Satellite radio is a digital broadcast. End-users with specific receivers can pick up programmes from the overhead satellite. Since the broadcast is digital, reception is free from interference; it is fade-free and offers crystal clear sound. The marketing hype tells us it is different, fresh, new, and commercial free. Radio over satellite offers greater choice and better quality, a more diverse set of music, talk, sports, and entertainment. And you won't ever have to worry about being out of range of this quality programming, because it's nationwide.

But does satellite radio deliver on these promises? I bought into this 'revolution' early, having purchased an XM Satellite Radio (one of two competitors) in mid March. I've been testing and evaluating not only the unit, but also the content XM Radio provides. Read on if you'd like to seriously explore some alternatives to your current audio entertainment paradigm.

Satellite radio concept, implementation/technology

Concept

The idea behind satellite radio is quite basic. For all intents and purposes, you can think of Satellite audio's model as a direct copy of Satellite television. XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Radio both have looked at DirecTV's success and thought about how to attract that type of market to its product. The idea is that people who were initially attracted to DirecTV because of its quality, depth of programming, and cost will also be willing to pay monthly for access to satellite audio. Like satellite television, Satellite radio is not marketed to any one demographic more than any other.

Satellite Radio Companies

The introduction of satellite radio has been one of the biggest innovations in recent FM broadcasting history. This radio signal can be heard at a distances of thirty five thousand kilometers and beyond. That is more that twenty two miles with a clear reception, no static and more than one hundred stations to listen to. The inception of this concept was 1992 when the Federal Communications Commissions gave up the S band on the radio wave spectrum (2.3 GHz) to Digital Audio Radio Service. The companies that were initially given a license to broadcast on this spectrum were XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Currently, there are three satellite radio services broadcasting around the world: XM and Sirius in North America and WorldSpace in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The three satellite radio companies each have a different system for broadcasting their signals. This means that a customer would end up buying specific equipment depending on what company they subscribe to. There are three parts to a satellite radio system: the ground repeaters, the satellites and the radio receivers. The XM satellite radio has satellites that are geographically located above the equator at all times. To combat the issue of obstacles such as hills, bridges and buildings, the XM radio service has a network of repeaters. These are antennas that get the signal from the satellites and transmit it to the subscriber?s radio. The Sirrus radio service is set up a little differently. The satellites are elliptical in structure and they orbit the Earth. Because these satellites are on a higher level, the signal is usually clear and there is no need to have quite as many repeaters.

The satellite radio programmers are able to choose what music or program to fill air time. Many use CD?s or have musicians come in to perform live. This sound is transmitted via a digital format. The signal is encoded by the satellite and then sent to the repeater antennae. The repeater moves it along to the subscriber?s radio which decodes the signal and plays the sound. Satellite radio also utilizes digital compression which is a method of reducing a set amount of information into a bandwidth using complex algorithms. If you are a subscriber, you will have to purchase the correct equipment to get the signal.

The amount of people who subscribe to satellite radio has grown due to the improvements made to the technology. The appeal of the radio station has always been the fact that the radio doesn?t depend on advertising to pay the bills, therefore the programs available are commercial free.

In the US market, there's two players: XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. XM and Sirius both know that one can find literally hundreds of DirecTV receiver dishes on many expensive houses, lower income apartment buildings, and even office buildings, and they are hoping to spread in the same way.

But Radio is free, you say, why should I pay for it? Well, XM and Sirius have also thought about that same question, and have come to the conclusion that while a person can still get free television over UHF and VHF antennas, the vast majority (almost 80%) of Americans pay money monthly to subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

To that end, both XM and Sirius have developed content that would satisfy just about any audio listener, casual or hardcore. Likewise, they both, for the time being, have low monthly costs ($9.95/month for XM, $12.95/month for Sirius), and are offering many incentives such as free installation and rebates on the hardware as well as a few months of free service in cooperation with major retailers such as Best Buy. XM and Sirius also have a distinct advantage DirecTV did not have; they can both market their technology and product to major auto manufacturers. Indeed, Cadillac is including XM enabled receivers in their high-end cars starting next year, and a buyer can even roll the monthly XM charge into his auto loan.

