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Subscribe to SiriusXM radio or not?

Discussion in 'Prius v Audio and Electronics' started by pardreamer, Aug 21, 2012.

  1. pardreamer

    pardreamer Member

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    I got my Prius v in June and now it is near the end of the trial period for Sirius XM. Most of the time I listen to NPR but ocassionally I do listen to music and PGA tour. Did any of you sign up for the subscription and your reasons for doing so. If not, what are your reasons?

    I haven't spet enough time listening to these digital channels yet but most (Oprah, Dr. XXX, ...) do not interest me. Are there stations similar to Discovery or History channels for TVs?
     
  2. shilgadiack

    shilgadiack Junior Member

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    I took the special subscription they gave. If you hold out till almost the end they will give you special deals (better than the first letter that they send you). Not sure why I subscribed. I listen to several different music stations that typically do not have commercials. But, I have the similar stations for free in my area. I may not renew the account next year unless they give me another really good deal. It does make it nice on long trips that you don't have to continue to search for local stations.
     
  3. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I have gotten the 1/2 price deal each of the 3 times that I have signed up and renewed. Around $90 per year. It would not be worth the full price to me.

    I like The Bridge channel 32, the lighter side of rock and mainly 60's and 70's music. Most of all I like the no commercial interruptions. I can drive across the country and never change stations.

    I also like the sports channels and the sports scoreboards.
     
  4. GerryL

    GerryL Master Model Railroader

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    Waste of money in my book. I listen to podcasts through my iPod to and from work, and when I run out of those, I've got, like, 800 years of music on the iPod. So why pay for music I don't necessarily want or like?
     
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  5. namvijnas

    namvijnas Junior Member

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    i got the six month deal for 24.99 i think. Music's good and i dont have to futz with the iphone. Its a personal preferance. Overall with HD radio/multicast you dont really need it.Def not a must have. I quite enjoy the quality..seems much better than FM in fidelity.
     
  6. jtiptonca

    jtiptonca New Member

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    We've had Sirius radio in every car since Sirius came into existence. I listen to about 10 different channels regularly. If you like NPR then you'll get it everywhere, not just where an FM station broadcasts it. And you get the whole day's worth, not what most Public Radio stations give you. Also, if you like specialty music types you get them, with no commercials. I also listen to MSNBC and CNN as well as get my SEC games every week during the season.

    If they offer a cheap subscription I'll take it, although I've already set up a new account for the XM radio in my Prius V Three, since you cannot have an XM radio on a Sirius account (seems rather silly to me since they are now one company, but that's the policy). I'll have to call and complain that they want to charge me a bunch of money that they charge much less for to others who've taken the subscription.

    Bottom line... I wouldn't be without my satellite radio. I travel a lot and I get the satellite option on my Hertz cars...and I always know what to listen to.
     
  7. Gun owning Prius driver

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  8. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    National Public Radio
     
  9. tebaho

    tebaho New Member

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    definitely a question of taste and willingness to pay for what's important to you. had XM for the seven years i owned my Acura TL, and enjoyed it - but that was pre-retirement, that meant listening to CNN during my commute, which I often did. irritating (understatement), is auto-renew deal you agree to with paid subscription. there was a workaround for that - paying by check - but Sirius/XM have kinda foiled that, with an equally, additionally annoying $2.00 surcharge for checks. it's an expensive service when we can twist a dial or plug-in a smartphone and get stations we like or music we obviously enjoy via the smartphone route. i just don't like that ripped-off feeling with the auto-renew thing, so i'm not paying for a subscription.

    FYI - i got a six-months free, one-year for $86, (ok, plus taxes/fees making that $110.67), so that's out there.

    As far as finding NPR without herniating one's fingertip in driving in strange territory ...there's a free Ap, at least for iPhones: npr finder.
     
  10. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    I've been commercial free since 2004 on TV and radio. I pay full price because it is worth it for all 5 vehicle subscriptions and 1 internet subscription. I am never without it. I would rather pay the cheap monthly fee and continue to receive it, then haggle them down like other freeloaders to the point they can't launch new birds or hire new talent. I am never going back to terrestrial radio or commercials on my TV. I would gladly pay extra for my TV service to just chop off the commercials for me so I don't have to record and then replay with a skip. But that is a pie in the sky dream as Dish Network found out with their ad skipping box that got squashed by the networks.
     
  11. Blu-ray

    Blu-ray Blizzard Brigade #215

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    I just renewed. I like channels 8, 9, 15, and 52 the most. I like NO COMMERCIALS! I hate them... :mad:
     
  12. TC400

    TC400 Active Member

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    I passed. AM/FM/BT/HD USB AUX are enough for me. At least in the c. IDK if the v is different I think paying for radio is not very smart.
     
  13. css28

    css28 Senior Member

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    A Sirius subscriber for the past eight years, it's all about commercial free music channels for me.
    I don't often do long road trips but when I have, it's been perfect.
     
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  14. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    I didn't even bother to finish a 6 month very inexpensive trial with Sirius. I found the incessant commercials adverting their own services and shows extremely annoying, and I soon found myself listening to the same content re-broadcast.

    Perhaps music channels are better, but I have my own music collection on a thumb USB drive for that preference.
     
  15. TC400

    TC400 Active Member

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    I agree with the re broadcast especially with the comedy channels.
     
  16. schinia

    schinia Member

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    i listen to radio classics, and book radio. very expensive for that. will not subscribe again. everything today is money, and no full time jobs.
     
  17. labell

    labell Junior Member

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    Is it a separate subscription for each vehicle?
     
  18. Chazz8

    Chazz8 Gadget Lover

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    It's a separate subscription for each Radio unit. That is why the portable XM radio units that can go from the car into your home are popular. If you buy a lifetime subscription for your radio it stays with the radio unit and presumably goes with the vehicle when you sell it, unless you have a spare radio to swap in.
     
  19. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    We have grandchildren in Winston-Salem which is about a 250 mile drive across the state. I love the XM radio particularly for this drive. No commercials and never having to try to find another station. On days of ball games one of the XM sports channels typically will have it on so I can keep up with the scores.

    When we drive my wife's car it drives me nuts constantly having to search for another FM station.
     
  20. Offline

    Offline Active Member

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    We let the Prius trial XM subscription expire three months ago and asked to be on the SiriusXM "do not contact" list when our low-ball renewal offer was declined.

    Tunein internet radio ( TuneIn: Listen to Online Radio, Music and Talk Stations ) does everything we want when it comes to radio ... good sound quality, all our local Kansas City metro radio stations, NPR, CNN, etc. - 70,000 radio stations from around the world - wherever we are as long as we have decent cell phone service. So far, that has not been a issue but I assume it would be for those who live/drive in mountainous or remote areas.

    I don't know how much "data" Tunein uses on its own since I stream a LOT from it, Pandora, Slacker, etc. but I have yet to reach 2GB of data usage on my phone in one month -- that includes all the other Internet stuff and emailing I do. (I do not watch cat videos!)

    I was hoping that Toyota would "open up" its Entune/Enform systems to much more than the current offerings ... at a very minimum add Yelp like it did on Lexus Enform. Entune/Enform is starting to seem irrelevant and its user interface, courtesy of RIM/Blackberry, could be much better. This is what Entune/Enform should have been: Video,Audio Information Solutions for Toyota and Lexus (iPod/iPhone/iPad, Android, USB, XM/Sirius SAT Radio, Video integration)