RE: Satellite radio

["Hakim Madjid" <HMadjid@mindspring.com>]

Scri/obh Joseph Pappalardo:

>....as someone mentioned...maybe a luxury car manufacturer will start
>including them standard?  Maybe Direct TV will start offering it as an
>option for the home...part of their "basic" service.  MAybe They will
strike
>a deal with AOL so that you can get your email read to you in the
car...paid
>for in part by AOL, etc.

>Remember when VCR's were $600-700+?  My last one cost $89.

>I think the marketing and the "deal" possibilities are endless.

Whether the price of the satellite radio set up comes down probably depends
how popular it becomes in the first place. The reason for the dramatic price
drops in VCR's and (DVD players for that matter) are because these have
become mass market items. BTW, I can remember in the mid 70s the first
consumer VHS and Beta VCRs costing upwards of $1,500 (probably the
equivalent of around $4,500 in today's dollars)

Both XM and Sirius need to attain critical mass in the market place for the
price to come down. One thing this all hinges on, IMHO is if the Satellite -
delivered program content is compelling enough over standard broadcast radio
that people will want to pay for the hardware and the the monthly fee to
listen in.

As far as the deal with GM to offer satellite radio reception as an option
in their luxury car line, we'll see. I imagine if the option is not priced
un-reasonably, then it might become popular. But again who knows, with the
economy slowing, and perhaps the attendant slow down in automobile sales.

And yes the marketing possibilities are endless, but like I said initially
they're blowing it big time, at least as far as the aftermarket is
concerned, what with $100 antennas and so forth. As it stands now, even if
you upgrade to an XMSR compatible head unit in your car, it still needs a
$200 external adapter box, and the antenna.

As several people pointed out, XM would be better off doing a wireless phone
type deal - the hardware costs next to nothing, provided you sign up for say
2 years of service.

Gee this topic is generating a lot of traffic. I guess there's nothing like
a new tech toy around, LOL.

73, de Hakim (N1ZFF)