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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified |
12 Months Ended | ||
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Dec. 31, 2012
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Dec. 31, 2011
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Dec. 31, 2010
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| Accounting Policies [Line Items] | |||
| Advertising costs | $ 139,830 | $ 116,694 | $ 110,050 |
| Standard product warranty period | 90 days | ||
| Research and development expense | 42,605 | 48,574 | 40,043 |
| Weighting assigned to historical volatility | 100.00% | ||
| Valuation allowance | 9,835 | 3,360,740 | |
| Carrying value of debt | 2,435,220 | 3,013,974 | |
| Fair value approximated on debt | 3,055,076 | 3,506,546 | |
| Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax | 120 | 71 | |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax | 49 | (140) | 251 |
| Foreign currency translation adjustment, tax | 48 | 11 | 63 |
| Realized loss on XM Canada investment foreign currency adjustment | 0 | 6,072 | 0 |
| Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 469 |
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Sirius XM Canada [Member] | 8% Convertible Unsecured Subordinated Debentures [Member]
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| Accounting Policies [Line Items] | |||
| Interest rate on instrument | 8.00% | ||
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- Details
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- Definition
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Current and Noncurrent No definition available.
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- Definition
Realized loss on investment foreign currency translation adjustment. No definition available.
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- Definition
Standard Product Warranty Period No definition available.
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- Definition
Weighting assigned to historical volatility. No definition available.
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- Definition
Accumulated change in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, net of tax effect, at period end. Excludes Net Income (Loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Includes foreign currency translation items, certain pension adjustments, unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses related to factors other than credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities that an entity does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis, as well as changes in the fair value of derivatives related to the effective portion of a designated cash flow hedge. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Interest rate stated in the contractual debt agreement. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Net of tax and reclassification adjustments of the change in the balance sheet adjustment that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into the reporting currency of the reporting entity. Also includes the following: gain (loss) on foreign currency forward exchange contracts; foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements; and gain (loss) on a derivative instrument or nonderivative financial instrument that may give rise to a foreign currency transaction gain (loss) that has been designated and qualified as a hedging instrument for hedging of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Tax effect, net of reclassification adjustments, of the change in the balance sheet adjustment that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into the reporting currency of the reporting entity. Also includes the following: gain (loss) on foreign currency forward exchange contracts; foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements; and gain (loss) on a derivative instrument or nonderivative financial instrument that may give rise to a foreign currency transaction gain (loss) that has been designated and qualified as a hedging instrument for hedging of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Net of tax amount of unrealized holding gain (loss) before reclassification adjustments and transfers on available-for-sale securities. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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