A La Carte packages a complete front

styckx

Member
Nov 11, 2008
250
4
18
Let me ask you guys this.

Does anyone now see the A La Carte packages a complete front they made up just to get this passed?

Srsly, who is going to go out and buy a brand new Sirius receiver that is A La Carte capable at a $150.00, come home, look at their options and say "Hmm, I think I'll go for mostly music to save a few bucks?"

The picking channels ones are stupid. What is left on XM anyone would even want? What channels are MUST HAVE for Sirius subs anymore that would want them to plop down more money? Especially to a new sub who has no clue what the hell is playing on XM.

What's your opinion about the A La Carte? To me it seems a waste of time and money that serves no real purpose but I want to hear from people on the other side of the spectrum.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
9,434
149
63
Louisiana
Hey I created a new thread from this. I think it is a great topic.

I don't know if was a front, but clearly this new lineup of music channels has pretty much made them (the A La Carte Packages) moot. Like you said who the heck it going to go buy a new radio now to be able to do A La Carte.

I think this dramatically reduces any interest that subscribers may have had.
 

TX WJ

Intelligent Donkey
Oct 15, 2008
4,828
87
48
59
Chucktown
I agree I would love to be able to pick my channels and save a buck or two. Don't think it will ever be that way.
 

styckx

Member
Nov 11, 2008
250
4
18
I think a lot of people were under the impression that XM would stay mostly as is and merge heavily redundant channels like the full decades line up, sports, weather, traffic etc. THAT makes sense, but merging (from the posts people are making) the channels Sirius "thought" were redundant were NOT at all and each had their own vibe and personality. If this wasn't true there wouldn't be so many people who would be dual subbing. Now? I think more of those dual subs will finally be dropping their XM sub, and adding best of XM to their Sirius account.

I tried looking at it from the opposite end, and looking at the Sirius channel lineup and seeing if their is anything I would want. Nope, not a thing, I already had a carbon copy version of it on our end.
 

Chob

Well-Known Member
Oct 11, 2008
1,809
39
48
Albany, NY
www.kingbubba.com
Well I really don't see the point with all the merged channels. It seems those people that accused this of being a scam and a way to charge more for some of the other service's premium channels may have had a point.
 

snakester

Member
Oct 29, 2008
478
8
18
35
Lovely Seacost NH
I see this as dual subs being raped with a broomstick, however I don't see how this makes a la carte look worse. You can still pick your favorite 50(?) channels, and it's still half the regular subscription price.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
9,434
149
63
Louisiana
I see this as dual subs being raped with a broomstick, however I don't see how this makes a la carte look worse. You can still pick your favorite 50(?) channels, and it's still half the regular subscription price.

Well I think the thought was that once they got the dual tuner radios that you'd be able to pick 50 combined from both services so this would have given you the ability to pick some unique XM and Sirius channels, now that option is gone with the merging of channels.
 

snakester

Member
Oct 29, 2008
478
8
18
35
Lovely Seacost NH
Well I think the thought was that once they got the dual tuner radios that you'd be able to pick 50 combined from both services so this would have given you the ability to pick some unique XM and Sirius channels, now that option is gone with the merging of channels.

Oh, I see. I forgot they had mentioned that. Been a while since they've talked about the merger conditions on any of the big satellte radio news blogs.
 

MichaelC

Member
Oct 14, 2008
98
5
8
I actually think they've gone as far as they're going to go with ala carte. They put out a radio for it, made available an ala carte package...to make it look good. But if you notice, they don't promote the fact ala carte is available very much. They promote the best-of packages, but don't do the same for the $6.99 ala carte. I wouldn't doubt in a few months they take and drop the availability of the $6.99 ala carte package, and use the excuse no one took them up on their offer as a reasoning for no longer offering it. I think about the extent you'll see in terms of ala carte are the $9.99 "Mostly" packages.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Sherbet is NOT and NEVER WILL BE ice cream.
Oct 11, 2008
27,227
13,832
168
Toronto, ON
Well I think the thought was that once they got the dual tuner radios that you'd be able to pick 50 combined from both services so this would have given you the ability to pick some unique XM and Sirius channels, now that option is gone with the merging of channels.

This was my initial thoughts but if you read the wording carefully to get some XM and some Sirius you would still need to sub to both.

But I agree with the OP ... it was a scam to get FCC approval. The ironic part of this is that in a way the NAB was right but for all the wrong reasons.
 

