OK, did you all see this at CES. XM-Radio. If Empeg wants to keep up in the Car market, this could well be the way. The service is supposed to be fully operation by the summer. Alpine, Pioneer, and Sony are already adding this new type of radio to their products. Since Empeg users are still waiting for a tuner module, this would be just as cool(in my opinion). Let see if you can utilize SonicBlue's resources. Would be nice to have the XM radio as part of the Empeg. Talk about a total different solution to all your basic in car needs. MP3's and Satellite Radio.

I guess this post might be better off in the wish list category? Since it is such a "I want" post.

www.xm-radio.com is the link to see more.

Proud Owner of MK2 080000558 - 18gb Blue

After further inspection, this looks like it might be a US product only. Not a problem for me as this is where I live. Anybody know if they are doing this in other parts of the world?

Please make this Empeg. I hate to buy anything that says Sony!

Proud Owner of MK2 080000558 - 18gb Blue

Hmm, I used to buy Sony before my Empeg.

TommyE.

XM Radio is owned by DirecTV (which is owned by Hughes, which is owned by General Motors)... It was supposed to be operational by years end, but there was a satellite "mis-launch" this week, so that may be put back a bit.

There is a competitor called Sirus. Both systems are very similar, but Sirus will be operational by as early as May of this year. Ford and several other car makers have backed Sirus.

So, both systems will have their own camp of manufactuers and car makers supporting the service. But, within 1-2 years, aftermarket recievers will be able to receive BOTH services (depending on which the user pays a subscription fee too.)

Yes, the systems are only going to be for the US market, but that may either expand or similar systems will arrise in Europe and Japan.

What is great about empeg is that if the module is an add-on, people in the US could get one module and users in Europe could get another...

I was thinking the other day how cool it would be for empeg to have this.

I was thinking the other day how cool it would be for empeg to have this.

Hmmm.... I dunno. I don't think I'd be willing to pay $10 a month just to have access to a bunch more radio stations that wouldn't be playing what I wanted to listen to anyway. After all, the reason I bought my empeg was so that I would always have exactly what I wanted to hear on hand at all times, and even if I were to add the empeg tuner, I doubt that I would ever listen to it because I have what I want already, and it is a dead certainty that no radio station in the world would ever program to my eclectic tastes. (For example...currently playing on my empeg is the Hummel trumpet concerto. Next up is Rush: Tom Sawyer. Then an aria from Verdi's opera Rigoletto, followed by a track from the IASCA competition disk and a Chopin etude.)

The idea of XM radio is OK, but I can't live with the monthly subscription fees. Maybe if I were more of a radio junkie it would be different. (And this from a guy who earns his living working in the radio broadcast industry!)

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Maybe I am just too excited because I work for the company that ownes XM =) But, I think it will be more like the free music stations that come with DirecTV and some cable networks. That is very cool. The lack of commercials is great (although the service wont be totally commercial free).

And I agree that $10 a month is too much for empeg owners who have hours and hours of music on hand. I think XM will tailor to those people who own 2 or 3 CD's... I love having that type of service for my home system though (through DirecTV) because during the holidays I can tune into the Seasonal channel (I really don't feel like buying Christmas CD's) or if my parents come by for dinner, I can turn on the Easy Listening channel.

I would like a regular FM tuner so I can get weather and traffic updates on my way to work.

I love having that type of service for my home system though (through DirecTV) because during the holidays I can tune into the Seasonal channel

That is, quite litereally the only times I ever used those music channels on DirecTV. And even then, I could only tolerate it for a couple hours before I shut it off.

I would like a regular FM tuner so I can get weather and traffic updates on my way to work.

We'll be getting tuners for our Mark2's soon, I hope.


___________
Tony Fabris

We'll be getting tuners for our Mark2's soon, I hope. ... for suitably exasperating values of soon I suspect. D

It would be nice if they had a decent Trip-Hop only station ;)

In reply to:

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We'll be getting tuners for our Mark2's soon, I hope.

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I just stopped believing in a available tuner upgrade for my MKII...
Now what I do, I'm gonna save my money and try to find a car with two DIN-slots... recommendations to fsfox75@web.de, pelase! Low purchase price is welcome!
A dissappointed user..

Mk2 40GB #090000592

This might be of interest.

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015