Satellite Radio
Americans have had a long time love affair with radio.  For the avid road traveller, radio provides constant music entertainment and the latest news reports. With the success of commercial radio, advertiser jumped on the band wagon and consumers had to endure annoying commercials while listening to the latest tunes. Another problem with FM radio was reception in remote locations. Moreover, if you lived in New York and traveling to Chicago, forget about listening to your favorite radio station because of the limited range of FM radio signal. The solution? Satellite radio offers the music you want, when you want, commercial free, for a low monthly fee.
Don't forget, satellite radio isn't just for your home or car alone. If you get a portable satellite radio device, you can take it with you just about anywhere. Otherwise, there are non-mobile devices dedicated for your home or vehicle. Here are a few of the basics for choosing the right type of satellite radio for your needs. |
Advantages of Satellite Radio- No guessing the track's title, artist, or album. All are displayed on the receiver.
- No annoying ads interrupting music tracks.
- A clear quality signal across the United States.
- More station choices than on FM radio.
- More music variety and genres to choose from.
- Easy to find genres. Music, news, and sports are broken down into easy to find categories.
- Same stations coast to coast. If you drive long distances on a regular basis, you don't have to worry about losing the signal every 50 miles or so.
What's Not to Like About Satellite?- It's not free.
- Many of the devices are proprietary to one service or another, meaning that like when you buy a cell phone, say an LG by Verizon, if you want to switch to T-Mobile you have to buy a new compatible phone. The same goes for satellite unless the device specifically states that it supports both providers.
Satellite Radio Types
The Basics
Choosing a satellite radio style is not brain surgery. Some features to look for on all models are the file format support capabilities. Some models play only one type or another of satellite radio, while others support AM/FM, WMAs, and MP3s. Other than that, the only question is where do you listen to radio most? At home? In your car? Or on the go?
(Recommendations Compiled from C-Net and About.com)
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Car satellite radio receivers are a good bet if you prefer listening to music in the car. - Discreet, streamlined, and full-featured.
- Cordless plug-and-play style.
- Tuner or antenna required. Look for models that include them with the package.
- Choose from mounting in-dash, on the ceiling, or extending from the dash.
- These models are commonly used in the car only, but with additional accessories they can easily be used at home too.
Sirius Models
XM Models |
A home satellite radio device is good if you normally listen to the radio at home. - Streamlined design and an exterior that blends well with most home audio equipment. Often they feature a very long antenna cord for optimizing placement versatility.
- Superior sound quality compared to the other types of satellite radio devices.
- Check for plenty of input/output connectivity for hooking the unit up to your speakers and TV.
- All units usually come with a remote.
Sirius Models
XM Models |
Portable satellite radios go anywhere. - They are similar to an MP3 Player in size and weight. Some even play MP3 files and streaming video, such as the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix.
- WIth a car kit or a home kit, you can plug the device into your stereo at home (boombox or surround sound system with receiver) or into the dash stereo of your car. The only thing you may need for your car is a mount or a dock since they already have a built-in antenna/receiver.
- Most of these receivers come with various features and programmable settings.
- See more about the Latest Satellite Radios.
Sirius Models
XM Models |
Surround Sound Broadcast
Sound & Vision's June 2006 issue outlined XM's breakthrough Surround Sound broadcasting capability. The high definition broadcasts are currently offered on certain channels, and only through "XM-Ready" and "Neural Surround" - enabled receivers. These receivers support the Neural "Discrete Sound" method that takes a downmixed, two-channel broadcast and renders it into full 5.1 surround sound, similar to that of Dolby ProLogic II. The technology, though very new, has been warmly received despite some shortcomings. XM is expected to broadcast more channels in high definition audio soon, and more Neural Surround-capable receivers should come on the market in coming months.
High Definition-Capable Receivers
Below are a series of HD ready AV receivers with satellite radio capabilities.
