TiVo Community Forums Archives - I want TiVo for my car radio

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I want TiVo for my car radio
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Posted by: dbezona

I have gotten so used to TiVo that I find myself trying to "TiVo" other things.

Yesterday I got into my car and had some talk radio on. It was in the middle of what seemed like an interesting dicussion, so I reached for my stereo, as if to rewind. It was instinctual, but alas - my car stereo doesn't do that. *sigh*

It occurs to me that a TiVo-like device wouldn't be too hard to develop for the car, and might have a reasonable market.

Since it's only audio, you would need much less processing power and disk capacity.

It seems a full programming guide would be overkill for the limited number of radio stations most people have available, all that would be needed would be the ability to pick a time and date to record.

If you use MP3 for the digital encoding, you could dual-purpose the device as an MP3 storage and playback, with the added ability to record, pause, rewind live radio.

Am I nuts, or does this seem like a cool thing? I know I would buy one.

Posted by: JivinJeff

Check out satellite radio:

XMRadio.com

SiriusRadio.com

100 commercial free digital channels of music, news and entertainment available coast to coast. No static, cd quality sound. Plus it shows the artist and song title on the radio screen.

Jeff

Posted by: tivotvman

Yes. A car CD-RW would be great and would probably sell as fast as the newest gaming system. But of course even though it would not cost much more to make or design than a regular car MP3 player, they would still charge 400 dollars more. A problem that may be hard to overcome is bumps in the road, either for a hard drive or cd.

[This message has been edited by tivotvman (edited 11-29-2001).]

Posted by: dbezona

quote:
Originally posted by tivotvman:
[B]Yes. A car CD-RW would be great and would probably sell as fast as the newest gaming system. But of course even though it would not cost much more to make or design than a regular car MP3 player, they would still charge 400 dollars more. A problem that may be hard to overcome is bumps in the road, either for a hard drive or cd.
[B]

Good point about the bumpy ride - you could certainly manage the recording process by using a generous memory buffer, but not sure how a hard drive would hold up to the jouncing over time. Although laptop hard drives seem OK...

Posted by: dbezona

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
Check out satellite radio:
<snip>

Nice, but still doesn't let me pause, rewind, record, etc...

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by dbezona:
Nice, but still doesn't let me pause, rewind, record, etc...

True, but there's so much good music that you won't need or want to ;-)

Trust me, you'll never go back to FM radio again.

Jeff

Posted by: dbezona

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
True, but there's so much good music that you won't need or want to ;-)

Trust me, you'll never go back to FM radio again.

Jeff

Mostly I listen to talk radio in the car - which is where I think having TiVo like control would be most useful.

When I listen to music, it's always a CD - any time I don't get to choose what songs I hear when, I get cranky, no matter how many channels there might be to choose from.

Posted by: JJA

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dbezona:
[B]
Mostly I listen to talk radio in the car - which is where I think having TiVo like control would be most useful.
[QUOTE]

I agree. I'd love to Tivo Tab Computer on a Saturday morning. And just think, you could Tivo Bob Steele on his once a month show and listen any time you want.

Posted by: MighTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
True, but there's so much good music that you won't need or want to ;-)
Trust me, you'll never go back to FM radio again.
Jeff

Interesting because I think this is the missing killer app of XM radio.

With digital downloads it seems that this is ripe for a radio version of DirectTiVo. Season passes to programs, musical genre based, news, talk radio, etc. Pause talk, sports or news when you get a phone call or have a "discussion" with the kids. Instant Replay for missed commentary. FF or skip over boring segments, songs you don't like, etc.

How long before SonicBlue puts this in a home based receiver with the ability to save content to a memory card to play on your portable or in yor car?

Posted by: jasonl99

With the prices of compactFlash cards down as low as they are now, I'm shocked someone hasn't already come up with a portable AM/FM radio that does this.

You could write a Windows app that let you program the recording times/durations and stored the file right on the CF card. Store the radio shows in MP3 format so they can be downloaded to your PC.

I'd spend $200 in a heartbeat on something like this.

Posted by: dbezona

Hmmm - how about a "dock" for your car that would accept something like the iPOD or Nomad Jukebox. Just slide it into the head unit like a cartridge. The head unit could add a tuner and TiVo-style logic to the mix. The audio gets saved onto the iPOD or Jukebox, so you could listen to it anywhere and sync it up to your PC or whatever.

