Sirius S50 has been (siriusly) crippled by the RIAA
By Paul Miller 
posted Dec 2nd 2005 4:00AM
posted Dec 2nd 2005 4:00AM
The small and sexy Sirius S50 had so much
going for it: a claimed 50 hours of audio storage, scheduled digital recordings, and some sweet looks. Unfortunately it
seems to have been cut down in the prime of life by an
overbearing RIAA that has limited the player to 20
scheduled recordings, each a maximum length of two hours. They also cut out scheduling for music recordings, which
aren't allowed to be grouped together, i.e. one song per recording. This puts the $360 player's capabilities, as far as
music recordings go, a bit lower than the level of a cassette tape. You of course can load your own MP3s on to it, but
you're going to be hard pressed to get 50 hours of Sirius content on here.
[Via DROXY]
If you buy this, you have a screw loose. It can do just about as much as a $5 walkman with one of them fancy transistor radios.
Will there be an uncrippled version for the rest of the world?
I think the limitations imposed by the RIAA are the same reason Samsung is reconsidering the release of their NeXus YP-X5 XM flash player. Both the YP-X5 and Sirius S50 cannot directly recieve XM broadcasts, but are intended to playback content recorded via their docking cradles. Such recording limitations would make it incredibly inconvenient for consumers to make full use of the players.
i hope they find a way to "Uncripple it" (if its software/firmware based)
Argh.
That is so offensive. The RIAA have been stifling innovation since Napster, just so they can prop up their dying favoured business model.
I can't wait until we can all have a good laugh about this.
Death to RIAA. ;p~
How can they actually get away with this? Doesn't RIAA just get it? Crippling the features of a product that the customer has PAID for is just plain wrong. The buyers are going to stop buying these "home made" products in favor of cheaper, more liberal products made in China. Is that what the RIAA wants?
what the hell did it have going for it? Without the live radio feature it isn't any better than an iPod. I can record unlimited hours (limited by HD space) of XM on my PC and move it over to my iPod.
XM's 1.5 year old technology smokes Sirius's new crap.
Darn RIAA, now even more people will use p2p to download songs from a service THEY PAY 12.95 A MONTH FOR. What will the RIAA do next, break a guy's leg who's listening to an iPod?
RIAA SHOULD DIE...RIAA SHOULD DIE...RIA SHOULD DIE...
Kurt... one thing Sirius has that XM will never has is Howard Stern.
So, stick it. I would carry a TANK with Stern than a thimble with XM just for the stern content.
XM? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!
At radio shack, we're being told the holdup in the S50 rollout is because of a "software bug".
It seems the truth is something different.
I dont think this is true. I have had hands on experience with the unit when a Sirius rep came into my job. I asked him about this article that i read a while ago on another site and he said that it wasnt true. This is just an XM smear campaign. Howard Stern rules.
Thank god for timetrax. Just get a sattelite radio, connect it to your PC and set the timers to record whatever you want. Then transfer it to whatever mp3 player you use without the RIAA crippling it....for now.
www.timetraxtech.com
I don't suggest buing this product.
O&A Party Rock
The RIAA doesn't have a clue! The S50 isn't a threat! Think of all the Directv amd Dish Receivers in the US that have an Optical Out that you can make exact copies of any content that is on XM OR SIRIUS! They are barking up the wrong tree!
PAUL MILLER YOU PHONEY!!!! THIS POST BY YOU IS ENTIRELY FALSE....YOU SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND ASS RAPED BY THE FBI!!!!!
PAUL MILLER YOU PHONEY!!!! THIS POST BY YOU IS ENTIRELY FALSE....YOU SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND ASS RAPED BY THE FBI!!!!!
I own the S50 and although you cannot set a scheduled recording for a Music channel, you can Save any indivudal song you hear on a Music channel. In addition, the S50 learns your 3 favorite Music channels and automatically records hours of content from them into My Sirius Channels - from which you can save any song you hear when you playback content from these three channels. Also, you can delete a My Sirius Channel, listen to a different station for about 20 minutes or so - and this will become a My Sirius Channel. You can also set scheduled recordings on any non-music channel and they can be set back-to-back - for instance to record the Howard Stern show - you simply set two 2-hour recordings. Recordings - like TIVO, can be set daily, weekly, monthly, or M-F. This is by far the best receiver on the market - even with the last minute changes (not letting you schedule recordings on music channels). Also important to note that the unit can be updated through firmware upgrades while connected to your PC - so there is always the possibility that this feature can be added in the future - and other changes/improvements can be made to the S50.
So where is a factual news link that proves this was done by the RIAA. Everything I can find is a blog linking to another blog. Useless. I'm not buying the notion that the RIAA is behind this. Besides, there is a firmware updater included with the S50's software, so I'm confident there will be a fix. After all, it's brand new...give it some time before bashing it.
I'm loving my S50!!
RAMONE....SIRIUS IS FOR FAGGOTS
RAMONE .....GET ME A SUBSCRIPTION TO SIRIUS CUZ HOWARD ROCKS... BAI BAI DOPEEE AND HOWIE WANNA BEE HOO HOO HOO
Amen RIAA, keep up the good work!
