Convenience is the main reason for why people are signing up for this kind of service. Most satellite radios eliminate the need to configure audio programming to the tunes that people actually like, since geography is no longer as limited as compared to the ground based radio transmitters. A person can literally cross different state lines and still listen to radio shows and entertainment updates that he or she has chosen. In many areas where ground based radio transmissions no longer get through, satellite transmissions can.

Additionally, service providers such as these offer audio entertainment minus all the commercials (on the music channels) and censorship - and with digital quality too. So if you are thinking of signing up for Sirius satellite radios (or trading in your old provider for this,) here are the top 5 reasons for you to make the switch.

5. You get the most number of choices when it comes to dance and Latin music. Sure, you can certainly get this kind of service from terrestrial radio stations and even other satellite radio providers. But with Sirius satellite radios, you get 6 streams (channels) of dance and Latin music - not to mention Mexicana, tropical and electronic music to get you up and moving on the dance floor.

4. A packaged deal of 15 streams of rock music is what you can get with Sirius, and that is one stream more than its nearest competitor. It does not matter if you are into: alternative rock, Britpop, glam rock, grunge, hard core punk, hard core rock, heavy metal, indie rock, New Wave, nu metal, progressive rock, punk rock, or soft rock. There is a genre that you can subscribe to that can make headbanging a blast while listening to the tunes - preferably while you are strapped in the car with your seatbelt.

3. If you are the type to listen to an eclectic lot of music, Sirius provides everything under the sun including Urban music which is not provided for by the other satellite radio providers. Everything from Classical music to jazz and pop music from the 1950's all the way to the present are all available at Sirius.

2. In regards to news stations and entertainment updates, Sirius provides the most number of streams among all satellite radio providers. There are a total of 13 streams that offer news from Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, FOX and MSNBC. If you are interested in multi-lingual news broadcasting, Sirius satellite radios can provide this service as well.

1. And the best reason to switch to Sirius is this: you can now listen to your satellite music via your car radio and via an Internet portal too. Sirius Internet Radio is another option given to its subscribers that has a total of 78 channels ready for its global audience. This makes catching up on your favorite shows a breeze especially if you are traveling outside the country.

**Note that the specifics cited about Sirius Satellite Radio are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the Sirius company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

First thing’s first. XM and Sirius are based on the same principle, each of them providing music, news, sports, etc. on their channels, but, every service has its ups and downs so we will try to discuss it in this present article. A careful analysis shows that XM Satellite Radio provides a total of 136 streams at the time of this writing, where two are premium channels (Playboy and High Voltage), twenty-one are traffic and weather based channels and nine are sport-dedicated ones. On the other hand, Sirius offers a total of 119 streams, the premium streams not being available. Let’s take a closer look now on two – music and news - of the categories that the two major satellites are battling.

Music streams comparison

The number of music streams that both services offer is pretty much the same: 65 on Sirius and 68 on XM Satellite Radio but the difference is not in the number, but in the music genres that the radios offer.

Music – Decades

XM is the absolute champion in providing the music by decades because you can listen to the 40’s music, service not available on Sirius. Still, you can listen to the 90’s hits together with the current hits on Sirius Satellite Radio, which is an interesting feature.

Music – Country

“Ride’ em cowboy!”. Even if you’re not a cowboy, you can listen to country-related songs on both Satellites. Classic country or country hits are to be heard as well as alternative country or country mixes, the last two features being available only on Sirius Satellite Radio. Regarding the number of streams that both Satellites offer, XM offers a total of five streams and Sirius offers four, the champion in this category being XM due to the quality and the quantity of music being played.

Music – Rock

If you are looking for sex, drogs, and rock and roll, Sirius and XM Satellite Radios can only offer you rock and roll, on a number of 14 streams on XM and 15 streams on Sirius. The rock subgenres are to be found in a large number on the stations, overall each service being very strong in this category.

Music - Dance and Latin

If you want to boogie, you can do that on both Satellites, listening to one of the six streams provided by Sirius or four streams provided by XM. Be careful though, because you can become a clubber maniac! And if you’re strong enough, the Latin pop stream, Mexicana and tropical music streams can really drive you crazy. XM Satellite Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio offer three streams.

Music – Other genres

Regarding other genres, both satellites really look up to their prestige, offering hours of hours of music, from Classical to Jazz, even Urban (Sirius feature). Both stations offer high quality tunes, making it worth all the money.

News Streams Comparison

Let’s skip to another interesting topic, news. CNN, FOX, CNBC, Bloomberg, MSNBC and many more news stations are being offered for listening in different languages. The number of streams is again near-by, XM offering a number of 11 news streams, not like Sirius, which offers 13.

Bottom line

It’s pretty hard to say which station is better, XM and Sirius being tied musically but in news and sports, Sirius holding the edge. To make a little joke, if you are a fan of Stern go with Sirius, if you like Q&A go XM. Anyway, it’s hard to say which one is better, but, what can I say is that both Satellites are worth paying for.

**Note that the specifics cited about the XM and Sirius programs are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have been changed by the respective companies. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius or XM radio, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the companies very carefully.

The continent of North America comprising of the United States, Canada and Mexico has two providers of satellite radio services. They are XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. In the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, the sole provider is WorldSpace. These providers offer hundreds of channels that cover varied areas of interest such as music, entertainment, sports, news, weather and traffic among others. Since this industry is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), many adult-oriented programs are also broadcast.

In the United States, both the providers have different broadcast systems, transmitting at different frequencies and necessitating different types of equipment. As such, if a subscriber wishes to switch providers, it will be necessary for him to procure new equipment. XM Satellite Radio is able to provide its services to all corners of the United States with the help of two orbiting satellites whereas Sirius Satellite Radio operates with the help of three satellites which are moving in an elliptical orbit. Both the providers have standby satellites in case of any malfunctioning of the main satellites.

Satellite radio receivers can be fitted in vehicles also, and both the above providers are joining hands with the main vehicle manufacturers and their dealers to equip the new vehicles with these receivers. The number of vehicles fitted with satellite radio receivers has grown manifold over the past few years, proving the popularity of satellite radios. Home stereo systems and portable radio receivers with built-in antennas are also adopting the satellite radio system. An added advantage of this system is that the names of the artists and the songs are also displayed for the convenience of the consumer.

The providers of the satellite radio systems levy a subscription fee of about $10 to $15 every month for each receiver from each consumer in the United States. Consumers do not like the subscription system, but the advantages of satellite radios in respect of some commercial free broadcast and excellent sound quality more than make up for the small fee.

The popularity of satellite radio has been going up with each passing day, and its future is extremely rosy. Just like the cable television boom, it won’t be long before each home and vehicle will have a satellite radio, especially because of the excellent audio quality and the limitless content of the programs.

**Note that the specifics cited about Satellite Radio services are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the satellite radio company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.

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 all across the continental area of the United States. Satellite radio is available now in most parts of the world through 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 at least some of its programming is 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 radios from which you can choose. One of them is the dedicated car or home radio, which plays through 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: commercial free music, extensive reach, theme programs and exceptional quality of sound.

**Note that the specifics cited about Satellite Radio programs are true to the best of our knowledge as of the writing of this article and may have since been changed by the satellite radio company. If you choose to purchase service through Sirius radio or any other satellite radio provider, please read all of the terms and conditions provided by the company at the time of your purchase very carefully.