Posted by: Lucifer99

Is this what you're looking for? http://www.gotuit.com/aindex.html

[edit] Isn't Gotuit the company who recently sued TiVo for patent infringement?
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[This message has been edited by Lucifer99 (edited 11-29-2001).]

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by Lucifer99:
Is this what you're looking for? http://www.gotuit.com/aindex.html

Gotuit is a company that takes an idea and then files patents for it. Once a *real* company spends the research money to create a working product and does all the innovating, they come along and sue the maker of the device for patent infrigement.

Jeff

Posted by: Lucifer99

Gotuit sounds alot like Pause Technolgy
http://www.pausetechnology.com/news.html

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Posted by: Knouse

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
Gotuit is a company that takes an idea and then files patents for it. Once a *real* company spends the research money to create a working product and does all the innovating, they come along and sue the maker of the device for patent infrigement.

What led you to this conclusion?

------------------
Philips 30 hr SA, Lifetime Service, 2.5.1, DISH, Sony 19 in.
Philips 142 hr SA, monthly service, 2.5.1, DISH, Sony 36 in. XBR

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by Knouse:
What led you to this conclusion?

Because they went after TiVo with their "Pause live tv" patent. They have no product, just a fluff patent.
http://www.gotuit.com/news1.html

Jeff

Posted by: Knouse

Too bad. Their radio non-product looks great.

------------------
Philips 30 hr SA, Lifetime Service, 2.5.1, DISH, Sony 19 in.
Philips 142 hr SA, monthly service, 2.5.1, DISH, Sony 36 in. XBR

Posted by: Ov1Ture

XMRadio are you listening?
From what I've heard the XM radios do a little buffering to continue the sound even if the satellite stream isn't continously received. I should think with a larger buffer they could pause and instant replay. With a larger memory capacity, more is available - perhaps using MiniDisc technology since Sony seems to be an investor.

------------------
------------------------
What is it about the Silver ones?

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by Ov1Ture:
XMRadio are you listening?
From what I've heard the XM radios do a little buffering to continue the sound even if the satellite stream isn't continously received. I should think with a larger buffer they could pause and instant replay. With a larger memory capacity, more is available - perhaps using MiniDisc technology since Sony seems to be an investor.

You're correct, XM Satellite Radios have a 4 second memory buffer in case the satellite signal gets block under a highway underpass for instance.

Sony makes an XM Radio that has a USB port for future use. They could easily add an external hard drive or offer the ability to hook it up to your computer to save the audio feed. XM uses mpeg audio, it's a digital feed at 128kbps, some software program could be written to archive the audio and save it for playback. In fact XM is already partnered with MusicMatch, so it is highly likely that MusicMatch will design the interface for satellite radio recording.

Jeff

Posted by: JivinJeff

Here's what the Sony unit looks like. The cool thing is that it's portable, you can dock in the car or in your home...
http://www.xmradio.com/musicmatch/musicmatch.html

Jeff

Posted by: MighTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
Here's what the Sony unit looks like. The cool thing is that it's portable, you can dock in the car or in your home...
http://www.xmradio.com/musicmatch/musicmatch.html

Jeff

I would rather they just use a smartcard that could be moved from system to system for the subscription....

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by MighTiVo:
I would rather they just use a smartcard that could be moved from system to system for the subscription....

The Sony brain is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Very tiny. Smarts cards are nice though...

Posted by: TiVolocity

This isn't exactly what you're looking for, but it looks like a great idea.
http://radioprogramrecorder.com/homepage.html

I'd definitely get one if I still lived in a Howard Stern market.

By the way, XM is going to crash and burn, so you probably shouldn't get one. In a recession, who has $300 to blow on a new radio, plus $10/month for a subscription? I know I don't.

The beauty of local radio, when done well, is the local personalities who know your town and your way of life. XM will not bring you local news, sports and weather. XM will not take the 10th caller to give you a free pizza from your local favorite pizza place. If you love Wal-Mart and don't miss your local stores with items unique to your area, then XM is for you. If you love McDonald's and don't miss the local hole-in-the-wall mom & pop diner, then XM is for you. XM is just the latest step towards the homogenization of America, and I think that's too bad.

