HD Radio Technology -- the Hottest New Thing in Sound -- Explained

The hottest new thing in sound is called HD Radio technology. And what it does for radio is the same thing that HDTV does for TV รขโ�ฌโ�� it makes it light years better! In fact, when you listen to HD AM radio, you'll think you're listening to FM. And when you listen to FM, you'll think you're listening to a CD.

What makes this possible?

HD Radio technology works much like traditional analog transmissions (AM and FM are both analog signals).

The difference is that the station broadcasting HD Radio technology transmits an extra digital radio signal, along with its normal analog signal. It can also broadcast a third signal for text data.

Your radio receiver receives the signal รขโ�ฌโ�� just as it does an AM or FM signal. If you have a HD Radio receiver, it will decompress and translate the signal and viola! You get bright, clean, near-CD quality sound.

What happens if you donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have an HD Radio technology receiver? It's simple. You hear your normal analog radioรขโ�ฌโ�� AM or FM.

AM radio has smaller sections of bandwidth than FM radio. This means there is not enough "space" to give AM stations the same near-CD quality as FM stations. But there is enough bandwidth that AM stations will be able to broadcast with the same clarity of signal as one of todayรขโ�ฌโ�ขs analog FM stations. This performance boost is expected to make AM radio a better alternative to FM than it has been รขโ�ฌโ�� to give you more listening choices.

Less vunerable

Digital FM radio is less vulnerable to reception problems. Your HD Radio tunerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs digital processors will eliminate all those annoying pops, hisses, fades and static caused by interference.

What happens if you lose the digital signal for some reason? Really nothing. HD Radio technology defaults back to analog mode in much the same way as conventional radios switch from stereo to mono mode when the signal is weak. Then, when the digital signal again becomes available, your HD Radio automatically switches back. What could be simpler?

Go to http://www.hd-radio-home.com for more information about HD Radio technology, a partial list of stations already broadcasting in HD and information about HD portable radios, car radios and recievers. Douglas Hanna is webmaster of http://www.hd-radio-home.com and a long time writer and producer of radio commercials.

The Facts You Need To Know About Satellite Radio - Part 3

In Part 3 we covered the monthly subsciption costs of satellite radio and a little about the programming that is available. But let's talk a little bit about sports on satellite radio.

Sports programming is just exploding in the US and there is a constant demand for even more and better coverage of sporting events. Both satellite radio providers have seen this need and moved to fill it with plenty of sports broadcasts that cover everything from the major sports themselves and actual events to just sports talk. Every single game of the NFL is broadcast besides over 1,000 NBA games and lots of hockey action too. If you are a sports fan, you will absolutely love satellite radio as there is always something interesting being broadcast on sports pretty much 24 hours a day.

So how do you get all of this satellite radio programming anyway? Well, the first thing you need to do is select which provider you wish to subscribe to. In the US your choices are either Sirius or XM. Both have great programming available so the best thing to do is just visit their website, look over the offerings that they have and decide which one fits what you like to listen to best. It's important that you decide on which service to use beforehand since you have to buy receivers that are specific for that service. You can't switch from one provider to another and use the same receiver at this point, so choose carefully.

After selecting your provider, decide where you will be listening to radio broadcasts most, in your car, boat, RV, or just at home? There is plenty of equipment available that will let you listen to satellite radio, some mobile, and some not mobile. There are also products that allow you to take your receiver and use it both at home and when you travel, so there is lots of flexibility on satellite radio receivers and equipment depending on where and how you plan to listen. Keep in mind too that some satellite TV companies include satellite radio in their offerings so you may already have it available at home.

Our viewpoint about satellite radio is that it is a great product that you just have to experince to fully appreciate, and once you enjoy the convenience and quality of satellite radio broadcasting, you probably won't want to listen to radio any other way.

Jim Johnson is a successful author and publisher on consumer related matters. You can find out more about satellite radio and satellite car radio by visiting our Satellite Radio Review website.

Most Electronics Stores Offer Great Deals to Those Who Buy Digital Radio Receivers

Satellite radio still has not caught on in the United States of America. Despite the hundreds of channels XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio offer, there are still two major drawbacks. The first is that someone who would want to buy digital radio equipment will have to pay for an expensive receiver and will also have to pay a monthly subscription fee. It is yet to be seen if satellite radio will catch on in the United States. I predict that the monthly subscription fees will also come down and be more in line with a traditional reciever.

Secondly, while it is great for some people that the stations are exactly the same everywhere in the country, many people like some variety to their music and will want to hear a different disk jockey playing different sets of songs instead of the same guy day after day. Even though you have hundreds of stations to choose from, chances are they will only be playing certain songs over and over. Despite the setbacks, in an attempt to drum up business for the satellite companies, electronics retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City offer great deals to those in the market to buy digital radio receivers. And these deals will get even "sweeter" as the retailers embrace innovative new markeing tactics.

Someone looking to buy digital radio receivers from XM Satellite Radioรขโ�ฌโ�ขs store for example will actually have to try to pay full price. At XMรขโ�ฌโ�ขs own digital radio receiver store, prices are slashed all over the place. Almost every receiver, including the incredibly popular Delphi SkyFi 2, contains tons of mail in rebate offers. XM is also offering special deals on bundle packages so people can enjoy purchasing the receiver, a car kit and a home audio kit all in one package for less than the manufacturerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs suggested retail price of just the receiver.

The otherwise very pricy Delphi MyFi portable receiver is slashed even more with XMรขโ�ฌโ�ขs store offering the regular $225 US item to customers for only $175 US. These amazing deals are offered in a way to make people forget about the monthly fee associated with satellite radio subscription. For those looking to buy digital radio listening equipment, almost any store you visit will have excellent markdowns on receiver products. The nature of having a montly subscription fee warrants the lower prices on recievers. This is probably the only way in which the retailers are able to sell these recievers.

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

XM vs. Sirius

So you want to switch to satellite radio, but you aren't sure with which service to go with? Two of the biggest names in satellite radio today, XM and Sirius, both offer a large variety of music stations that you would never hear on regular commercial radio. And most of the music channels, for both services, are commercial free. Of course, nothing is truely free. Both Sirius and XM charge you a service fee to listen to their music channels - someone has to pay for those satellites!

So what is the difference between Sirius and XM?

