Mazda to add Sirius to new model line up! (http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040209/nym220_1.html)

Maybe I'm ignorant in this matter. Or maybe I'm just a cheap-ass kinda guy BUT ....

Do people seriously pay a monthly fee for RADIO ???

Well for some it is worth it as it is suppose to be commercial free. I think 9-12 dollars a month is a bit much considering the cost of the antenna and tuner that has to be purchasd and installed. I think that Mazda is only adding the capability of the display to show text form the tuner and some prewiring. You must then pay for the components in order to receive the signal. Not woth it in my eyes unless they offer a years worth of service free or something!

satellite radio is kind of expensive but it is worth it for the music, i'm told. it's not about how cheap you are, it's about how much you want good music in the car.

Big question is whether current owners can upgrade as is, have to buy a new head unit, or are SOL.
________
Cooking Discussion (http://www.cooking-chef.com/)

Where do you think they will "add' it to the head unit? I would guess in the Tape/MD spot. I would guess they could replace the tuner (that would be a new head unit) or the CD/CD changer/MP3 areas as well.

My son has serius radio for his car and came with a removable base for the home. It costs 9.95 a month but for 3 or 4 hundred you can get a lifetime subsribition. He thinks its the best thing ever.

I have XM and its great. It has so many channels you can't possibly listen to them all. Great selection of music and they dont repeat the same 4 or 5 hot songs of the month. thats my beef with regular FM. YOu hear the same songs over and over by the same artists. The broad range of artists and musical typs on satellite is well worth the 10 bucks a month, IMHO.

Originally posted by Rotary Nut
Well for some it is worth it as it is suppose to be commercial free. I think 9-12 dollars a month is a bit much considering the cost of the antenna and tuner that has to be purchasd and installed. I think that Mazda is only adding the capability of the display to show text form the tuner and some prewiring. You must then pay for the components in order to receive the signal. Not woth it in my eyes unless they offer a years worth of service free or something!

Only some of it is commercial free- they just use it as a big selling point, even though maybe 1 out of every 20 stations is like that.

I bet Mazda is just trying to keep up with the pack here- satellite radio seems to be a big deal all of a sudden.

My car would have had it had it been offered... I'm not crazy about the 6-disc changer; the MP3 player is nice, but I tend to listen to the same stuff over and over again unless I have a way of getting new music. Sat radio would do that. Personally, I'd rather have 6 years of Sat radio than the appearance pkg.

It would also be nice if they add a line in, some RCA outs, and Radio Data System (RDS) compatible. If they are going to go through the trouble of revamping the stereo they might as do it right. I know I don't ask for much. I can dream, can't I.

Originally posted by jackyche
Maybe I'm ignorant in this matter. Or maybe I'm just a cheap-ass kinda guy BUT ....

Do people seriously pay a monthly fee for RADIO ???
That's what people said about cable some 30 years ago or so. Will people really pay a monthly fee for TV?

I have SIRIUS and I can justify the cost by buying one less CD a month (SIRIUS $12.95 vs. CD $11.99). I am elated to hear the news becauSe it is one of the reasons I was holding out on the 2004 Model (along with issues surrounding the HP and gas mileage). I've waited this long so I guess that I can wait a bit longer. I have a birthday in August...hmmmm Happy Birthday to me!

Quote: "Do people seriously pay a monthly fee for RADIO ???"


Answer: Get SIRIUS!!!

screw that...

XM has about 3-4 times as many subscribers as Sirius. Wall Street doesn't think that Sirius will be around as long as XM.

This is like the beta/vhs wars. You might want to stay on the sideline for a while.

I have XM myself and I think it is worth it. Since I got it, I havent needed to buy CD's, and I never have to listen to the local radio crap. XM went comercial free on Feb 1st, and Sirius has always been so. Sirius is a little more expensive. You only get station ID's on XM now, the music is uncensored and there is awesome variety. Definitely think it's worth it.

Yes, XM does have a larger subscriber base, but it also has been around longer. Truth be told XM and SIRIUS both had to have some cash infusions last year. So to say that SIRIUS will go belly up means that you are also saying that XM will soon follow.

buddy has sirius, sounds cool to me. depends on what i have to replace to get it setup. :/

I strongly suspect that this will be available as a module for the lower (tape/MD) bay in the head unit. All the models listed use the same modular head unit as the RX-8.

I don't know. There are just some things in this world I won't pay for. It's a convience factor to have this but I got lots of cd's so I am happy.

Originally posted by vmiller6
I don't know. There are just some things in this world I won't pay for. It's a convience factor to have this but I got lots of cd's so I am happy.

I have thousands of mp3s on my home PC, but when I'm working I always have my XM radio on instead. I got it for chistmas, and LOVE IT! The variety is great, and they have good playlists. Something really impressive is that when they pick a tune from a hit album, they'll often play the non-hit tunes. E.g., they'll play Nirvana, but not just "Teen Spirit."

It's also a great way to find new music that you can then go out and buy.

I would have never considered satellite radio if I hadn't received it as a XMas gift, but I'm extremely happy with it.

It is nice for people in ruel* areas. As being stationed in ND there are no radio stations to listen to. All country and it would be nice to not have to listen a CD all the time. So it is very convienent for a lot of people.

Any updated info on the backward compatibility or availability of satellite radio for RX8. I have Kenwood/Sirius in 99 miata displaying dvd nav screen. Display of song name and artist playing is a nice to have. Display of station choices makes usuage very functional when want to get weather forecasts and highway traffic conditions. A few long distance trips made the dvd nav and satellite radio a must have convenience IMHO.

Hence my new RX8 has factory nav but I miss satellite radio and music DVD on the screen. The only thing better would be satellite internet except for its inherent driving distraction but I do enjoy music DVD's on my Kenwood screen in the 99 Miata. Add on satelitte radio through FM modulator seems to me like a band aid approach that I suspect would loose digital clarity and not be as functional as an on board screen display of chanel choices.

Any suggestions or information would greatly appreciated. BJ