Posted by: RickStrobel

quote:
Originally posted by TiVolocity:
By the way, XM is going to crash and burn, so you probably shouldn't get one. In a recession, who has $300 to blow on a new radio, plus $10/month for a subscription? I know I don't.

The beauty of local radio, when done well, is the local personalities who know your town and your way of life. XM will not bring you local news, sports and weather. XM will not take the 10th caller to give you a free pizza from your local favorite pizza place. If you love Wal-Mart and don't miss your local stores with items unique to your area, then XM is for you. If you love McDonald's and don't miss the local hole-in-the-wall mom & pop diner, then XM is for you. XM is just the latest step towards the homogenization of America, and I think that's too bad.

Yeah, I love the down-home feeling all the Clear Channel stations give me in Louisville. Radio has already been Wal-Mart - ized.

Regarding people buying these in a recession... This company was born during the last one. Been building up to this for 10 years. Don't think a soft economy is going to kill them. They should have plenty of burn time and money to make this work. XM and the other competitor Sirius have all the major auto makers as partners. This means that many, many new cars, of all makes will come with these systems pre-installed.

Posted by: Guy Kuo

He he he. I've caught myself trying to rewind the car radio as well. It's really irksome when you are so used to having that ability and suddenly find you can't do it.

------------------
Guy Kuo
www.ovationsw.com
Ovation Software, the Home of AVIA DVD

Posted by: HOWITIS

how am i going to get my kentucky wildcats over the radio on xm? i think i'll stick to am talk. especially sports.

RrickStrobel: aren't there local sports channels in louisville? i'm sure you can get all the news you need on benidict rick.

[This message has been edited by HOWITIS (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: tivotvman

Here is another talk radio recorder:
http://martelelectronics.com/Mercha...egory_Code=TRR1

Posted by: MighTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by TiVolocity:
By the way, XM is going to crash and burn, so you probably shouldn't get one. In a recession, who has $300 to blow on a new radio, plus $10/month for a subscription? I know I don't.

My point is that I strongly believe that if the XM radio included functionality like TiVo (pause, instant replay, etc.) it would not fail. As it stands its only feature is better quality audio but you have to pay for something you get free now. So I don' think it is going to do well either. Regardless of the state of the economy

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by HOWITIS:
how am i going to get my kentucky wildcats over the radio on xm? i think i'll stick to am talk. especially sports.

RrickStrobel: aren't there local sports channels in louisville? i'm sure you can get all the news you need on benidict rick.

You don't lose FM or AM when you get an XM Radio. It allows you to freely switch back and forth between your terrestrial and satellite stations. Also, XM has 9 sports channels, including ESPN and CNN Sports, so it's likely you'll find at least one channel to hear your game.

Jeff

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by TiVolocity:

By the way, XM is going to crash and burn, so you probably shouldn't get one. In a recession, who has $300 to blow on a new radio, plus $10/month for a subscription? I know I don't.

The beauty of local radio, when done well, is the local personalities who know your town and your way of life. XM will not bring you local news, sports and weather. XM will not take the 10th caller to give you a free pizza from your local favorite pizza place. If you love Wal-Mart and don't miss your local stores with items unique to your area, then XM is for you. If you love McDonald's and don't miss the local hole-in-the-wall mom & pop diner, then XM is for you. XM is just the latest step towards the homogenization of America, and I think that's too bad.

I personally have XM. Let me clear up a few misconceptions...

I got XM to get away from the mindless banter and 20 minutes of commericals per hour. XM is pristine and uncluttered - sheltered from the stupid DJs who only play a small selection of the same songs over and over that dominate FM radio. XM is every type of music recorded since the beginning of time. The cuts that never make it to FM radio.

The mom and pop radio that you describe doesn't exist anymore. It has been raped and turned to mush by Clear Channel and the other radio conglomerates. Clear Channel has homogenized radio, XM is restoring it to its glory.

