to on XM--and waiting for the merger--and converted my OEM to Sirius. The content is light-years better on every level.
Posted by: Shit Stacker |"
That from a guy named "Shit Stacker". With a name like that -he's got to know what he's talking about
Why not just listen to FM? Same playlists as Sirius.
Why aren't they developing anymore retail? Considering retail king Hoo Hoo raked in a meager 2,500 retail subs this quarter, it is a major cash drain for both companies. With XM's OEM deals ramping up that's where the growth is. There is no growth in retail.
I guess this confirms what I've heard from Best Buy employees regarding the removal of satellite radio from the endcap in car audio. Perhaps this is the sign that the retailer has decided to devote the space to a better use. I've heard but have not confirmed that the real estate is going to be used for GPS - which istself has become a commodity wih saturation nearly completed.
While satellite radio may not stop being sold by BB, I've been told that it is being sent to the head unit wall, where no profits are ever made as car manufacturers make it harder and less necessary to replace the factory unit.
Interesting.
If it was Nate it shows he is just like panero--he should be aware of this with out reading it here and he is busy appearing with losers like the oprah friends who were 35 million down the drain. BTW why did you take down Nate and the black friends of oprah losers picture? Too many negative comments
If it was Nate it shows he is just like panero--he should be aware of this with out reading it here and he is busy appearing with losers like the oprah friends who were 35 million down the drain. BTW why did you take down Nate and the black friends of oprah losers picture? Too many negative comments
If it was Nate it shows he is just like panero--he should be aware of this with out reading it here and he is busy appearing with losers like the oprah friends who were 35 million down the drain. BTW why did you take down Nate and the black friends of oprah losers picture? Too many negative comments