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Switching To XM: Why Now May Be the Time

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

Since SIRIUS and XM Radio merged a little while back there has been some confusion about the lingering differences between the SIRIUS and XM hardware and subscriptions. As we’ve mentioned before, the merged company, Sirius XM, has discontinued some popular Sirius radio models and have continued to merge the channel lineups to create a more streamlined product line and service. With these changes some subscribers have been asking us at TSS-Radio.com whether or not they should purchase a XM radio when it’s time to upgrade. In short, the answer is Yes. Current XM radios present the most features and programming options for the Satellite Radio customer. Here are some explanations of XM hardware and service and the future of SIRIUS Radio to help you decide which radio is right for you.

XM Radios provide the most flexible combination of features and programming. What that means is, a XM Radio is capable of carrying more channels than any current SIRIUS model – so you’ll always be able to get more content with a XM receiver. For example, every MLB game is available on XM with a standard subscription package, but MLB play-by-play isn’t available at all on SIRIUS radios, even with the “Best of XM” package.

Although XM receivers are the future of Satellite Radio, some SIRIUS models will continue to be produced and available as we move forward, but availability may be limited. TSS-Radio should still be able to carry radios like the SIRIUS Starmate 5, the SCC1 vehicle tuner and the SR-H2000 home tuner for some time. However, if you are insistent on having a SIRIUS-branded radio, it is best to act fast on purchasing it, as some models will not be available after the current stock is depleted.

Don’t worry about SIRIUS going away. IT’S NOT. In fact, SIRIUS is launching a new satellite in 2011 and will continue producing in-dash radios for the auto industry. Many vehicles will still have SIRIUS as a factory option (rather than XM) and if you have a SIRIUS radio currently, you will be able to continue using it. These changes will not effect service on any SIRIUS radio that you may currently have or buy.

Since Sirius XM is continuing to produce XM branded radios, there are several options depending on the features, use and price you are looking for. To put the available models in terms of the SIRIUS radios you may be familiar with, here is a quick comparison of models and features:

(Red text denotes feature exclusive to that SIRIUS model, Green text denotes feature exclusive to that XM model)

Now that we’ve covered the differences between SIRIUS and XM branded hardware, here are a few notes on subscriptions. First of all, we are a separate, independent company and don’t have all of the fine details on subscriptions but in our opinion a XM subscription with the Best of SIRIUS package offers Satellite Radio customers the most programming at the best value. For $16.99 per month (+ taxes & fees) XM subscribers get every MLB game, every NFL game (home team broadcasts only), every NASCAR event, NBA, NHL, PGA, as well as premium talk content like Howard Stern, Oprah Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, Playboy Radio, and more! In addition, customers subscribing to the XM also have access to the Sirius XM smartphone app and Sirius XM Internet Radio for only $2.99 more per month. Having the XM Everything plus the Best of SIRIUS package with Internet Listening gives you practically everything Sirius XM has to offer and provides flexible listening options all for less than $20 per month (before taxes & fees).

For more information on subscriptions please visit www.siriusxm.com.

We hope at TSS-Radio.com that we’ve been able to clear up some of the confusion surrounding XM subscriptions and hardware. If you are a current SIRIUS customer and are looking to upgrade your radio switching to XM is a great option. Also, if you are new to XM there is currently a $30 Mail-In Rebate available on all new XM radios. With the MLB season getting underway and $30 back (Plus FREE ‘Best Of’ and Internet Listening), there’s never been a better time to switch!

If you have questions about XM radios, accessories, or basic subscription questions, please contact us at sales@tss-radio.com or call 773.772.4340. For detailed subscription questions or questions about your existing Sirius or XM subscription, please contact Sirius XM at www.siriusxm.com or 1-866-635-2349.

Posted in Editorials and Opinions, Help and Hints, Product Suggestions | Comments Off

Sirius XM MiRGE vs. XM Xpress RCi: A Comparison

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Since it’s release in 2009, we at TSS-Radio.com have gotten a lot of questions about the Sirius XM MiRGE plug & play receiver. The question we get most is “Why don’t you carry the MiRGE?”. Upon it’s release Sirius XM decided to keep the MiRGE as an exclusive product, meaning we, or any other retailer, wouldn’t be able to carry it. However, what most customers don’t know is, while we can’t carry the MiRGE, there is a very comparable radio available at TSS-Radio.com. That radio is the XM XpressRCi.

Here is a quick comparison guide to show you the differences and similarities between the Sirius XM MiRGE and the XM XpressRCi.