Also, XM radios are tri-band, meaning you can easily flip back to FM for all the local traffic you want. Granted I haven't listened to FM since I got satellite radio, it's still an option.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JivinJeff (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: marinrain

http://www.applian.com/pc/ReplayRadio/index.htm

Here is Replay Radio link - a software program that allows you to record from internet or 'speaker in' (which could be radio) --

then you can listen from PC or download to MP3 player --

works great -- but you have to anticipate in advance --

Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
Check out satellite radio:

XMRadio.com

SiriusRadio.com

100 commercial free digital channels of music, news and entertainment available coast to coast. No static, cd quality sound. Plus it shows the artist and song title on the radio screen.

Jeff

It's *not* commerical. Free.

Just a warning to all the people who went ape s*it over the Lexus thing. There will be *far* more commercials on XM

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by cv:
Great.

Another distraction to make driving even more dangerous.

focusing on the *single* thing that matters while driving: driving.

And no, you can't multi-task. Studies have shown that "multi-tasking" just results in two or more tasks being done rather poorly.

And I thought scoping out hot chicks in other cars was the most important task. http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by TiVolocity:

The beauty of local radio, when done well, is the local personalities who know your town and your way of life. XM will not bring you local news, sports and weather. XM will not take the 10th caller to give you a free pizza from your local favorite pizza place. If you love Wal-Mart and don't miss your local stores with items unique to your area, then XM is for you. If you love McDonald's and don't miss the local hole-in-the-wall mom & pop diner, then XM is for you. XM is just the latest step towards the homogenization of America, and I think that's too bad.

Interseting comment fro msomeone who seems to be a Stern fan (I am!!). They said the same thing about him. They said radio has to be local to be enjoyed. Howard never talks about local happenings in Dallas (unless it is about his show being aired here), yet I enjoy the show tremendously. I'm sure you would (do) as well.

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
I personally have XM. Let me clear up a few misconceptions...

I got XM to get away from the mindless banter and 20 minutes of commericals per hour. XM is pristine and uncluttered - sheltered from the stupid DJs who only play a small selection of the same songs over and over that dominate FM radio. XM is every type of music recorded since the beginning of time. The cuts that never make it to FM radio.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JivinJeff (edited 11-30-2001).]

It seems music is a big thing for you. If so, why not burn your own compilations on CD?? If you get an MP3 playing CD palyer i nthe car, you can cram a *ton* of music on it. Now, you have *total* control.

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: RickStrobel

quote:
Originally posted by HOWITIS:
how am i going to get my kentucky wildcats over the radio on xm? i think i'll stick to am talk. especially sports.

RickStrobel: aren't there local sports channels in louisville? i'm sure you can get all the news you need on benidict rick.

You'll still have AM and FM with these devices (as someone has already stated).

Local sports: WHAS 840 AM. I only listen to sports when the Cards are playing. Come to think of it, that's rare too because I'm TiVo-ing it at home and don't want to ruin it by knowing the score.

We also have FOX Sports Radio, which is totally national.

Here's an analysis of the stations I can get in Louisville:
(found at http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/page?page=states)

Qty Format
1 _80's Rock_
1 _Adult Album Alternative_
2 _Adult Contemporary_
2 _Alternative_
3 _Christian Contemporary_
2 _Classic Rock_
1 _Classical_
3 _Country_
2 _Gospel_
1 _News/Talk_
1 _Nostalgia_
1 _Oldies_
1 _Public Radio_
4 _Religious_
1 _Rhythmic Oldies_
1 _Rock_
2 _Sports_
1 _Talk_
2 _Top-40_
2 _Urban Contemporary_

That's 20 unique formats, 34 total stations, 4 Religious, 3 Chrisitian Contemporary and 3 Country. Yuk!

That's why XM and Sirius are so appealing to me.

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by jsmeeker:
It seems music is a big thing for you. If so, why not burn your own compilations on CD?? If you get an MP3 playing CD palyer i nthe car, you can cram a *ton* of music on it. Now, you have *total* control.

Because you get tired of searching for music that interests you. I would much rather have a expert programmer with access to a huge music database handpick the best songs. I want to be surprised with the playlist. I want to hear the story behind the music and the artists, XM's programming staff do this for me.

Burning cds is great, but the music gets stale and you get tired of lugging around discs.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JivinJeff (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by jsmeeker:

It's *not* commerical. Free.

