sat radio help needed

[svt4stv]

hey all,
its been awhile since i got my hands "dirty" in the audio department so i may be out of the loop on current stuff.

my gf's bday is tomorrow. she really wants sat radio for her long commute to/from work. i want to buy her a new head unit.

stupid question, and im not finding too much info in my short amount of time ive had to browse, do they come with built in transmitters now? in the radio? do any come WITH them? or do they still have to be purchased separately like in the old days, and added to the radio.

also, xm and sirius are ONE and the same now arent they? i looked at best buy's website and i see them selling units for each. same service/subscriptions? or different? :shrug:

TIA!

 

[mmc757]

Separate receiver is pretty much always necessary. You can choose between a portable unit that would be inside the cab somewhere or the permanent unit that you hide inside the dash somewhere.
Sirius bought XM but complicated the subscription plans so its more like a cable company now...different packages based on how much you want to spend. If you can swing it, go for the lifetime subscription...youll be glad later on when price increases dont impact you. If you dont see lifetime plans on the website, call them up and ask about it.
You definitely want your satellite hardwired into your radio...DO NOT skimp out and get the FM transmitter. Most HU's have the input for it built in, just make sure the one you buy does.

 

[CSVT_2004]

hey all,
its been awhile since i got my hands "dirty" in the audio department so i may be out of the loop on current stuff.

my gf's bday is tomorrow. she really wants sat radio for her long commute to/from work. i want to buy her a new head unit.

stupid question, and im not finding too much info in my short amount of time ive had to browse, do they come with built in transmitters now? in the radio? do any come WITH them? or do they still have to be purchased separately like in the old days, and added to the radio.

also, xm and sirius are ONE and the same now arent they? i looked at best buy's website and i see them selling units for each. same service/subscriptions? or different? :shrug:

TIA!

ALPINE makes 2 units that we carry (Best Buy) that come with the XM receiver. One is in store and online, the other is online only. CDE-124SXM is the instore/online one. Subscriptions will be fairly similar, we use XM in the bay and I like it. Headover to Sirius's and xm's websites and you should be able to print out channel guides for each. Find which ones you like and buy accordingly, if you need sirius you'll have to go another route. These days I'd just recommend buying a cheap radio and standalone sat radio, that way you can take the sat to different vehicles and boom boxes for beaches. Cheap radio with aux input will allow for direct audio (Best quality) over FM modulation. Nothing wrong with FM mod, but at the prices audio equipment is these days, it doesn't hurt to do it. Plus you can use the aux input for other devices like phones running I <3 Radio, Pandora, etc, etc.