Logitech Network Music Players Get Sirius

**rickaren** · #1 (**permalink**) 04-30-2008, 08:51 AM

April 30, 2008

Logitech on Tuesday announced that its three network-based home music streamers -- the Squeezebox, the Squeezebox Duet and the Transporter -- now offer access to more than 80 channels of music, talk and entertainment content via Sirius Internet Radio.

Instead of connecting to Sirius' satellite service, the network players can stream the service using their built-in home broadband WiFi or wired ethernet connections, Logitech said. The Squeezebox Duet system allows the user to listen to Sirius Internet Radio as part of a multi-room set-up, while the Transporter offers Sirius in high fidelity. The Squeezebox network music player streams from a PC or Mac computer to a home stereo system.

Logitech said it plans to make Sirius Internet Radio available to existing users via a software update.

**rickaren** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-01-2008, 06:10 PM

April 29, 2008

Sirius Satellite Radio will stream its channels to Logitech Squeezebox and Transporter network music players in another online augmentation of its satellite music service.

It's safe to say that if there were no cars, there would be no satellite radio. Portable satellite radios face battery and reception issues, while home-based satellite radio systems not only face similar reception problems but are made redundant by a simple broadband internet connection.

Ever since Howard Stern split for Sirius, I've been wondering why these companies decided to float expensive satellite systems to distribute audio around the same time that music distribution started dropping to zero. The answer, of course, is that it is still mostly impossible to get a good internet connection in the car. When that happens, satellite radio will face competition from the entire internet.

Sirius apparently realizes that its programming expertise could end up being as great an asset as its satellites. The company has been steadily diversifying into non-satellite music distribution.

In August of 2007, Sirius began streaming over the internet to Sonos and Sirius Stiletto 2 devices. Now, owners of the Logitech Squeezebox or Transporter will also be able to pay $13/month for commercial-free Sirius channels delivered over the internet, in addition to the myriad of other content sources available through the devices.

Sirius would do well to practice competing with these other services. Once the information highway merges with the actual highway, it'll be competing with them in the car too.
Article Link:Sirius Expands Non-Satellite Offerings | Listening Post from Wired.com

palema · #3 (**permalink**) 08-12-2008, 08:22 PM

thanks a lot !
participation!