Just a warning to all the people who went ape s*it over the Lexus thing. There will be *far* more commercials on XM

XM has 30 commercial free channels. With the others being limited to 6-8 minutes of commercials. This is still a big improvement over FM's current 20 minute commercial blocks.

When Sirius launches their service in Feb. all of their 60 music channels with be 100% commercial free. The news, talk and entertainment channels do have limited commercials because they are mostly simulcasts of cable networks like Weather Channel, E!, CNN, Fox News, etc...

Jeff

Posted by: arjay

It's likely only one of the two contenders X-M and Sirius will survive. Currently each system has a receiver which is incompatible with the other. (Sirius is supposed to debut early next year.)

Within a year or two there are supposed to be compatible satellite radio receivers available for both providers which will also offer standard AM-FM and CD too. Might make sense to wait a while.

Be interesting to compare X-M's $10. a month service with Sirius $13. version vs. standard AM-FM at a given location.

Posted by: Herzinger

The D-link DSB-R100 PC FM USB Radio includes software allowing recording of FM programs while away from your computer. Also converts to MP3. Don't have one but looks interesting.
http://www.dlink.com/products/usb/dsbr100/

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:
Originally posted by arjay:
It's likely only one of the two contenders X-M and Sirius will survive. Currently each system has a receiver which is incompatible with the other. (Sirius is supposed to debut early next year.)

Well Echostar and DirecTV both survived, now one's buying the other. I feel that both companies will succeed in a big way. Also, Sirius has better car manufacturers behind them - BWM, Mercedes, Ford, Crysler.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JivinJeff (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: Lucifer99

Here's a radio timeshifter for your Linux box.
http://osl.iu.edu/~tveldhui/radio/

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Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
XM has 30 commercial free channels. With the others being limited to 6-8 minutes of commercials. This is still a big improvement over FM's current 20 minute commercial blocks.

Jeff

Fair enough. But the big battle cry on this board was "I paid $10 per month not to see/watch commercials!! I am going to sue. I am going to cancel my subscription ans smash my TiVo to pieces.". You remember how strong that cry was. I woldn't expect all those people to embrace XM. (but they may embrace Sirrus)

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: jsmeeker

quote:
Originally posted by Herzinger:
The D-link DSB-R100 PC FM USB Radio includes software allowing recording of FM programs while away from your computer. Also converts to MP3. Don't have one but looks interesting.
http://www.dlink.com/products/usb/dsbr100/

Sweet!!!!!! I am going to get one. It's only $16. You can't go wrong. No big loss if it doesn't work.

I would *love* to record Howard Stern with this.

------------------
Jeff

Sony SVR-2000
"Let the Tivolution be televised"

Posted by: arjay

quote:
Originally posted by jsmeeker:

But the big battle cry on this board was "I paid $10 per month not to see/watch commercials. I woldn't expect all those people to embrace XM. (but they may embrace Sirius)

Sirius is not supposed to be 100% commercial free either. It'll be interesting to see what if anything $3. a month buys. I'd expect sound quality and uninterrupted reception to as important as commercials when deciding between X-M and Sirius. They apparently are using different transmission schemes.

Posted by: JivinJeff

quote:

Sirius is not supposed to be 100% commercial free either....

All of Sirius' 60 music channels will be 100% commercial free. The 40 remaining news, talk and entertainment channels will have commercials though.

Jeff

[This message has been edited by JivinJeff (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: arjay

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
Well Echostar and DirecTV both survived, now one's buying the other.

Sirius has better car manufacturers behind them - BWM, Mercedes, Ford, Crysler.

Which is what would probably happen with X-M and Sirius after everything shakes out. One survivor. Even if they'd replace an incompatible receiver for free why hassle with the reinstallation?

Sirius will get a boost from its car licensees but will be hurt by the $3. a month. Of course there are more people in the cheap seats but more potential subs in the expensive ones.

Siriusly (heh heh), before deciding on satellite radio comparing reception from the two providers is essential. Maybe there won't be much difference?

Posted by: disco

quote:
Originally posted by JivinJeff:
All of Sirius' 60 music channels will be 100% commercial free. The 40 remaining news, talk and entertainment channels will have commercials though.

I saw a flier stating 50 music/50 new-talk, but whatever...

