Backseat TV

Kryptonite

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
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I wonder how much this is costing them.

Why not axe this? How much money would they stand to save this way?
 

Mike Nassour

New Member
Oct 28, 2008
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That would be a MAJOR can of worms...I can imagine those minivan owners who bought this screaming at their dealerships that something broke.
 

Kryptonite

Well-Known Member
Oct 21, 2008
12,281
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Not only would it save money, it would save precious bandwidth. They need to scrap Backseat TV ASAP.

I'd imagine that most people with video screens in their cars are probably playing DVDs or PS3s or XBOX or whatever they've got.

I could be mistaken, but aren't Sirius Radio and Sirius Backseat TV two seperate bandwidths?

If they're not (and i'm not saying they are or not), but then, we could get back all the channels we love. The "old" lithium, the "old" lucy, Planet Jazz, all the disco/dance channels, old school rap, and you know the others.

I'm surprised more hasn't been written up about it.

Backseat TV needs to go.
 

craptacular

New Member
Nov 3, 2008
18
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There are better "satellite tv in car" options out there than sirius. Sirius offers only 3 channels and all channels that are offered are childrens channels(imo, awful channels when considering the kind of programming they have).

Here's a link to one of them:
TV In Your Car, Satellite TV In Your Car

Remove Backseat TV and we'll all be happier.
 

macfanatic010

Member
Nov 8, 2008
176
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I could be mistaken, but aren't Sirius Radio and Sirius Backseat TV two seperate bandwidths?

i'm pretty sure Sirius is only licensed to do business in the FCC-specified frequencies, which would mean they're taking away some of the frequencies (aka bandwidth), which they could've used for airing music, to air Backseat TV.

they need to get rid of it and compensate the 10 people who subscribe to it by giving x-months of free sat radio. IMO, it's too big of a bandwidth hog, offers only channels nobody watches (it's not even the same thing you watch on real tv--it's old episodes of shows set to loop every few hours), and that bandwidth could be reused to increase Sirius' sound quality.

one of the main draws of satellite radio should be that it's better sounding than your local FM stations. if they sound about the same, if not worse, then people aren't going to shell out $13/mo to listen to it.

you can have the best content in the world, but if it sounds like you're listening to it using a cell phone, then nobody will want it.
 

snakester

Member
Oct 29, 2008
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Lovely Seacost NH
I was always under the impression that backseat TV was possible by the use of bandwidth gained from a technique called hierarchical modulation, which not all radios can decode. If not, KILL IT :).
 

downsj

Member
Nov 17, 2008
49
1
8
Backseat TV is an obvious failure which is wasting bandwidth better used for audio programming (regardless of how it's encoded), and it should be terminated.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
9,434
149
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Louisiana
Backseat TV is an obvious failure which is wasting bandwidth better used for audio programming (regardless of how it's encoded), and it should be terminated.

I think Mel would agree with and in a recent interview, I could tell he really wasn't that sold on it, but admited the only reason they had it and even would fool with it was because of Chrysler. Well if Chrysler isn't selling vehicles, If I was Sirius I'd just pull the freaking plug and reuse that bandwidth.
 
I have backseat tv in my truck and my kids love it.

If they pulled the plug on it there would probably be a lawsuit over it because of the cost of the equipment.

I will say one thing since getting and activating Sirius Backseat TV, I have never been charged for the television service. I have called Sirius a few times and have even been asked how I like it by CSR's so they know I have it (and they are the ones who turned it on) yet again for some reason they are not charging me for the service.
 

DAB

Mod Emeritus
Oct 9, 2008
9,434
149
63
Louisiana
I have backseat tv in my truck and my kids love it.

If they pulled the plug on it there would probably be a lawsuit over it because of the cost of the equipment.

I will say one thing since getting and activating Sirius Backseat TV, I have never been charged for the television service. I have called Sirius a few times and have even been asked how I like it by CSR's so they know I have it (and they are the ones who turned it on) yet again for some reason they are not charging me for the service.

This is true, unless they have sold so few of them that they just buy back the equipment. Though I am sure they have a contract with Chrysler, so that of course is very unlikely to happen. Mainly just me rambling because I have never really thought they should get into video.
 

macfanatic010

Member
Nov 8, 2008
176
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This is true, unless they have sold so few of them that they just buy back the equipment. Though I am sure they have a contract with Chrysler, so that of course is very unlikely to happen. Mainly just me rambling because I have never really thought they should get into video.
well they could always drop the content quality to the point where people start voluntarily canceling Backseat TV. Maybe air the channels at 160x120 (even 80x60?) resolution at 8-15 frames per second, mono audio, compress the hell out of it (and reuse the saved bandwidth for the music channels) -- make the user experience so miserable that people don't want to have it anymore.
 

HomieG

Member
Oct 13, 2008
318
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well they could always drop the content quality to the point where people start voluntarily canceling Backseat TV. Maybe air the channels at 160x120 (even 80x60?) resolution at 8-15 frames per second, mono audio, compress the hell out of it (and reuse the saved bandwidth for the music channels) -- make the user experience so miserable that people don't want to have it anymore.

Yea, like they already did with Sirius and XM audio...
 
Nov 9, 2008
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nj
refund

I have backseat tv in my truck and my kids love it.

If they pulled the plug on it there would probably be a lawsuit over it because of the cost of the equipment.

I will say one thing since getting and activating Sirius Backseat TV, I have never been charged for the television service. I have called Sirius a few times and have even been asked how I like it by CSR's so they know I have it (and they are the ones who turned it on) yet again for some reason they are not charging me for the service.

I'll send you a refund,I'd rather have better sound !

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