The only thing XM has going for it is O&A. Their music is has too much ClearChannel influence. RAMONE.
Howard Stern sucks ass. Sirius Rocks.
It's only a matter of time before this thread is locked. The XM fanboys are out in full force. :rolleyes:
What are you talking about? i have 1:30:05 of "My Octane", 36.56 of "My Hip Hop", and 20:10 of "My Faction". not to mention 38 songs Ive recorded off of Sirius, and about 52 MP3's Ive transferred in. all this and ive only owned the product for 3 days!
Nothing XM has holds a candle to the S50! NOTHING!
Sirius is kicking XM's ars in sales right now, so you post this totally false statement? this site is no better than orbitcast! nothing but knocking everything Sirius produces. there is NO MORE TECH ADVANTAGE BY XM. DEAL WITH IT!!!!!
The S50 is everything i thought it would be! you can set it up to record 20 shows at 2 hours each. if you want to record Stern, you set it up to record from 6-8, then 8-10. after that you can still record 18 more of your favorite shows.
please dont review a product you dont own.
I forgot to mention only 28% of memory has been used. I have a LONG way to go before its 100% filled and passed the myfi's crappy 5 hour limit! by the way, i can search for music stored by Genre, Artist, or Title. can the XM2Go line do that? and please dont comment "at least the Myfi get live on the go" b/c we all know thats crap. it does not work indoors, and is spotty at best when outdoors. the xtra headphones and clipxt dont help either!
You're crazy, my MyFi works great everywhere, everytime. Don't beleive the hype--do you own one Philmore?
The S50 is an MP3 player (and good luck fitting 50 hours of those in there... 50 hours of Sirius, yes. 50 SONGS of MP3? MAYBE. 1GB folks...)
Again, we need a factual news link that shows the RIAA is behind this. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a typical internet blog panic. "If itz on teh intarweb, itz got to be troofs"
Real, credible link, or STFU.
Regardless of content, XM has five fully portable units (6 if you count that battery cradle for the Roady 2) that let you listen to live broadcasts.
If I want to do what the S-50 does, I can record the online feed onto a 25 cent CD-R, index it for easy access in about 2 minutes, and play it on my 45 dollar MP3/CD Discman.
Can an iPOD record shows on SIRIUS? NO! Have to download one at a time AFTER searching for it. I've recorded loads of songs straight from SIRIUS while listening live so that I can listen later while jogging or whatever. Downloaded from my PC. Recorded Breuer, WiseGuys, etc, etc, because I was at work at those times. This is my 3rd SIRIUS unit and by FAR the best! So, like the others before me, if you don't have proof/link/cold, hard facts...STFU!
Can a $20 software program record shows off the internet feed from Sirius and other webstreaming sources and allow you to import them into iTunes (or whatever audio app you use) and then give you ownership of those songs with no limitations.
Yes
Insert MP3 player here and you have a much better setup for less money.
Sirius Sucks ASS!!!
ive never used sirius and i can listen to my XM on my computer and if i wanted i could record it and put it on my IPOD which i love my ipod so STFU all you queers that want 50 hours.... i have 10 days of music on my ipod and its about half full. and thats only a 30gig
Anyone would be an idiot to buy this thing with the yummies XM has coming for CES.
Shame about the neutered s-50. But it was overpriced, even before they deleted features.
I hoped it would be the fist Sirius radio without those ridiculous heat vents.
Nope.
XM is kicking SIRI's ass in hardware. And they are not blowing half a billion on an AARP-eligible schlock jock.
Which, of course, is a very good reason why 7 out of 10 subscribers choose XM.
What a load of wank this entire discussion is; a useless rumor stirring up a pissing match between XM, Sirius, iPod, CopyLeft and Stern fanboys.
One reason I don't subscribe to either satelite radio provider is because you are forced to make a choice of one over the other. Ideally, you could get a player that could handle either XM or Sirius signal, then switch out your subscriptions based purely on content.
And if anyone really wants to listen to music on their cellphone, I think the cellphone is the medium XM and Sirius should court for subscription listen only feeds; it could simply be tacked on or folded in to an existing cellular bill.
Sirius units are a nice way to heat your home during this bitter cold winter! They're so ridiculously far behind on technology right now. This S50 being the lone exception, but, it's only 1 gig. The upcoming XM Dell Jukebox will be 30 gigs for $299. Sirius still has no true portable with live reception on the go. XM has several such units right now.
I've played with this thing at work, for the price you could get an XM reciever and a 30 Gig iPod. It's a much smarter choice. I personally prefer XM for programming, too. (O&A > Stern, and Sirius's music channels stink, XM needs to make some music programming changes as well, though.) Anyway, if this were an XM unit, I would steer clear of it as well.
So basically, the only information that's of any usefulness to me out of all this infantile "Atari vs. Commodore" type bickering is that the S50 does not have live listening capabilities. That's all I needed to know. I own Sirius, I enjoy it, each stream update has given me more and more reasons to be happy. Most recently, the addition of CBC1 and CBC3 along with the other Canadian content. If I need news, I'm covered. If I need entertainment, I'm covered. If I need music, I'm covered. If XM gives you what you want, good for you. If Sirius gives you what you want, good for you. But stop acting like a bunch of 12-year-old boys who are fighting over nothing while waiting for their pubes to grow in.