First of all, Sirius and XM both offer the same commercial-free music service broadcasted via satellites. Sirius offers 120 channels, or feeds, of music, sports, and entertainment programming. For this service, Sirius charges a flat monthly subscription fee of $12.95 for residents of the continental US. XM currently charges, on the other hand, has 122 channels broadcasting similar content (68 of which are music channels), and charge a slightly smaller monthly fee: $9.95. XM currently has the largest share in the satellite marked with 2 million customers.

So why does Sirius charge more? Sirius claims to have superior sound quality thanks to their statistical multiplexing technology, which provides additional bandwidth across all SIRIUS streams. This is supposed to increase overall sound quality and resolution. There has been little feedback however, to verify whether or not this system really enhances sound quality to a noticeable degree. In addition, Sirius is offering free audio feeds through the internet to its paying customers, something XM charges a couple dollars a month extra for. So if you plan on listening to the radio via the net often, you can expect to pay about the same no matter which company you go with. Sirius also claims to have 24 hour customer service - something XM radio has yet to fully achieve. Oh, and one more thing. Sirius has 2 NPR channels, for you NPR fans out there: NPR Now and NPR Talk. Pretty cool.

So does that mean Sirius is better? Well, that depends. XM has some neat stuff too, like a bunch of cool XM Satellite Radio receivers and displays. They also have the biggest broadcasting network right now, and are probably the most likely to expand services significantly in the near future. Overall, they are just about equal, and you are better off going with either of these services than any other.

Bradley James is a senior editor at SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on the Sirius and XM satellite radio services please visit our XM vs Sirius webpage.

XM Radio Needs Roadway Tunnel Satellite Service Relays

Recently I drove thru the Boston Tunnel after traveling up the East Coast. I noticed after going thru several tunnels along the way that the XM Radio cut out. Of course I was not surprised as it is hard to get a signal while underground from a satellite. Yet each time I entered a tunnel, I happened to be listening to a really great song on the 80รขโ�ฌโ�ขs station. The Baltimore Tunnel was not an issue, there was no traffic and I sailed thru; no big deal. In New York the tunnel took a little while to travel thru due to the traffic, but still a few extra minutes and then the radio was as good as gold again. The real issue was in Boston and the traffic was fierce. I spent nearly 20 minutes in the Big Dig, without the radio and had my CD collection in the back and could not get up to get it. This led me to believe there must be a better way. XM Radio has a slight time delay so you can go under highway over passes without cutting into your music or news on any of the over 200 channels. However, when going thru long tunnels or in canyons you often miss the signal, as you do not have a direct line of sight to the satellite.

XM Radio ought to make a deal with the government agencies, which operate these tunnels to put relays on the entrances to make sure the signals are available inside the tunnels, to keep people happy and prevent road rage. If you consider the onerous behavior of some of these Bostonians here, you would surely agree. Nowhere in the country are the drivers as discourteous as in Boston, Mass. No wonder they parked the car in Harvard yard. I got flipped off by a guy out his sunroof, who honked his horn with his elbow while talking on his car phone. Obviously this gentleman was having a bad hair day and also was a little perturbed that his XM Radio was not working either? Could all of this been prevented with a little music to calm the average beast? Think about it.

Lance Winslow

Is that Your Radio Sending You a Text Message?

HD Radio technology is the new, hot thing in sound. That's because it will do for radio what HDTV has done for TV รขโ�ฌโ�� make it light years better. In fact, when you listen to HD AM radio, you'll think you're listening to FM. And HD FM radio sounds as clear and pure as if you were listening to a CD. Plus all this sound comes via the airways and i completely free!

Is that your radio displaying a text message?

Thanks to HD Radio technology, radio stations will able to also transmit additional information in the form of text messages.

Typically, this will appear as scrolling text on your radioรขโ�ฌโ�ขs display. This information might consist of the songรขโ�ฌโ�ขs artist and title, the stationรขโ�ฌโ�ขs call letters and maybe advertising information.

Yes, the additional information sent to your digital radio will most likely include ads. After all, advertising pays for those free radio AM and FM broadcasts.

These ads might consist of messages such as "this traffic report brought to you by Arnieรขโ�ฌโ�ขs Automotive." Besides, all TV stations and even satellite radio have ads.

On the plus side, the text broadcast with a news show might be financial updates, stock ticker information or business news. And stations might also use text to provide helpful information such as weather updates and traffic alerts.

Just imagine. There you are in your car listening to an oldies favorite and suddenly, your radio tells you to expect bad weather in the next few hours. Is that amazing or what?

Go to http://www.hd-radio-home.com for more information on HD Radio technology, a partial list of stations already broadcasting in HD Radio technology, and information on HD car radios, receivers and portable radios. Article by Douglas Hanna, webmaster of http://www.hd-radio-home.com and a long time writer and producer of radio spots.

What is Satellite Radio

Satellite radio is still a somewhat new concept to the modern world. Gone are the days of hopping in the car, turning on the radio and listening to endless commercials without even hearing a single song. Satellite radio is very similar to the concept of pay-per-view television. In exchange for a membership fee, you receive virtually commercial free programming specifically based on your desire.

Satellite radio companies own exclusive rights to certain content, including some sporting events. This means that the only way to hear a game being broadcast may be to subscribe to that service on satellite radio. The same is true of various other content, including the recent move of Howard Stern exclusively to satellite radio. His talk show will only be available through a paid subscription and will no longer be broadcast on regular television or radio programming.

Membership fees range from several dollars per month to several hundred dollars for a lifetime membership. The decision of how to pay is at the sole discretion of the consumer. If you plan to be a lifetime customer, and have the cash to spare, there is no doubt that a lifetime membership will pay for itself over time. If, on the other hand, youรขโ�ฌโ�ขre new to the concept and just want to try it out, many satellite radio companies offer a free trial or low monthly fees to get you started.

The concept of satellite radio derives from, as the name implies, receiving satellite signals to direct certain programming into a radio. This can be a portable gadget, such as a small radio, or it can be installed in your vehicle or even heard through satellite television. Satellite radio provides more than five dozen channels, also known as streams, of music and fifty-five channels featuring sports, news and entertainment broadcasting. Music offered includes virtually every genre and is available every day, all day and is commercial free. With a typical Sirius radio, the consumer will be able to see the song and artist information displayed on their digital screen while listening to the music.