Back when cable television began, people were asking the same thing they are today about XM & Sirius: "Who'd PAY for TELEVISION?!?!" Simple: LOTS more choices, better quality sound, and (in satellite radio) uninterupted thru 48 states (especially nice for travellers).

About the comment of no "mom & pop" radio stations being around anymore, that's false. Head to ANY smaller market (50k or less), and you'll EASILY find "mom & pop" radio stations NOT beaming a signal off a bird. I, for one, work at one. I'm in FM radio, but VERY interested in XM & Sirius (more XM because of their backers) and how it'll change my job/field. Radio has quickly moved from being a (mostly) warm/interactive medium to a cold/background medium. It'll be fun to see where it goes from here, and I've loved the "trip" so far!

Will XM &/or Sirius be around 5-10 years from now? I honestly don't know. Perhaps. Perhaps not. They HAVE said they are working together on a compatible stream of their feeds (i.e., you buy an XM receiver, you could switch to Sirius, or sign up for both). That alone shows the courage to work on making this work. Only time will tell, though, if it does.

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Nathan::
"Did you know that disco record sales were up 400% for the year ending 1976? If these trends continue...ayyy!"

[This message has been edited by disco904 (edited 11-30-2001).]

Posted by: Gregd33

I have tried to TiVo everything, but mostly the car radio. My car has the radio controls on the steering wheels and, in the morning when I am sleepy, I try and hit a button that will jump back 8 seconds when I miss something Howard Stern said. My wife does the same thing.

TiVo technology should be everywhere.

------------------
Gregd33.

HDR312 144hrs.
HDR212 64hrs.
Thanks To Dylan, TivoMad and all involved.

Posted by: MighTiVo

quote:
Originally posted by Gregd33:
TiVo technology should be everywhere.

Huzzah!

Posted by: pat866

The technology is here already. It just needs to be modified a bit. Check out http://www.empeg.com/

Empeg was originally a UK based company, but it looks like they were bought out by sonicblue. I first saw their product at Comdex in Nov 1999. Very cool, but very expensive! Linux based, fast, and very portable.

Just add the recording option and it's a complete package deal. I'd buy it! Heck, I'd still buy it if it didn't record.

Posted by: Ov1Ture

XM Radio seems to have more ground based repeaters in the big cities. I don't think the quality between the two will be much different. XM is considering cutting back on commercials on a number of stations and has a number of commercial free stations.
As for the person that asked who would pay for radio in this economy... how about truck drivers who drive across the country! Or regional sales people (who are still employed). Sirius hasn't lauched yet. I also like saying FM AM and XM. I am really interested in XM radio, but I don't spend enough time in my car.
I have a D-link DSB-R100 PC FM USB Radio though the driver crashes Win2000. Haven't tried it on XP though. The recorder is decent. It records in wav format (Windows only) and comes with an MP3 encoder to encode your recorded programs to MP3.

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------------------------
What is it about the Silver ones?

Posted by: feldon23

quote:
From Tivolocity:
The beauty of local radio, when done well, is the local personalities who know your town and your way of life. XM will not bring you local news, sports and weather. XM will not take the 10th caller to give you a free pizza from your local favorite pizza place.

Local radio is not done well. It hasn't been done well for at least 5 years.

As has been said by others here probably more eloquently than I, there are no good local radio stations anymore in most cities. Chicago and New York are notable exceptions.

I'm in Houston and there is no dance station here (the 2 house party stations play trip hop, rap, and slow jams, that is NOT dance), there is no good talk station except 90.1 KPFT. Bottom line, everyone in Houston plays CDs. Just ask some of us. XM is the perfect thing for Houston. People spend money on cars here. Everyone takes their Suburbans and soups em up into cowboy cadillacs.

I agree, XM is a move AWAY from the garbage Clear Channel is shoving down our throats and I'm glad. There are about 12 stations in Houston that sound all the same and it's because of people like Clear Channel. None of the talk radio here has any personality whatsoever. The news station here brands themselves every 15 seconds. This is NOT an exaggeration:

"And now our KTRH Accuweather Forecast from the Gallery Furniture Newsradio 740 KTRH Weather Center. blah blah, this is Sandra Bob from the 740 KTRH Weather Center and with a look at KTRH Traffic we go to Jim Smith in the 740 KTRH Yellow Copter. blah blah It's 12 minutes after 7, that's 7:12 on Newsradio KTRH. [promo for KTRH] If it's happening now, you're hearing it now! When news breaks out, we break in, your News, weather, traffic, and Astros station, it's Newsradio 740 KTRH. [/promo] It's 7:13 on Newsradio KTRH I'm George...