Calling satellite radio "the next big thing," Stern said on his morning show that commercial radio is no longer a safe haven for shock jocks like him.

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We all have our favorite radio stations that we preset into our car radios, flipping between them as we drive to and from work, on errands and around town. But when you travel too far away from the source station, the signal breaks up and fades into static. Most radio signals can only travel about 30 or 40 miles from their source. On long trips that find you passing through different cities, you might have to change radio stations every hour or so as the signals fade in and out. And it's not much fun scanning through static trying to find something -- anything -- to listen to.

Photo courtesy XM Satellite Radio Satellite radio broadcasters promise crystal-clear music transmitted from thousands of miles into space.

Now, imagine a radio station that can broadcast its signal from more than 22,000 miles (35,000 km) away and then come through on your car radio with complete clarity. You could drive from Tacoma, Washington, to Washington, D.C., without ever having to change the radio station! Not only would you never hear static interfering with your favorite tunes, but the music would be interrupted by few or no commercials.

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have both launched such a service. Satellite radio, also called digital radio, offers uninterrupted, near CD-quality music beamed to your radio from space.

Car manufacturers have been installing satellite radio receivers in some models for a few years now, and several models of portable satellite radio receivers are availabel from a variety of electronics companies. In this article, you'll learn what separates satellite radio from conventional radio and what you need to pick up satellite radio signals.

XM Satellite Radio - America's #1 Satellite Radio Service

SIRIUS Satellite Radio - Over 120 channels of Satellite Radio for ...

WorldSpace Satellite Radio International Network

 

Satellite radio is an idea over a decade in the making. In 1992, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the "S" band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). Only four companies applied for a license to broadcast over that band. The FCC gave licenses to two of these companies in 1997. CD Radio (now Sirius Satellite Radio) and American Mobile Radio (now XM Satellite Radio) paid more than $80 million each to use space in the S-band for digital satellite transmission.

At this time, there are three space-based radio broadcasters:

• Sirius Satellite Radio
• XM Satellite Radio
• WorldSpace

Satellite radio companies are comparing the significance of their service to the impact that cable TV had on television 30 years ago. Listeners won't be able to pick up local stations using satellite radio services, but they will have access to hundreds of stations offering a variety of music genres. Each company has a different plan for its broadcasting system, but the systems do share similarities. Here are the key components of the three satellite radio systems:

• Satellites
• Ground repeaters
• Radio receivers

Taking a closer look, you will see slight variances in the three satellite radio companies' systems. In the next three sections, we will profile each of the companies offering satellite radio services.

To get satellite radio, consumers can buy the hardware or a product such as a car that comes with it pre-installed. Sirius, with more than 600,000 subscribers, then charges $12.95 a month for access to 120 channels. XM subscribers, now numbering more than 2 million, palant.

Sirius Radio

Similar to the HD Radio, the PAC is also being deployed as part of the Sirius Radio system. Another subscription-based service, Sirius Radio offers over 120 digital channels at the same rate as XM Radio at US$12.95 per month. Three S/L-1300 satellites namely, Sirius 1, 2 and 3, orbit elliptically over the earth, each covering the US for at least 16 hours. Hence, one of the satellites is always above the US at any one time. An illustration of the Sirius Radio system is shown in Figure 9. The three satellite constellations were completed in November 2000. It has around 100 repeaters throughout the US which also operate in the SBand at 2.32 GHz to 2.34 GHz. Since Sirius’ satellites are placed at a lower orbit than the geostationary satellites, a stronger transmission signal can be expected and so a smaller number of repeaters are required.

As of March 2005, Sirius Radio has about 1.5 million subscribers attributing the growth to robust retail sales and expanding sales in its automotive distribution channel. The figure is expected to reach 2.7 million subscribers by year-end.

XM Radio

XM Radio is one of 3 FCC licensees to deliver Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (SDARS) to the United States. On November 12, 2001 XM Radio launched its nationwide service to became the first company to offer a national digital satellite radio service, offering over 100 channels.