Satellite radio is a new trend that is sure to become a permanent fixture in the industry. With technology making new advancements at every turn, more and more people will look to satellite radio for their listening pleasure. Everything from sports and entertainment to talk shows and music are becoming the exclusive property of this new technology. Companies compete for the best programming, offer multi-million dollar contracts for big name agreements and are spending the big bucks to ensure that people keep tuning in to their station.

Find more about Sirius Sportster 4 or XM Satellite Radio or read the latest satellite radio reviews on http://www.satelliteradioreviews.org

Is Pay-per-listen Coming to HD Radio?

The big dilemma facing broadcasters is this: You need to offer commercial-free HD2 channels to fend off satellite radio but if it's commercial-free, where's the revenue?

There are several answers to this. One is to charge for text messaging such as traffic or weather updates. For example, you might be able to subscribe to instant traffic updates for, say, $2.99 a month.

But here's another possibility. I saw one article yesterday that mentioned pay per listen as a possible source of revenue. One example of this would be concerts. I have little interest in paying $89.50 to see Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in concert at Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheater, but I would be happy to pay $9.95 to hear the concert live or even on a one-day delay.

I think this is one area where radio could take a lesson from pay-per-view TV. Maybe millions of people around the country won't pay $59.95 to see a championship fight bu thousands will. And thousands times $59.95 adds up to a pretty nice hunk of revenue. Ditto, $9.95 times thousands = a nice source of revenue for HD2 broadcasters.

So what do you think? Would you be willing to pay for special events on HD Radio?

BTW: There are now more than 300 stations broadcasting HD2 channels.

To learn more about this amazing new technology called HD Radio, just go 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 more than 120 articles on HD radio, and vacationing in Denver, Colorado

How Does Satellite Radio Work?

How does satellite radio work? To understand how satellite radio works you must first understand how analog radio works. Analog radio works by broadcasting the radio frequency to local transmitters and then on to the listener. Satellite radio works similarly but instead of using stationary transmitters with limited range to broadcast their media to the people, they use mobile Satellites.

Satellites are equipment that orbit the earth and can pick up and transmit signals globally instead of just in a limited area. In the satellite radio category a satellite bounces the transmitted radio frequency off of the satellite and out to the millions of satellite radio listeners around the world. This has increased the satellite radio industry and has made satellite radio a staple media avenue in our everyday lives. Does this help you to understand the question of how does satellite radio work?

A user such as myself or you, who is interested in satellite radio purchases a satellite radio device whether it be stationary or portable, we purchase the desired satellite radio service from whichever service provider offers us the best variety of programming. Once the subscription to this service is established, the device is programmed into a database of devices that are allowed to receive specific radio transmissions from specific satellites. This entry into the database then sends a signal to the device to decrypt satellite frequencies, providing the user with audible satellite radio reception. This explains the question of how does satellite radio work?

Many service providers may use different marketing gimmicks to gain a customer base, claiming to have better coverage or what not. When it comes down to it, The only difference which could be considered is the limitations put on the satellite radio by the databases and what programs and filters any individual service provider may be using to limit the access their customers have to the satellite radio feed. Service providers may offer special features, or special programming which is solely controlled by their databases and the servers they use to transmit the satellite radio feed. You rarely hear of a service provider explaining to the customer the answer to the question of how does satellite radio work?

If a user fails to pay for their subscription to the satellite radio feed, just as with any utility nowadays, the service provider may then send a signal to the device, removing its rights to decrypt satellite radio transmissions. Many technologies in the past, prior to the radio technology have used satellites to widen the spectrum of their services, such as telecommunications such as cell phones. The principal of each service is relatively the same in the fact that a person uses a device such as a satellite radio, or cell phone, to request a transmission through a service providerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs database. If the subscription is paid for the transmission is allowed from the satellite to the user giving us satellite capable radio devices. I hope I have helped answer the question how does satellite radio work?

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

Satellite Radio Guide For Novice Users

A satellite radio or subscription radio (SR) is a digital radio that receives signals broadcast by communications satellite that covers a much wider geographical range than normal radio signals.

The satellite radios function anywhere there is line of sight between the antenna and the satellite, given there are no major obstructions, such as tunnels or buildings. SR audiences can follow a single channel regardless of location within a given range.

As the technology requires access to a commercial satellite for signal propagation, SR services are commercial business entities (not private parties), which offer a package of channels as part of their service รขโ�ฌโ��requiring a subscription from end users to access its channels.

The satellite radios use the 2.3GHz S band in North America, and generally shares the 1.4GHz L band with local Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) stations elsewhere. It is a type of direct broadcast satellite, and is strong enough that it requires no satellite dish to receive. Curvature of the Earth limits the reach of the signal, but due to the high orbit of the satellites, two or three are usually sufficient to provide coverage for an entire continent.

Presently, the main radio satellite service provider in Europe, Asia and Africa is WorldSpace. WorldSpace has its own satellites covering most of Europe, Asia and Africa.

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio are the two radio satellite gains in the United States and entire North America. A monthly fee is charged for both services. Sirius offers a one time fee plan of nearly $500 valid for the lifetime of the equipment. These offer the news, weather, sports, and several music channels.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) commenced the Canada's first satellite radio operations on November 1, 2004.

About Author: The author is a writer for a Mobile and Technology website You can even ask questions and find quick answers on forums for Technology and Gadgets here.

Satellite Radio In Your New Vehicle

With Sirius and XM continuing to land partnership deals with just about every vehicle maker on the planet, the option to add Satellite radio in your new vehicle is being offered at more and more automobile dealerships across the U.S.

Though still not a common "standard" feature, the appearance of satellite radio as an available "option" has more than tripled over the past three years.

Factory-installed and dealer-installed options: Both Satellite radio companies encourage automobile manufacturers to 'factory fit' Satellite radio systems, this increases the chance that auto buyers will become subscribers.

New vehicles boasting a Satellite radio option come off a manufacturerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs assembly line with either a partly or fully equipped Satellite radio system. In most cases, a new vehicle will arrive at a dealership with a factory-fitted in-dash "Satellite Ready" radio. The dealer will then quote a price to supply and install the remaining equipment necessary, usually the Satellite tuner and antenna.

Without doubt the option of factory or dealer-installed Satellite radio in your vehicle has its benefits; a clean installation with no visible hardware, plus the best sound quality available being the most obvious. The price quoted at dealerships varies depending on the type of equipment, but expect to pay between $300 to $800. The good news is that you don't have to go with a dealer-installed tuner and antenna; you can purchase aftermarket gear and install it yourself for great results and big savings.

