Should I buy XM now or wait 2 months since the companies merged?

Question

Should I buy XM now or wait 2 months since the companies merged?

Answer 1

XM and Sirius do not have unlimited bandwidth (space) for channels. So they can't just put all of both ...on each. The much-touted packages that will allow "Best of Both" type pricing are in the near future.

Thus, part of their deal with the FCC for approval of the merger is that they get a dual-band receiver on the market pretty snappy.

And many in the industry are wondering just how heavily they'll be pushed (implying that the packages were put together more for the FCC than for consumers - but time will tell).

There are a few esoteric brands and hybrids already available, but for now, I'd check for the free internet trial on both of their websites (simultaneously - switch back and forth) to see which you prefer, then buy the cheapest receiver you can find to use until the "next generation" receiver is released by the newly merged company.

You might even buy a re-furb, Craigslist item or eBay auction until after they are released en masse and you've decided on which dual-band receiver you want. Figure 6 months to a year for general distribution by a major manufacturer.

-a guy named duh