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Yamaha RX-V559 - Supports Dolby Digital (5.1), DTS (5.1)
- Supports 6.1 channels
- iPod ready
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Pioneer VSX-816 - Supports Dolby Digital (5.1)
- Supports 7.1 channels
- WMA9 Pro support
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Onkyo TX-SR504 - Supports Dolby Digital (5.1)
- Supports 7.1 channels
- AM/FM tuner support, alongside XM support
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Antex SRX-3 TriplePlay Sirius Tuner - Enables Sirius subscribers to share satellite feed in 3 independent zones.
- The first zone will cost $12.95 for first time Sirius users. If you already have a subscription, each zone is only $6.95.
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Pricing- Three cheers for satellite radio! Due to high sales in '05/'06, prices are dropping!
- Both companies charge about the same for subscriptions, although they have some differences in the diversity of plans available.
- Each subscription is for one receiver, although you may also be able to tune in online.
- Both companies offer family plans that have a lower rate for additional receivers in a household.
- Both companies offer corporate subscriptions.
XM or Sirius?
What's the same... - Price. Since the prices are pretty much the same for both networks, how do you choose?
- Easy Listening. The music channels are commercial-free, although the sports channels may have some commercials.
- Variety. Most reviewers agree: whether you choose XM or Sirius, you'll get clear, high-quality broadcasts with lots of choices.
- Music - dozens of channels mean something for everyone.
- Talk - uncensored, with programming for everyone, regardless of age, sex, political views, or interest. Both services have comedy channel as well.
- Sports - play-by-play coverage of almost all games.
What's different...
- Programs. The differences between the networks are almost entirely about programming.
- XM has a larger subscriber base and there is a greater diversity of receivers available for XM.
- Sirius has been growing rapidly and there may soon be a greater number of Sirius-enabled devices as well.
- Like cell phones, satellite radios will only work within the designated network. An XM radio cannot be converted to a Sirius radio; if you subscribe to both, you will need two receivers.
Here is a brief comparison of what you'll find on each network.
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- Music: 71 stations, commercial-free.
- 13 pop, including "Decades" and all-Elvis.
- 20 rock, including all-Rolling Stones.
- 5 electronic/dance channels.
- 7 hip-hop/R&B, including Eminem's channel.
- 5 country, including a bluegrass channel.
- 3 Christian channels.
- 5 jazz and blues channels.
- 2 standards channels.
- 3 classical channels.
- 8 Latin/international channels.
- Sports:
- NFL, NBA, NHL.
- NCAA football and basketball.
- English soccer.
- NASCAR switching over in 2007.
- Talk: Howard Stern, Sirius OutQ (Gay and Lesbian interest), Maxim, NPR, Radio Korea.
- Special Programs including BBC Mundo, the Vault, and Sirius Trucking Network.
- Click here for a full list of Sirius Radio programming.
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- Music: 69 stations, commercial-free.
- 6 "decades" channels - 1940s-1990s.
- 13 rock, including Fred, Ethel and Lucy.
- 4 dance channels.
- 9 "hits", including showtunes and love songs (The Heart).
- 7 "urban" - mix of R&B, gospel, hip-hop, soul.
- 7 country, including a folk channel and bluegrass channel.
- 3 Christian channels.
- 5 jazz and blues channels.
- 3 "lifestyle" channels - "grown-up" music.
- 3 classical channels.
- 4 Latin channels.
- 3 world channels.
- 2 kids channels.
- Sports:
- MLB.
- NASCAR (for now), INDY racing.
- Big 10 and PAC 10 college football and basketball.
- Talk: AirAmerica, America Right, Opie and Anthony, The Power (African American interest), XMLive (live broadcasts).
- Special Programs including up-close musician programs, CNN in Spanish, MTV and VH1 programming
- Click here for a full list of XM Radio programming.
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Video Reviews
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Shopping Directory
Audiovox XMCK10 Express Satellite Radio Receiver, Sirius Starmate Replay Satellite Radio Receiver, Pioneer Airware Portable XM Satellite Radio Receiver, Delphi XM Roady XT Satellite Radio Receiver
