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 รขโ�ฌโ�� 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 รขโ�ฌโ�� 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 รขโ�ฌโ�� 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."

To learn more about digital HD Radio, please go to my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz.

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio, the Internet, old time radio and family finances.

The History Of Portable Satellite Radios

The history of portable satellite radios is short compared to traditional over-the-air radio, but it has rapidly changed the face of radio listening like no other technology in recent memory. The two major satellite radio services, XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio, offer a stunning array of programming and compete fiercely for customers.

Their popularity has stunned many in the radio industry and with the advent of new, smaller, more convenient portable satellite radios, some industry veterans worry about the future viability of traditional broadcast radio.

How did satellite radio get started and what is its future? Letรขโ�ฌโ�ขs take a look.

The Beginnings of Satellite Radio

The history of satellite radio begins in 1992, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to set aside a portion of spectrum to be devoted to nationwide distribution of digital radio service via satellite. SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio bid huge amounts of money (at least $80 million each) for licenses to use this new allocation of spectrum, which were eventually awarded to them by the FCC.

Owning the right to use the spectrum, though, was only the first step. Even if they could start delivering satellite radio signals right away, there were no consumer-accessible portable satellite radios to receive the signal. Additionally, there was substantial debate within the radio industry about whether consumers would be willing to pay for new hardware and then pay a monthly subscription fee for radio service. After all, AM and FM radio broadcasts were available free all over the country.

Making a Business out of Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio set out to overcome these obstacles and make a real business out of portable satellite radios and satellite radio programming. They knew that to attract the most consumers they needed to offer a variety of hardware components that could be used in a variety of locations รขโ�ฌโ�� home, work, and especially the car, where most radio listening occurs.

Working with electronics manufacturers already trusted and recognized by consumers (Sanyo, Panasonic, JVC, Kenwood, etc.), hardware development got underway. The results included portable satellite radios, receivers, and "plug and play" components for nearly every consumer application. Manufacturers built satellite radio receivers for cars, homes, offices, trucks, RVs, boats, and even airplanes.

On the programming side, XM and SIRUS put together an assortment of niche music stations that would have something to offer consumers with nearly any musical taste. Each station was programmed to appeal to a specific type of listener, and most were commercial-free. Programming originated primarily from New York, but also from other locations, plus XM and SIRIUS entered into collaborative agreements that would allow popular musicians, entertainers, personalities and others to perform live from the originating locations. This would give the services another unique selling point to attract consumers.

Dealing with resistance to a monthly fee, though, required a broader array of marketing, public relations, and strategies to communicate the benefits and advantages of portable satellite radios. XM and SIRIUS knew that the key to their success would lie in convincing consumers of the value they would receive while making the hardware widely available and affordable.

Spreading the Word

Portable satellite radios began to show up in a variety of places where consumers would find it easy to use them. One of the most important places for XM and SIRIUS to gain entry for the hardware was in cars and trucks, where consumers do the vast majority of their radio listening.

They collaborated with car and truck manufacturers to make portable satellite radios standard on many high-end luxury vehicles, and an affordable option on most other mid-range vehicles. For most of these consumers, the cost of a monthly subscription would not be prohibitive and by making it easy for them to access their services, XM and SIRIUS could entice consumers to try it out and start spreading the word about its value.

Portable satellite radios were also placed in boats and RVs, and standard receivers were heavily marketed for use in homes and businesses. Another innovation, introduced in November 2004, is the handheld version of XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers. These devices were designed to appeal to people who want access to satellite radio services while running, walking, or otherwise moving out and about in locations other than their cars, trucks, homes or offices.

Another important component of spreading the word was establishing partnerships and marketing agreements with electronics retailers such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and other well-known names. Working closely with retailers, XM and SIRIUS have greatly increased their presence with consumers and sales have steadily increased.

Why Pay for Radio?