Can you imagine how maddening that is?! It's worse than the bugs/logos on network TV now. And that's what passes for news in the 4th largest market in Houston. 1 station that has 75-130 promos in the form of the call letters or full blown announce every hour.

Almost nobody was listening to KTRH and then the bonfire collapse happened up in College Station at Texas A&M University. Suddenly, thousands of people (including me) discovered 740 KTRH. I was listening to hear news about a friend there. At the time, they had an appropriate number of station IDs and promos.

I guess after a couple weeks, listenership started to fade because nothing dramatic was happening. So instead of just stick it out until the next disaster, they thought they'd get listeners back by branding like crazy.

So I say bring on the XM! 6 news stations. I'll probably get more local news off XM than I get off 740 cause 740 is so busy giving me their station ID. I guess they think everyone's car radio LCD is broken and can't read the digits "740".

And yes, they do all this announcing and IDing bullsh*t even if they are carrying an ABC network feed. It's the middle of a presidential debate or the World Trade Center disaster, and they feel like it's been 2 minutes and maybe you've forgotten what station you're listening to so it's time to brand it again. And I don't mean the FCC-required IDs at the top and bottom of every hour. We're talking 15 past!

[This message has been edited by feldon23 (edited 12-01-2001).]

Posted by: feldon23

Obviously, in my "local radio is not done well" statement, I am not talking about the few mom & pop stations (sorry disco904) that are bringing good local coverage and meeting community needs.

Here in Houston, there's 2-3 stations that really care about Houston (90.1 KPFT and 88.7), the rest can be replaced by XM and I won't feel a shred of guilt.

Can anyone in Houston explain to me the popularity of 92.1 KTSU? I didn't know grocery store-style jazz and new age blues with $200 keyboards was hip and real jazz was out of style.

Posted by: StevenCorn

The Radio Program Recoreder or RPR(http://www.radioprogramrecorder.com) effectively acts as a TiVo for the car when you pre-plan your talk radio listening in the car. The RPR is particularly useful for commuters who can't listen to their favorite talk shows (Rush, Imus, Howard, etc.) while they're at work. The RPR has a modular design and it consists of an AM/FM radio, a Panasonic digital recorder, and an FM transmitter. The radio and programmable recorder allow you to time-shift your favorite talk show to drive time and the FM transmitter allows you to play it back through your car radio. When you drive home you listen to the recorded talk show earlier that day. Here's the TiVo part: if you miss something and want to listen to what was said a few seconds ago or want to skip through commercials then you just rotate a jog dial to advance or rewind the recorded audio.
The best part is that the little credit-card-sized Panasonic recorder can be removed from the small RPR case and put in your pocket for continued listening when you get out of your car or on a walk or jog.
There are several models to choose from including one with removable SD Memory Cards and the ability to download your audio to your PC interface.
I have received a boatload of hits from this forum due to an earlier post and I thought I would provide additional information.

Steve Corn
RPR Products

Posted by: Austin

quote:
Originally posted by feldon23:
Local radio is not done well. It hasn't been done well for at least 5 years.

Wow, that's a huge statement. While I agree that the vast majority of radio stations are terrible, there is excellent radio in both of the places I have lived recently - Boston and Los Angeles. One of the reasons I am NOT interested in XM is the same reason that digital radio over cable doesn't interest me. While STUPID DJ banter is never welcome, half the reason I listen to Morning becomes eclectic on KCRW is Nick Harcort, and his spin on things. The college radio in boston (WMBR, WZBC, WERS, WHRB, WMFO, etc) always has tremendous personalities, and I don't see a dancehall reggae channel on XM.

Even on Power 106 - a huge commercial rap station - the DJ shows have very different feels that seem to fit their personalites, and the time of day.

