UPDATE: Sirius and XM merged and is now called SIRIUS XM Radio. New Hub click here!

Satellite Radio Has Gone Portable - XM vs Sirius

I for one have thought seriously about subscribing to a Satellite Radio Account. There have been several reasons why I have delayed signing up though. At first it was about the cost. That is not really an issue now. Then it was the choice of radios. I wanted one that I could use in my car and one that is handheld for my workouts.

If you have ever driven cross country you know what is like to loose a great radio station and then have to search for another. The scratch and static is annoying but you hope to be able to hear the end of the song or the next sentence of a talk radio host. Finally, when you can no longer understand or stand the noise you hit the search button.

Enter - Satellite Radio in the USA. Although Satellite Radio has been in existence before 2001 it was intended for stationary listening. In 2001 Satellite radio went mobile. Sirius and XM utilizing different systems started to provide similar entertainment services to the busy and always on the move US listeners. Sirius with its elliptical orbits and XM with its repeaters fill the bill.

The diversity of Satellite radio is achieved due to gigantic amounts of digital and CD (Sirius's 7 terabytes vs XM's 22 terabytes) storage and the ability to retransmit programming from off site locations such as sporting events, news broadcasts and entertainment venues. Files kept in storage is continually being updated and refreshed. Sirius and XM also maintain numerous studios where artists can perform their acts live.

Now back to my original attraction to mobile Satellite Radio. My interest began to peak once the portable-handheld radios began to surface. They are not inexpensive by any means but they are becoming more accessible. Below I have listed several Satellite Radios. Another option is to listen to Satellite Radio on an internet enabled PDA or cell phone.

The next hurdle is to decide which service (Sirius vs XM) to subscribe to. Although both services are very similar, their programming is different. The decision will be based on the availability of the type of programming that you prefer. For example, if sports are your favorite programming - research each to see which offers programming closest to your preferences.

Listed below are highlights of each service.

Sirius

• 125 channels
• Commercial Free
• Music, Talk Radio, Sports and Entertainment
• Online Listening (available for Sirius Subscribers)
• Stiletto 2 Portable Satellite Radio
• Stiletto 10 Portable Satellite Radio
• Sirius S50 Radio with Car Kit

XM

• 170 Channels
• Commercial Free (Questioned by some)
• Music, Talk Radio, Sports and Entertainment
• XM NavTraffic and Weather
• Online Listening (available to XM subscribers)
• Inno XMP3 Player Satellite Radio
• Helix Satellite Radio
• SKYFi3 Satellite Radio

Personally, I am still on the fence. Talk radio is my favorite preference. There is Martha Stuart on Sirius and Neil Cavuto on XM. Other than that I like the idea of hearing my choice of stations no matter where I roam.