XM Radio is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and owns the largest digital radio facility of its kind with 82 end to end broadcasting studios. XM Radio is encoded using CT-aacPlus technology, digitized and broadcast in near CD quality 128kb/sec format, which delivers an extremely robust and crisp signal that is in every way superior to analog radio signals. Because the signal is digitized, there is very signal quality loss, so the received signal is very close to the original source track.

Because the signals are so much more powerful that other satellite signals, such as satellite television broadcasts, XM radio needs only small omni directional antenna located on the vehicle or home. The antennas are similar to GPS or satellite telephone antennas in that they contain a number of small, flat arrays that collect the signal and do not require pointing like traditional satellite antennas. They need only have a clear line of sight to the satellite.

In addition to audio programming, XM also offers information about the broadcast, including the song title, artist, and genre of music right on your XM receiver display. In many U.S. urban cities where large buildings and tunnels can interfere with the XM signal, XM radio also supplements their signal with terrestrial transmitters. Your XM receiver will automatically switch from the satellite to the terrestrial broadcast if available to maintain the highest quality broadcast possible. Recently, XM Radio began broadcasting current weather the traffic conditions of many major U.S. cities as well, allowing listeners to stay updated.

XM radio programming is available throughout the continental United States. The satellite footprint, however extends further north and south and residents of Canada and Mexico have reported excellent reception in most areas.

XM's Broadcast Operations Control Room is their version of "mission control." Here, the outgoing signals for 100 channels of digital audio are checked for integrity before being beamed up to their orbiting satellites.

XM Radio uses two Boeing HS 702 satellites, "Rock" and "Roll" which were launched in March & May 2001 respectively. As shown in Figure 8, these are placed in parallel geostationary orbit, one at 85 degrees west longitude and the other at 115 degrees west longitude, above the US. A subscription-based service, XM Radio offers over 150 digital channels. These comprises of commercial-free music stations with over 30 channels of news, sports, talk and entertainment and over 20 dedicated channels of traffic & weather reports. Since April 2005, XM Radio has raised its basic subscription fee from US$9.99 to US$12.95 per month. Transmitting in the S-Band at 2.32 GHz to 2.34 GHz, it has around 800 repeaters in urban areas throughout the US to enhance its coverage.

On 17 May 2005, XM Radio reported that it has surpassed 4 million subscribers and that it has garnered 70% of the US’ satellite radio market. The company has also reported that it has added 1 million subscribers in less than five months and would reach 5.5 million by the end of 2005.

WorldSpace Radio

WorldSpace was the company that first brought the concept of Satellite Radio to the world. WorldSpace created the initial proprietary technology and programming infrastructure that both WorldSpace Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio are built on. With WorldSpace Satellite Radio, you choose what you want to hear in the language that suits you best.

WorldSpace broadcasts in the L-Band spectrum from its two satellites namely, AfriStar which covers Africa, the Middle-East and parts of Europe, and AsiaStar which covers the Middle-East across to Japan including China and South East Asia. These were launched in October 1998 and March 2000 respectively. A third satellite, AmeriStar which would cover America, the USA and Canada, is expected to launch at a future date. As shown in figure each satellite has three beams. These are geostationary satellites that orbit over the globe in fixed positions above the equator. Using powerful spot beams, the satellites transmit to three overlapping coverage areas approximately 14 million sq km each. Each beam transmits 40 audio or multimedia channels. Each radio service can be unlinked to the satellite using a separate single channel per carrier. This allows individual broadcasters to uplink their own programmes from their own premises. Within each satellite, the unlinked services are then multiplexed together before it is beamed to the earth. Alternatively, radio services can be multiplexed together at a central hub station before it is unlinked.

Digital audio bit-rate is reduced using MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) which offers generally better audio quality at lower bit rates below 128 kbits/s. Delivery of audio and/or data is done in multiples of 16 kbits/s unit. Several units can be combined to achieve the desired sound quality. Each WorldSpace receiver is equipped with a data port that transforms it into a wireless modem able to download data to personal computers at rates of up to 128 kbits/s. Thus, the WorldSpace receiver can also broadcast multimedia content.