From the photos above, you’ll notice the MiRGE and RCi look almost identical. Both feature split screen displays, a control knob, preset buttons along the bottom, and are relatively the same shape and size. The MiRGE radio is a bit thicker, but otherwise they are the same radio. In terms of features, both the MiRGE and XpressRCi feature the Replay function that allows you to pause and rewind up to an hour of live programming and sports/stock tickers. However, there are a few differences. The MiRGE has 20 favorite channel presets (10 for Sirius/10 for XM) where as the XpressRCi only has 10, but the RCi has the Song Saver function (allows you to store up to 10 songs on the radio for playback) where the MiRGE does not.

Here is a side by side comparison of features:

(Red text denotes exclusive to MiRGE, Green text denotes a feature of the RCi)

Besides the minor differences in features, there are also some programming differences – but not as many as you may think. First of all, the MiRGE radio does get a FULL Sirius and FULL XM subscription, unlike any other model, but it also comes at a higher monthly subscription price. The MiRGE requires the Sirius XM “All in One” package that is $19.99 per month (plus additional taxes & fees). The benefit to this package basically comes down to both home and away NFL broadcasts, some additional sports coverage, and a few extra music channels. The XpressRCi can actually get pretty close to the MiRGE programming options by adding the Best of Sirius package and a full XM subscription for only $16.99 per month (+ taxes/fees).

View the XM with Best of Sirius channel lineup HERE.

View the Sirius XM All in One (MiRGE) package HERE.

In all, if you purchase the MiRGE (which is a more expensive radio) you pay about $3 more per month just to have the convenience of Home AND Away NFL Broadcasts. The Xpress RCi with XM and Best of SIRIUS will have all the same NFL Broadcasts, but you’ll only be able to listen to the home stream. It breaks down to an extra $36 per year for the subscription and about $160 more for the MiRGE radio hardware vs. the Xpress RCi.

As I mentioned earlier, the MiRGE and XpressRCi are nearly identical in size and shape, so they are also compatible with the same accessories.

Here are some accessories that will work with both the MiRGE and XpressRCi:

Car Kit

XM PowerConnect Vehicle Kit XADV2

Although the Sirius XM MiRGE doesn’t ship with a PowerConnect Vehicle Kit, it is compatible. The PowerConnect Vehicle Kit gives you easy, do-it-yourself installation and good sound quality when transmitting wirelessly over a FM frequency. This is also the car kit that ships with the XM XpressRCi.

Boombox

Sirius XM Portable Sound System

The Sirius XM Portable Sound System is the first boombox designed for use with both Sirius and XM plug and play receivers. It is compatible with both the MiRGE and the Xpress RCi, as well as several other models. This boombox is battery compatible and includes everything you need to take Sirius XM wherever you go!

Home Kit

XM Dock & Play Home Kit

Both the XM XpressRCi and the Sirius XM MiRGE are compatible with the XM Dock & Play Home Kit. The XM Dock & Play Home Kit allows you to connect your XM or MiRGE plug and play receiver to any home stereo system with RCA inputs.

Motorcycle Kit

XM Professional Motorcycle Kit

The XM Professional Motorcycle Kit is a TSS-Radio.com exclusive product designed to work with the XM Xpress line of receivers, as well as the Sirius XM MiRGE and newer XM onyX. It includes everything you need to set up XM radio on your motorcycle.

If you are interested in more information on the XM XpressRCi or any of the accessories featured, please contact us at sales@tss-radio.com or call 773.772.4340

Posted in Product Review, Product Suggestions, Sirius XM Radios | Comments Off

Father’s Day: Round Two!

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The boyfriend’s dad is a Pharmaceutical Rep. On paper, it sounds like an amazing job… Getting to drive around the country seeing The World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn, the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Aquarium, trying Chili Cheese Fries in all time zones, you know… Awesome, right?! Ryan’s dad says that misses two things: his bed and his television. While I can do little to advise Ryan on a Father’s Day gift on how to ship his dad’s bed around the country, I can recommend the Slingbox.

The chief complaint of Dan, Ryan’s dad, is that he constantly misses his shows. At dinner last week, Dan was complaining about how he had to cover his ears every time he entered a room in case people were talking about the LOST finale. Apparently, Dan had the last four episodes on his DVR at home and had yet to watch them. The Slingbox will allow Dan to watch his DVR’ed shows and his television anywhere in the country from his laptop! And, while I love the thought of Dan running down corporate hallways with his fingers jammed in his ears, I think the Slingbox would be a great Father’s Day gift so the doctors offices on his route can not think he’s insane.

