I want to get J.J. a satellite radio for his car - but it seems I have to decide in advance whether I want to subscribe to XM or Sirius. J.J.'s musical slants heavily towards blues and blues rock (big surprise, eh?)...so which one should I go with? Satellite radio fans, I need opinions please.

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Toni...You know what they say about opinions?....You could be unleashing more than you bargained for with this question....I don't have either, but reviews point toward Sirius as being the better choice for Rock/Blues sound quality....a better buy....they say Sirius gives you everything for one price where XM charges for premium services....Sirius is considered more cutting edge and eclectic....XM more mainstream....While they will likely both be around....Sirius seems to be attracting much more attention financially....Either way....Lucky J.J.

I read yesterday that Sirius is hoping that Howard Stern will boster their declining revenues. That doesn't sound very financially stable to me. But then, I get my investment advice from Wagtaff and one of those "magic 8-balls"!

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I have XM, through DirecTv on my television satelite and do like it. But I have heard the Sirius classic rock channel before and think it may be better than the one XM offers.

Perhaps we should turn this debate into a very positive situation. Let's contact Sirius and XM and tell them the entire Alvn Lee fan club is trying to decide which service to purchase. Now, which of you is going to play Alvin Lee and Ten Years After (not the Alvin Lee Tribute Band,though!)

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HI TONI, I DON,T HAVE EITHER BUDDY , BUT WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE SIRIUS SYSTEM TODAY AS IT WERE, I HAVEN,T SEEN THE X-M BUT. THE SIRIUS IS A VERY SIMPLE SET UP THAT WITH AN ADAPTER YOU CAN GO FROM THE CAR TO THE HOUSE IN A SNAP.YOU CAN ALSO BUY A SMALL BOOM BOX AND GO WHERE EVER YOU WANT, BY USING THE SAME UNIT YOU JUST PLUG IT INTO THE B.BOX. FOR THE CAR YOU JUST PLUG IT INTO THE CIGEY LIGHTER AND TUNE THE RADIO TO WHAT EVER THE PRESET FREQUENCY IS TO PICK UP THE SIGNAL AND SELECT WHAT YOU WANT. YOU JUST USE THE CAR STEREO TO ADJUST THE VOLUME THEN, AND YOU MAKE YOU,RE SELECTIONS FROM THE SIRIUS BOX. THE LITTLE GIZMO, CAN THEN BE TAKIN IN THE HOUSE AND SAT BESIDE YOU,RE HOME STEREO RECEIVER, AND AGAIN YOU TUNE YOU,RE STEREO TO THE PRESET FREQUENCY, AND AWAY YOU GO. THEY DID SAY THAT DEPENDING ON THE TERRAIN YOU MAY NEED A SMALL ANTENNA RAN OUT THE WINDOW,OR WALL DIRECTLY BESIDE THE RECEIVE. WHAT ELSE THAT I THOUGHT WAS COOL TONI YOU CAN TUNE A SECOND OR THIRD RADIO IN THE HOUSE TO THE SAME FREQUENCY, AND PICK IT UP . AND YOU CAN ALSO GO UP TO ABOUT 40-50 FT , AWAY FROM THE RECEIVE AND GET THE SIGNAL OUT SIDE OR WHERE EVER HOPE THAT HELPS .. PEACE PAUL

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Toni, I have XM in all of my GM vehicles and I've had Sirius in rentals. XM Channel 40 is the "Deep Tracks" channel and I've heard Alvin and TYA on it for the past few years many times-it's really great to hear him on the digital Bose system in my 2005 Chevy 1500 Pickup! They do play his "Deep Tracks" from TYA and also solo stuff like "In Tennessee". My experience with Sirius has been limited to their "All Elvis All The Time" channel-24 hours a day of "The King"!Both services provide true sensory overload for any music lover. Check them out and Happy Chrismahannukwanza!

