Satellite Radio

Whether driving to work or cruising through the countryside, people don?t flip radio channels anymore. Satellite radio provides uninterrupted services to millions of listeners around the world. As the name suggests, satellite radio uses the technology of satellites to deliver audio signals. Satellite radio signals are broadcast in digital form, which a quality of reception that matches that of audio CDs.

Satellite radios receive signals that are broadcast by communications satellites. These signals cover a wider area than normal radio signals. Satellite radio functions in any location where there is a line of sight between the antenna and the satellite. The most powerful broadcasts are accessible over 100 miles from the source.

Satellite radio technology requires access to a commercial satellite for transmitting signals and are therefore commercial business entities. In 1992, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated the ""S"" band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). XM and Sirius are two services that provide satellite radio broadcasts all over the United States.

Satellite radio signals are strong and do not require a satellite dish to receive it. The key components of a satellite radio infrastructure are satellites, ground repeaters and radio receivers.

A radio receiver has an electronic serial number or Radio ID to identify it. An authorization code is needed to activate a unit. Most services also include ?free to air? channels. These systems are proprietary, using different codecs for audio data compression, encryption and conditional access. Satellite radio also transmits program-associated data (PAD), with an artist?s name and the title of each song.

Major car manufacturers install satellite radio receivers in some of their models. Several models of portable satellite radio receivers are available from electronic firms. Since satellite radio is still in its infant stage, it is inevitable that the technology will continue to improve. In view of its inherent advantages, satellite radios are likely to grow in popularity and become a common household purchase in the near future.

Satellites provides detailed information on Satellite Tv, Satellite, Satellite Dish, Satellite Radio and more. Satellites is affiliated with Satellite Tv System

Modern Contrivances Aside, Satellite Radio Will Rock Your Boat!

Gone are the days of fiddling with FM radio dials, and desperately changing stations to avoid those commercials! If you?re fed up of pre-programmed channels that juggle music you love with music you can?t stand, maybe it?s time to consider getting yourself a satellite radio!

How do you get started with satellite radio service? Once you?ve decided you want one, the first essential step is to pick a service provider. Satellite radios were both cumbersome and expensive (around $600) up to a few years ago, but today you can buy a state-of-the-art set for about $200.

XM satellite radio is the best satellite service you can find, with over 170 channels of music and talk. The Delphi XM Skyfi is probably the best adapter you can get in the market. It?s palm-size and a featherweight, and can be easily used in conjunction with your home or car adapter.

An XM receiver will cost you $30 to 400. You can also choose a monthly subscription plan, for which you need to pay a fee of $12.95 per month. Purchasing an annual package will lower the fee to less than $10 per month. XM radio installations and service are very easy to install. You can activate your radio service via the XM website for less than $10, and over the telephone for just $15! Features of XM radio online include over 150 channels of digital music, with no commercials to disturb your listening pleasure.

XM?s main competitor is Sirius satellite radio. Sirius began its operations less than a year after XM was established in November 2001. However, Sirius has been facing allegations of using more powerful FCC transmitters than are currently allowed. Sirius has announced the implementation of a new model in the third quarter of 2006, which might help solve the problems they?ve been facing. Listener comments seem to indicate that Sirius has greater clarity. Both services have their pros and cons; check out their sites at www.xmradio.com and www.siriusradio.com respectively for more information on which service is better for you.

Satellite radio accessories and home docking kits are also available. The S50-TK1 offered by Sirius is a plug-and-play device with a built-in FM receiver. The set includes 1 GB of memory storage and a remote control.

Commercial satellite receivers are available for hotel and other retail establishments, which include user-programmable events and channel blocking. These are ideal for playing over public access systems in stores and restaurants. The Antex XM100, which costs $299 and comes with free shipping, is the best option if you?re looking for a commercial service.

Jerry Baker writes about consumer electronics and satellite radio systems. Learn more about Satellite radio and TV at http://www.satellite.info

Satellite Radio vs. Digital HD Radio - And The Winner Is

There's a lot of buzz right now about satellite radio, largely because of Howard Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio.

While moving to Sirius might make sense for Howard because of his scatological language and on-the-air hi-jinks, it just might not make as much sense for most radio listeners.

You see, satellite radio is about to see competition from a new technology called HD Radio.