Subscription costs: Although there are many vehicles now available with Satellite radio as a manufacturer-supported option, this typically does not include the cost of the subscription to the service, only the cost of the equipment. However, the majority of automobile manufacturers and dealerships are offering incentives, normally a three-month trial subscription to the service with no activation fee.

Can I choose which Satellite radio service? Unfortunately, exclusive deals made between automobile manufacturers and Satellite radio service providers, mean that few dealerships are able to offer a choice of Satellite radio services (see chart below).

Which vehicles offer a Satellite radio option? The chart below shows which Satellite radio services each automobile manufacturer is offering. Itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs worth remembering that not all the models in a manufacturerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs vehicle range offer Satellite radio as an option.

Before long I think we will see Satellite radio become a standard feature in all new vehicles across the nation, with a buyer only having to decide on a payment plan and activation fee. Furthermore, buyers will have the choice of either service.

Last updated: August 01, 2005.

		XM	Sirius  Acura		Y	N  Alamo		Y	N  Aston Martin	N	Y  Audi		Y	Y  Avis		Y	N  BMW		N	Y  Buick		Y	N  Cadillac	Y	N  Chevrole	Y	N  Chrysler	N	Y  DaimlerChrysler	N	Y  Dodge		N	Y  Fleetwood	N	Y  Ford		N	Y  Freightliner	Y	N  GMC		Y	N  Hertz		N	Y  Honda		Y	N  Hummer		Y	N  Hyundai		Y	N  Infiniti	Y	Y  Isuzu		Y	N  Jaguar		N	Y  Jeep		N	Y  Land Rover	N	Y  Lexus		Y	N  Lincoln		N	Y  Maybach		N	Y  Mazda		N	Y  Mercedes Benz	N	Y  Mercury		N	Y  Mini		N	Y  Mitsubishi	N	Y  Monaco		N	Y  National	Y	N  Nissan		Y	Y  Oldsmobile	Y	N  Peterbilt	N	Y  Pontiac		Y	N  Porsche		Y	Y  Saab		Y	N  Saturn		Y	N  Scion		Y	Y  Toyota		Y	Y  Volkswagon	Y	Y  Volvo		N	Y  Winnebago	N	Y  

For more information please visit: http://www.the-satellite-radio-advisor.com

This article may be freely reproduced so long as the above resource box is included in its entirety.

What is Satellite Radio?

Satellite Radio รขโ�ฌโ�� Its here! Satellite radio is a new service being offered by two companies, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Both companies are offering over 100 channels of streaming music and entertainment. High quality sound is achieved through the use of satellites orbiting high above. Satellite radio has been commercial free and free from regulations by federal committees. The impossible, is now possible, hearing the same radio station across north America and from coast to coast. All made possible by XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio. Find more at: www.TopSatelliteRadio.com

XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have designed satellite broadcast systems that differ but they achieve the same high quality of satellite radio. A milestone of this success is the fact that satellite radio signals that are available across the United States and into Mexico and Canada. Rock and Roll รขโ�ฌโ�� No its not a genre any more! XM Satellite Radio has two satellites named Rock and Roll which remain in parallel geostationary orbit to provide radio coverage throughout the United States. Sirius Satellite Radio has chose to use three satellites in an inclined elliptical orbit. This configuration provides 16 hours per satellite of signal, which gives a great redundancy if any satellite were to fail. Playing it smart, Sirius and XM both have spare satellites, which can be called on in a moments notice if needed.

XM satellite radio and sirius satellite radio have Earth based broadcast stations that are used to send up information to the satellites, which is then dispersed through out the globe. Sirius and XM both have disk jockeys that manage, create and program music which is then sent up to the satellites. The information is then taken in by the satellites and sent through a rebroadcast of the streams to earth. The Major advantage of this is that, unlike earth-based radio stations whose signals reach listeners 150 miles away, satellite radio signals have a huge reach, and are receivable anywhere within the continental United States and hundreds of miles in each direction of the borders. Satellite Radio is growing to become a world wide network and offerings are growing throughout the world. XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio are making it happen!

So How Does Satellite Radio Work: First, a receiver decodes and plays the received signals through an antenna. In the beginning, some cars have used a tuner that accepts the antenna signals and then passes them to a satellite radio-ready radio for playing. Ad the concept has grown out of the car and into the home, home kits for satellite radio use direct RCA inputs for home theater and traditional stereo systems. A Growing number of choices is occurring and each company is developing a broad scope of products for consumers. Already we are seeing receivers for car-only, boom boxes, computer-only, and portables for use in car and home configurations. The companies making these products are, Audiovox, Delphi Skyfi, Terk, and plenty others are jumping on board. Both XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio have licensed recievers and other products for consumers use.

Scott fish is the Owner of http://www.TopSatelliteRadio.com.

Top Satellite Radio is a resource for consumers seeking the history and facts about satellite radio. We also sell electronics related to Satellite Radio. Quick Access: http://www.TopSatRadio.com

sf@topsatelliteradio.com

Why You Should Consider Sirius Satellite Radio

What is the best entertainment at a cheap price for your car, home, or office? I know you might initially be thinking the internet or a DVD player is the answer, but the newest trend is a twist on an old form of entertainment. Satellite radio frees you from commercials and is a great experience for most. You donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have to listen to jingles and bad commercials. There is also no need to seek out obscure radio stations when you are in a rural area. One of the best ways to get satellite radio is through Sirius Satellite Radio.

Sirius Satellite Radio is the second of the satellite radio companies to take to the sky. They were a pioneer in many technological ways, but were spawned as a competitor coming behind XM. They helped to really popularize satellite radio and are quickly gaining ground on the leader in the industry. Sirius Satellite Radio is certainly here to stay.

As was mentioned before, Sirius Satellite Radio was an up and comer with its own advances in the industry. Because of this, they have a market share just behind the 2 million listeners XM boasts. That is still no where near the popularity of cable and satellite television, but it is a big stare for something that has not been around very long. Sirius Satellite Radio has had time to establish themselves by making contacts with DISH Network, so that they actually have access to over 10 million listeners. You can find everything from classical, to rapp, to jazz on their stations. In addition to the many music stations, Sirius Satellite Radio also has many additional channels consisting of news, sports, talk, and even entertainment. Then, to make sure local customers donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt miss out, Sirius Satellite Radio offers a total of more than 120 channels if you add up everything they air.

