Sirius Conductor: Satellite radio in a remote

Hot on the heels of the , Sirius has announced the Conductor, a home satellite-radio system consisting of a small tuner, an indoor/outdoor antenna, and a supercharged universal remote. Developed by Universal Electronics/UEI (the same folks behind the One For All Kameleon and Nevo remote lines), the remote has a three-line LCD display that shows you the channel, artist, and song you're listening to. The 6-in-1 remote can be programmed to control other products in your home-theater system, and because it offers both infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) communication, it can communicate with the base station through walls and obstructions--up to 150 feet away, according to Sirius. The system also includes an IR blaster, which presumably means you'll be able to control other parts of your home theater from afar--such as adjusting the volume on your receiver or switching over to your CD player--even if they're in another room or in a concealed cabinet. And just as you would be able to with a standard Sirius tuner, you'll be able to program up to 30 presets right from the remote.

The Sirius Conductor is the second product we've seen this month (the first being the new Logitech Wireless DJ Music System) that uses a display on the remote itself to let you navigate your music choices. For anyone who's ever tried squinting at a small front-panel display across the room just to change a channel or pick a song, it's likely to be a welcome development. And if the 150-foot range holds up, it will be pretty useful for people with speakers in multiple rooms or on an outside patio. (It also supports controlling two separate audio zones if you have a compatible SiriusConnect tuner--but that means you'll need two Sirius subscriptions as well.) The Conductor is set to be released in November with a retail price of $150. We're looking forward to seeing it in action--without having to get up from the sofa.

Assistant Editor Matthew Moskovciak contributed to this article.