Still, the bottom line question for most people is why pay for radio? The answer is in the benefits received with a subscription to satellite radio. Some of the most popular benefits include:

More channel choices (up to 150) Commercial-free (music channels) Live audio streaming of sporting events Weather and traffic information (in major markets) Clear, crisp digital signal Signal available with no fading when driving long distances Niche music stations to suit any musical taste Assortment of sports, talk, and news stations

Coming Soon

Satellite radio service is in its infancy so it is inevitable that the technology and the features will continue to develop. XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio will have to devote resources to such innovations if they are to attract enough subscribers to become profitable.

For example, one feature that will soon be available in some areas real time traffic information delivered via satellite directly to the navigation system in the car. This information will appear as color-coded displays of the average speed of vehicles on specific roads, allowing the driver to select the travel route that is least congested at any particular time.

Other new options and ideas are inevitable over the next few years, so it is likely that portable satellite radios will continue to grow in popularity and become more common in vehicles, homes, offices, boats, RVs, and just about any other location that can be imagined.

About the Author: Julie-Ann Amos is a successful writer for 1st-Dish-TV.net, a consumer guide to free DirecTV satellite dish systems. She has contributed numerous articles on portable satellite radio receivers and writes frequently on high speed satellite Internet service providers.

Copyright 2005 1st-Dish-TV.net

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the author's byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

XM Radio Installation for Auto Shops

As many companies try to diversify their trade services we are seeing a rather unusual migration to services that one might never think possible in the Oil Change Quick Lube Industry. One company we visited had closed one of it's bays since it had a Wal-Mart across the street and started to install car stereos, specifically XM Radio. Now we tested the XM Radio ourselves and our gut feeling right away was this: XM Sattelite Radio is great.

I recommend everyone buy a system for their car of Satellite radio. Go to

http://www.xmradio.com

and check it out. It is very excellent, inexpensive and impressive, soon it will be offered for your wireless PDA. Sirius is also good and has 100 channels their website is

http://www.siriusradio.com

It appears that the radio station industry may be the next hit with advertising lost revenue as more and more people go to satellite radio and dump their regular radios. This is going to hurt them because new car buyers are getting the XM and Sirius systems and many are buying gift certificates for loved ones at Best Buy and Circuit City for after Christmas Installations. We know that the trade Journal Industry is tanked and consolidating fast, that Advertising magazines is way down. That companies like Procter and Gamble and Unilever paying for advertising on results only. Advertising firms are going the way side and this is hurting the industry badly and causing empty office spaces in downtown sections of large cities. Satellite TV has also hurt TV stations by adding channels and therefore people flip channels more often some stations disallow flipping on certain commercials for an extra fee.

Now after reviewing this we have determined a few more facts and after our discussions and confirmations with this Quick Lube we found they had actually increased sales in their two bays to equal the three bay max volume. Simply by installing stereos and developing another set of new clientele, younger crowd on average and there seems to be no end in sight to the number of new people wanting these systems. Just a thought if your volume of oil change customers base is dwindling due to a local low priced competitor, that you might think of other revenue streams to make the lease payments.

Lance Winslow

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 XMรขโ�ฌโ�ขs 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.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. He has written many great articles on many topics, including satellite radio information. For more information, please visit http://www.digital-radio-info.info/ You may also be interested in Keith's other offerings at his site http://keithlondrie.com

Satellite Radio 411

Imagine you are traveling across country. You have already epleted your CD supply and the battery on you ipod has long since died. Being in the middle of Nowhere, USA, you cannot even find a decent radio station. What can you do in this situation? Will you be victim to utter boredom on this long, dusty road?

Thanks to satellite radio, you can enjoy your favorite music stations, commercial free, with perfect clarity from California to Connecticut and every long, dusty road in between. Normal radio stations have an average range of a 30 รขโ�ฌโ�� 40 mile radius from their source. Satellite radio is able to broadcast its signal over 2200 miles away with no static interference and little to no advertisements. It also comes in many forms including at-home devices and portable players much like Apple's ipod. The most popular being a radio which installs right into your car.