I can sympathize with you guys in smaller markets, but it doesn't seem like XM or sirius have enough value added to break through in bigger markets. I don' t think there are that many people who really hate FM radio - especially in the days of 10 disc changers, mp3 players, and audible.com

(BTW, if you're looking at XM for talk radio - look at audible. for about the same monthly price, you can get an audible listener subscription and a free MP3 player. It's more nina gross than howard stern, but there's still a ton of good content.)

-austin

Posted by: Elvite

Even funnier than wanting to rewind your radio is when you're talking to a coworker and they say something you didn't quite catch. There have been a few times when my hand twitched as if hitting the replay button on my imaginary TiVo remote control. Once I did that and started to laugh and was too embarrassed to explain to my coworker why I just laughed in his face.

[This message has been edited by Elvite (edited 12-03-2001).]

Posted by: feldon23

quote:
I can sympathize with you guys in smaller markets

Houston is a small market?

The radio waves here are a great wasteland. Big markets like Boston, LA, New York, Chicago have good stuff but Houston? Nada

Posted by: Elvite

As for this XM radio conversation, there is one thing that would draw me towards buying XM. I'm a Christian and enjoy Rock music with Christian themes. (Please no flames about my taste in music. To each his own, eh?). There's a lot of really talented artists out there, however Christian music stations where I live are really crappy, (near Detroit, MI). They tend to only play really tame or sedate artists. YAWN!!!! This means my only real chance to listen to new artists is to catch them on Internet stations. This is fine, but not very convenient or of the best sound quality. I've seen the XM radio programming list and it looks like they've got a couple of decent stations to listen to, (one in particular called "The Torch"). I'm really tempted to get XM, just so that I can finally have a good station to listen to in my car that plays Christian music. Any Christian XM owners who can tell me if XM's Christian programming is really any good? Please respond here.

In general, I think XM offers a great service to anybody out there who has a taste in music, comedy, or talk that just isn't represented in local radio. I mean just check out XM's programming list, http://www.xmradio.com/programming/...sp?sort=number. These guys have an all Indian Music channel, all Disco, all Comedy, even an all Movie Soundtracks channel. It looks as almost anybody's interest is represented him in some form or another.

Granted, most of those stations I would never listen to. I'm not into "Radio Disney", you know what I mean? However, I think the $10 a month is really going towards having access to those 3 or more stations that are tailor-made for your interests that you just will not ever find on your local dial.

Still, at $300-plus just to get started with XM, I don't think I'll be rushing out to Best Buy to buy one for a while. There is a lot of other things I'd rather spend $300 on right now, (like my car payment http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif).

Posted by: groovoid

I really do want the same thing as the originator of the list and since I've had my TiVo (6 months) I've tried to figure out how to do this for the car also.

I'm a huge NPR fan, and NPR news segments are often 6 or 7 minutes long. I get in the car and if I've missed half the segment, I'm somewhat out to lunch on what's going on. If I could rewind . . .

Also, my favorite show - Marketplace - is on during the day, and if I could TiVo it and listen to it later - hugely beneficial.

Finally, I keep wondering why car radio manufacturers don't have a port for MP3 players as people mentioned. It would be as simple as having a place for a 1/8 inch stereo mini plug. Then you get a male to male 1/8 inch stereo mini cable (just like the cable that goes to your headphones) and plug in anything with a headphone jack - portable CD player, MP3 player, whatever else comes down the pike. I guess they just want you to buy a new radio, like always.

Anyway, I WOULD buy a new radio if it had some simple TiVo features. It wouldn't take much battery life, audio is small enough that it could record to chips instead of a hard drive, and I don't need anything other than an ability to rewind on the current station and to record at set times and frequencies. Thus, no modem, no service, smaller, lighter interface.

Posted by: disco

"TiVo" for the car: the Echo Mobile Music/Music Keeper.

Posted by: dalewis

quote:

I'm a huge NPR fan, and NPR news segments are often 6 or 7 minutes long. I get in the car and if I've missed half the segment, I'm somewhat out to lunch on what's going on. If I could rewind . . .

Also, my favorite show - Marketplace - is on during the day, and if I could TiVo it and listen to it later - hugely beneficial.

For what it's worth, NPR has archives of at least some (all?) of their shows available on their website, www.npr.org. The searching's not too hot yet, but you should be able to find what you want.

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