Getting Started With Satellite Radio in Four Easy Steps

The popularity of satellite radio is growing each year and for good reason. From the convenience of being able to listen to a favorite station from virtually anywhere without interruption and excellent sound quality to the wide variety of programming and less frequent commercial interruptions, the service is well worth the low monthly fee for many individuals.

For those who want more entertainment than what traditional radio or their own private music collection can offer, the question that arises is not whether or not satellite radio is a good choice but how to get the service started.

* Clearly, the first step in getting started with satellite radio is to select the service. While Europe has WorldSpace, the US uses two providers; Sirius and XM Radio. Both offer well over 160 channels of listening that is virtually commercial free. Pricing for both is in the neighborhood of $13 per month plus the cost of receivers and a small one time activation fee. Potential buyers can easily research the available programming through both Sirius and XM Radio via their respective websites and determine which subscription plan will meet their entertainment needs.

For those who would prefer a side by side comparison of the two services a simple search on Google for "Sirius vs. XM" will reveal numerous sites that provide a current "at-a-glance" comparison of the two satellite radio providers.

* Once the choice is made, equipment will be necessary as a satellite radio receiver will be required. This could include a home receiver, car stereo, plug-and-play type device for use in both the home and car, or perhaps a small personal listening device. This equipment can be available through many reputable home electronics stores as well as directly through Sirius or XM Radio.

* Any necessary installation of receivers in a car or boat can be done professionally or as a do-it-yourself task. Sirius for instance provides detailed, simple written instructions for installation via their site; Sirius.com as well as a video demonstration of installation.

* After the installation of any receivers, another visit online, or by telephone, allows new customers to activate the satellite radio service for the subscription plan selected.

Obviously, getting started with satellite radio is not a complex process nor does it entail an exorbitant ongoing expense. Opening up the broader world of excellent radio entertainment is only a few mouse clicks away from reality for the listening public.

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Portable Satellite Radios

There are many types of radio receivers available for sale for you to use. The models most people purchase are the ones they are able to move around with, and listen to anywhere they wish. Since they are paying for the service they want to be able to listen to their satellite radio wherever they go. They do not want to be limited to listen to their radio in one room only.

Uses

Most people use the same receiver in their home, car and work. This is because people do not want to buy a different receiver for every room in their home, their cars, and work. If they are able to buy only one radio receiver and use it anywhere the go they will use that instead.

For example, most new cars today come with a built it satellite radio already installed. However, some people are not happy with this due to the fact that the satellite radios in the new cars are integrated to the car itself. If you subscribe to satellite radio using that unit you will only be limited to listening to your service in your car only.

Types of portable devises

The most popular type of portable satellite radios are the ones that you will be able to connect with many different units and listen to it anywhere. Another type of portable satellite radio is the smaller hand held unit. This type of unit does not need to be hooked up to any speakers, and can be carried in your person anywhere you go. They are small enough to fit in the palm of your hands, and are easily stored in your purse or pants pocket.

Cost

The portable satellite radio units are much more expensive than the bigger ones you will not be able to move around with. A normal satellite radio unit can cost you as low as $100, whereas the smaller portable units can cost you $500 to $1,000 depending on the amount of features you wish to have in it.

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Satellite Digital Radio is the Best Way to Enjoy CD Quality Radio

In America, currently the most popular way to enjoy high quality music broadcasts in your car or home is through satellite digital radio. Two companies have pioneered this technology and each offer a variety of different services and stations to choose from. In the process of making their broadcasts the best they can possibly be, both companies completely removed commercials from their schedules and brought in well known radio hosts and musicians to provide commentary and act as disk jockeys. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks associated with each company, mainly the fact that you have to pay significant prices for the satellite digital radio receiver and you also have to pay a monthly fee for use of their services. Monthly fee not withstanding, both companies are bringing today's best of cd quality radio to you. Both companies offer a line up of many different music and other listening choices. You will be able to find the station you want to listen to and be able to enjoy music without commmercials.

The most popularized satellite digital radio broadcaster is currently XM Satellite Radio. This company has associated itself by teaming up with many auto makers including General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen. They offer a variety of services, most costing around $10 US a month. In 2004 they launched the first of a line of portable satellite receivers so people can take their music wherever they go. With XM you have service coverage throughout North America, excluding Hawaii. However, in some major cities, XM still needs to install devices to improve signal quality amidst the skyscrapers. XM became newsworthy recently by signing on Oprah Winfrey to their lineup of superstars. There are currently six million subscribers to XM?s satellite digital radio broadcast, twice as many as Sirrus has.

As the only real alternative to XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio has a lot to live up to. They are the underdogs of the satellite digital radio revolution, clocking in at only three million subscribers. Sirius uses three satellites to cover the United States, Canada, Alaska and the upper half of Mexico. As with XM, there is no coverage in Hawaii and there are some quality issues with reception in cities dotted with skyscrapers. Many car companies have teamed up with Sirius to offer factory installed equipment, including: BMW, Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and Nissan. Sirius made the news recently with their acquisition of renowned radio personality Howard Stern in January 2005.

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Satellite Radio For Those Who Spend Time In The Outback!

Satellite radio has been a godsend to people in remote locations, or even just those who travel long distances. In the past while on a long car trip, every hour or so you'd have to start fiddling with the radio, as the station you were listening to turned to static after up to an hour of fading in and out. Then just as you'd find a new one, it, too would go to static, and so it would go on. Now with the advent of satellite radio, that static and fiddling will be a thing of the past.

Conventional radio signals can only travel 30 or 40 miles from their source, so the further away you travel from the radio transmitter, the fainter and weaker these traditional signals will become. Satellite radio waves travel from space - 22,000 miles away, yet you will be able to travel across the country without having to change radio stations and quite possibly without having to endure endless commercials about things that you are not really interested in.

Cars, with satellite radios, have been coming for many years now. But as the service takes off many more drivers will be making use of the new technology and be grateful for the flexibility it provides. At present there are only three space-based radio broadcasters, but many more are in the pipeline, as the Federal Communications Commission sanctioned a sum of $80 million to give licenses to companies to make use of the specified radio band for digital satellite radio transmission.

These three different satellite companies have done research and development in different areas and this has led to the offering of different services by them. No doubt the VHS Vs Beta type of battle would continue to intensify in the time to come as the technology progresses. Only time and sponsorship would decide who the winner of this battle would be. But whatever happens, it would only be good news for travelers as more and more companies are waiting to join this exciting field.

Two of the companies, XM Radio and Worldspace, already have an agreement with each other to share new technological developments and to continue to work together to create further innovations in this expanding field. This can only be good for consumers, particularly those who frequent remote locations on a regular basis. Distanza Betrachtung is the owner and operator of Rob Satellite, Inc., a leading Internet portal for satellite information. For more satellite information and resources, be sure to visit: http://www.robsatellite.com.