There are many reasons to choose satellite radio. It is, after all, the hottest and newest trend in radio entertainment and can be valuable to you in your home, office, or even your vehicle. In fact, many new cars and trucks are coming equipped for satellite radio and include programming packages prepaid for a year or so. The idea is that once you have it you wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt want to be without it. So if you enjoy radio entertainment and like the idea of having many varieties in programming at your fingertips, then consider Sirius Satellite Radio or one of the other satellite radio programming providers out there. You will find a more consistent, convenient, and on demand radio programming selection right at your fingertips.

If would like to find more of my personal articles on Satellite Radio, please feel free to visit my website on Satellite Tips!

Who Can Access Satellite Radio?

Satellite radio is definitely a growing technology and each month the number of people receiving it's broadcasting continues to grow steadily. So who can access satellite radio?

The answer to that depends on where you live in the world. If you happen to live in the US the answer is that just about anyone with a subscription to either XM or Sirius can get it. They are both companies that have received approval by the FCC to broadcast digital radio across the entire US by satellite. If however you live outside the US and Canada your options are much more limited. There is only one other provider called WorldSpace that serves countires in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. So if you live in those areas, WorldSpace is your only provider choice.

For those that live in the US the monthly costs of the service is between $9.95 for XM and $12.95 for Sirius. Sirius charges more because they claim to use technology that improves the digital sound even more than XM and they also have given more attention to customer service to address issues that may arrive after the sale.

Once you have a subscription to a satellite radio provider's service, all you need at that point is the equipment to receive the signal and play it. You can get the receivers and antennas online or at local electronics stores. Generally, you can save money by buying the equipment online and then having it installed in your car, boat, or RV locally. If you wish to get a receiver that integrates with your home audio system, they can usually be easily installed on your own.

Your choices for equipment include plug-and-play units that can be used both at home and in your car, dedicated car radio units, and small portable units that can taken almost anywhere. At this point there are plenty of electronics manufacturers that have cooperated with both XM and Sirius in making equipment that will receive each provider's unique, proprietary signal.

So the amswer to the question of who can access satellite radio is that anyone who lives in the areas of the world where the three major providers are currently providing service and who also has the equipment to be able to receive and play the radio broadcasting signal can access satellite radio. So if you live in one of these areas why not arrange for a demonstration and find out why satellite radio is the wave of the future in radio broadcasting?

Jim Johnson is a successful author and publisher on consumer related matters. You can find out more about sirius satellite radio and satellite radio receiver by visiting our Satellite Radio Review website.

XM Satellite Radio Has One and Now so Does Sirius: The Unveiling of the Sirius Starmate

Note: Author is not associated with Sirius or Howard Stern in any way and this article is meant to be an analysis of the move to Sirius Satellite Radio by Howard Stern and events surrounding it.

Sirius unveiled its new Portable Satellite Radio Digital Player Combo recently. Now you can record and use the playback function in your car! Weighing in at less than 4 ounces, the Starmate replay is only 5 inches by 1.9 inches and allows recording of up to 44 minutes of Sirius Satellite Radio Programming. The new product comes with a car mount and is available to consumers in October 2005 for a reasonable price of $129.99. In addition, an option home kit is available for $39.99 and allows users to record at their leisure in their own homes.

Sirius One, the new car radio which was also unveiled recently is the same size of the Starmate, but weighs 5 ounces and costs considerably less, $79.99, what a steal in comparison! The busy holiday season for Sirius is crucial for the company; they are banking on increased customer base and increase sales of their receivers and accessories. "The Starmate Replay and Sirius One offer an easy and inexpensive way to get Sirius," said Bob Law, senior vice president and general manager of Sirius's Consumer Electronics Division.

Sirius reported to have 1.8 million subscribers and they are looking to increase this base dramatically. Its only real rival, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc reported 4.4 million subscrivers during the second quarter of this year. Both companies are strongly pushing advertising and are expected to take a huge advantage of the holiday season in order to increase sales and subscriber base.

Scott Fish is the owner of Satellite Radio Sirius and XM satellite Radio Reviews | Search Engine Optimization Firm

Auditioning For Voice Actors in the New Era - the Best Way to Ensure More Bookings

If you follow trends, you can tell that the Voice Over Casting business is turning to online sources. At the very least, it is becoming the most economical way for new talent to break into the market and get heard. Many of these talents venture into the market with home made everything; demos, packaging, websites, commercial copy, studio setups and the list goes on. They send out home made CD's that they made in their home made studio, labeled with their home made labels and promoted on their home made websites. Not to frown on this, because it is the way that almost everyone gets started. Problem is now... EVERYBODY wants to be a voice guy or girl, which means the talent pool, or somewhat stagnant water for that matter, has gotten quite muddy with demo after demo after demo on the market from talent after talent after talent.. You get my point I guess.

A lot of these guys and girls are filtered out through the cost of doing business, and many get discouraged after a few attempts at getting hired, and they too fall by the wayside. Which is good for all of us that choose on a daily basis to remain in the game and continue to deal with the rejection and other headaches that come with the business. What it does leave behind is the chaff of those who have moved on to greener pastures. Producerรขโ�ฌโ�ขs shelves continue to be lined with demo tapes and CD's.

I've been in a lot of agencies and it is almost laughable what some people will send to agents trying to drum up business. All one has to do is watch the new season of American Idol to witness how people throw half hearted attempts at getting to the big leagues. At times all of us are guilty of it. I noticed a while back that I myself had gotten "a little lazy" in the audition process. After 10 years, you tend to develop a routine where by you do everything the same. I sat back and took a good look at how I was physically positioned when submitting online auditions. There I was at the mixing console in the studio, sitting in front of the mic I usually use for coaching, talkback, ISDN and booth recording sessions.

The mic stand as it turns out was set to low, I was slumped over in my chair, leaning to the right a little, and doing little more than muttering my way through the auditions. Then with little concern, I would do some basic editing to the file and ship it off. I had over time, ceased putting the right amount of effort into the auditions. I was still doing a good job. Question is, was I doing the best job I could. The answer was no. I could certainly do a lot better. I began by rearranging the mic so I had to stand up to use it. No more of this sitting down and firing them off like they didn't matter. I stand up for all of the other production I do, why shouldn't I put just as much effort into the auditions? That's a pretty easy one to answer... Auditioning is tiresome and boring. The only thing that makes it tolerable is the idea you might land something out of the deal. And your spirit sure gets renewed every time you do.

