Satellite Radio Buying Guide

Satellite radio has become increasingly popular since its launch in the consumer market in 2001. For those who don't know what satellite radio is, it's time to turn off your home radio and your car stereo and step into the next generation of on-the-road entertainment.

Satellite radio allows listeners to enjoy hundreds of radio channels provided by, you guessed it, satellites. News, sports, entertainment, talk-radio, and music are all brought to you in crystal-clear, commercial-free audio. Until recently, satellite radio had been dominated by two separate satellite radio providers: XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. In 2007, a merger between the two companies was approved by their respective shareholders. In late 2008, the FCC approved the merger, and now SiriusXM Radio, Inc., is the holding company for the two satellite services. Sirius also offers a mobile app so you can enjoy your satellite radio subscription even if you're not driving.

Yes, just as with cable and satellite TV, there is a monthly fee. SiriusXM has packages that range from $10.99 per month to S19.99 per month (prices are subject to change). These fees are paid directly to the satellite radio companies. For an additional $4.00 per month (available with some packages), subscribers can receive SiriusXM Radio for your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet.

Yes, SiriusXM offers a few different packages that range from $10.99 per month to $19.99 per month.

SiriusXM offer commercial-free music channels with genres like: Rock, Hits, Urban (Hip-Hop), Decades, Jazz, Blues, Classical, Pop, Bluegrass, and more.

Just like listening to a CD or MP3 Player, the sound is usually flawless. This means that there will be no static, which is typical with AM and FM signals. However, like a TV satellite dish, satellite radio CAN be affected by large objects directly blocking the signal. Also, traveling through a tunnel or heavily dense woods can deteriorate the signal. Things like highway overpasses and trees won't usually cause any problems.