XM Radio On Your Pocket PC?

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.synosphere.com/p_Apr142004.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.synosphere.com/p_Apr142004.htm</a><br /><br /></div>Here's a news item I missed when it first came out a couple of weeks ago: <a href="www.ibizcorp.com">iBIZ Technology Corporation </a>has announced its intention to begin licensing its Synosphere satellite radio technologies to qualified partners. What this means is that XM radio receiver accessories may one day be available for the Pocket PC. Bryan A. Scott, CEO of the Synosphere subsidiary, adds that "This also provides subscribers the ability to personalize their satellite radio experience by using a PDA's full color graphical user interface."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/xmradio.jpg" /><br /> <br />Now, I don't know if any of <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29344">iBIZ's recent legal squabbles </a> will have any impact on their ability to keep moving forward with their development rollout of this satellite radio program, but it sure seems like a neat idea. <br /><br />What do you think? Would you be interested in someday using an XM radio CF or SD card in your Pocket PC?

[ironguy]

It seems difficult to believe this will be cost effective for XM. If you're already an XM subscriber, then a small cheap CF receiver would be great. But then you could plug your headphone output into other stuff bypassing the XM home setup. If you had a cf or SD receiver, you could plug it into a laptop or perhaps even a media card reader and use it. That would be cool. But once again, it would cut in on the 'other' XM equipment.

What's really interesting here is the wireless headphones and wirelessly connecting to a nearby FM receiver. I'm all for it.

I wonder if Sirius is considering this?

[Ryan Joseph]

Are you joking? I'd LOVE an XM SD card! I'm not a subscriber now, but that would probably push me over the edge.

And, one has to wonder..if there licensing this, where else might we see XM receivers pop up?

[BradPPC]

I wonder if iBiz will think about maybe consulting the FCC a little earlier in this process than they did in the laser keyboard fiasco. :oops:

[egads]

I think this would be totally worthless. XM need line of site with the sky and does not work inside of buildings or cars with out an external antena. You would need to put your PPC in a window just to receive the music, or have a long wire going to an antena somewhere.

XM would have to work in buildings and cars without external antena's before I ever signed up for it...

[BarryB]

Some cities have XM repeaters that allow reception even without line of sight of the sky. I'm pretty sure Atlanta has this setup since I was able to maintain reception even in a parking garage where I would otherwise lose the signal.

[Brad Adrian]

XM need line of site with the sky and does not work inside of buildings or cars with out an external antena.
Really? I've never used XM, so I know very little about it. If the reception isn't at least as good as a regular FM radio, is this a market that will grow?

[Brad Adrian]

Some cities have XM repeaters that allow reception even without line of sight of the sky.
That means that most cities probably will NOT have non-line-of-sight repeaters in the near future. It may be more likely that WiFi becomes ubiquitous and streaming from Internet radio sites makes more sense.

[pjtrader]

As I look at my little Roady hooked up on my desk, I wondered at the physical configuration that XM would require to make a CF version...

We've got a power source plugged into the receiver. OK, it would get its power from the PDA. Hmmm...that sure sounds like a battery drain to me. So that would make the only real application for XM radio when it's docked and drawing power.

Antenna plug. As previously pointed out, most of us can only use XM radio with a line-of-sight antenna. Since I ran a 70 foot antenna to the window last Friday, it pretty much means I'm hard wired into a single location. OK, so maybe an internal antenna can be built into the CF card, but (again, as previously pointed out) it means you have to be near a window or outdoors to use it.

Finally, the output is via speaker or headphones. If it's like IBiz's FM radio card, the PDA's headphone jack doesn't get used, the card's version (maybe they'll learn from that one?) does.

Oh well, more power to them if they figure it out. It'll be interesting to see how it goes over the next year or two.

[Jonathan1]

I'm pretty sure Atlanta has this setup since I was able to maintain reception even in a parking garage where I would otherwise lose the signal.

I know the Twin Cities here in MN is setup that way. I can get XM in my garage with the garage door closed. I think they set it up here about 2 years ago. One day I couldn't get squat driving up the parking ramp at the place I work. The next week clear as a bell.

That being said I don't see this happening any time soon. The receiver would have to be pretty damn strong to receive a signal from inside a car or house and that would require more juice. I'm betting battery life on such a device would suck.

[OSUKid7]

Some cities have XM repeaters that allow reception even without line of sight of the sky.
That means that most cities probably will NOT have non-line-of-sight repeaters in the near future. It may be more likely that WiFi becomes ubiquitous and streaming from Internet radio sites makes more sense.I've started listening to a local radio station on my PC and Pocket PC a lot recently. Not because I can't get good reception, but so I don't have to listen to as many commercials. I love it. Whenever the local station goes to commercials, I get more music - just for web listeners - from the radio station. I suppose that's because of the advertisers' contracts, since they don't cover the web stream.