Auditioning is also one of those things we have to do in order to get any work, so after a while it becomes like taking out the trash. If we don't do it no one will - and as long as no one is watching, we can let it pile up for a while. What happens after it sits there for a while? It starts to stink. Much the same way our auditions do after we begin to see them as a chore, or something "that is beneath us" because we have been doing this long enough and we know what we are doing.

What a poor attitude to have. Each audition is a new opportunity to be reborn. We can get up, sit up straight, (or in my case stand up) and go after the new job lead with some real gusto. I have gotten some auditions into the studio in the past month or so where you can tell that the talent just didn't care, or thought the job was beneath them for some reason. So why even bother applying? If you aren't going to give it your all, why even take the time? Some of these auditions were mixed up with younger talents that were trying way too hard to sound "Cool".

You can hear it in every aspect of the audio they sent over. Straining and pushing themselves to sound like who knows what. The one thing they accomplish is sounding like anyone but themselves. But compared to the experienced talent that "Phoned In" their read, the two demos sound strikingly familiar to one another. In what way you ask? They just weren't right. Out of the 100 or so submissions I received, almost half of them hit the round file (trash) due to audio quality alone. If they were sending junk like that out in an attempt to get a gig, what nightmares would I have to deal with if I had them produce the audio in their own studio? Of the other 60% or so, some of them nailed it. Just plain old nailed it. They got the read, they got the voice, and they got the interpretation. It made it hard to decide who to pick.

Then there were the Shatners of the bunch - That is the self deprecating Shatner I speak of. They just pushed too hard, or tried to do something that was totally out of their range or experimental. Auditions should never be "Experimental". At times it was just a little issue that could be overlooked if there wasn't anyone else to choose from, but in this case there were other talents that hit the nail on the head. Other times it was glaring; some talents chose to put their own words into the script because they didn't like the way it was written, then there were the English professors who took it upon themselves to correct us as if we were the writers of the copy. I mean they actually took time at the beginning of their read to say, "Oh, and by the way ______ is not the correct use of the word" or "this part of the script really needs some work." Absolute no-nos. I don't care who you are.. The words on the page are the words the client wants to hear. You will never, ever get hired if you think you can get away with scorning the people who wrote the script. At least we wont hire you. It's not to say if someone had the tact to call on the phone and start with "I have some concerns about the copy." they would be turned away never to hear from us again.

At least then, the producer or client may be willing to listen. Sometimes, talents have pointed out some really good stuff, and they get thanked for it. But anyone who thinks they can stand up on the mountain top like some sort of Shakespearean authority and dictate to clients and producers what is and isn't right has got another thing coming. Hopefully, it's a habit not too many people have.. Needless to say, their demos ended up in the round file too.

Then there were the ones that made you laugh.

For the rest of this article please continue to authors we site.

Michael Minetree is the owner of MineWurx Studio, a voice over training studio in Washington D.C. He has been training new voice talent for 10 years and works in the industry on a daily basis. You can find out more about him by searching for his studio on the Internet or by going to http://www.minewurx.com.

Canadian Satellite Radio: Finally

Disclosure: Author is not part of Sirius or CSR.

In June, the CRTC granted satellite radio licenses to two groups - the CBC, which is partnered with New York-based Sirius, and CSR, which is partnered with Washington-based XM.

The federal cabinet has upheld the CRTC's decision to issue two new satellite radio licenses. As part of the deal, all applicants agreed to include more Canadian and French-language material. This is typical of Canadian media regulations and has made headway for the satellite radio push and representation. Groups such as Liberal MPs, Quebecers and other cultural groups did have some opposition to the deal. "In effect, the Americans have wonรขโ�ฌยฆThis is a black day," said Ian Morrison, spokesman for the lobby group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.

Sirius Canada Inc. and Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (CSR) say they are pleased. CSR CEO John Bitove said in a statement that his company intends to be a "proud" representation of Canadian business and satellite radio to the Prime Minister, the government and the country.

As per conditions of the licenses, The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will begin holding hearings asking for public input on the new commitments. The decision was made by the CRTC in June however the issue has been a heated one as cabinet debated whether to uphold it. Cabinet had the option to approve it, reject it, or send it back for further review.

As part of the agreement, CSR and Sirius have been forces to increase the French-language influence and broadcasting. Both promise to include 8 Canadian channels, which are half English and half French.

Scott Fish is the owner of Satellite Radio Sirius and XM satellite Radio Reviews

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Sirius Is A Star And A Satellite Radio

Sirius satellite radio is a satellite radio service operating in the US, Canada and Mexico and is based in New York. It provides more than 125 radio channels out of which 55 are sports, news and entertainment channels. The most attractive feature of this radio is that all the channels are commercials free.

Sirius satellite radio is broadcast over North America using 3 satellites. Some of the Sirius music channels are included in DISH Network satellite television service.

Sirius satellite radio service was started in 1990. It has more than 4 million subscribers. The company was named after the Sirius star.

There are over 125 channels available some of them are:

Pop/Hits. Sirius Hits1, Star Lite, Sirius Love, some channels for hits from 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and today, Elvis channel and French songs channel.

Rock Channels. Classic rock channels for 60s, 70s, 80s, Hard rock, Alternative rock, Metal, Heavy metal, Punk, Hip-Hop, Reggae etc.

Electronic/Dance Channels. These channels cover electronica, trance, disco and dance.

Hip-Hop/ R&B channels. These channels have, modern, progressive, old school Hip-Hop, classic and soul music.

Country channels. They cover country music, 80s, 90s, Classic country and outlaw music.

Christian channels. They contain Christian rock, contemporary christian, Gospel music.

Jazz/Blues channels. They contain Modern, smooth, classic Jazz, New age and Blues music.

Miscellaneous channels. There are channels which contain starndard music, classical music, latin and world music.

Entertainment channels. These have talk shows like howard stern show, blue collar comedy, stand up comedy, gay/lesbian entertainment, celebrity gossip, women talk radio, live trial proceedings, environment programs, Discovery, childrens channels, conservative channels, liberal talk, truckers talk, christian talk, family nets, Adult channels like playboy etc.

News channels. These channels have sports news, world news, news of various states of the US, financial news like CNBC, ABC News, CNN, NPR, CBS etc.