HD Radio is the digital system recently approved by the U.S. Government for multicasts of local AM and FM radio. This is, of course, broadcast radio ? meaning there is no fee and no subscription required.

The benefits of HD radio are:

AM radio sounds as good as today's FM radio.

FM sounds almost as good as if you were listening to a CD.

Multicasting means that stations can add as many as two additional digital subchannels to their primary broadcasts. And broadcasters have said that many of these subchannels will be commercial free -- at least initiallyi ? just like satellite radio.

HD radio includes text messaging so that you eventually will be able to receive real-time weather forecasts, traffic updates and other information right on your radio.

People who have been testing the first HD tabletop radio from Boston Acoustics have said maybe satellite broadcasters better start worrying. The Recepter HD radio measures just 4.4 by 7.6 by 6.75 inches, with an extension speaker that is 4.4 by 4.4 by 6.0 inches, but produces sound that can only be described as amazing.

Besides being free and offering great sound, HD radio has another important feature that satellite radio can't match. Its programming is local. Satellite radio may be commercial free, but there's no local weather reports, no traffic updates, no local news, no local personalities.

The battle between satellite radio vs. terrestrial radio is not going to go away. Satellite radio will grow in popularity. And terrestrial radio is about to get a second life ? thanks to digital HD radio.

So, the real winner in this war won't be either. It will be us consumers. We will be able to choose satellite radio, conventional AM or FM radio, digital HD Radio or all three.

It really is a case of ?the more choices, the merrier.?

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Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive, an avid golfer, the author of numerous articles on HD radio, and the Internet and the publisher and webmaster of http://www.hd-radio-home.com

Satellite Radio: XM Radio or Sirius?

Satellite radio is the hottest trend in radio entertainment for your car, home, and office. The freedom from commercials and static is an exhilarating experience. No longer do you have listen to obnoxious jingles and hot air. No longer are you condemned to choose between dead air and Country & Western when traveling in rural areas.

Commercial-Free, Digital-Quality Sound

All of these problems are solved with satellite radio. And there is nothing else in the radio world that can compete with its digital quality sound. Satellite can provide uninterrupted listening pleasure anywhere in the world.

The only problem is deciding upon which satellite radio provider to choose. The top 2 contenders are Sirius and XM Radio. If you want satellite radio, you are immediately faced with the issue of how to choose between them.

XM Radio, First In The Sky

XM Radio established its presence first, and has a market share of 2 million listeners. XM has had the time to establish an excellent system of 68 commercial-free music channels with an incredible array of music. It also adds 33 channels of news, sports, talk shows, and entertainment to its programming mix. To top it off, XM has revolutionized the satellite radio world by providing 21 channels of up-to-date weather and traffic for most of the major metropolitan areas in the United States.

Sirius, Radio Innovator On Satellite TV

Sirius may be the comparative upstart, but it offers some advantages of its own. New contacts with DISH Network satellite television have given Sirius access to more than 10 million subscribers. It provides more than 120 channels if you add up all of the music, sports, information and entertainment.

For sports, Sirius is hard to beat. It broadcasts live games for professional football and hockey leagues, as well as many other sporting events. Sirius will also be the home of Howard Stern in 2006.

New Technology, New Listening Experience

So, whether you choose XM Radio for experience and staying power, or cast your vote for the innovations of Sirius, there's no reason to wait. Satellite radio is to broadcast radio as the VCR was to television. You can have it all -- without commercials! So what are you waiting for -- pick one.

Visit Sat Radio to learn more. Copyright 2005 Ron King. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Discover Sirius Satellite Radio

If you haven't discovered Sirius satellite radio yet get ready for a nice surprise. Sirius is changing the way the world listens to music.

Every second of the day, Sirius satellite radio is shooting over 120 channels of amazing radio straight into the heavens to their three state-of-the-art satellites that rotate in figure eight, geo-synchronous orbits around the earth.

Sirius uses statistical multiplexing technology which means it provides more bandwidth across the full spectrum of Sirius satellite radio streams. The bottom line is better overall sound quality and superior sound resolution.

It all starts at their studios in NYC's Rockefeller Center. On any given day as musicians stop by for live interviews and performances, on-air hosts are hard at work taking satellite radio to the next level.