I THINK GLENN SAID IT BEST, IT,S A BIT MORE HIP, AND PROVIDES A GOOD PRODUCT TOO. I CALLED A FRIEND AT THE RADIO STATION TO CHECK INTO IT, I FIGURED WHO KNOWS MUSIC BETTER THAN PEOPLE WHO PLAY ALL TYPES OF MUSIC #24 HOURS A DAY COMMERCIAL FREE.THEY SEEM TO BE SAYING THAT THE SIRIUS PROGRAMING IS FAR BETTER THAN X-M,S AND X-M AS GLENN SAID IS CATERING TO THE MORE MAINSTREAM CROWD. MY FRIEND TOLD ME THAT ALOT OF THE SUBSCRIBERS ARE THE BORING AM-RADIO CROWD THAT LIVE AWAY FROM TOWN, AND THEY LIKE THE CLEAR RECEPTION THAT IT OFFERS. AND THAT YOU CAN SIT AND LISTEN TO ANY OF THE FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL GAMES BEING PLAYED , WHICH WOULD CERTAINLY COME IN HANDY. BUT SIRIUS ALSO OFFERS IT, SO I THINK I,LL WILL BUY THE SIRIUS SYSTEM, THEY HAVE IT FOR $129.00 WITH A $50.00 REBATE YOU CAN SEND FOR AS SOON AS YOU ACTIVATE THE SERVICE. YOU ALSO GET A FREE $40.00 HOME ADAPTER TO MOVE IT TO THE HOUSE,ALSO IF YOU PRE-PAY FOR THE YEAR YOU GET ONE MONTH FREE, AND THATS $142.45 FOR THE YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION, AND $79.00 BUCKS FOR THE SYSTEM, THEN $12.95 A MONTH AFTER THAT. OR $12.95 A MONTH WITHOUT THE PRE-PAY. WE ALL MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT BUYING SOME SIRIUS STOCK WHILE WERE AT IT . YOU WATCH IT WILL BLOW UP BIG TIME , AFTER STERN GOES ON THE AIR(LIKE EM OR NOT) KAACHING$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I,AM GOING TO CHECK INTO THE LINE UP ON X-M I,LL BET YA THAT YOU CAN GET THE #24 HOUR ALVIS STATION ON THERE TOO, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR IT (YOU KNOW IT) PEACE PAUL

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Man you musta been talkin to my Babbie,I got sat radio for xmas!!puttin it in tomorrow [thurs] Ive gotta act surprized when I get home tomorrow night!!!!

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Sheesh. I just don't know. I signed up for the 3 day freebies from both XM and Sirius - and neither one has exactly bowled me over in their choices on the classic rock channels. Obviously both are far superior to regular radio, but when I flip on "Deep Tracks" or "The Vault" and hear Genesis and Supertramp, I am pretty darn disappointed. The blues channels on both seem better, though - I've heard Elmore James and Sonny Boy and Muddy and even Mayall/Clapton. I was excited to see that XM has a channel called the Village (I cut my own musical teeth in the Village listening to the folkies) but disappointed in just about every track I've heard so far (well, there was that Carolyn Hester song, I have never heard her on a radio - but they sure picked a lousy one). Yikes. I have to make up my mind so I can do this tomorrow guys!!! What to do, what to do.

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Well I don't much about either really,and when Ive talked with people they say about the same as Ive seen posted here 50/50 xm or sirus,the only reason I picked xm is I have it on my computer and have been able to down load anything I want includin 601, so when my wife asked me last week what I perfered I said xm I don't know if its better or not its really a filp of the coin !!But when I went home last night she come up with a off the wall thing why she needs my truck and why I hafta take hers,so shes gonna have it installed before I get home friday!! I think!! what if she really needed my truck and I ain't gettin nuttin!! That would be a HOOT!!

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This morning I flipped on the XM folk music channel - wow, Tom Paxton, Taj Mahal, Odetta, Joan Baez, Loreena McKennitt and the Incredible String Band. Sold! Oh wait, it's for J.J. and he doesn't like folk music all that much.

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