Sports channels. They include ESPN, Sirius sports, sports byline etc.

Purchase. The sirius satellite radio receiver is available in leading electronic stores or can be bought from sirius.com. The radio which are sirius ready can only access the sirius satellite channels after being fitted with a sirius tuner and activation. The activation can be done online at 10$. The monthly subscription charge starts from 13$ a month to 500$ for lifetime subscription. The radio channels are available 24 hours a day. These radios are being fitted in most cars available in the US like Ford, BMW, Chrysler, Jaguar, Jeep, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Porsche, Volkswagen, Rolls-Royce etc.

Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews. A related resource is Sirius Satellite Radio Further information can be found at Tips & News

With Digital Audio Broadcasting, UK Digital Radios Provide a New Benchmark for Quality Sound

The United Kingdom has consistently been on the forefront of the digital radio revolution. It all began in 1987 when the European Union decided to work on a project to convert all of their analog radio stations to digital. Thirteen years later in the year 2000, the project came to a close with the creation of Eureka 147, a public domain digital radio format. Eureka 147 received general critical acclaim but never found a major outlet until 2001 when UK digital radios sprung to life. With over fifty privately owned channels and the entire BBC network switching over to Eureka 147 digital broadcasting formats, the United Kingdom became the first recipients of digital audio broadcasting. America was not far behind in setting up it's two (2) major XM radio broadcasts.

Five years later, UK digital radios are still operating at peak performance, light years ahead of analog radios. To begin with, digital radio receivers are able to display something called radiotext. A station broadcasts the song and the name of the artist and title of the song. When the receiver plays the song in your car or at home, the name of the artist and title of the song are displayed so you never miss the opportunity to know the name of a great tune. UK digital radios also provide listeners with an automatic retuning feature which proves to be especially useful for people on road trips. When you get out of the optimal coverage area for a radio station, the UK digital radios will automatically search for a better frequency, so you can enjoy your broadcast uninterrupted รขโ�ฌโ�� even if you are traveling long distances from your starting location. To make digital radio even better, all of these benefits can be enjoyed from a standard car radio. In America, you need a special reciever that is usually not inexpensive. I predict that, like most electronic devices, the price will come down as manufacturing processes are improved.

UK digital radios can also benefit from satellite radio coverage over parts of Europe. The pioneers of satellite radio, WorldSpace, offer coverage to most of Europe, including the bottom three quarters of Britain. As with American satellite radio, WorldSpace offers a huge variety of different radio stations that almost anyone can enjoy. Although the stations are all commercial free, they require a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Plans to launch a satellite especially for Europe are still in the works. This author does not see that satellite taking long to become a reallity.

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

The Top 5 Reasons Why You Need XM Satellite Radio

If you haven't experienced listening to satellite radio yet, be sure that you schedule some time to do so soon. It's a real breakthrough in radio broadcasting technology that improves the entire listening experience. For so many years, radio broadcasting has been essentially static, with no real improvements or significant changes in the technology at all. But thanks to XM satellite radio and it's competitor, Sirius, the radio broadcasting landscape has been changed forever. Here are the top 5 reasons why you need XM radio now:

1. Over 100 channels of unique programming including over 65 music channels that play almost any kind of music that you could want to listen to. But there is also talk radio and sports programming too, including MLB games. If you can't find something interesting to listen to on XM radio you just aren't trying very hard. And new, more original radio shows are constantly being made available as well.

2. The sound is incredible. Since the radio signal is recorded in digital instead of analog format, you get to hear crystal clear CD-like sound. So it's like having your CD player with you wherever you go, without having to lug along all those CDs at the same time.

3. No loss of signal. Because the signal is digital and transmitted to a group of satellites that orbit high above the earth in the atmosphere, there are no obstructions like trees, buildings, or even the curvature of the earth's surface that can prevent you from receiving any of the available channels no matter where you go. So you can drive for hundreds of miles and listen to the same radio channel if you like.

4. No commercials. On most channels there are no commercials or ads whatsoever because the XM radio service is a monthly subscription. That means that there is no need to run ads to pay for the service. It's paid for by it's subscriber base instead. What that means for you as the listener is no more irritating interruptions of your favorite programming by pitchmen that want to sell you something that you probably don't even want anyway.

5. If you happen to live in Canada, you are now able to receive XM satellite radio in your area too. XM is the only provider at this point that is making satellite radio available to Canadians.

If you add up all the features of XM satellite radio including it's incredibly diverse programming, it's digital sound quality, it's lack of on-air ads, and more it's easy to see why almost 6 million people have already subscribed to XM radio already. How about you?

Jim Johnson is a successful author and publisher on consumer related matters. You can find out more about xm satelite radio and xm radios by visiting our Satellite Radio Review website.

You Can Not Be SIRIUS! ... or XM?

I think it was tennis great John McEnroe who made the phrase "You can not be serious" famous, but he certainly wasn't referring to SIRIUS and the latest trend in digital satellite technology... Satellite Radio. Any discussion about Satellite Radio just wouldn't be proper without first paying homage to its digital forerunner, Satellite TV. Since its introduction in 1994 Satellite TV has been the single most successful consumer electronics product in history. It only seems natural that on the heels of such success would come yet another form of digital satellite technology, Satellite Radio.

Satellite Radio squarely addresses the biggest problems associated with current radio technology. FM Radio signals are relatively short range and prone to static. Combine this with a healthy dose of commercials, and you have the makings for some pretty disgruntled listeners.

As far as technology is concerned, Satellite Radio leaves FM in the stone age. Multiple satellites located in geosyncronus orbits above the Earth deliver crystal clear, near CD quality audio signals to wherever you may be. That means you can get in your car and drive across the entire United States while listening to the same radio station. To top it off, your music will never be interrupted by annoying commercials! If you love music, Satellite Radio is a dream come true.

The Satellite Radio scene currently consists of two providers who eagerly compete for your business, SIRIUS and XM Radio. Both companies knew that it wouldn't be easy to convince the public to part with their hard earned cash unless the value of their product was readily apparent. Having the advantage of starting with a blank sheet of paper, SIRIUS and XM have designed their systems from the ground up to be nothing less than state of the art.

SIRIUS operates from an ultra modern facility located at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City. Being in New York was an important part of their mission, as this puts them within close proximity to major recording artists, and disk jockeys. Their custom designed and engineered performance studios are frequently visited by top musicians stopping by for live interviews and performances. SIRIUS programming features over 60 music channels with ZERO commercials, along with 40+ specialized sports, news, and entertainment channels.

