XM Uses CES to Tout ‘Mini’ Tuner, Sportscaster

XM and Audiovox at CES unveiled the XM Passport, which they say is a tiny portable tuner that delivers the satellite service to products using its Connect and Play technology.
The company said the Passport is 40 times smaller than the original trunk-mount radio tuners introduced four years ago. The device measures 1.3 by 1.65 by 0.44 inches. It contains a tuner to deliver XM to devices like home stereo and home theater system and boomboxes. It is inserted into a docking station connected to the product or a port offered by the manufacturer. Customers can move the XM Passport among devices, allowing a subscriber to receive XM on several devices with one subscription.
The company said the devices will be available in spring. It retails for around $30; home and car docking stations for about the same. The Passport will come with new Samsung NEXUS XM/MP3 digital audio players and connect to the supplied home docking station and optional car dock.
Separately, XM said it introduced a plug-and-play satellite radio aimed at sports listeners, in partnership with Advanced Global Technology. The model is called the Sportscaster and will list for about $60.
It has 30 channel presets, including presets for sports channels such as the baseball talk channel MLB Home Plate and hockey talk channel Home Ice, as well as a channel that provides text about where to find live sports on the service. XM said it will air 5,000 live sports events this year.
The radio comes with accessories that transmit XM Satellite Radio to a car’s FM radio. The receiver fits into an optional wearable kit with headphones. A boombox and home docking station are sold as accessories.