Home » Brix Streamer Sirius Satellite Radio Review Brix Streamer Pros: Very rugged, with large buttons for truckers. A plethora of features. Runs cooler and has smaller antenna than the other Sirius PNP's. Cons: Large, about the same size as the Audiovox PNP2. Button LEDs not very bright at night. Auto-dim only works on the buttons, not on the main display. Overall: The Brix Streamer is the perfect unit for truckers, and it OK for cars as well. I personally like the look of the Audiovox and Clarion units, but to each their own.   Released in early October 2003, The Brix Streamer was the first of a feature-rich line of Plug-and-Plays for Sirius. The Streamer is modeled on the Audiovox PNP2, but was designed for truckers (more on that later). I wanted to get the Streamer until I saw the Audiovox PNP2. I would have gotten it, but the orange display on the PNP2 looked better in my car. Display & buttons This is a fantastic display; almost perfect in fact. It can be read from all angles, does not get washed out by sunlight very easily, and it is huge. When you set the text to large, it can easily be read across a room. Like all Sirius receivers, title and artist each display up to 36 characters, and will scroll so you can read it all. Unlike the Kenwood Here2Anywhere or Delphi Skyfi, the size of the text will automatically get one size smaller so it does not have to scroll until it runs out of room. You can also choose from four fonts for the display. The buttons are designed with truckers in mind. Unlike smaller models like the Clarion and the Roady, these buttons are large and can be pressed very easily by a trucker with gloves on. If you are a trucker, you should get the Streamer simply because of this fact. The buttons do not glow as brightly as the other Plug and Plays, but they are still readable. Unlike the PNP2, the Streamer's display does not dim automatically based on the light around it. I love that feature, and it convinced me to get the PNP2 over the Streamer. Full-function clock Like the PNP2, Sirius has included an integrated, satellite-updated, full-function clock. It includes an alarm clock and a sleep timer. One cool feature with this clock is program alert, where you can set the unit to alert you when a program you want to listen to is coming on. You set the stream number, date, and time, and you can forget about it until then! Other features The Streamer has tons of extras. Probably one of the best features is called SongSeek(or S-Seek for short). If you hear a song you like, you simply press the memory button, and it will store it. When the song is played again on any of the streams, the receiver will alert you and ask if you want to change. Other features include a skip feature for channels that you do not want, and a locking option. If you have children, and do not want them listening to uncensored comedy, you can block that channel, and put in a password so they cannot unblock it. You can purchase a car dock with a wireless FM transmitter. This will send the audio signal to your car antenna. I do not recommend using this if you live in a larger city, or have your antenna more than 5-10 ft. away from the Sirius receiver. Alternatively, you can buy a hard-wired version of this from Audiovox that plugs into your radio's FM antenna and will provide a static-free sound. If you need this, call Audiovox at 1-800-645-4994 and ask for part SIRSWB. It costs around $20 shipped. The FM transmitter Car Dock also comes with a very strong suction cup mount for easy setup on your car or truck windshield. According to the makers of the mount, Pana-vise, it is the only one in the world that can withstand a 35mph crash, so it is not weak. Summary If you are a Trucker, you should get the Streamer. Large buttons, great display, and almost every feature that the Audiovox PNP2 has. If you have a car, you can get this unit as well, especially if you have a matching green display. User Reviews Submitted by: PeteSC Works OK. Seems to get real hot during use! Sure could use a cooling fan, or something! Doubt it's good for the longevity of the unit! I switched from a Sony Pnp for XM, to the Streamer a couple of weeks ago. The Sony was 'dying' after a couple of years of heavy use. Overall...the two services are pretty identical. The differences are pretty minor...mostly in some of the news/talk offerings. Since I don't listen to much music...can't be much help there. The Streamer is pretty easy to hook up. Nice having a small antenna! I'm using the suction cup equipped 'Pro Mobile Kit', which has an FM modulator built into the cradle. Pretty good for swapping vehicles, but you'll need to chase down another antenna. Do you own this radio? Please share your opinion and write a review. Top of page
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