major channel lineup changes August 13th,2015

[w6pea]

It gets worse all the time. (sound quality) it used to not blank out when i would drive under the freeway (interstate) bridge, Now if yo stop under the bridge, then when you pull out from there, it goes automatically to the preview channel(that sucks big time)
Try calling cuss some more service it like calling the three stooges. .

 

[fayrich]

Can hardly wait til I call on the 13th to cancel. I expect that they will make it very difficult to do.

 

[EarDemon]

Regarding Escape (Beautiful Music)---It is Orchestral such as Mantovani, Percy Faith and others from the 50s and 60s mostly. And ballad singers such as Andy Williams, Tony Bennett and many others. No Rock, Rap and such. Some might refer to it as "elevator music", but it includes singers (real ones). As you can tell, I absolutely hate todays crap and listen only to music preferred by those of my age. But alas, apparently we don't count anymore.

Thanks for the description. Defiantly doesn't sound like my kind of tuneage. Not into classical, instrumental, opera or any of what I call 'high class' music in any way, shape or form unless it's something hard like Trans-Siberian Orchestra or Metallica's S&M. Something I can bang my head to and rock out with. I'm in my early 30's and occasionally listen to 50's on 5 and 60's on 6 but I like the more rockin sing along stuff from the likes of The Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Neil Diamond, Herman's Hermits. A few years ago I got pulled over by a cop for 'excessive swerving' while I was singing and dancing while driving to Buddy Knox's Party Doll which I believe came out in 1957. I grew up listening to that kind of music with my parents who grew up in that era. It got boring after a while, especially if you're like me and don't particularly care for the two biggest names from back then. Elvis and The Beatles. These days I can take the old stuff in small doses, when I want to switch it up from my usual Octane, Liquid Metal, Bone Yard and Prime Country.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

With every change they make Satellite Radio gets less and less interesting for me.

If I didn't have a lifetime subscription I would cancel.

 

[Asket]

I find myself listening to only one channel as well: 68. This plays New Age, mysteriously stuck in the Jazz genre. Only one channel number away from Escape! I wonder if I'm next.

Not yet but the sound quality on 68 is already so bad that it cannot be listened to. It gets bumped for "Christmas music"
a bad sign. Watercolors is also bad sound. The 40s Channel has some good stuff but the inane audio comments tend to ruin it. Velvet is a mystery but could be soft AC. Beautiful Rock or Orchestral rock are not represented at all. If you don't know what beautiful Music is give it a listen while it is still there on 69. Alternatives on line AccuRadio, Crystal, Scala, JBFM (Eclectic AC) and Brasilia Super Radio. Unfortunately SPA 68 is meditational music and I don't know any others but AccuRadio may have something. 69 escape is supposed to be on 751 online.
Most others are so bad no one knows the sound is atrocious.

 

[TheKrell]

Not yet but the sound quality on 68 is already so bad that it cannot be listened to.

I think SXM must use statistical multiplexing, because most if not all of the music channels I have listened to, vary in audio quality second by second. You are right; 68 is sometimes ghastly, but at other times OK. I use it to get new ideas for CD or MP3 purchases, i.e. to discover new music or remind myself of old music I had forgotten about. I can't stand the incessant commercials on FM, so I never listen to them to get ideas.

 

[harshness]

The 40s Channel has some good stuff but the inane audio comments tend to ruin it.

One person's inane is another person's background information that adds appreciably to the understanding of the musician and their music. Music without context isn't as meaningful as it could be.

 

[Asket]

I think SXM must use statistical multiplexing, because most if not all of the music channels I have listened to, vary in audio quality second by second. You are right; 68 is sometimes ghastly, but at other times OK. I use it to get new ideas for CD or MP3 purchases, i.e. to discover new music or remind myself of old music I had forgotten about. I can't stand the incessant commercials on FM, so I never listen to them to get ideas.

I have noticed that especially with regard to the selection being played, Also when the sun is high in the sky the distortion increases dramatically. Accu Radio is out of Chicago and is a streaming service with wide selection. JBFM is a broadcast station out of Rio with an unusual selelection of tunes. Fantastic sound quality. Just do a search. There is another satellite service I believe is DMX which is available on C band. Has some music you would like and no distortion but there is brief solar outage at certain times. This may change but SXM no longer lists a channel switch for Escape to 751 or such. Comes up as no information available.

 

[Asket]

One person's inane is another person's background information that adds appreciably to the understanding of the musician and their music. Music without context isn't as meaningful as it could be.