Satellite or traditional radio

Satellite radio is beamed from satellites, in high-angle elliptical orbits over the U.S., to bring crisp digital-quality sound to your home, office, boat, or car. Satellite radio continues to rack up new subscribers as it gives listeners more choices in music streams, sports channels, equipment, and transportability. To receive satellite radio you need a special radio receiver and a subscription to a satellite service. There are two major satellite services competing for satellite subscribers, Sirius radio and XM radio. At this time, each has proprietary equipment, so a potential customer will have to choose the equipment and service they want and cannot change to the other company with repurchasing new equipment. You can acquire a satellite radio preinstalled in a new car, but now there are now other impressive options. For the last several months, I have been using the Sirius portable satellite radio system made by Audiovox. This package includes a portable radio tuner called a shuttle, a vehicle docking kit and a home docking kit. This allows you to listen to satellite radio in your home or office as well as in your automobile. You can also purchase docking kits for additional cars or locations. Then, you simply take the shuttle with you, plug it into the docking station and listen to satellite radio wherever you go. Installation is fairly easy. For the car, the sticky backing of the shuttle base attaches to the dashboard with simple pressure. The small magnetic satellite antenna is made for placement on the outside of the roof of the car. You can run the cable through the sunroof or a window or you can perform a more professional installation. I found that the antenna worked fine inside the back window of my car, so I simply ran the wire along the floor and over the back seat. The vehicle docking kit comes with a power cable that fits into the cigarette lighter. You simply plug the unit in, and find an unused FM frequency to broadcast the signal out through your car speakers. If your car radio has a line-in jack, you can connect the unit to that. The unit works well under either scenario. The home docking kit includes a docking station to hold the shuttle, an indoor/outdoor antenna, a power supply, and stereo cables. You hook docking up to a radio with the included cables, plug in the power supply, and place the antenna in a window or outside. You will have to experiment with the antenna to get the best signal. If there is a clear view of the sky from inside a window, the antenna can simply sit on the windowsill. Large pine trees surround my home, so I wound up running the antenna cable out a window and placing the antenna on my patio. The antenna is weatherproof and can also be mounted to your house, if you prefer. Once you have your equipment in place, you call Sirius to start your service and you are on your way. Sirius has 65 channels of commercial-free music and 50 channels of sports, news, and entertainment. The stations are divided into categories so you can easily find jazz, news, rock, classic, comedy, etc. Sirius has made great inroads into the sporting world. Sirius is the official satellite radio partner of both the NFL and the NHL, broadcasting regular season games and post-season play. Sirius also has many choices of customized programming. They are the exclusive satellite radio carrier of NPR and Public Radio International. SIRIUS OutQ is a stream of news, information, and entertainment specifically for the Gay/Lesbian Bisexual/Transgender community. Sirius also has EWTN and The Word for religious programming and they recently announced an Eminem station and an All Elvis Channel. The shuttle has a six-line display that shows the name of the channel (called stream in satellite terminology), the stream number, category, artist, song, title, and time. It has a large master control knob that allows you to look at other streams while listening to any stream. There are also 10 buttons for your favorite channels, a parental lock out feature, and a wireless remote control. Sirius charges $12.95 a month for their service. In order to compete with XM radio, which charges $9.95 a month, they have recently added other payment options. You can now get the service for $9.99 a month with a 12-month prepaid subscription. There is also a $499.99 lifetime plan. One other recent change in the Siruis service allows subscribers to listen to the 60+ commercial-free music channels over the Internet. This is a big plus for many subscribers. What’s not to like? The documentation was sparse. At first I didn’t understand how to hook up the home kit since I didn’t realize that you needed to provide a radio to hook up the shuttle. Duh – I felt kind of dumb, but shouldn’t the documentation have mentioned this clearly? Also, the first shuttle that I received didn’t work and had to be replaced. In defense of Sirius this was a unit that had already been used by several other reviewers, so it was not brand new. A replacement unit was sent immediately and the 24-7 Siruis customer service department was easy to reach, knowledgeable, and polite. As some of you may point out, however, they did know that I was a reviewer. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my satellite radio experience. The jazz streams were wonderfully relaxing. The news streams kept me up-to-date. The comedy stream was always there to cheer me up. The special broadcasts were always exciting. Yes, the monthly subscription fee is another bill, but if you love to listen to the radio, satellite radio may be worthwhile for you.