Sirius satellite radio offers a diverse lineup of radio, music and sports legends spinning music they love. The lineup includes Eminem, David Johansen, Grandmaster Flash, Tony Hawk, Vin Scelsa, Liquid Todd, MC Lyte, Kelly Slater, Meg Griffin and many more.

The best part of Sirius satellite radio service is no commercials. None. That means 65 channels of music, plus you get more than 50 channels of great sports, news and entertainment programming, much of it exclusive to Sirius.

Sports lovers might want to listen close to this. Live play-by-play coverage of every single NFL game and the only 24/7-radio channel dedicated to all-things-NFL, all year long. And it's all included with your regular Sirius radio subscription: no extra charges, fees or packages. That's the best value available for any sports fan.

NFL Radio is the only 24/7-radio channel of its kind and is a Sirius original. Want NFL credibility? Start with show hosts Dan Reeves, Cris Carter, John Riggins and Shannon Sharpe.

Sirius also offers a full spectrum of original talk programming. Two NPR channels: NPR Now and NPR Talk.

The Plug & Play Sirius satellite radio modules come with optional home and car kits for use at home, in your office, in a truck, boat or car. No matter where you are, youre connected.

Home units connect directly to your home entertainment system. These sleek units contain features such as song/artist title memory, 4 preset banks with text input and optical digital audio output.

All 120 channels of Sirius satellite radio is available throughout the continental US with crisp digital-quality sound. Every single channel is included in your Sirius subscription. This keeps you connected to the music and entertainment you love, no matter where you are.

You have a choice of subscription plans that offer long-term savings, a yearly plan at a lower price and month-to-month plans starting at only $12.95 per month.

You just can't find this kind of value or this kind of radio on any other dial. Get geared up for the future of music with Sirius satellite radio.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

Every second of the day, Sirius satellite radio is shooting over 120 channels of amazing radio straight into the heavens to their three state-of-the-art satellites that rotate in figure eight, geo-synchronous orbits around the earth.

Sirius uses statistical multiplexing technology which means it provides more bandwidth across the full spectrum of Sirius satellite radio streams. The bottom line is better overall sound quality and superior sound resolution.

It all starts at their studios in NYC's Rockefeller Center. On any given day as musicians stop by for live interviews and performances, on-air hosts are hard at work taking satellite radio to the next level.

Sirius satellite radio offers a diverse lineup of radio, music and sports legends spinning music they love. The lineup includes Eminem, David Johansen, Grandmaster Flash, Tony Hawk, Vin Scelsa, Liquid Todd, MC Lyte, Kelly Slater, Meg Griffin and many more.

The best part of Sirius satellite radio service is no commercials. None. That means 65 channels of music, plus you get more than 50 channels of great sports, news and entertainment programming, much of it exclusive to Sirius.

Sports lovers might want to listen close to this. Live play-by-play coverage of every single NFL game and the only 24/7-radio channel dedicated to all-things-NFL, all year long. And it's all included with your regular Sirius radio subscription: no extra charges, fees or packages. That's the best value available for any sports fan.

NFL Radio is the only 24/7-radio channel of its kind and is a Sirius original. Want NFL credibility? Start with show hosts Dan Reeves, Cris Carter, John Riggins and Shannon Sharpe.

Sirius also offers a full spectrum of original talk programming. Two NPR channels: NPR Now and NPR Talk.

The Plug & Play Sirius satellite radio modules come with optional home and car kits for use at home, in your office, in a truck, boat or car. No matter where you are, youre connected.

Home units connect directly to your home entertainment system. These sleek units contain features such as song/artist title memory, 4 preset banks with text input and optical digital audio output.

All 120 channels of Sirius satellite radio is available throughout the continental US with crisp digital-quality sound. Every single channel is included in your Sirius subscription. This keeps you connected to the music and entertainment you love, no matter where you are.

You have a choice of subscription plans that offer long-term savings, a yearly plan at a lower price and month-to-month plans starting at only $12.95 per month.

You just can't find this kind of value or this kind of radio on any other dial. Get geared up for the future of music with Sirius satellite radio.

This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

Gary Gresham is the webmaster for http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com He offers this amazing, digital-quality, radio at http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com/satellite-radio.html