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Image via WikipediaHow to get satellite radio
Satellite radio has a number of benefits over commercial radio. In addition to (mostly) ad-free, static-free sound, satellite radio is still free of censorship. Artist and title information for current programming is shown on your receiver's display; you can also receive satellite radio streams over the Internet (no radio required). If you are frustrated by commercial AM/FM radio stations and their surfeit of advertising, satellite radio offers greater variety, purportedly without static and without losing reception while driving (though many users offer personal experiences that indicate otherwise), which is common with terrestrial radio. To listen to satellite radio, you'll need one of the four types of receivers currently made: Receivers strictly for home use, in-dash receivers for cars, transportable units that can be moved between home and car, and portable units that can be used anywhere you can get reception.
In addition, factory-installed Sirius-compatible radios are available in some models of 25 different car brands, while XM-capable radios are available in some models of 24 car brands (several manufacturers offer radios for both services). Factory-installed satellite radio has been a major source of subscribers according to the financial website The Motley Fool, which in 2007 reported that factory-installed radios had been responsible for a 37-percent increase in subscribers over the previous year for XM. Interestingly, there aren't many aftermarket in-dash satellite car stereos. We did not find any reviews of these units, which require professional installation.
Most satellite radio receivers need to be hooked up to your home stereo, car stereo or a boom box to be heard, because they don't have an integrated antenna or speakers. A few units are totally self-contained. The Tivoli Model Satellite (*Est. $300) is a tabletop radio that can play AM, FM and Sirius satellite broadcasts. The Pioneer inno2BK for XM and Sirius Stiletto 2 are portable radio/receivers -- you can listen through standard headphones or connect to a home stereo or car stereo via an adaptor or dock.(*Est. $200)
Sirius and XM signals are transmitted from ground stations into space, where they are received by their own satellites. These satellites, in turn, beam the signal back down to radio receivers that have been programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data. Both Sirius and XM utilize ground repeaters in addition to their satellites to ensure good reception in urban areas where a clear line of sight is sometimes a problem.
You can also listen to satellite radio online. Online listening is free for most subscribers to either service, but sound quality won't be the best as the bitrates are paltry -- 32 Kbps for Sirius and up to 64 Kbps for XM. XM sells online access to non-subscribers (*est. $5 per month for the first six months, *est. $13 per month after). Sirius also offers CD-quality sound at a much higher 128 Kbps bitrate to existing subscribers (*est. $3 per month) or in an online-only subscription (*est. $13 per month). Both services offer free limited-time trial offers.
There are actually two types of portable receivers, and they are easily confused. The cheapest units are "plug-and-play" receivers. These can be used in your home or in your car, but for each, you'll need to hook them up to a stereo (your car stereo, home stereo or boom box). Some of these receivers do let you listen with a pair of headphones, but then you can't actually listen to live radio natively -- you can only listen to MP3s or recorded satellite radio. A couple of newer products, like the Delphi SkyFi3 (*Est. $80), have headphones (*est. $35) with an integrated antenna, so you can listen while away from your car or home.
The second type of portable receiver lets you listen to live satellite radio through normal earphones or speakers. These truly portable satellite receivers have integrated antennas, and they are bundled with batteries. Some include kits to connect to your car stereo or home stereo. Short battery life is a consistent complaint among reviewers of all these products. Many reviewers also recommend upgrading the headphones. The biggest concern for potential users is reception dropouts. As with cell phones, such dropouts are more annoying or startling than an AM station fading in and out in signal strength. Plug-and-play receivers usually cost $100 or less. Truly portable satellite radios can cost over $300.