So where is the news link that states the RIAA is behind this? WHERE? It doesn't exist. That's a fact. This blog , along with many others are churning out mis-information based on assumptions.
Shame on Engadget and the tens of other blogs that are creating panic amongst the Satellite radio community. The RIAA had nothing to do with this, and the S50 is a great unit.
Still watiting on the factual news story about the "RIAA's crippling, etc"
...
The link you are looking for about RIAA is on the RIAA webpage: http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/pdf/Bainwol_RIAA_testimony20051103.pdf
STATEMENT OF MITCH BAINWOL
CHAIRMAN AND CEO RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON COURTS, THE INTERNET, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON CONTENT PROTECTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: THE BROADCAST FLAG, HIGH- DEFINITION RADIO, AND THE ANALOG HOLE
November 3,2005
In his speech he tries to persuade congress to help enact laws to restrict the recording ability across the board for different digital content providers.
#37, that's a great document and all, but what does that have to do with the S50? Nowhere in that document did I see anything that directly proves the S50 was crippled by the RIAA.
...and I continue to wait...
I agree with your views about the S50, I currently have one on backorder. However, we both know that articles such as the one I forwarded is all it takes to get rumors started. I will stick to the manufacture specs, (and so should others) which for now are the only FACTS that can be found on this unit for the time being.
I saw this unit yesterday at Circuit City and I have to say it is not as pretty as I thought it was. I don't know what I was expecting but it is a lot larger than what I anticipated. It is basically an iPod shuffle with a screen and is the size of about 8 shuffles. I don't get it why is it so freaking big?
#40 What you have said is an out right lie. The size of the S50 is smaller than the iPod and even with the car dock it is smaller than a Motorola Razr V3 phone. Don't beleive me? Look here:
http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30041
RIAA = a bunch of ass****s
I've been waiting for the S50, and now I am very disappointed. Without live sat radio capability, I guess I'll just keep using my iPod and save a few hundred in the process.
Happy day,
I am confused. This page (http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=ProductAsset&cid=1130363753674)
says that it plays live and time-shifted content.
I spoke to one person at Sirius who said that it will stream live content just like an old FM radio. Another person said it will not. I want to be able to walk around and listen to live content. Does the S50 allow for that?
I bought the S50 from Circuit City and it is a piece of crap. What they do not tell you is that you cannot even use it to get live programing unless you use it is your car. They do not make a home adaptor for it yet and when I called the company who makes it they said that the home adaptor for it is not being sold yet. Sirius rips off their clients and XM I am sure is crap as well. This is a crap product and I am so glad I was able to return it. It is not worth the money or the time trying to deal with the idiots at Sirus. If you call them you will find that the employees do not really know anything about how to tell you the product works. I will stick to regular radio till Sirus pulls their act together
I purchased the S50 and a few days ago. A little pricey for my taste especially when I could of purchased the Ipod Nano 4Gb for a lot less. There were two reasons for this purchase: 1. Howard Stern will go completely Beserk. F@#k the FCC (Freedom of Speech Rules)!!! 2. Supposedly, a true portable unit with live satellite broadcast feeds (Bullshit). The reps at Sirius lied to me by assuring me that I could receive live content without the docking station-antenna. I have decided to keep it since I get an employee discount $30 + $50 mail-in rebate + $25 gift card from RadioShack. Now it's affordable and I can deal without true live content while on the go. This is my Nano Ipod - Sirius Satellite Radio all in one unit. I'm happy thank you very much. Looking forward to the Firmware Updates.
I purchased the sirius s50 from best buy last week. I had problems installing the software. Initially, I thought there was a problem with some block itunes has imbedded in my computer. It looks as if some of you have both itunes and sirius installed with no problems. I called sirius and apparently they do not have a tech department because they said take it back to best buy. Their "geek" department couldn't help, sirius couldn't help...so, I returned it and am now $300 richer...AND SIRIOSLY CONSIDERING AND XM OR JUST WAITING ANOTHER 2 WEEKS FOR SOMETHING BETTER TO COME OUT.
FYI all - Sirius just put out a Firmware update (12/14/05)that you download to the S50 through your My Sirius Studio software that now allows both recording on-the-fly and scheduled recording on ALL CHANNELS INCLUDING MUSIC!!!!
> but are intended to playback content recorded via
> their docking cradles. Such recording limitations
> would make it incredibly inconvenient for consumers
> to make full use of the players.
You mean like an iPod? Why would I want the much-touted iPod when I can play music & videos on my PDA?
What's the difference?
I have one and I love it.
If you are listening to a song and you are half way into it you can save it and it will save the song from the begining and title it by name, artist, music type and station location.
Yes, it is not intended to be a portable satelite receiver but who cares, you can record talk and music you like on the fly then pullout the small unit and listen to them while you wait at the DMV line.