Extra Extra: Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide is on sale

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It may be a tad early to start your holiday shopping, but there’s a good chance you’ve at least been thinking about it. Maybe you’ve had a big-ticket gift—like a new TV or home theater—in mind for a while now, but are putting off the purchase till November or December. If it’s sales you’re waiting for, you probably know what you want and how much you’re willing to pay. On the other hand, you might just a teeny bit leery of throwing so much cash at something you know very little about. Which is better: a plasma or LCD TV? Should you upgrade to a Blu-ray player or stick with standard-def DVDs?

If you find yourself in need of expert advice, consider the newest edition of the Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide. Inside you’ll find a wealth of information on everything from televisions and computers to smart phones, GPS units, and much more. For each product, the Consumer Reports editors walk you through the basics, explaining what’s available, which features matter, brand profiles, and offering tried-and-true shopping tips.

In addition to product information, the guide offers advice on how to shop smarter, including:

• Netting the best deals online, and protecting yourself when you shop on the Web


• When to repair and when to replace a broken item


• How to haggle effectively


• Finding the best electronics retailer based on our comprehensive annual survey


• How to save—and what to be wary of—with refurbished or open-box products on store shelves


• Where to get free office software, free computer security programs, and more useful freeware

Sirius XM’s “free” iPhone app: Even subscribers must pay

[ Photo courtesy of koka sexton ]

Sirius XM’s free radio application for the iPhone has been downloaded more than a million times since its June release, the company recently crowed. That’s despite complaints that the software doesn’t allow you to stream such popular shows as Howard Stern and both MLB and NFL play-by-play, and Nascar radio.

Also, being a regular Sirius XM subscriber isn’t enough to use the app to access content. If you’re a subscriber with a basic plan who wants to stream your favorite shows, you must pay $2.99 extra per month, the add-on price for the “Premium” subscription, to listen with your iPhone (or iPod Touch) past the 7-day free trial.

The add-on is needed even if, like me, you’re one of Sirius XM’s most loyal subscribers, who extended your subscription this past winter for a year or two in return for free online access until your contract ran out.

Another tidbit Sirius XM didn’t tell those of us who locked in last winter: Our free extended online access is limited to their lower-grade 32k streaming audio, not the higher-quality 128k digital that Premium subscribers now get.

Sirius XM: What to do given the recent news

Last week, recently merged Sirius XM mailed some of its subscribers with a "special opportunity" to avoid a price hike on their second satellite radio receivers by prepaying for one, two, or three years of service at the old rates, in advance of the March 11 date when rates will change. This week, in turn, came more news on the woes of the company, including a further drop in its stock price, which is trading at 6 cents today, and a possible bankruptcy filing next week.

Here are some of the questions raised by the offer and the recent news, followed by our advice on what to do in response:

Is the price hike even kosher? Wasn't holding the line on price increases a condition of the companies' merger?

Yes—on service to the first radio in your subscription. Because the imminent price hike is to additional radios, it's allowed, at least under the letter of the merger agreement. After March 11, the cost to Sirius XM subscribers for each additional receiver goes up to $9 per radio from $7. And listening to Sirius XM over the Internet, which used to be free, will now cost $3 extra a month, for all subscribers.

What if the company indeed goes into bankruptcy?

It depends on the type of bankruptcy they might declare. If Sirius XM does file for bankruptcy, it's anticipated to be a reorganization under Chapter 11, in which the company is expected to continue to provide service. Of course, it's possible that the company might at some point file for Chapter 7 liquidation, in which programming and customer service would likely come to an abrupt halt.

CES 2009: In-car "infotainment" puts more in small packages

There's more to CES than TVs, computers, and cameras. That's the message from mobile electronics companies—makers of GPS devices, satellite and HD radio, and car audio/video systems—who are showcasing their wares despite the woes of their automotive-industry counterparts.

Our colleagues in the Auto department are canvassing CES for new trends and products. Here's what they've seen and heard so far:

Convergence is the buzzword. The focus of in-car electronics companies will be to pack more useful features into existing hardware. From music to real-time traffic, companies are looking to enhance the behind-the-wheel experience.

Product closeup: The first in-dash Internet radio. With the new Blaupunkt radio (available in the second half of 2009) and a Bluetooth-enabled smart phone drivers will be able to beam music from thousands of Internet radio stations through their car's speakers. Since listening to most Internet radio is free and Blaupunkt doesn't require a subscription, this could be a serious competitor to satellite radio.

Our colleagues at Which?, an independent consumer magazine in the United Kingdom, took a quick look at the Blaupunkt radios. (You can watch Which's video using the embedded player on the right.)

Product closeup: Rand McNally's scenic routes and city guides on your GPS. Navigon announced that this spring, users will be able to download more than 250 scenic routes and 1,400 city guides in the U.S. and Canada and access them on select navigators. The guides will include attractions, dining, and points of interest – and how to get to them, of course.

Be sure to check the Consumer Reports Cars Blog for continuous updates on mobile electronics from CES. And of course, we have our own CES coverage here on the Electronics Blog as well.

—Nick K. Mandle

Satellite radio: More interesting, more complicated

The merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio has started to bear fruit.

Subscribers to each service can now add a select group of channels from the other (called Best of Sirius and Best of XM) for about $4 more per month, which brings the total monthly cost to $16.99. While the selections are limited to a handful of channels that may not suit everyone's taste, Sirius XM Radio says that more new packages are on the way, although it's not yet clear how many of those will graft channels from one service onto the other.

For XM subscribers, the Best of Sirius package available now adds two full-time Howard Stern channels, NASCAR races and shows, NFL games, Martha Stewart Living, and Playboy. For Sirius, subscribers, the Best of XM adds Oprah and Friends, NBA games, the Virus (which includes Opie and Anthony), and NHL games, the PGA Tour, College Sports, and XM Public Radio.

XM-Sirius Merger: What it might mean for you

Last week, the Department of Justice granted rivals Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio permission to merge. If the Federal Communications Commission also grants permission in the coming months, as many expect, there could be a single, integrated satellite-radio company by 2009.

Consumers Union, our parent organization, and other industry stakeholders are continuing, however, to fight the merger. Such critics reject the companies' assertions that the merger would be in the consumer interest and say it violates anti-monopoly safeguards the FCC put in place about a decade ago as conditions for the satellite-radio operating licenses.

To help bolster support for the merger, both XM and Sirius have posted the fees and channel lineups they say would be in place after the merger is approved.

The new plans aim to deliver on the consumer benefits the companies promise will result from a merger. But our look at the proposals suggests the pluses generally come with tradeoffs or depend on some as-yet-unanswered questions.

Hot car gadgets

Our Consumer Reports colleagues who cover Cars have been attending the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas these past few days. From the miles and miles of displays of aftermarket automotive gear, they've reported on many things, including:

• The Mio DigiWalker C720T—a portable GPS with a built-in 2-megapixel digital camera. (The C720T, click on the image at right, arrived too late to be included in our most recent test and Ratings of portable GPS units on ConsumerReports.org.)


• A $600 add-on "safety system" that warns drivers when they're about to rear-end someone—say, from driving while being distracted by all the gadgets in their cars.


• Slacker Radio—a portable device that is a cross between terrestrial radio, satellite radio, and an MP3 player.

So, check out the Consumer Reports Cars blog. It's not just for car fanatics and automotive "gear heads."

—Paul Eng