XM Radio's broadcast center is located in Washington, D.C., and includes a 2,600 square foot performance studio for live recording and broadcasts. It is the largest and most advanced of its kind in the world, where artists from all musical genres come to perform exclusive concerts for XM listeners. For regional broadcasting and location work, the Washington studio is supplemented by studios in New York and at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. XM also offers over 60 channels of 100% Commercial-Free music, 30+ channels of News, Sports, Talk & Entertainment, and 20+ channels of XM Instant Traffic & Weather.

Although it's in its infancy, Satellite Radio is begining to prove that people are willing to pay for what they currently can get for free. XM and SIRIUS Radio have been growing their subscriber base at a very healthy rate. With its roots in automotive sound, the recent availability of new hardware has truly made Satellite Radio a total solution. Walkman style units now allow you to take Satellite Radio just about everywhere, and sophisticated home units are also available that perfectly integrate SIRIUS or XM Satellite Radio into your home entertainment system.

The future looks bright for Satellite Radio. For those who spend a lot of time behind the wheel, the decision to switch to Satellite Radio can almost be a no brainer. The fees are reasonable, and the service and programming are absolutely top notch. The hardest choice you will have to make is whether to go with SIRIUS or XM Radio. All things in life should be this easy.

ร�ยฉ Written By: Michael Casamento

Michael Casamento is the founder of SatelliteTVSmarts.com offering comprehensive comparisons, along with the latest News, Deals, and Information on Digital Satellite TV, and Internet Access.

For more information visit:http://www.satellitetvsmarts.com

This article may be freely reproduced so long as the above resource box is included in its entirety.

Sprint PCS Phone Now with Sirius: a Cool New Feature is Now Available for Satellite Radio Fans!

Note: Author is not associated with Sirius or Howard Stern in any way and this article is meant to be an analysis of the move to Sirius Satellite Radio by Howard Stern and events surrounding it.

A pretty cool new feature is now available for Satellite Radio Fans!

Sprint PCS/NEXTEL subscribers can now pay only $6.95 to get Sirius Music on their tech-multimedia phones. Twenty commercial free music channels are available and Sprint PCS Vision subscribers can now enjoy 20 original, commercial-free SIRIUS Music channels that play an amazing variety of music. There is even a channel devoted to headlining artist interviews and offers exclusive content such as guest performances.

Sirius has censored a few music stations due to this deal with Sprint, although they are not required to by law, they have chosen to do so. There are quite a few regulations, however for Sprint to abide by regarding their service. Unfortunately this has affected the listeners of Sirius Satellite Radio.

The Sirius / Sprint Line up includes the following: POP/R&B

ร�ยท SIRIUS Hits 1: Today's Top 40 hits. ร�ยท The Pulse: Pop and Rock from the 90's to now.

DECADES

ร�ยท '60s Vibrations: The musical revolution of the '60s and early '70s. ร�ยท Totally '70s: The most popular music from the '70s. ร�ยท Big '80s: The hit music of the '80s.

ROCK

ร�ยท Classic Vinyl: Classic rock of the '60s and '70s. ร�ยท Classic Rewind: Classic rock's 2nd generation. ร�ยท Hair Nation: Rock from the big hair '80s. ร�ยท First Wave: Alt-rock's pioneering artists and sounds. ร�ยท Alt Nation: The best alt-rock of the '90s and today.

HIP-HOP/R&B

ร�ยท Hot Jamz: Today's hip-hop and R&B hits. ร�ยท Heart & Soul: The R&B hits from the '80s, '90s and today.

COUNTRY

ร�ยท New Country: The best new country music. ร�ยท Prime Country: Country music superstars of yesterday and today.

JAZZ/BLUES/BROADWAY

ร�ยท Jazz Cafe: Smooth jazz instrumentals and vocals. ร�ยท SIRIUS Blues: Authentic blues music, from past to present. ร�ยท Broadway's Best: Songs from Broadway's most popular shows.

DANCE/ELECTRONIC

ร�ยท The Beat: Today's biggest dance hits and remixes. ร�ยท Area63: Trance and progressive house dance music. ร�ยท Chill: A relaxing mix of down tempo electronic and rock.

SIRIUS INTERVIEWS

ร�ยท Listen to interviews and performances of your favorite artists.

Scott Fish is the owner of Satellite Radio Sirius and XM Satellite Radio Reviews Portable | Search Engine Optimization Firm Oregon SEO

How Does Satellite Radio Work?

Thereรขโ�ฌโ�ขs been a big push in the consumer electronics industry lately. Itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs been the movement towards satellite radio, but one of the biggest questions being asked is how does this technology work?

How do you get all of these fantastic stations tuned into one satellite radio receiver? Thereรขโ�ฌโ�ขs a lot more going on behind the scenes then just clicking the on button. How is it possible the signal can be so crystal clear?

Well first off you need to decide on a provider. IN the US there are two main providers: XM radio and Sirius. Each station provides fantastic satellite radio programming, and the way each service works is very similar so there isnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt a big learning curve between the two. How ever the type of programming that each provider offers varies, so depending on your listening habits you should consider this closely. In Canada XS is currently the only provider available. Hence there really isnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt a big choice for you to make there.

After youรขโ�ฌโ�ขve decided on a provider you need to run down to your local consumer electronics store and pick up a satellite radio receiver, or purchase one online. The Satellite radio itself is the second most important component in the system, and in discovering how satellite radio works.

Different satellite radio receivers are designed to unscramble signals that are sent from satellites orbiting earth. Each satellite radio service launches satellites into orbit; the provider will then send encrypted signals to each satellite. These orbiting satellites send the signals back down to us. When a subscriber selects a particular satellite station their radio receiver the radio decodes the signal sent from the satellite and provides the requested station.

So you can see that satellite radio behaves similarly to traditional radio. A signal is broadcast, and our radios at home and in our cars pick it up. However traditional signals are broadcast over the airwaves while satellite radio is provided via the satellites in space. Unlike traditional radio, which at times isnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt the cleanest sound, satellite radio provides users with a clear sound no matter how far away from their local city they are. There is minimal range limit with a satellite radio signal, so itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs possible to continue to listen to the exact same station almost no anywhere.

For more information on satellite radio providers and equipment check out our site Satellite Radio Roundup.