XM vs. Sirius Satellite Radio: Which One Is
Better For You?
Author: Matt Barstow

You have probably heard of the two satellite radio companies,
Sirius Radio and XM Satellite Radio, but you may not know a lot
about them such as how much each costs or what radio talent is
available on each. Many people are tired of listening to
regular AM and FM radio stations for several reasons. It may be
that they are tired of being bombarded with commercials. It may
be that they do not like the programming available to them. On
the other hand, it may simply be that they are in a rural area
and tired of losing their radio signal all the time. Regardless
of the reason, many consumers are turning to satellite radio as
a viable alternative to regular radio stations.

Both companies are able to offer you static free radio due to
satellites. XM (based in Washington D.C.) has two and Sirius
(based in New York) has three satellites across the United
States. Both companies offer users commercial free radio.
Sirius offers over 125 channels and XM offers 160 different
channels. There are dedicated channels for genres of music such
as jazz, folk, country and pop for diehard fans. One cool
feature of satellite radio is you can see the name of the
artist playing as well as the song title. So never again do you
have to spend time wondering just who sang that song you just
heard! There are also channels for local weather and traffic,
sports, comedy, women's issues, talk shows, even old time radio
shows. Soon, you may be able to see video as well as hear audio
on your satellite radios.

There are also celebrity shows for both satellite radio
companies. Martha Stewart recently signed a deal to launch a
24-hour radio channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. And most
everyone has heard that Howard Stern is on Sirius as well -
uncensored. Having gotten in trouble with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) for his radio talk show, he
decided to jump to the uncensored airways of satellite radio.
Since his show started, the Sirius subscriber base has
increased by at least 2.7 million. If have satellite radio and
want to hear National Public Radio (NPR), you will have to
subscribe to Sirius as they are the only one offering NPR. But
XM is not to be left behind by Sirius. XM signed Snoop Doggy
Dog, but the big coop is Oprah. In September of 2006, XM users
will be able to tune in to Oprah & Friends. The new channel
will offer broadcasts of The Oprah Winfrey Show, O, the Oprah
Magazine and programming on fitness, health and self
improvement.

All this sounds great, but what do you actually need to be able
to receive satellite radio? You will need either a Sirius or an
XM radio. This does not necessarily have to be a radio only for
use in your car either. There are also home radios available
today and there are even radios you can use both at home and in
your car. The price for a basic radio offered by both Sirius and
XM is as low as $49.99. You will also need to subscribe to a
service. Both Sirius and XM charge $12.95 a month for you to
receive satellite signals on your radio. However, if you have
several cars with satellite radios, you can save by choosing
the family plan available from both companies.

Just how popular is satellite radio becoming? In March of 2005,
Hyundai announced that it would be the first automaker to put
satellite radios in all of its models sold in the United
States. Each Hyundai, including the popular Sonata, Santa Fe,
and Elantra models, will come equipped with an XM satellite
radio. When this was announced, shares in XM's parent company
rose by more than 8 percent. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz also
announced in March 2005 that Sirius radios would be a
dealer-installed option on some of their models.

So which satellite radio should you choose? That depends on
you. You should check out the stations available by visiting
each company on the web before making a decision. Both offer
radios at comparable prices, so it really comes down to what
you want to hear. Are you a Stern fan? Then you have to go with
Sirius. But if you love Oprah, you can only hear her on XM.
Regardless of which one you choose, you will no doubt be very
pleased with the services and reception of satellite radio.


About The Author: Matt Barstow offers valuable tips and
information about satellite radio, players, and services. Read
his latest report answering the most popular questions about
satellite radio. http://www.satellite-radio-review.net