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Consumers Offer Opinions on Sat Radio/HD Radio Combos
The debate as to whether satellite radio receivers should have the capability to obtain the signals of competing audio services is poised to become a hot topic at the Portals.
Already, the Federal Communications Commission has received comments, mostly from consumers, about suggestions that satellite radio equipment should also contain reception capabilities for competing audio services, such as HD Radio. When the FCC approved the merger between XM and Sirius in July, the agency wouldn't mandate dual capabilities for satellite radio receivers, but opened up the idea to comment.
In a letter sent to the FCC, Aaron Read of Canandaigua, N.Y., said it "would ultimately be beneficial to all consumers" if the agency required satellite radio receivers to contain HD Radio reception.
"XM and Sirius argued that as a service, DARS competes more with other media technologies than they do with each other. This premise is fundamentally flawed unless every DARS consumer, by definition, is able to use the same device to access other media technologies," Read said in his comments.
Michael Virgilio of Herndon, Va., a self-described long-time satellite radio customer, told the FCC in his letter that HD Radio reception capabilities should not be a mandated part of every satellite radio. "If this were to become a requirement, it should also become a requirement that every AM/FM radio include satellite radio receivers," Virgilio said.
The letter added, "I would prefer that the inclusion of HD Radio into satellite radio receivers be left up to the manufacturers, and not be forced upon them. Such a requirement would also increase the size and complexity of satellite radio receivers, adding to the confusion the average consumer will experience when trying to use their receiver."
And Thomas P. Wilson of El Cajon, Calif., said forcing the integration of HD Radio, satellite radio and MP3 players in to one unit would not be beneficial for consumers, equipment manufacturers or content providers.
"Adding an HD receiver to a DARS receiver necessitates adding everything necessary for an FM and AM radio, including tuner and antennas," Wilson said. "DARS receivers are very compact units, and no manufacturer has yet demonstrated a compact HD radio receiver."
The debate as to whether satellite radio receivers should have the capability to obtain the signals of competing audio services is poised to become a hot topic at the Portals.
Already, the Federal Communications Commission has received comments, mostly from consumers, about suggestions that satellite radio equipment should also contain reception capabilities for competing audio services, such as HD Radio. When the FCC approved the merger between XM and Sirius in July, the agency wouldn't mandate dual capabilities for satellite radio receivers, but opened up the idea to comment.
In a letter sent to the FCC, Aaron Read of Canandaigua, N.Y., said it "would ultimately be beneficial to all consumers" if the agency required satellite radio receivers to contain HD Radio reception.
"XM and Sirius argued that as a service, DARS competes more with other media technologies than they do with each other. This premise is fundamentally flawed unless every DARS consumer, by definition, is able to use the same device to access other media technologies," Read said in his comments.
Michael Virgilio of Herndon, Va., a self-described long-time satellite radio customer, told the FCC in his letter that HD Radio reception capabilities should not be a mandated part of every satellite radio. "If this were to become a requirement, it should also become a requirement that every AM/FM radio include satellite radio receivers," Virgilio said.
The letter added, "I would prefer that the inclusion of HD Radio into satellite radio receivers be left up to the manufacturers, and not be forced upon them. Such a requirement would also increase the size and complexity of satellite radio receivers, adding to the confusion the average consumer will experience when trying to use their receiver."
And Thomas P. Wilson of El Cajon, Calif., said forcing the integration of HD Radio, satellite radio and MP3 players in to one unit would not be beneficial for consumers, equipment manufacturers or content providers.
"Adding an HD receiver to a DARS receiver necessitates adding everything necessary for an FM and AM radio, including tuner and antennas," Wilson said. "DARS receivers are very compact units, and no manufacturer has yet demonstrated a compact HD radio receiver."