Satellite radio works through a control station sending a transmission to an orbiting satellite. The satellite then bounces the signal back down to radio receivers on earth, such as portable device or a car radio. What's different about satellite radio from your ordinary ground stations is that you get up to 100 channels with digital sound as well as information on the screen indicating the song, artist and genre.

Satellite radio usually charges monthly payments for its service. Only a couple of companies actually provide satellite radio service so this will make shopping for the right package much easier. Various packages are available to fit your needs as well as your budget.

Briana is an original content writer for http://www.youseekit.com which features original articles on a variety of topics. To see the original article, go to http://www.youseekit.com/satellite_radio/htm.

Satellite Radio Antennas Are More Than Useful

What are satellite radio antennas and what are their uses? This is the question that many people ask themselves when they hear about satellite radio antennas. As you read this article you will get an idea on what a satellite radio antenna is. Also you will learn what are their uses, functions and a lot of great pointers on where to buy one, what types are there and how to take care of it.

In order for you to listen and watch your programs you need a satellite radio antenna. This allows the module that you are using to communicate with its home base; the home base includes all of the programs and it allows you to choose what you would like to view. This all sounds like something out of a sci fi movie, but it is not. Your television, radio, even your computer has a satellite radio antenna.

Now that you know what satellite radio antennas are here are some of their main functions and uses. When you turn on your satellite in order for you to watch any of your programs on it the main thing needed is the satellite radio antenna. It allows the base (your PSP) to communicate with the main base of the whole entire system. This gives you the ability to either listen to your music or watch your programs, which ever you may choose.

Many people wonder where they can buy satellite radio antennas. You may buy one in your local hardware store. There is no specific company you should purchase your antenna from because different companies make different types of these mechanisms.

The different types usually go based on the use of the satellite radio antennas. You may be buying it for your car, bike, and stereo system or maybe even just for your house. They all have the same functions and every company that makes them to does their best to suit you and all of your needs.

The best way you can take care of you satellite radio antenna is to keep it out of water, as we all know electricity and water are not what we could call the greatest of friends. Also, these should be kept out of the reach of any young children; if yours is already inside of something you should make sure that it stays in there but if not any young child can swallow it and cause much harm. If this does happen please alert the police department as quickly as you can.

Now that you know what satellite radio antennas are, their functions, where to buy one and how to care for it you are ready to buy your own. Always keep in mind that depending on what size and type of a satellite radio antenna will vary in its price range. If you buy something for cheap it wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt last too long but you did not spend that much money on it, but if you buy something expensive it will last longer even if you did spend that extra hundred dollars on it.

http://satellite-radio-hq.com/
Satellite Radio HQ talks about the history of satellite radio, the equipment you'll need, the satellite radio channels you can receive and much more.

What Is A Satellite Radio?

Satellite radio is also called as digital radio. Since normal radio frequency is very low, the signals can be limited and you can listen to your favorite radio channels up to a certain limit (40, 50, 100 miles). When you go beyond a certain mile your radio won't get the proper signals. While going for a long journey, you won't be able to listen to your favorite radio stations. You need to keep tuning to get the nearest radio station so that clarity is good.

A satellite radio is a kind of static radio, wherein you can listen to certain radio stations anywhere in the world. It's a fixed and permanent radio station. No matter where you are, in Florida or Texas, while traveling or at home, you can receive up to 100 radio stations with very good frequency and of CD quality. There are two-satellite radio services in the US - Sirius and XM. Subscribers have to pay a monthly fee of $9.95. Many car manufacturers have started installing satellite radio receivers. If you want to listen to satellite radio at your home or office you can buy a portable satellite radio and listen to your favorite radio stations. There are many companies manufacturing satellite radios and you can buy them online or at retail stores.

The radio stations of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio have their own program schedule. The programs are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sports, entertainment, talk shows and many other programs are aired.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul has been providing answers to lots of queries through his website on a wide variety of subjects ranging from satellite phones to acne. To learn more visit http://www.askaquery.com