His sidekickn here every day."

Is Sirius Satellite Radio Better Than XM Radio?

Many years ago, people didn?t have televisions. Many read the papers to get the news or listened to the radio. Just as satellite television has entered American homes, another thing has also been developed that is called satellite radio.

What is satellite radio? This piece of hardware allows the individual to listen to favorite recording artists and shows instead of watching it on television. Given that the United States is a vast place and there are various stations in each state, this also allows the user to listen to one back home hundreds of miles away.

Currently, there are two main players competing head on in the market. The first is called Sirius while the other is XM radio. Which of the two is better? This question depends on whom the individual will ask but both are doing quite well and more customers are signing up.

Sirius is the first to ever provide commercial free programming on all its music channels and has a wide array of accessories for customers to buy. This is despite that fact that XM radio launched a few months in advance. The subscription fee of Sirius a little pricey compared to XM radio. When people want the best things in life, money maybe an obstacle. So the deciding factor will be what the hardware has to offer.

Satellite radio has been around for almost 5 years. Since this is considered to be the ?in thing? in the market, both companies have tied up with the major car manufacturers to have this installed in their vehicles. This is the same thing Ipod is doing so the owner can listen to the favorite tunes while on the road. Sirius has 65 channels that feature sports, news and other programs aside from music. This includes exclusive coverage of special events such as the NFL. XM radio on the other hand has NASCAR and Fox news. It has 68 channels which is 3 more than what the other is offering to the consumer.

The accessories used by Sirius satellite radio allows the person to listen to this at home or in the car. One of the basic accessories it uses is the Sanyo CRSR-10 Plug and Play system that will cost about $149.99. Those who are not satisfied can have this upgraded-which will cost from $250 to $2,000.

XM radio on the other hand uses the Delphi XM Roady Receiver. This will cost an individual somewhere between $30 to $400, but those who choose to get a monthly subscription will only have to pay $12.95 per month.

Both the models being offered by Sirius and XM radio are easy to install. The person will just have to pay a small fee as a service charge when enlisting the help of a customer representative when this is being done. Customers can buy the unit in a store or order this online. It is not only ordinary individuals who are very interested in this product since there are also other models for commercial use that are being broadcasted in public access systems of hotels and other retail establishments. Is Sirius satellite radio better then that XM radio? Given that both companies have different things to offer, this really depends on the tastes of the customer.

What is satellite radio?

Satellite radio is often considered one of the biggest improvements in broadcasting since the introduction of the FM band. Satellite radio is also called subscription radio or pay-radio because it is only available trough subscription to one of the satellite radio providing companies. Satellite radio follows a concept similar to cable television by providing a very wide range of programs which are not available in the traditional FM or AM format for a fee.

Satellite radio uses satellites to deliver radio programs to subscribers. The radio signal is broadcasted from Earth based stations to communicational satellites, which then redirect the signal to satellite radio receivers. The radio signal is broadcasted by communication satellites to a much larger area than traditional terrestrial radio antennas. For example, satellite radio is available al across the continental area of the United States. Satellite radio is available now in most parts of the world trough services provided by companies like WorldSpace (in Europe, Asia and Africa), Sirius and XM Radio (in North America). The radio signal you receive using satellite radio is digital, which means that it is always clear and static-free, which is one of the great advantages of satellite radio. Another great thing about satellite radio is that it is almost completely commercial-free.