SISO

Member
Oct 11, 2008
306
11
18
Well you can save *some* money. $3 a month. Eventually all of the radio's will be al a carte ready so you really won't have to spend extra to get one because that'll be all there is.

But you're probably right, this was really just to get FCC approval. So, why wouldn't they do it?
 

flap_jackson

Well-Known Member
Nov 10, 2008
1,706
53
48
Sat TV could never go ala carte, so Sat Rad apparantly came to the same conclusion. It just makes things too complicated. You'd have to buy new equipment, you'd have to have a efficient way to choose your channels that doesn't use customer service since that'd be a mess, you'd have to make everything clear, you'd have to set off different pricing for different channels... my head hurts just thinking about it.
 

bwaldron

Member
Oct 18, 2008
118
0
16
Tampa Bay, FL
Sat TV could never go ala carte, so Sat Rad apparantly came to the same conclusion. It just makes things too complicated.

Sure, it requires an infrastructure, but it's not that complex. Also, much of the rationale behind not doing it on TV (channel bundling agreements with content providers) doesn't apply to sat radio. Not saying I expect to see it except in a limited way, but it could be done more easily than with sat or cable TV.
 
Nov 6, 2008
34
0
6
I like the Ala Carte option because its only $6.99 and I don't want all the channels. I would be listening to mostly the Pop, Rock, Dance and a few of the hip hop/ r&b channels. I would also sometimes listen to Classical Music, Opera or Broadway. There is stuff like Jazz, Country Music, Oldies and some stuff I don't care for listening to. Ala Carte is great Idea except they only have a $150 receiver for this option which doesn't make it cheap.

The receiver is not portable. Much of cheap older portable radios or current portable radios that can fit in your pocket are for XM radio. They said last year XM would offer Ala Carte and this hasn't happened. I would wait until Ala Carte is avaliable for all radios including older models so I don't have to fork over $150. You could get the $9.99 plan that has music but it doesn't offer the Mad Dog channel or ESPN or Fox Sports Radio. It only offers music and a few news channels.
 

edgarb

Member
Oct 19, 2008
65
2
8
I personally don't see the point of a la carte packages..i mean, why not just get the whole thing...the main reason i like satrad is the variety. For example, tonight I've listened to 2-3 stations I've never even tuned to and it's been awesome. Why cut yourself out for a few bucks a month?
 

xpenguin9

New Member
Nov 12, 2008
15
1
3
I see this as dual subs being raped with a broomstick, however I don't see how this makes a la carte look worse. You can still pick your favorite 50(?) channels, and it's still half the regular subscription price.

the problem is, if you choose a la carte, you cannot have any channels other than music.... which is stupid! I knew the a la carte was too good to be true. i was looking forward to picking my 50, seeing how i really only listen to about 10 channels anyways.... but i would no longer be able to get blue collar comedy, nascar or howard 101.

I really wouldn't mind paying the $150 for an a la carte receiver if i could pick ANY 50 channels... i would like a better receiver anyways.... but there's no point when they limit you to only music channels
 

dualsub2006

Member
Nov 11, 2008
172
5
18
I think more of those dual subs will finally be dropping their XM sub, and adding best of XM to their Sirius account.

Not in my case. I dropped 7 Sirius radios (2 primary accounts) and went to 5 (added 1) with XM. I would have preferred the XM music channels over Sirius, but that's not the point.

The point is that the best of XM wouldn't get me MLB on Sirius so staying with them, or continuing to be a dual sub is simply not an option. I added best of Sirius to 2 radios to get the NFL stuff and I am all set.

Sirius did me a favor with this merger thingy because I save $50 a month by sticking to XM only.
 

Kryptonite

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
11,666
1,836
113
I think a lot of people were under the impression that XM would stay mostly as is and merge heavily redundant channels like the full decades line up, sports, weather, traffic etc. THAT makes sense, but merging (from the posts people are making) the channels Sirius "thought" were redundant were NOT at all and each had their own vibe and personality. If this wasn't true there wouldn't be so many people who would be dual subbing. Now? I think more of those dual subs will finally be dropping their XM sub, and adding best of XM to their Sirius account.

I tried looking at it from the opposite end, and looking at the Sirius channel lineup and seeing if their is anything I would want. Nope, not a thing, I already had a carbon copy version of it on our end.

Yeah, I thought i'd be able to get Lucy AND Lithium on a new radio.

Not so.

:(