I would agree with you but this is just nonsense with fakey 1940 imitation voices. Since I was alive in the forties and listened to the radio back then I would say the music presented is accurate but the announcers were very professional and provided the info you suggest.

 

[Tampa8]

One person's inane is another person's background information that adds appreciably to the understanding of the musician and their music. Music without context isn't as meaningful as it could be.

It's what makes the Decades channels the most listened to by myself and many others. (Older info but a few years back the 60's channels was one of the most listened to music channels, followed by the 70's I don't have up to date info)

 

[jegrant]

My understanding is that the Sirius system does use statistical multiplexing, but that the XM system does rely on fixed bitrates per channel, which, however, can be changed frequently with no disruption to listeners. At times, they have compressed the CBC Radio One channel on 169 down to 8k, which was almost impossible to listen to, but that usually only happens when there are too many (in my opinion) live sports happening at the same time.

 

[TheKrell]

My car radio, and my daughter's car radio, both claim to be "SiriusXM". But my understanding is that my Chrysler is using Sirius-only technology, while my daughter's Hyunda is using XM-only technology. So, I think I'm missing out on the reputedly better sound quality of XM, but have a fancy schmancy tuner that listens to 2 sats and 1 terrestrial transmitter at once. I'm surprised I ever hear dropouts! But alas, I do.

Have you ever seen a table of car manufacturers vs satellite technology used?

 

[EarDemon]

You mean like this?

https://www.siriusxm.com/vehicleavailability

I believe Chrysler and Nissan are the only two manufactures that use Sirius XM hardware. All of the other vehicle manufactures use the platform they originally aligned with pre-merger.

 

[Bobby]

Trust me on this. XM sound quality sucks big time as well....

 

[TheKrell]

You mean like this?

https://www.siriusxm.com/vehicleavailability

I believe Chrysler and Nissan are the only two manufactures that use Sirius XM hardware. All of the other vehicle manufactures use the platform they originally aligned with pre-merger.

Well, I was hoping to have a more compact/easy way of referring to manufacturers, rather than fiddling with the drop down list including year, make, and model. And what's "Sirius XM hardware"? A radio that has both kinds of tuner in it? If so, I'm pretty sure my Chrysler does not have both, but rather only Sirius.

 

[EarDemon]

That's probably as close and as accurate as you're going to get. GM, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Hyundai are the big ones that aligned with XM at the beginning, especially GM being an initial investor/partner. Ford, Daimler Chrysler, BMW, VW were big ones for Sirius. For the most part, as the auto industry changed and some of the foreign auto makers lost the backing of the domestics, things pretty much stayed the same. Mazda, Volo and Jag stuck with Sirius from the Ford days, Mercedes and Chrysler each also stuck with Sirius from the DCX days. Hyundai is an exception. Hyundai uses XM hardware and Kia uses Sirius.

Yes, my understanding is Sirius XM hardware can receive signal from both sets of satellites. Although I'm not really sure how that would work and which system channel tuning is defaulted to. In the Drop down if you choose a 2015 Ram 1500, it says SiriusXM Satellite Radio underneath the Audio Programming section. If you select a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country it says Sirius Satellite Radio.

 

[Asket]

I think SXM must use statistical multiplexing, because most if not all of the music channels I have listened to, vary in audio quality second by second. You are right; 68 is sometimes ghastly, but at other times OK. I use it to get new ideas for CD or MP3 purchases, i.e. to discover new music or remind myself of old music I had forgotten about. I can't stand the incessant commercials on FM, so I never listen to them to get ideas.

I did check and AccuRadio does have the SPA(68) and several similar stations under new age. It is similar and sound is better. Free Service.

 

[TheKrell]

Internet radio may be great at home, and you can't beat "free". But satellite radio works even when I drive off into the hinterlands and have zero reception on my phone. I often do that (nearly every weekend).

 

[Asket]

Internet radio may be great at home, and you can't beat "free". But satellite radio works even when I drive off into the hinterlands and have zero reception on my phone. I often do that (nearly every weekend).

Your right about that regarding satellite radio. Escape was the only service on XM I know of that pointed out that they could be received anywhere in North America and celebrated with special music for holidays in various countries. We are losing the best to the mini boob tube crowd unfotunately.

 

[fayrich]

Agree with that Asket. Will be cancelling service after many years in a few days. But I have a 2nd internet radio on the way from Amazon. It will replace the XM radio in the bedroom. Now I have to figure out what to do with 2 XM radios with remotes, boombox, home kit and car kit.???? All in good working order.