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RIAA demanding XM-Sirius pay higher royalty rates
In the unceasing feud between the RIAA and satellite radio, the agency has rekindled the fire by encouraging the FCC to "require the merged companies to pay higher royalty rates to the record industry." Reportedly, the RIAA argued that the firms were "no longer new, struggling companies that could get away with paying below-market rates," and further salted the wound by insisting that the FCC "make clear that its approval of a merger was conditioned upon the continued protection of sound recordings from unlawful infringement." Of course, a number of senators have already voiced their concern for more limitations on satellite radio streams, but unsurprisingly, it seems like the RIAA wants these lofty wishes to become reality (and in a hurry).
Sirius, XM receivers may play both sides
Amid the takeover rumors, merger talk, blackouts, and general struggle and strife for consumers just trying to listen to some decent radio, it appears that a glimmer of hope may be breaking through all the noise. In an outrageously detailed letter to the FCC, a gentleman named Michael Hartleib calls for the agency to more clearly define the differences between "Dual mode" and "Interoperable" radios, and outlines how (using the latter variety) existing XM or Sirius receivers might be able to access both networks simply by having their firmware updated. The technical missive also suggests that the companies may be deflecting attention away from this fact in an attempt to bring "updated" receivers to market which have the aforementioned capability, when all that is really needed is a simple software tweak. Naturally, we can understand why he'd want to go straight to the FCC -- it's not like Sirius or XM are expected to discuss this possibility, and we think it's safe to assume that if they merge they're going to gouge customers into buying a new radio, instead of updating the ones they currently own.
XM gets official with Audiovox XpressR and XpressEZ
No big surprises here -- mainly because Orbitcast caught wind of these devices nearly two months ago -- but XM has finally taken the wraps off of its latest radios from Audiovox, the XpressR and XpressEZ. As we already knew, the $130 R brags of being the first satrad with a split-screen display, while also offering that 30-minute buffer for some limited time-shifting action. The EZ, meanwhile, is positioned as an entry-level device at $70 (meaning that you'll be able to find it for under $50 in no time, we imagine), and features a three-line LCD and not much else. Both models are compatible with a number of XM accessories, and both should be available immediately.Read - XpressRRead - XpressEZ
Sirius / XM merger achieves dubious milestone
Apart from a couple snarky ads from the NAB, the XM and Sirius merger hasn't exactly been a thrill ride, and now it looks like it's going to get even more boring. The two companies filed their initial merger application with the FCC some 70 days ago, and the agency hasn't even started the 180-day merger review period yet -- making this the longest application-to-review delay in FCC history. Industry insiders are saying this might mean that a final decision won't be reached until 2008, and that's not even counting in the time it'll take the Justice Department to do an antitrust review. No word on what the holdup is, but between that service outage and a loud customer backlash in the past two weeks, XM's got some housekeeping to do in the downtime before it really has to start pitching the merger to the government.[Via OrbitCast]
XM says sorry, offers customers credit for two days of service
XM looks be trying to make things right with its customers after an outage put a crimp in its service earlier this week, although the company isn't exactly going all out to make sure they stay on board. As compensation for any withdrawal symptoms customers may have suffered (those that haven't already jumped ship, that is), XM has deemed it suitable to dole out credits for two whole days of service (yes, days) which, at the current rate of $12.95 a month, works out to about 87 cents. Of course, you'll have to do a bit of work to pocket all that change, with a call to XM customer service at 1-800-967-2346 required to pry it from the company's coffers.[Via Orbitcast]
XM Radio outages continue on, software to blame
For the XM Radio subscribers who haven't patiently waited to hastily cancel your subscription just yet, we're sure you're well aware that the outages from yesterday are still lingering on. Reportedly, "software problems resulted in the loss of one of the network's four satellite signals," and while it expected to have everything back to normal by last night, sometime today is looking more likely. The company stated that "the problem occurred during the loading of software to a critical component of the satellite broadcast system," and while XM has urged listeners to tune in online if possible, we all know this doesn't solve much. Notably, analysts are already pondering just how much loyalty (and cashflow) XM will lose from such an outage, and while we won't bother to guess, each passing minute of dead air won't do the customer satisfaction surveys any favors.Update: XM is claiming service is back to normal.