TSS-Radio just dropped their price on it by a whopping $30 and there’s always Free Shipping on Slingbox orders so Ryan can even wait til the last minute, as he did last year with the Obama Chia Pet Head, and still get it in just a few days. The best part of it, though, is that there is no monthly fee! The Slingbox is a one-time purchase!!

karen [at] tss-radio.com

Posted in Product Suggestions, Sirius XM Accessories, Sirius XM Radios, TSS-Radio Specials and Sales | Comments Off

Father’s Day Gift for My Wacky Dad

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

With Father’s Day right around the corner, I thought I’d try to find a gift that my dad would actually really use. Gone are the days of the ugly tie (Dad’s retired) and the orange with the cloves stuck into it that I made every year in Sunday School. I think the point of those things was for him to hang them in his closet to make his clothes smell nice (and not at all like the total hippie it actually made him smell like). No, this year I decided to let dad rock out.

A few years ago, I bought dad an iPod and then also loaded his favorites on it: Ozzy, Alice in Chains, The Moody Blues, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Linkin Park… Dad’s an interesting guy. Mom’s been dragging him to the gym lately so he really only has the opportunity to listen to his iPod when being forced into walking on the treadmill. That was, until I decided to get him the Jensen Docking Station and Clock Radio for iPod or iPhone.

The Jensen allows him to rock out to his Ozzy Osbourne (or whatever mood he’s in), and torture my Carly-Simon-loving Mom, when their alarm goes off first thing in the morning because, in addition to being a speaker docking station for his iPod, it’s also an alarm clock!

What really sold me on the Jensen iPod dock was the fact that, with one of these guys, Dad can connect to his Stiletto 2 and listen through it too!

Times are tough and Chicago rent isn’t cheap. This year, I figured that, for Father’s Day, I’d buy something for my Dad that he’d actually love and use — and didn’t make him smell like a total hippie. I’ll have to come up with something awesome for Mom’s birthday this year to make up for all of the Mick Jagger she’s been waking up to lately.

karen [at] tss-radio.com

Tags: ipod
Posted in iPod, iPad and iPhone Accessories, Product Suggestions | Comments Off

New SIRIUS In-Dash Kits

Friday, September 25th, 2009

TSS-Radio has a large selection of In-Dash SIRIUS Kits, but we had added even more kits to our inventory! Covering more vehicles and more years than ever before.

We are always adding kits and interfaces to supplement our inventory. If you do not see your vehicle listed please feel free to comment below and I can help either-find a solution or give you a development status on the conversion kit you desire.

Having In-Dash SIRIUS is great, however some vehicles cannot have SIRIUS integrated into their radio. In these cases there is several different solutions TSS-Radio offers to help.

For Cars not listed or not compatible:

The New Universal SiriusConnect Controller System is a great way to put semi-integrated SIRIUS Radio into any radio that can display text on its screen. This is a great way to achieve a OEM look and still have SIRIUS.

Dock and Play SIRIUS Radios

These units can be mounted in several different places on your vehicle’s dash and have a large selection of various features depending on model. A great solution if you plan on bringing SIRIUS into your home, just add a compatible SIRIUS Boombox.

Here is a brief list of all the vehicle makes we now have SIRIUS In-Dash Kits for:

Select your Make vehicle below:

Acura Integrated SIRIUS

Audi Integrated SIRIUS

BMW Integrated SIRIUS

Buick Integrated SIRIUS

Cadillac Integrated SIRIUS

Chevrolet Integrated SIRIUS

Chrysler Integrated SIRIUS

Dodge Integrated SIRIUS

Ford Integrated SIRIUS

GMC Integrated SIRIUS

Honda Integrated SIRIUS

Hummer Integrated SIRIUS

Hyundai Integrated SIRIUS

Infiniti Integrated SIRIUS

Isuzu Integrated SIRIUS

Jaguar Integrated SIRIUS

Jeep Integrated SIRIUS

Land Rover Integrated SIRIUS

Lexus Integrated SIRIUS

Lincoln Integrated SIRIUS

Mazda Integrated SIRIUS

Mercury Integrated SIRIUS

MINI Cooper Integrated SIRIUS

Nissan Integrated SIRIUS

Oldsmobile Integrated SIRIUS

Pontiac Integrated SIRIUS

Saab Integrated SIRIUS

Saturn Integrated SIRIUS

Scion Integrated SIRIUS

Subaru Integrated SIRIUS

Suzuki Integrated SIRIUS

Toyota Integrated SIRIUS

Volkswagen Integrated SIRIUS

Tags: acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, MINI Cooper, nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Scion, sirius chevy, sirius ford, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen
Posted in Product Suggestions, Products, SIRIUS Car | 2 Comments »

Buying a new Plug and play radio? Here’s a helpful guide!