To begin listening to satellite radio you will need the actual satellite radio (also known as tuner or receiver), a satellite radio antenna (which is often incorporated in the satellite radio) and a subscription to the service you choose. There are several types of satellite radio from which you can choose. One of them is the dedicated car or home radio, which play trough your car or home stereo. A second option is the plug-and-play radio, which can be used in your car, as well as in your home by paying a single subscription. Your third option is the portable radio, which has rechargeable battery, a built-in antenna and you can listen to it wherever you go using headphones. The radio signals offered by different satellite radio companies are proprietary, which means that you will need different hardware for receiving, decoding and playback, depending on your subscription. Each satellite radio receiver has its own serial number called Radio ID. When you get your subscription, you will also get an activation code for your receiver. Besides the actual radio programs, satellite radio transmits metadata that contains the name of the artist, the title of the song or program, as well as the name of the channel. This makes it easier for you to decide which channel to listen to and which program to choose.

Satellite radio services provide the subscriber with more than 100 programs that vary in content from rock and jazz to rap and classical music. But satellite radio's utility reaches far beyond listening to your favorite music without the interruption of those annoying commercials. Satellite radio also offers exclusive sports programs, cultural and educational shows, news and talk-shows. Some of the celebrities that have moved their shows from free radio to satellite radio include Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Bob Edwards and Martha Stewart. Unlike terrestrial radio, satellite radio is not affected by bad weather or even calamities.

At first, many people wondered why they should pay for radio if they can get it free. However, satellite radio attracts more and more people every year due to its great advantages: no commercials, extensive reach, theme programs and exceptional quality of sound.

How Cool Are Satellite Radios

Sirius Satellite Radio is certainly here to stay. When you have a Sirius satellite radio receiver you can listen to whatever you want wherever you go. There is a Sirius satellite receiver to meet the needs of everyone, whether you want one for your home, your office, your car, your boat, or your RV. There's a lot of buzz right now about satellite radio. With the introduction of XM and Sirius the new satellite radio broadcasts will give local broadcast radio a run for their money. If you've been thinking about buying an XM or Sirius Radio, now might be a good time to make that purchase as the cost of these radios is now at the lowest point ever. The top 2 contenders are Sirius and XM Radio. Both providers offer high quality, digital programming with over 100 channels to listen to so you can never run out of something good on the radio. As mentioned above, cable started to address those issues, but it's been the advent of satellite technology that has really brought clear digital entertainment to the masses no matter where they live in the US. Satellite radio and TV both broadcast their signal in digital formats rather than analog. Sirius charges more because they claim to use technology that improves the digital sound even more than XM and they also have given more attention to customer service to address issues that may arrive after the sale. Satellite radio broadcasts are made in digital format, so they are much higher quality than land-based radio. Satellite radio or is a digital and is able to receive signals from just about anywhere which of course has a broader range than normal radio. With satellite radio you pay a certain subscription fee every month (around $15 or so) to get around 100 music channels broadcast by satellite. All programs are transmitted a satellite and then is beamed to the ground where the satellite radio picks up the signal. None of the channels are pre-recorded and all of them are LIVE stream videos from the fastest servers in their network. There are several different kinds of music genres. For instance, rock has channels devoted to hard rock, early rock, soft rock, heavy metal, and many more. When using a satellite radio you can have your favorite music broadcasted right into your home or car, with crystal clear digital sound. Some system have a slight delay in the broadcast so if you enter a tunnel you do not loose the signal. Satellite radios come in many forms including at-home devices and portable players much like Apple's ipod. People that have taken a liking to satellite radio are flocking to their local electronics store looking for a portable satellite radio. Like a full size or car satellite radio a portable satellite radio has all the required equipment to decode the encrypted signal broadcasted by a satellite. Subscribers to satellite radio will be required to pay a monthly fee. It is subscription based, meaning that you pay a monthly fee for the service. Subscribers usually have to pay a monthly fee of approximately $9. When purchasing a satellite radio there is usually a small monthly fee, but this will introduce you to a new world of commercial free radio.

