What Is Satellite Radio?
 Satellite radio is a simple idea. Music and other audio programming content is beamed up to a satellite (ok, there are five above the U.S.A.) and is then 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 licenses to bring music from outer space to the U.S. 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).
 
 The Players
 XM Satellite Radio was the first to make it to market in the U.S. by launching its service on November 12, 2001. XM has two satellites in geostationary orbits above the U.S., and both are available 24 hours-a-day.
 
 Sirius Satellite Radio followed with service on September 25 of 2002. Sirius has three satellites in unique elliptical orbits above the U.S. Each satellite has over 16 hours of broadcast time each day.
 
 Both companies have an extra satellite ready to launch if one of their satellites malfunction. XM and Sirius have invested tons of money to make over 100 channels of digital broadcasts (120 dedicated for Sirius and 120 dedicated for XM) available to you.
 
 If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, chances are that 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 Audi, Porsche, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Maybach, Jaguar, Volvo, Mazda, Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Infiniti. XM Satellite Radio partners include General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Audi, Nissan, Volkswagen, Acura, Infiniti, Lexus, and Scion. If your 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 $149, 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 that 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’s 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’ve lived with satellite radio, I don’t know what I would do without it.
 
 Choosing A Service
 When you’re deciding on which service to choose, there are four key factors to consider, including price, programming, sound quality, and extra features. I went to both Sirius Satellite Radio’s Web site, www.sirius.com, and XM Satellite Radio’s Web site, www.xmradio.com, for service plan information. Both companies offer service plans for as low as $9.99 a month. Each service offers extra receiver coverage for an 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 tie.
 
 Sound quality is one of the big benefits of satellite radio — it’s just so much better than regular radio. With the antennas set side by side, the comparison was easy to make. If we were to use CD-quality audio as a reference, then XM and Sirius would be anywhere in the 70 and 85 percent range, with the clear sound quality edge going to Sirius. To put things into perspective, I would rate regular commercial radio with a score of 45 to 50 percent 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’s 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 65 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’re a sports and entertainment fan, Sirius has 50 channels of programming to XM’s 33.
 XM and Sirius both offer channels with up-to-date weather and traffic reports in major cities around the US, XM has 21 and Sirius has 20, with a slight edge going to XM.
 
 When it comes to extra features, both companies offer neat stuff. Sirius offers the ability to get satellite radio to your computer. This free service (for Sirius customers), allows you to receive compressed broadband access to all the channels available on the Sirius Satellite Radio network. Way cool! XM’s PC alternative is the XM PCR. Available for $49.95, the XM PCR is a receiver that your computer controls which still requires an antenna with a view to the open sky. (For those of us who swear by our Macs, no, we’re not supported.)
 
 Bottom Line
 You shouldn’t ask yourself if you need satellite or not — YOU NEED IT! The real choice is which service to get. If you’re buying a new vehicle with satellite radio as an option, get it. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking to get an aftermarket satellite radio unit, there are many excellent choices. The bottom line is that if you don’t have satellite, you’re truly missing out.
 
 For more details, visit www.sirius.com and www.xmradio.com.