FCC clears low end Sirius Stratus 4 radio

Nothing too exciting here, but it looks like the FCC didn't have any problems with Sirius's latest low end offering, with the company's new Stratus 4 radio now cleared for release. This one comes complete with a vehicle docking station, and is also compatible with the company's Universal Plug and Play Home Kit, its Universal Plug and Play Vehicle Kit, and its SUBX1 Universal Boombox. Otherwise, it looks like you can expect only the most basic functionality, and the most basic price, with the radio set to pack an MSRP of just $50 when it's released sometime this fall.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 19th 2007 2:01PM]

Get something with Replay feature if you can.
It's so worth it.

Nothing against this radio. I'm sure it's a fine piece.

[Mike @ Sep 19th 2007 2:47PM]

Agreed. Not having Replay is not worth having Sirius...

[paragraph @ Sep 19th 2007 2:22PM]

100 times better than the sirius one!

If you hurry you can grab some of the older models on clearance for next to nothing (or sometimes nothing or less than nothing if radioshut has MIRs)
Starmate Replay is usually $100, should be on clearance for $49.99, and if you play your cards right you might get a MIR for $50. I was lucky and got $200 MIR for a $100 boombox and the Replay @ $50. ;)

However, univerasl docking is great, the Starmate replay does not have that.

I have since upgraded to a headunit with SR, but still, if you just want a radio this should be more than good enough.

Looks like a 2 line display, so you might have to take your pick of weather you want to see the song title or the artist (top line is reserved for signal strength and radio station)

but it looks a solid no frills entry level radio, as long as Sirius sticks with the $50 pricetag it's perfect for it's target audience.

[allaina @ Sep 19th 2007 2:51PM]

unfortunately, the subscription prices on sat. radio, whilst not very high, are still higher than HD's (free). if they'd lower it to 5 or less a month, they'd probably easily make up the difference in new customer base. I see tons of people opt out and get HD instead.

so, kudos to Sirius for making the reciever affordable, but when is the subscription price going to drop to a competitive rate?

[XM RULES @ Sep 19th 2007 3:23PM]

While I'm an XM fan, I have to respond about the HD comment. Yes, HD is free, but when you compare what you get on HD to sat radio, you understand why they give HD away. Commercials, limited play lists, constant jabber by DJs, no variety, no depth, no catering specific genres. For less than the cost of a CD (or a few bucks more than one album download from iTunes), you have a month of incredible music, talk, sports and comedy -- something that you cannot get from HD.

Like they say, you get what you pay for -- if it's free, it probably blows.

I prefer XM, others prefer Sirius ... either way, both are much better than HD.

[allaina @ Sep 19th 2007 3:28PM]

users have proven that content doesn't matter as much as price: you offer a mediocre radio that is better than analog, it'll sell if it's cheaper than another.

i NEVER said that HD was better than satellite, and i don't believe that my comment hinted at it, either. especially, seeing as i believe that satellite radio is pretty awesome. i only said that satellite's problem with gaining new customers is their price, now that HD is available.

[XM RULES @ Sep 19th 2007 3:26PM]

...one more thing. I agree that it's great that Sirius and XM are making the receivers affordable. However, the value is in the service...$12.95/month, plus additional receivers at much less is a bargain. Listen for a few days and will understand. (And no, I do not work for either company....just a music fanatic.)

[allaina @ Sep 19th 2007 3:32PM]

my best friend has XM, and i am absolutely in love with it.

i'm just saying, that when a company offers something similar to what you do (hundreds of channels, whether they are commercial free or not..) at a better price, you should probably pony up and get competitive with your pricing.

[Jim Pharo @ Sep 19th 2007 5:20PM]

I assume this does not address the lack of a walkman-esque unit for Sirius? Without something a can comfortably carry around in my pocket to get live broadcasts, I'm going to have to go without...

That's my barrier, not the actual cost of the unit.

[Twitchy @ Sep 20th 2007 7:13AM]

Looks a lot like a Becker. Probably doesn't sound as good though.