Is XM radio temporarily offline?
We're sure this has precisely nothing to do with the Opie and Anthony situation, but we're hearing that XM has temporarily stopped broadcasting -- Orbitcast claims they haven't had a signal since noon EST, with reports to them and us about service outages nationwide. Anyone else having problems with their XM feed? Sound off in comments!Update: Orbitcast got the following statement from XM: "We are experiencing a temporary degraded performance issue, which has affected some of our customers. We expect to return to normal service levels this evening."
XM facing subscriber, sponsor backlash over Opie & Anthony suspension
It looks like XM's suspension of Opie & Anthony earlier this week is causing a few more headaches than the company may have anticipated, with customers apparently canceling their subscriptions in droves and a number of sponsors now reportedly pulling their advertising. While it's not clear exactly how many customers have jumped ship, anecdotal evidence suggests that hundreds if not thousands of subscriptions have already been canceled. Orbitcast is also reporting that those trying to cancel their service are facing up to a 1.5 hour wait while they're on hold (a few have also taken the extra step of actually smashing their XM radios). The sponsors pulling out seem to be equally displeased with the move, with one of them, The Nashville Coffee Company, saying that XM "is beholden to crybaby special interest groups who cannot separate humor from reality." Of course, all of this is also happening in the midst of a little merger, although it's not clear what impact, if any, it may have on that.[Photo courtesy of AP/KTVU, thanks Chris]Read - Orbitcast, "XM subscribers backlash over O&A suspension"Read - Orbitcast, "Sponsors pull advertising over O&A suspension"
Panasonic launches its first US in-car navigation unit
Looking to establish itself as a "leader in the U.S. mobile navigation market," Panasonic has finally launched its Strada CN-NVD905U, the company's first in-car GPS receiver for American consumers. Besides getting you from here to there using NAVTEQ maps on a 7-inch touchscreen, the 905U -- first introduced almost six months ago -- also offers an impressive suite of entertainment options, including DVD and MP3 CD playback, a 30GB hard drive, iPod video compatibility, and either Sirius or XM satellite stations through the use of optional tuners and antennas. Other nice features include Sirius Traffic capability, Bluetooth support, and inputs for a rear-mounted camera, but since this $1,800 package requires a double DIN slot, Panasonic's gonna have to work a little harder if it really wants to replace our TomToms, Garmins, and Pioneers.
Samsung Wafer now available at Alltel shop
The recently announced Samsung SCH-r510 Wafer -- and at just 8.4 millimeters thin, this moniker is well deserved -- has landed at the Alltel shop, dear friends. This uber svelte XM Radio packin', EV-DO speedin' device has hit the shelves with the anybody-can-afford-it price of $49 dollars. If you aren't happy with just the XM Radio features, the Wafer also packs a memory slot (microSD) for music storage and stereo Bluetooth functionality to listen sans wires. For an entry level device and price, we're loving this tiny feature-packed handset.