Get The Best Satellite Radio

Sirius Satellite Radio is certainly here to stay. When you have a Sirius satellite radio receiver you can listen to whatever you want wherever you go. There is a Sirius satellite receiver to meet the needs of everyone, whether you want one for your home, your office, your car, your boat, or your RV. There's a lot of buzz right now about satellite radio. With the introduction of XM and Sirius the new satellite radio broadcasts will give local broadcast radio a run for their money. If you've been thinking about buying an XM or Sirius Radio, now might be a good time to make that purchase as the cost of these radios is now at the lowest point ever. The top 2 contenders are Sirius and XM Radio. Both providers offer high quality, digital programming with over 100 channels to listen to so you can never run out of something good on the radio. As mentioned above, cable started to address those issues, but it's been the advent of satellite technology that has really brought clear digital entertainment to the masses no matter where they live in the US. Satellite radio and TV both broadcast their signal in digital formats rather than analog. Sirius charges more because they claim to use technology that improves the digital sound even more than XM and they also have given more attention to customer service to address issues that may arrive after the sale. Satellite radio broadcasts are made in digital format, so they are much higher quality than land-based radio. Satellite radio or is a digital and is able to receive signals from just about anywhere which of course has a broader range than normal radio. With satellite radio you pay a certain subscription fee every month (around $15 or so) to get around 100 music channels broadcast by satellite. All programs are transmitted a satellite and then is beamed to the ground where the satellite radio picks up the signal. None of the channels are pre-recorded and all of them are LIVE stream videos from the fastest servers in their network. There are several different kinds of music genres. For instance, rock has channels devoted to hard rock, early rock, soft rock, heavy metal, and many more. When using a satellite radio you can have your favorite music broadcasted right into your home or car, with crystal clear digital sound. Some system have a slight delay in the broadcast so if you enter a tunnel you do not loose the signal. Satellite radios come in many forms including at-home devices and portable players much like Apple's ipod. People that have taken a liking to satellite radio are flocking to their local electronics store looking for a portable satellite radio. Like a full size or car satellite radio a portable satellite radio has all the required equipment to decode the encrypted signal broadcasted by a satellite. Subscribers to satellite radio will be required to pay a monthly fee. It is subscription based, meaning that you pay a monthly fee for the service. Subscribers usually have to pay a monthly fee of approximately $9. When purchasing a satellite radio there is usually a small monthly fee, but this will introduce you to a new world of commercial free radio.

Satellite Radio Companies

The introduction of satellite radio has been one of the biggest innovations in recent FM broadcasting history. This radio signal can be heard at a distances of thirty five thousand kilometers and beyond. That is more that twenty two miles with a clear reception, no static and more than one hundred stations to listen to. The inception of this concept was 1992 when the Federal Communications Commissions gave up the S band on the radio wave spectrum (2.3 GHz) to Digital Audio Radio Service. The companies that were initially given a license to broadcast on this spectrum were XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Currently, there are three satellite radio services broadcasting around the world: XM and Sirius in North America and WorldSpace in Europe, Asia and Africa. The three satellite radio companies each have a different system for broadcasting their signals. This means that a customer would end up buying specific equipment depending on what company they subscribe to. There are three parts to a satellite radio system: the ground repeaters, the satellites and the radio receivers. The XM satellite radio has satellites that are geographically located above the equator at all times. To combat the issue of obstacles such as hills, bridges and buildings, the XM radio service has a network of repeaters. These are antennas that get the signal from the satellites and transmit it to the subscriber?s radio. The Sirrus radio service is set up a little differently. The satellites are elliptical in structure and they orbit the Earth. Because these satellites are on a higher level, the signal is usually clear and there is no need to have quite as many repeaters. The satellite radio programmers are able to choose what music or program to fill air time. Many use CD?s or have musicians come in to perform live. This sound is transmitted via a digital format. The signal is encoded by the satellite and then sent to the repeater antennae. The repeater moves it along to the subscriber?s radio which decodes the signal and plays the sound. Satellite radio also utilizes digital compression which is a method of reducing a set amount of information into a bandwidth using complex algorithms. If you are a subscriber, you will have to purchase the correct equipment to get the signal. The amount of people who subscribe to satellite radio has grown due to the improvements made to the technology. The appeal of the radio station has always been the fact that the radio doesn?t depend on advertising to pay the bills, therefore the programs available are commercial free.

satellite radio

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