XM or Sirius Dealer Installed?
07-09-06, 05:28 AM
#18
Lexus Test Driver
Sirius gains on XM
By Paul Bond
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Opie & Anthony, even with a forthcoming assist from Oprah Winfrey, are proving no match for the marketing juggernaut that is Howard Stern.
Sirius Satellite Radio, home to Stern, said Thursday that it added 600,460 new subscribers during the second quarter, a 64 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Rival XM Satellite Radio added 398,000 users, representing a 38 percent drop in its year-over-year growth.
XM chief executive Hugh Panero said subscriber additions were muted by "product availability and overall softness in the retail channel." He expressed confidence, though, that Winfrey's addition -- by way of the Oprah & Friends channel due in September -- should reinvigorate growth.
While Sirius beat analyst estimates of adding about 555,000 subs in the quarter, XM missed estimates of about 408,000 subs. XM, though, remains the industry leader with 6.89 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter, compared with 4.7 million at Sirius.
Sirius has been gaining rapidly on rival XM since Stern began hyping Sirius more than a year ago. XM responded to the Stern effect by making its often raunchy show starring Opie & Anthony, previously a premium product, free to all XM subscribers and, in an industry first, simulcasting the less-offending portion of the show over the airwaves via CBS Radio.
Sirius has forecast that it will end the year with 6.2 million subscribers, and XM has indicated it will end the year with 8.5 million subs.
Investors, who have been chipping away at shares of Sirius and XM all year, seemed unimpressed with XM again Thursday, bidding shares down 2.6 percent to $14.11. Shares of Sirius advanced 1.1 percent to $4.53.
Shares of XM are off 48.3 percent so far this year; Sirius shares are down 32.4 percent. Continued...
On a net add basis, this is the third quarter in a row that Sirius has added more than 55 percent of the industry subs," said Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck, who predicts a good third quarter for Sirius when it benefits from NFL-related promotions. Sirius is the exclusive satellite-radio home of the NFL, while XM is the exclusive sat-radio home for Major League Baseball.
Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett seemed more bullish on both companies, writing in a research note Thursday: "Broadly speaking, in any dupoply subscription business, there is a tremendously strong pull toward 50-50 market share."
While recommending that clients buy shares of both companies, Moffett said he favors XM because of "the relative valuation gap" in shares. Sirius, the smaller in terms of sub count, sports a market capitalization of $6.36 billion to XM's $3.65 billion.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Opie & Anthony, even with a forthcoming assist from Oprah Winfrey, are proving no match for the marketing juggernaut that is Howard Stern.
Sirius Satellite Radio, home to Stern, said Thursday that it added 600,460 new subscribers during the second quarter, a 64 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Rival XM Satellite Radio added 398,000 users, representing a 38 percent drop in its year-over-year growth.
XM chief executive Hugh Panero said subscriber additions were muted by "product availability and overall softness in the retail channel." He expressed confidence, though, that Winfrey's addition -- by way of the Oprah & Friends channel due in September -- should reinvigorate growth.
While Sirius beat analyst estimates of adding about 555,000 subs in the quarter, XM missed estimates of about 408,000 subs. XM, though, remains the industry leader with 6.89 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter, compared with 4.7 million at Sirius.
Sirius has been gaining rapidly on rival XM since Stern began hyping Sirius more than a year ago. XM responded to the Stern effect by making its often raunchy show starring Opie & Anthony, previously a premium product, free to all XM subscribers and, in an industry first, simulcasting the less-offending portion of the show over the airwaves via CBS Radio.
Sirius has forecast that it will end the year with 6.2 million subscribers, and XM has indicated it will end the year with 8.5 million subs.
Investors, who have been chipping away at shares of Sirius and XM all year, seemed unimpressed with XM again Thursday, bidding shares down 2.6 percent to $14.11. Shares of Sirius advanced 1.1 percent to $4.53.
Shares of XM are off 48.3 percent so far this year; Sirius shares are down 32.4 percent. Continued...
On a net add basis, this is the third quarter in a row that Sirius has added more than 55 percent of the industry subs," said Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck, who predicts a good third quarter for Sirius when it benefits from NFL-related promotions. Sirius is the exclusive satellite-radio home of the NFL, while XM is the exclusive sat-radio home for Major League Baseball.
Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett seemed more bullish on both companies, writing in a research note Thursday: "Broadly speaking, in any dupoply subscription business, there is a tremendously strong pull toward 50-50 market share."
While recommending that clients buy shares of both companies, Moffett said he favors XM because of "the relative valuation gap" in shares. Sirius, the smaller in terms of sub count, sports a market capitalization of $6.36 billion to XM's $3.65 billion.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
07-30-06, 05:57 AM
#19
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We have an RX400h with Levinson sound and asked the dealer to install XM radio a couple months ago. The dealer said it was an aftermarket system, but would integrate with the existing radio. $750 including installation. Seemed rather high, but had no other options. The system was from a company called VAISTech. It does integrate with the existing system and I can use my steering wheel controls, but the functionality is very limited. The REAL problem with this system is its performance. It stinks! My portable XM Roady with antenna hanging on the roof provided better reception. This system must not have much of a buffer, because any little tree branch I pass or sometimes even a house on the southern side of the road, and the signal drops out.