Sirius, XM hit with second patent lawsuit in two months
Looks like the Sirius and XM legal teams are going to be spending a lot of time in good ol' Marshall, Texas this year. The two satellite radio giants are facing their second patent lawsuit in two months, this time over a 1995 patent owned by Finisar, a multinational networking company specializing in optical components. Finisar claims that it tried to license the patent -- which describes a method of regulating the organization of data during a satellite transmission -- to both XM and Sirius in 2005 but got the double cold shoulder. Aiming to correct that slight, the company is now asking the court for monetary damages as well as an injunction preventing XM and Sirius from using the offending tech. We'll be watching this one closely, since Finisar won more than $100 million from DirecTV last year over what appears to be the same patent -- that might put a dent in those merger plans, no?[Via OrbitCast]
Audiovox to bulk up Xpress XM tuner line with Replay, EZ
Orbitcast's got the scoop on a pair of upcoming XM tuners from Audiovox, the entry-level Xpress EZ (pictured after the break) and somewhat high-end Xpress Replay (pictured after the break, and simply referred to as the XpressR if you want to sound hip around satrad nerds). The EZ is about as barebones as they come, sporting a mere three-button-plus-single-knob interface but not much else; you are getting a three-line display, but for $70, we'd expect them to at least throw a little remote action in there. Much more appealing is the Replay, which as Orbitcast tells us, is the first satellite radio ever to feature a split-screen display, meaning you can keep the current channel's info onscreen while you scroll through five stations at a time on the six-line LCD. Like members of the Sirius family sporting a 'Replay' tag, the XpressR allows for pausing / rewinding live feeds thanks to its 30 minute buffer, while also offering a total of 30 presets. Expect both models to become available sometime in June, and if we might be so bold, either would seem to be an upgrade over your current Xpress model in the looks department.
Onkyo's new receivers feature both XM and Sirius satellite radio
Onkyo has the loot for you if you want to hear Oprah and Howard back-to-back, with announcements of five receivers featuring both XM and Sirius satellite radio compatibility. The TX-SR575, TX-SR705, TX-SR805, and TX-SR875 models all support both formats for your radio jones, while the high-end TX-NR905 model also adds support for HD Radio digital broadcasts and an Ethernet jack for Internet radio and multimedia streaming. The receivers all have the usual collection of video ins and outs, and sport 1.3a HDMI connectors with Deep Color capability for switching between sources up to 1080p resolution. No pricing or dates were announced for the TX-SR575, but the TX-SR805 will ship in May for $1099, the TX-SR875 in June for $1699, the TX-SR705 in July for $899, and the TX-NR905 in August for $2099.Read - Onkyo THX Certified ReceiversRead - Onkyo TX-SR575
Yamaha's new RX-V861 1080p upconverting receiver for a grand
Yamaha has announced an upscaling 1080p receiver for just shy of $1000, with many of the features normally reserved for more expensive models, like microphone-based speaker optimization, HDMI output, and XM and iPod compatibility. The RX-V861 will upconvert HDMI, S-Video, or component, and output via HDMI to your display, while accepting audio formats such as DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD digitally for output over its 7.1 channels. Four preset buttons on the front of the unit allow for quick switching between audio modes, including the seventeen flavors of DSP processing. The optional iPod dock allows for playback of audio and video through the receiver's remote, which also controls XM satellite radio subscriptions. The RX-V861 will be available in May for a suggested retail of $999.95.
XM hit with false advertising lawsuit over "commercial free" claims
Talk about a company that can't stay out of the courtroom. Yet again, we've got XM headed back for another round of sticky legal action, and while we highly doubt the firm's lawyers are done digesting the NMPA suit from less than a month ago, now it's being forced to deal with an Arkansas man's allegations in US District Court. Matthew Enderlin is apparently quite upset with XM's "false claims of commercial free music," as he adumbrates that the channels actually do include "promotional and advertisement segments." Unsurprisingly, XM has said the suit is "without merit," but Mr. Enderlin isn't backing down; au contraire, he's actually seeking to "have the suit certified as a class-action suit so all XM Radio customers can be considered plaintiffs." Bet you weren't expecting to join in on the fun yourself, eh?[Via Orbitcast]
Satellite CEOs aren't the only ones changing their tune
After witnessing the pair of attempts by the National Association of Broadcasters to discredit the Sirius-XM merger as a monopoly or bail-out, the folks at Orbitcast decided that "two can play" at that game, and created this clever "ad" of their own. We'll let the image do the talking.
