Satellite Television for Cars...Is This a Good Thing?

First there was the radio, then the DVD player, now the TV!? What will car companies think of next? According to Digital Music News, Sirius recently unveiled a television option to its satellite service; no longer will Sirius be associated with simply satellite radio. This service, "Sirius Backseat TV", will be offered exclusively in 2008 with video packages of DaimlerChrysler vehicles. After the first year, this Sirius service will be offered in models of other car manufacturers.

What does this mean for consumers? Sirius' goal with Backseat TV is to entertain those sitting in the backseat, which most of the time are children. As a result, the Sirius Backseat TV service will feature programming from stations like Comedy Central, The Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon. This is part of Sirius' goal to accommodate the driver by allowing family friendly programming to quiet down and entertain children so that the driver is not distracted.





On the contrary, such a service may cause even more distraction for drivers. Lawyer Aaron Larson published an article about the relationship between distracted drivers and car accidents. Here, Larson lists the use of DVD players as one of the main distractions for drivers on the road. The article even directs readers to not attempt using such devices while driving because they require so much attention. Is this added distraction really worth the additional $470 it costs to install Sirius Backseat TV plus the additional $7/year + $13/month to maintain the service?

This all really depends on which way you look at it. For most consumers of the on-demand generation, including parents with little patience, this feature is very desirable. However, for those of us wanting to maintain a clean driving record, we may approach adding this feature with caution. All of this new technology is great in theory but when it really comes down to it, how willing are people to compromise their health and well-being for novelty? Well, I guess in this day and age they are quite willing.

Satellite Radio Becomes Smarter While HD Radio Remains Left in the Dark

This past Monday, CEOs at XM and Sirius Satellite Radio announced their decision to combine forces. Yes, this will mean that the two main satellite radio service providers will be merging in the near future! In an attempt to lower overall costs, XM and Sirius will form one main satellite radio network that will provide the same "quality" programming of both stations, respectively. The only thing standing in their way, however, is the law. This minor aspect specifically prohibits this merger from happening. According to reports, the FCC will evaluate this case to see if it is in the public's best interest and, if it is, then the merger will be on its way to finalization.

XM and Sirius' goal to lessen its cost through a merger, theoretically, will attract more consumers. However, these companies will have to do a lot more to retain the interest of its listener public. XM's advertisements on television are entertaining and of the times, but what is a commercial without the content to back it up? I am not degrading the programming of XM radio, it just seems like people in this day and age are more prone to listening to their music on-demand via an iPod than tuning their satellite radio to a certain station. Hopefully, this merger will exhilarate motivation to respond to such issues.





HD radio, on the other hand, is becoming even more pathetic. Constant spots on terrestrial radio advertise its HD counterpart as the "hidden channels you didn't know you had". These "hidden channels" come at a cost, however. In order to access the hidden channels, one must purchase a device equipped with HD radio. Currently, HD radios can cost anywhere from $200-$1,000. This high cost may make most consumers wary of purchasing this device. Some potential purchasers of the HD radio could ask themselves, "why would I purchase a device that costs more money than an iPod when I will most likely be more satisfied from my iPod?" This question is completely valid. HD radio is terrestrial radio's attempt to save its listenership while attracting even more listeners. So far, things have not gone according to plan.

The high cost of HD radio is daunting. Some reason that programming on side channels will be a bit better if not the same as the main terrestrial channel and, if this is the case, then why should they spend the money? It has even been mentioned that HD radio will be offered as an option in new BMW models. If anything, HD radio creates exclusivity as opposed to inclusiveness. By valuing HD radio at such a high cost and associating itself with top of the line vehicles, this crack-team in radio is combating competition by isolating its listeners. This just doesn't make sense---why would you attempt to gain listenership through a high cost of listening (in both respects)? Clearly, the radio big wigs have some work to do if they want to compete with the Steve Jobs of the world.