I had the dealer relocate the antenna, but had no better results. If this is what your dealer is offering, PASS! Try to get a factory replacement system. Might cost more, but it can't be as bad as this one.
I had the dealer relocate the antenna, but had no better results. If this is what your dealer is offering, PASS! Try to get a factory replacement system. Might cost more, but it can't be as bad as this one.
Last edited by criddick; 07-30-06 at 06:01 AM.
08-01-06, 11:47 PM
#20
Pole Position
Thread Starter
I must disagree ....
I had the VAISTech XM adapter installed in my 2006 RX400h and have been very happy with it. It connects with the Terk XM radio unit with a very small antenna mounted on the rear center of the roof. Performance is great. The only time I lose the satellite signal is driving through heavy trees, and even then it's rare for the signal to drop. It never drops when driving under overpasses. The only goofy thing is that the Lexus radio display shows "TAT" instead of "SAT" when in satellite mode. VAISTech is about to release a version for Sirius as well ... more info at their web site.
I had the VAISTech XM adapter installed in my 2006 RX400h and have been very happy with it. It connects with the Terk XM radio unit with a very small antenna mounted on the rear center of the roof. Performance is great. The only time I lose the satellite signal is driving through heavy trees, and even then it's rare for the signal to drop. It never drops when driving under overpasses. The only goofy thing is that the Lexus radio display shows "TAT" instead of "SAT" when in satellite mode. VAISTech is about to release a version for Sirius as well ... more info at their web site.
Originally Posted by crid****
We have an RX400h with Levinson sound and asked the dealer to install XM radio a couple months ago. The dealer said it was an aftermarket system, but would integrate with the existing radio. $750 including installation. Seemed rather high, but had no other options. The system was from a company called VAISTech. It does integrate with the existing system and I can use my steering wheel controls, but the functionality is very limited. The REAL problem with this system is its performance. It stinks! My portable XM Roady with antenna hanging on the roof provided better reception. This system must not have much of a buffer, because any little tree branch I pass or sometimes even a house on the southern side of the road, and the signal drops out.
I had the dealer relocate the antenna, but had no better results. If this is what your dealer is offering, PASS! Try to get a factory replacement system. Might cost more, but it can't be as bad as this one.
I had the dealer relocate the antenna, but had no better results. If this is what your dealer is offering, PASS! Try to get a factory replacement system. Might cost more, but it can't be as bad as this one.
08-02-06, 04:00 AM
#21
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by litzdog911
I must disagree ....
I had the VAISTech XM adapter installed in my 2006 RX400h and have been very happy with it. It connects with the Terk XM radio unit with a very small antenna mounted on the rear center of the roof. Performance is great. The only time I lose the satellite signal is driving through heavy trees, and even then it's rare for the signal to drop. It never drops when driving under overpasses. The only goofy thing is that the Lexus radio display shows "TAT" instead of "SAT" when in satellite mode. VAISTech is about to release a version for Sirius as well ... more info at their web site.
I had the VAISTech XM adapter installed in my 2006 RX400h and have been very happy with it. It connects with the Terk XM radio unit with a very small antenna mounted on the rear center of the roof. Performance is great. The only time I lose the satellite signal is driving through heavy trees, and even then it's rare for the signal to drop. It never drops when driving under overpasses. The only goofy thing is that the Lexus radio display shows "TAT" instead of "SAT" when in satellite mode. VAISTech is about to release a version for Sirius as well ... more info at their web site.
08-02-06, 05:46 AM
#22
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So now I'm wondering if the dealer installed it properly -- maybe spliced the antenna wire somewhere? Also, the antenna we got with ours was about 1-3/4" x 2-1/4". It was a lot bigger than the small one I had with my portable XM unit - less than an inch square.
Other problem is that they didn't give me access to the VAIS Tech Aux port for my iPod! The install is so hidden, I can't access the rear of the unit to plug in an RCA cable.
Other problem is that they didn't give me access to the VAIS Tech Aux port for my iPod! The install is so hidden, I can't access the rear of the unit to plug in an RCA cable.
08-02-06, 02:25 PM
#23
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Agreed .... hopefully your installer will stand behind their work and make it right for you. It should work better. I wonder if the used the standard Terk XM receiver for your installation? Mine came with a very small magnetic disk antenna. Any my installer mounted a 1/8" mini jack at the bottom of the Lexus console so that I can easily plug in my iPod or other auxilliary audio device.
Originally Posted by crid****
So now I'm wondering if the dealer installed it properly -- maybe spliced the antenna wire somewhere? Also, the antenna we got with ours was about 1-3/4" x 2-1/4". It was a lot bigger than the small one I had with my portable XM unit - less than an inch square.
Other problem is that they didn't give me access to the VAIS Tech Aux port for my iPod! The install is so hidden, I can't access the rear of the unit to plug in an RCA cable.
Other problem is that they didn't give me access to the VAIS Tech Aux port for my iPod! The install is so hidden, I can't access the rear of the unit to plug in an RCA cable.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
AlBoston
GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011)
2
06-19-07 12:51 AM
