After a year of having XM satellite radio installed in my Volvo, I've been very unhappy with it and decided not to renew the subscription for the following reasons:
1. Intermittent loud hissing sound.
2. General compromised, muffled sound.
3. I was underwhelmed by talk and music formats.
4. Installation of satellite radio resulted in rattles and loud vibrations in my car's dash area, which I now must pay to fix.
5. Outright no signal in many areas.
6. On long drives, you have to change the FM default to a station that has no "air space," a process that is time-consuming and impossible (also unsafe) if driving alone.
7. Free "radio" websites such as Pandora allow you to create your own custom "playlists."
If I lived in a sparse radio market, I might consider satellite radio for the home but not here in Los Angeles with its abundant terrrestial radio stations. Based on the reported losses of the two satellite radio companies and the competition from other venues, I can already hear the death knell for satellite radio's failed venture. I'm not a hater of satellite radio. If it succeeds, that's great for those involved, but it certainly has its fair share of hurdles to overcome if it's going to be viable in the long-term.
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