Published at circuitcity.com on Friday, December 12, 2008
Syndicated at usatoday.com
and computershopper.com
Written by ScottyWhy?
For purposes of full disclosure, I have to admit that I worked for a satellite radio company that produced some of XM's content before coming to Circuit City. I was the Program Director for XM's UPOP 29 in the early 2000's. More recently, I managed XM's online-only channel WorldZone 100. Knowing my background may help you put this report into perspective.
XM ContentI'm not going to spend a great deal of time reviewing XM's content other than to say it is superb. XM likes to brag about its headliners like Oprah, Opie & Anthony, MLB and NHL. They should be equally proud of the other great channels produced in-house by their talented team of radio pros.
I'm also not going to editorialize on the recent changes to the content lineup as a result of the merger with
Sirius. If you want to discuss those issues, feel free to comment to this post or, better yet, go to our
City Center Forum.
All-in-all, the variety and creativity found on XM can't be matched by your local radio stations. You can learn more about XM's content at
circuitcity.com/xm.
XMP3 on left / INNO on right
Size
The Pioneer XMp3 is an update to the Pioneer INNO. If you compare them side-by-side, they are about equal in height from top to bottom. The XMp3 is slightly smaller measured side to side. It is also slightly thinner. The weight is the biggest difference. The INNO has a metal body and is significantly heavier than the plastic-cased XMp3.
Durability
The plastic case makes the XMp3 more portable, but also less durable than its older sibling. In the photos above you may notice a few scratches on my INNO. Its well-built frame has taken a pretty good beating over the years and it's still going strong. The XMp3 will need a little more tender loving care.
Reception
If your a first time users of satellite radio, it is important to note that reception can occasionally be an issue...especially with these portable units. While testing the XMp3, members of my team that are new to XM would sometimes shake it and complain that it didn't work. The more experienced users instinctively lifted the device higher to the sky or moved it closer to a window. In general, when using the device's built-in antenna, the signal will be pretty solid in cars and outdoors, but may drop out indoors. We could not get a signal in the middle of our office building (in Richmond, Virginia) using just the built-in antenna. We had no issues once we hooked up the extension antenna that is included in the Pioneer Home Kit (sold separately).
Battery Life
We tested the XMp3 over a three day weekend, so we didn't have enough time to give the battery an extensive workout. I can say that the unit was on much of that time and we only had to recharge it once.
Display
The display on the XMp3 is a nice improvement over the INNO. The screen is sharper, the images more attractive and you can see up to three channels at once.
Usability
The XMp3 has a couple design changes that took a little getting use to, but worked great once I got the hang of them:
CONTROL WHEEL - Pretty easy to spin and navigate the features.
DIGITAL KEYPAD - Easy to find channels by simply entering numbers.
Upgrades
There are several upgrades to this new unit that makes it a real winner.
2GB ONBOARD STORAGE -Up from 1GB in the INNO. This means more room to store more MP3s.
A MICRO SD CARD SLOT - This topped my list of options I've always wished I had on my INNO. Removable media means you can easily change your MP3 library on-the-fly.
IMPROVED RECORDING FUNCTIONS - This allows you to record up to 5 channels at a time. You can also schedule to record favorite shows and songs. Combine this with the REPLAY FUNCTION that allows you to rewind a live element, and this unit essentially becomes the TIVO of satellite radio.
XM2GO MUSIC MANAGER - Create and edit playlists, schedule recordings, rip CDs, bookmark and purchase songs...basically iTunes for your XM.
Overall
I'm a big fan of my INNO, and I still prefer it's tough exterior. But the increased storage, improved recording functions and especially the MicroSD slot really caught my interest. I've heard some people say they wanted this unit to support videos and photos so it could completely replace the iPod. I'm less concerned about that. I think this is a big step forward for portable satellite receivers and is stocked with enough features to please both the old and new XM subscriber.
Circuit City customers seem to like it. The average customer rating on circuitcity.com for this product is a 4.6 of 5.0. One customer gives it a 5.0 and says "...this thing isn't perfect, but it is great to record up to 5 channels, then pull this off the charger and listen to whatever you want from those 5. I am continually impressed by this."
DON'T FORGET TO TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!!!
XM Content
Circuitcity.com's Doug Hess is predicting that Blu-Ray will be a hot present this Christmas. I kept that in mind as I built this playlist of Halloween horror films that are must see in HD.
