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BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

This might actually now be a good idea

To let this merger happen, I mean with the size of comcast and comcast being a content producer as well... This feels like a good idea at this point, they can start to merge down and create more space on the satellites to add more content or at least content in hd.

The other tv providers are getting extremely big and really need to start being held in check by someone. Dish/Directv could provide that second competitor that is big enough to compete with them and help keep costs down for content.
moulder3
join:2007-05-21
Boston, MA

4 recommendations

moulder3

Member

There is no scenario in which this is a good idea. Although your points about Comcast are valid, two wrongs don't make a right--the Comcast/NBCUniversal merger should never have been approved.

DirecTV has something like 50 million 'viewers' in the U.S. when you add in their large hotel & sports bar business (and has around 30 million residential customers). Dish has something around 20 million customers. Each company is currently in the Top 5 of U.S. providers, so there is no real need to consolidate other than to eliminate the only other satellite competition. Their size already allows them to negotiate rights deals favorably, unlike much smaller providers.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to BosstonesOwn

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to BosstonesOwn
it would be bad for the consumer but yea from a business angle it would make sense... My guess is the regulators let it happen with some harmless concessions since regulators have not cared about the customer for a long time now.
biochemistry
Premium Member
join:2003-05-09
92361

biochemistry to BosstonesOwn

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to BosstonesOwn
DirecTV has plenty of HD channels and are on track for a full conversion in the next couple years with no merger required.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

1 recommendation

elefante72 to moulder3

Member

to moulder3
And Sirius and XM merging made price go down and quality go up?

Not....No good can come of this, especially trying to combine technologies and sats...
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn to moulder3

Member

to moulder3
At this point, I don't even see this merger failing. If they can throttle comcast, then I don't see why not let them merge.

Comcast and other providers like TW are looking to purchase smaller cable co's still, so they to do something to stop 1 mega corp from owning so many eyes.
BosstonesOwn

BosstonesOwn to elefante72

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to elefante72
That merger made it so at least XM lived. they were failing , and profits are showing that XM/Sirius is in trouble soon as well.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to biochemistry

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to biochemistry
PQ be damned.

XM Fan
@161.113.14.x

XM Fan to BosstonesOwn

Anon

to BosstonesOwn
XM didn't really live, it was gutted almost immediately and is a shell of its former self. Only when you try to get a family plan discount including both XM and Sirius radios are XM and Sirius not the same (per SiriusXM).
BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Wakefield, MA

BosstonesOwn

Member

of course ! your asking for a discount hehe.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05 to BosstonesOwn

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to BosstonesOwn
said by BosstonesOwn:

That merger made it so at least XM lived. they were failing , and profits are showing that XM/Sirius is in trouble soon as well.

Except if you look at the financial they are raking in 1.7 Billion in profit. And IIRC, that number is growing.

Their problem is EPS is negative but that's because hey have TONS of stock out there. They are in the midst of a stock buyback so longtime era it will be fine.

SXM Is in fine financial shape. There is nothing like it for in car entertainment. Cellphones don't cut it in many areas of the USA and data caps can make streaming expensive.
itguy05

itguy05 to elefante72

Member

to elefante72
quote:
And Sirius and XM merging made price go down and quality go up?
As an XM subscriber from 2003-2008 and a Sirius subscriber from 2008-now, I can speak with some authority.

Prices post merger are roughly the same as pre merger. They did go up but that's mostly because of the ever increasing royalty rates.

Sound quality and general "quality" is about the same. XM used to play obscure crap music and Sirius used to rotate the same old. It's about 50/50 now.

The company knows they have to keep rates low as people can easily discontinue service and turn on the free FM radio or stream from their phones or listen to their music.

Mergers don't always result in increased prices. Having many "options" merely makes us feel good. Look at cell phones, groceries, gas, etc. Many "options" but in the end the prices are roughly the same.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to XM Fan

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to XM Fan
said by XM Fan :

XM didn't really live, it was gutted almost immediately and is a shell of its former self. Only when you try to get a family plan discount including both XM and Sirius radios are XM and Sirius not the same (per SiriusXM).

I have a family plan with both XM and Sirius receivers. They put me on it last week...
ke4pym

ke4pym to itguy05

Premium Member

to itguy05
said by itguy05:

quote:
And Sirius and XM merging made price go down and quality go up?
As an XM subscriber from 2003-2008 and a Sirius subscriber from 2008-now, I can speak with some authority.

Sound quality and general "quality" is about the same. XM used to play obscure crap music and Sirius used to rotate the same old. It's about 50/50 now.

As a XM sub since 2002, and now a Sirius sub as well, I can say the Sirius receiver's audio quality is significantly worse than any of the XM receivers I have...
devolved
join:2012-07-11
Rapid City, SD

devolved to itguy05

Member

to itguy05
Yeah, Siri is in fine shape alright. They haven't been over $10/share in almost 10 years. Their best year was 13 years ago.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05 to ke4pym

Member

to ke4pym
quote:
As a XM sub since 2002, and now a Sirius sub as well, I can say the Sirius receiver's audio quality is significantly worse than any of the XM receivers I have...
I hear that a lot. To me, Sirius sounds better. The ssssshhhhh of XM got to me as well as some other weird artifacts. Sirius can sound odd, but I think it sounds a hair better. My most recent XM experience was in October in a Chevy rental car that had XM activated.
itguy05

itguy05 to devolved

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to devolved
said by devolved:

Yeah, Siri is in fine shape alright. They haven't been over $10/share in almost 10 years. Their best year was 13 years ago.

You do understand share price has little correlation to the financial health of a company, right? I can point examples where the company is in sound health and their share price varies wildly (Apple, Coke). I can also point numerous examples of companies that had great share prices that failed miserably (Enron, Worldcom). I can also name companies (Amazon) that have good stock prices that have yet to turn a profit.
brad152
join:2006-07-27
Chicago, IL

brad152 to itguy05

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to itguy05
I cancelled last year, i could not take the crap Sirius network anymore. the XM network sounds way better, except they dumped all of the good XM stations. Now they play the same crap 24/7 over and over again.

I kept XM for six years (even at normal price) because i appreciated them finding random off the wall music that was not in the top 40, now all they seem to do is top 40 in whatever genre you're listening too, and to top it off my Sirius radio sounds like a 24k MP3 stream. at least XM could match an AAC stream for quality.

They keep sending me sweetheart $25 for six months offers in the mail, but i will not go back unless they can bring back what was the old XM.
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05

Member

said by brad152:

I cancelled last year, i could not take the crap Sirius network anymore. the XM network sounds way better, except they dumped all of the good XM stations. Now they play the same crap 24/7 over and over again.

Just curious, what sounds better about XM? I've not A/Bed them in a while but the Sirius in my Ford and the XM in a Chevy rental last month and they sounded about the same. I did notice XM dropped out more than Sirius though.

One thing I didn't like about XM was that they liked to play obscure stuff. There is a reason most of the B sides are never heard again and it's not because they were good songs.