XM adds over 200,000 subs

[Scott Greczkowski]

XM Updates on Satellite Issues
Reposted with Permssion from SkyReport.COM

XM Satellite Radio continues to deliver service, roll out product and enroll subscribers, but the company's stock tumbled Thursday after it revealed more issues tied to its satellite fleet.

XM said its satellites are still providing excellent performance, but continue to experience progressive solar array power degradation, a condition consistent with other Boeing 702 satellites in orbit. There has been no meaningful change in the previously predicted rate of degradation, the company said.

In addition, a group of XM’s insurers recently denied claims related to the power degradation aboard the satellites. The insurers said the satellites are still performing above specifications, and they alleged XM failed to comply with certain policy provisions concerning satellite matters, the company said.

XM said it will respond to the insurers' position, and will push forward to settlement discussions, arbitration or litigation - if needed - to recover the insured losses.

To alleviate the satellite situation, XM said it has made arrangements to launch a spare satellite, designated XM-3, during fourth quarter 2004. It also asked Boeing to construct a new ground spare, designated XM-4, to be completed by fourth quarter 2005. And XM said it entered into a contract with Sea Launch to provide a satellite launch, as needed in the future.

XM said it had 692,253 subscribers as of June 30, representing net subscriber additions of 209,178 for the second quarter. The company's second quarter consolidated net loss available to common shareholders was $164.3 million, compared to $122.4 million for second quarter 2002.

[BobMurdoch]

My wife was one of those new subscribers as we added a second radio and joined the family plan.

She finally figured out WHY I had hated driving her Explorer anywhere. Once you listen to satellite radio, it is physically painful to try and go back to AM/FM....

[Chris Blount]

My wife was one of those new subscribers as we added a second radio and joined the family plan.

She finally figured out WHY I had hated driving her Explorer anywhere. Once you listen to satellite radio, it is physically painful to try and go back to AM/FM....I know what you mean. The commercial time on regular radio is getting really bad.

While driving though L.A. last month, we switched back and forth between the OTA L.A. KISS and XM. The sound quality was highly superior on XM. In addition, on the OTA version we had all sorts of problems with the signal cutting in and out while driving through the hills of Southern Cal. The XM signal was perfect.

One thing that was interesting was the delay. The XM L.A. KISS was 15 seconds behind the OTA.

[BobMurdoch]

Hmmmm., Is that the delay to send the signal to space and back?

Just kidding.........

Do the radios have any kind of buffer built in? It seems that they fade out when I go under an overpass around 1-2 seconds after I break the line of sight to the sky.

BTW, does anyone have a source inside XM? Any word any new features or channels being discussed?

[Scott Greczkowski]

I do have contacts at XM, and I do know there are channel changes coming soon (I have heard September)

No idea what they are though.

I love all 5 of my XM's. Last night i had Steve Mehs in my truck listening to XM and he really wants one now. :)

[BobMurdoch]

Did you let Steve listen to Playboy Radio? ;) (That would have sold ME when I was 18)

I'm constantly amazed at how my musical tastes have expanded since I discovered XM. I was always eclectic (How many of you are like me and have BOTH Yanni and Nine Inch Nails in your music collection?), and now I get to stretch my tastes by bouncing from Ethel and Squizz to The System and BPM, over to Top Tracks or the Boneyard, and then maybe the 80's or Fred for some old music from when I was the "young buck".

5 Radios? I know you have the PC version and I know you have the one in the truck..... Where else do you have them (and why didn't you just get a SkyFi and move the receiver around instead of having to subscribe 5 times)?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Steve asked me aout Playboy radio, I couldn't play it for him as I no longer subscribe to it (it SUCKED so bad) :D

Lets see 5 radios.

1 - XM PCR in my office on my Desk
1 - SkyFi - Get's used in my truck and on the boombox on my desk (yes I do listen to 2 stations at once sometimes) :)
1 - Skyfi in my wifes car
1 - Sony PNP in my 9 year olds room
1 - Sony PNP in my main theater.

[BobMurdoch]

Playboy Radio is GREAT when Juli and Tiffany are on doing Night Calls.

Every thing ELSE is awful (who decided that audio only feeds of Sexcetera and Sex Court would be good?)

Keep Night Calls, add Private Calls and 411 and leave it at that and you make the service listenable again.

OK, even talking about this channel will get me in trouble with the SkyAngel fans, but who cares. I'm a recovering Catholic who did 12 years in Catholic School (yikes), including an all boys high school (it's amazing I'm not MORE screwed up then I am).

On a safer debate topic,.... how does the Sony PNPs compare to the SkyFies sound quality wise?

[Scott Greczkowski]

When I had it they kept playing the same two hour night calls show over and over and over and over.

They just added sexcedra and sex court right before I canceled. It does not good when these shows are visually based to just hear cheesy music playing)

I would have loved to see playboy radio be more like the magazine, not just talking about sex, but some audio from the playboy jazz fests, some live shows from the playboy mansion, some good comedians based on the sex jokes from playboy (a little hard edge then the adult comedy channel on XM) other things like bring the Playboy interviews to the radio, things like 20 questions, etc....

There is much more they could be doing with it but they are not, and its sad it could be a good channel.

the Sony and Delphi unit sound the same to me (as does the PCR) :)

[BobMurdoch]

I think PLayboy is getting the message.... They sent me a survey about a month ago asking my opinions about the channel. The way it was worded it as like they assumed that I had dropped the channel already so there are a lot of people unhappy with it.

I'm sure they will be revamping it soon to emphasize the medium's strengths and avoid the awful repurposing strategy they had up until now.

[John Walsh]

I had and alpine add on unit in my excursion and replaced it with a Delphi. I got the home unit at the same time and now my wife won't let go of it for the car and won't let me buy a new one. I end up listening to FM and I can't stand the damned commercials and I am used to seeing the info on the Delphi screen. I have to find a way to get that back from my wife

[Steve Mehs]

Yeah yesterday Scott got me hooked on XM. Squizz is a great channel, the Zombie marathon was awesome. Was Squizz added recently? The flyer I have for MX that I picked up at Best Buy about 3 months ago doesn't list a channel 48.

Playboy Radio is GREAT when Juli and Tiffany are on doing Night Calls.

I bet but, I'd trade Tiff back in for Doria though :heybaby: I think it would be funny having Playboy Radio for a while, I need a break from my hard rock every so often. It sounds kind of corny but it would be interestring...