[BC] HD Alliance

[Robert Meuser]

We discussed that about a week ago. The two systems use different CODECS  XM is 
AAC and Sirius is PAC. Beyond that there is the issue of the satellites. XM is 
geosynchronous and Sirius is sort of like a LEO. On paper the Sirius approach 
should work better but in practice it does not. I have traveled to many 
different parts of the country and wherever I go, there are more drop outs with 
Sirius. At home it drops twice a day and XM is solid.

The value of a merger would the the extra bandwidth. Terrestrial repeaters could 
probably be converted, but many of those would have redundant coverage. My guess 
is that radios that would work with both systems would be built and the band 
width of the loosing merger partner would be progressively reduced and new 
service would be added to the other. Eventually radios would be replaced as 
would the satellites.

R

Alan Kline wrote:
> ------ At 05:53 PM 1/14/2006 -0500, The Most Honourable Jeff Johnson wrote: -------
> 
>>> If one could only match XM's superior technology, coverage and audio 
>>>quality with Sirius's superior programming one might have a great product.
>>>
>>>R
>>
>>Think the two will merge in the end??
> 
> 
> I was starting to wonder the same thing myself...
> 
> How compatible (or incompatible) are the technologies of the two companies?  If
> there was a merger, would all Sirius subscribers need to buy a new radio?
> 
> ak
> 
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