[possmann]

personally I think this feature would be really cool - but posters are right - the technology for repeaters and signal strength (without eating your battery alive) still needs to be further developed.

I don't think we'll see anything like this out for at least a couple of years...

[radioflyer7]

I would love to see this happen. For pilots who use PDA with GPS receivers, this would add the real time weather info to it without having to hook up more wires to your XM box. Currently that's what you'd have to do even if you really don't care for the music part of digital satilite streaming.

As far as line-of-sight concern goes, why not use the mouse-style antena and bundle in a GPS receiver? (I assume bluetooth speed will not be able to handle quality music.) That would be sweet!

[Pony99CA]

It seems difficult to believe this will be cost effective for XM. If you're already an XM subscriber, then a small cheap CF receiver would be great. But then you could plug your headphone output into other stuff bypassing the XM home setup. If you had a cf or SD receiver, you could plug it into a laptop or perhaps even a media card reader and use it. That would be cool. But once again, it would cut in on the 'other' XM equipment.
Actually, I suspect XM probably wouldn't care all that much if people didn't buy their equipment. Their business model is probably more about subscription fees than equipment sales.

Many other industries work like that:

PVR/DVRs, where the service costs more than the entry-level recorders
Satellite TV, where the equipment and installation is free with a contract
Cell phones, where phones are free or deeply discounted with a contract

Plus, if XM gets a cut of any Compact Flash sales, all the better.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

I think this would be totally worthless. XM need line of site with the sky and does not work inside of buildings or cars with out an external antena. You would need to put your PPC in a window just to receive the music, or have a long wire going to an antena somewhere.
XM doesn't work well in cars without an antenna? I don't own XM (or Sirius), but does that mean all of the dashboard boxes need antennae running out of the car?

GPS is satellite-based and needs line-of-sight, but generally works pretty well as long as the receiver is near a window (which is usually not a problem in a car). If satellite radio is similar, you could get a GPS mount and use the XM card instead of a GPS card.

I wonder if splitting the XM receiver and tuner into two units would work. Imagine a Bluetooth XM receiver that would work with your PDA (with tuner software) or a dedicated XM tuner.

Steve

[sundown]

I think they've already solved the antenna issue (sort of) because Delphi is about to sell it's newest portable receiver, the Roady 2. By Christmas this year they plan to sell a walkman-like shell you can plug it into so you can take your XM with you while hiking, etc.

My concern as a subscriber with two devices already is that they'd require yet another $7 a month from me for that device. I thought about getting the PC receiver but I don't want to commit to $84 a year more just to have it. Yeah, guess I'm cheap.

[nirav28]

Forget XM..

I got a poor-man's XM setup. (Ok not really).

What I do is, Connect my 4150 to dial out via GPRS and stream the audio using real player PPC editior or media player for my favorite radio stations online. Then I connect the 4150's audio OUT to a Belkin FM transmitter on a blank FM frequency in my car steroe. Presto..instant XM type radio content. OK maybe I don't get the hi-fi XM quality sound. But still good enough to listen to remote radio stations and talk shows that I wouldn't otherwise receive in my local town. I have the tmobile unlimited gprs plan, so keeping it connected is not a problem. I basically drive around town listening to streaming music on my car stereo. :)

For the most part, the reception is excellent. Sometimes I get a dropped connection if I enter a dead area. But media player picks right up and starts playing the stream again. Real player has some issues reconnecting and I have to manually restart the stream. So I try to connect to radio stations that support WMA streams.
Now I just need to figure out , how to change the Buffer length/size on media player. .

[Brad Adrian]

Sounds like there are several unique ways to get to the music you like. Personally, I don't think I'd ever be interested in XM radio now that I have a Dell Digital Jukebox. As eclectic as my music preferences are and as many CDs as I own, I still have TONS of free space left on the jukebox. XM radio doesn't offer any incremental benefits to me.

[ricksfiona]

Are you joking? I'd LOVE an XM SD card! I'm not a subscriber now, but that would probably push me over the edge.

And, one has to wonder..if there licensing this, where else might we see XM receivers pop up?

Me too. I'd love XM radio on my iPAQ!

[kosmicki]

XM doesn't work well in cars without an antenna? I don't own XM (or Sirius), but does that mean all of the dashboard boxes need antennae running out of the car?

Yes. They are small, sometimes they can be stuck in the back window of a car, but most of the time you mount them on the roof.

Unless you are near a repeater with a strong signal, you won't get anything without an antenna.

I have a PCR (PC reciever) and I love XM. But I would rather see them come out with a walkman type device for XM then a CF or SD, its more practical.


Edit: If you have questions, head over the the xmfan.com forums, they can answer everything there. 8)