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

If you are in the market for a new plug and play satellite radio, there are a few options to choose from. The real question you have to ask yourself is, “What additional functions do I want from my satellite radio?” There are several different radios that have many different functions to use that will help you enjoy your satellite radio more. Since no two radios are alike, though some do share the same functions, it is important to know what the radio is capable of doing so you can fully experience the power of your satellite radio. Here is a brief break-down of the newest 5 series radios out now and their functions.

sp5_standard_size_medium

For the heavy satellite radio listener that has to have all the bells and whistles, the Sportster 5 is ideal for you! With it’s full color customizable screen, personalized sports tracker, 30 presets and replay functions, it is the high end of all of the satellite radios. The Sportster 5’s sports tracker is a unique feature that will constantly scan the channels and will alert you when a team or car (NASCAR) you stored in memory is playing a game or running a race, or when there is a score update for a team. This feature is unique only to the Sportster radios and cannot be found on any other radio.

starmate52_medium

Now, for the moderate satellite radio user the Starmate 5 is an ideal route to go. Much like the Sportster 5 it also has 30 presets, S-Seek alerts for your favorite artists and replay functions. The Sirius replay function is highly sought after in satellite radios because it allows you to pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of content. Also, the Starmate 5 is the only radio that supports the new A La Carte programming package from Sirius.

stratus5_medium

And finally, for the easy going no fuss, no thrills user the Stratus 5 is a simple an easy route to go. The Stratus 5 only has 10 presets and even though a remote does not come with the kit, it does have the capability of being operated by a remote (T030R). Even though it is a simple no thrills radio it is still capable of receiving the full Sirius programming and can even be subscribed to the best of XM.

It is important to note that all of the 5 series plug and play radios come with a car kit.

Shopping for new radio can sometimes be difficult, but hopefully this simple outline of the 5 series plug and play radios will give you an idea of what to look for and expect in a radio. if you have any questions concerning any of these radios or compatibility, please feel free to contact us.

Posted in Product Review, Product Suggestions, Sirius XM Accessories, Sirius XM Radios | Comments Off

SIRIUS Boombox Power Adapters

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Sirius XM Satellite Radio has a variety of accessories that you can choose from to supplement your Plug and Play Receiver. One of those accessories is a Sirius Satellite Radio Plug and Play Boombox. These boomboxes are designed to dock your receiver and provide the ability to listen to your Sirius Receiver via the boombox’s built in speakers. Sirius Boomboxes have the ability to be powered in several different ways. The most popular way to power a Sirius boombox is the Boombox AC Adapter. This adapter is designed to plug into any standard home power outlet and connect to your boombox’s DC 12V power port in the back of the boombox. All new Sirius boomboxes come with a Home AC Adapter from the factory in the box.

Another popular way to power a Sirius boombox is via batteries. In most cases 8-D Cell batteries provide power to the boombox and plays your Sirius Receiver for a set amount of time. This does have its own obvious flaws, as the batteries can only last for a certain amount of time.

The last way to power your Sirius boombox is with the Boombox Cigarette Lighter Adapter. This adapter is essential for anyone who would like to use a Sirius Boombox in a vehicle. This adapter plugs right into the cigarette lighter of a vehicle and connects right to the DC12V power port on the back of the boombox.

The other key element to the Sirius boombox power adapter is that they can be damaged just like any other type of power adapter. These adapters must be replaced if they show signs of excessive wear, fraying or splintering. When a power cable is damaged and not replaced, there is a high risk of damaged to either the Sirius boombox or the Sirius receiver. When replacing these receivers be sure to shop from a trusted source and be sure that you can see a compatibility chart of some sort, that includes your boombox. If you do not see a compatiblity chart that references your boombox, when buying a Sirius boombox power adapter, you run the risk of either buying an incorrect part or damaging your Sirius boombox or Sirius receiver. “Universal” power adapters sold at many stores do not allow for proper connection or proper voltage to flow to the Sirius boombox, which could cause damage. When shopping for Sirius Boombox adapter be sure that you check for a compatiblity chart and confirm that you see your boombox listed.

Below is a compatiblity chart that includes many Sirius boomboxes. This is designed as a guide for you, to help find the proper adapter for your needs:

Boombox Model

Home AC Adapter

Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Archive for the ‘Product Suggestions’ Category

Here is a brief list of all the vehicle makes we now have SIRIUS In-Dash Kits for:

Boombox Model

Home AC Adapter

Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Boombox Model

Home AC Adapter

Cigarette Lighter Adapter

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