Rogers serves up North America's first video calling service
With the introduction of the video call capable A706 this week, Rogers is now about to bust the doors wide open with the first North American video calling service. To celebrate the launch, we hear Rogers is going to be offering some crazy incentives to get the ball rolling. The word is that by just picking up the handset on a three year contract and tacking on a inexpensive Vision plan -- as little as $5 CDN a month -- you will get three years of unlimited video calling, three months of unlimited Video on Demand, and three months of unlimited Internet access. Also in there is Rogers' VOD service which will see you watching MTV, YouTube, Sportsnet, MTV, Access Hollywood, Tonight show, CNN and more. Since that is hardly enough, Canada's 3G provider is including 25 XM channels with 5 of them exclusive to Rogers Wireless. All of this falls into the too good to be true category, so we will hold our collective breath and wait to see what's what, but know that we are seriously hoping some of Rogers altruism rubs off down here.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
XM patents multi-finger touchscreen -- no, not that one
While the "multi-touch" iPhone screen might lay claim to a nice collection of patents, XM is putting a whole new spin on the term with its "multi-finger" patent for satellite radio operation. The patent, which was filed in June '05 and published this last December, describes "context sensitive data input using finger or fingerprint recognition." Basically, instead of having to look at the device and punch the correct part of the screen with your finger, the screen can tell which finger you're tapping it with, and perform an operation based on whatever finger you're using. As illustrated above -- we use the term "illustrated" loosely here, it looks like the picture was drawn by a blind man using his feet -- the thumb could automatically mute the device, while other fingers coud be set to preset channels or to menu shortcuts. We're not super clear on the actual method of finger recognition, or if there is one as of yet, but the system will supposedly be able to work with multiple users, each with unique fingerprints and particular shortcut setups. Naturally, no word on when this might hit devices.
NMPA suing XM Radio for copyright infringement
Just about the time that XM Radio was finally able to sit down and hammer out some figures for the upcoming merger, the poor satellite radio firm has hit yet another legal snag, and this time it's care of the NMPA. The National Music Publishers Association have officially filed suit against XM, claiming that the "XM + MP3" music service bypasses copyright laws by giving users the ability "to make permanent copies of on-air tracks" with units like the hotly-debated Inno. Quite similar to other gripes brought against the outfit in the past, this dispute claims that XM's service "constitutes pervasive and willful copyright infringement to the overwhelming detriment of copyright holders, legitimate online music services and, ultimately, consumers," but we're still scratching our heads on the "consumers" bit too. Nevertheless, the NMPA is requesting demanding a maximum of $150,000 in "damages" for each work purportedly infringed by XM, but the sat radio company seems to be brushing this one aside as it claims that "the lawsuit is without merit." These guys just can't do anything right, eh?
It's on: HD radio gets FCC blessing
We have to wonder what the mood is over at NAB headquarters right now, in light of the fact that the FCC has finally given HD radio -- the promised savior of terrestrial broadcasting -- the green-light. On the one hand, radio stations will now be able to offer to multiple streams of higher-quality, digital programming to the commuting public -- good news, indeed -- but on the other hand, XM and Sirius now have another example to wave in front of regulators who will argue that their proposed merger stifles competition. The new sources of revenue, however, combined with a technology that is said to be superior to satellite delivery, probably outweigh any potential effects on the merger, meaning that Clear Channel and friends are likely partying it up as we speak. As you probably know, HD radio allows stations to efficiently divide their spectrum in as many as five (and possibly more) streams, a move which advocates hope will increase programming diversity but detractors fear will just bring more of the same crap. Regardless of whether the increased capacity brings about more non-Top 40 stations, though, this ruling is definitely a plus for consumers; because even if the new content is just as lame as the current stuff, at least we gadgetheads now have an excuse to go out and buy a whole slew of fresh gear.Update: Just to clear things up, yes, certain stations have been broadcasting in HD for some time now, but those were special cases requiring FCC permission. This new ruling allows all certified terrestrial broadcasters to begin the switch over to digital, meaning that we'll soon see a nationwide rollout.
