Never Listen to Commercial Radio Again
Hear the difference of
XM and Sirius Sattelite Radio
By Paul Sonoda
If I hear “My Immortal” by Evanescence one more time, I’m gonna rip that *#$$&@# radio out of the dash and throw it out the window. (Just kidding) To be honest, I really liked the song the first time I heard it. I liked it the second time too. But when it hits the “over-the-air” radio play list, a song will get so played out you go crazy. But wait. Don’t get mad, get satellite. That’s right, I’m talking satellite radio.
What is satellite radio?
Satellite radio is a simple idea. Music and other audio programming content is beamed up to a satellite (ok there is five above the USA) and then is broadcast down to special receivers in your car, work and home. It all started in 1992, when the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) allocated a spectrum in the “S” band (2.3 GHz) for the nationwide broadcasting of satellite based digital audio radio. Currently, only Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio have the license in the USA to bring you music from outer space. An interesting fact is that neither XM nor Sirius was the first satellite radio. Worldspace, the first company providing satellite radio, began its broadcasting in 1998 to Asia and Africa. (Worldspace also provides about 10% of the programming content for XM Radio).
back 
topThe Players
Sirius Satellite Radio was the first to make it to market in the US by launching its service on July 1, 2002. XM Satellite Radio soon followed with service on September 25 of the same year. Sirius has three satellites in unique elliptical orbits above the US. Each satellite has over 16 hours of broadcast time each day. XM has two satellites in geostationary orbits above the US. Both companies have an extra satellite ready to launch if one of there satellites malfunction. XM and Sirius have invested tons of money to make over 100 channels of digital broadcasts (110 for Sirius and 120 for XM) available to you.
If you are in the market for a new vehicle, chances are satellite radio is an option. Both Sirius and XM have agreements with vehicle manufacturers to be standard equipment. Currently, Sirius Satellite Radio has agreements with Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Mazda, Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagen, Nissan and Infinity vehicles. XM Satellite Radio partners include General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Audi and Nissan. If you vehicle is not already equipped, don’t worry, There are many aftermarket audio manufacturers that offer satellite radio with either stand alone units or units designed to interface into existing car stereo systems. In vehicle units can be had for as little as $169.90 plus the price of installation.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Satellite Radio
When satellite radio first came to market, I was skeptical. I thought, “Why would people pay for something they already get for free?” The answer is no commercials. That’s right there are over 120 channels of commercial free music between Sirius and XM. What about reception? The programming is available from coast to coast. That means you can listen to a channel in Los Angeles and drive all the way to New York City listening to the same channel with near CD quality sound. What I particularly like is the theme channels. You can listen to an 80’s channel, Jazz channel or even old school rap. (If that is your bag) There are so many different genres that there is definitely a channel for you. Hear a song you like? Your satellite radio can tell you the name of the song and the artist. You can also search for music by artist. Now that I have lived with satellite, I don’t know what I would do without it.
Choosing a Service
When you are deciding on which service to choose there four key factors to consider: price, programming, sound quality and extra features. I went to both Sirius Satellite Radio’s website, http://www.sirius.com, and XM Satellite Radio’s website, http://www.xmradio.com, for service plan information. Both companies offer service plans for $9.99 a month. Extra receivers cost and additional $6.99 a month. XM offers additional discounts for longer service plan contracts. Sirius offers a one time activation service fee good for the life of the receiver. For a slight fee, XM offers the Playboy Channel with “Adult” programming. From a cost point of view, Sirius and XM are at a tie.
Sound quality is one of the big benefits of satellite radio. It is so much better than regular radio. With both antennas set, side by side the comparison was close. To give it reference, if you use a scale with 100 points being CD sound quality, I would give XM a 75 and Sirius an 80. For relevance, I would give radio a score of 45 to 50 for strong stations. I noticed a big drop in sound quality whenever either unit lost signal strength. The reality is that satellite radio sounds like a high bit-rate MP3. It is so much better than terrestrial radio but not quite as good as CD. Bottom line: Get the antenna set right. It will make the difference between good satellite and great sound.
Programming is where the two services really differ. XM has 68 channels of music compared to Sirius with 60 channels. However, I preferred the music selection on Sirius. Back Spin is an old school hip-hop Sirius channel that plays the real old school rap. Artists like Newcleus and Kool Moe Dee, made me smile and think about my youthful days. When I compared the decade channels, Sirius played music that I knew, liked and “grew up with”. XM has some excellent channels as well. Watercolors is an excellent combination of upbeat Jazz that sounds like a smooth hypnotic smile. The Flow is a great neo soul channel with urban style music that just goes together. If you are a sports and entertainment fan, Sirius has 50 channels of programming to XM’s 33. Where XM shines over Sirius (no pun intended) is its 21 weather channels with up-to-date weather and traffic reports in major cities around the US.
When it comes to extra features, both companies offer neat stuff. Through the same antenna, XM Satellite Radio offers visual weather. With an extra fee, you get visual radar weather just like you see on the TV news. This is great for the boat or for long car trips. Sirius offers the ability to get satellite radio to your computer. This free service, (for Sirius customers) allows you to receive a compressed broadband access to all the channels available on the Sirius Satellite Radio network. Way cool!
Bottom Line
It shouldn’t be a choice if you need satellite or not. YOU NEED IT! The real choice is which service to get. If you are buying a new vehicle with satellite radio as an option…get it. You won’t be disappointed. If you are looking to get satellite radio aftermarket, there are many excellent choices. The bottom line is…if you don’t have satellite, your truly missing out.
