Satellite radio is a great way to listen to music in your car or home without ever getting tired of the same songs over and over again. It also offers a sound quality that is superior to AM and FM. The only catch is that it requires special equipment in order to work. That means you’re going to pay a monthly subscription for the service in addition to purchasing the satellite radio receiver.
The two biggest satellite radio providers are Sirius and XM. Both offer similar services but differ slightly. Both companies use commercial Boeing HS 702 satellites that orbit the Earth in parallel geostationary satellite positions — one above the US at all times and another over the oceans — and send a signal to your vehicle’s satellite radio receiver. That signal is a digital signal with scrambled meta data. Once your satellite radio receiver receives the signal, it decodes the data stream and transmits over 170 channels of curated entertainment to you.
The main difference between satellite radio and a music streaming service is that satellite radio offers constant curated music and talk for a monthly fee, which includes dozens of different music styles and even dedicated channels from the likes of Howard Stern. Unlike terrestrial radio, you can also get live audio sports broadcasts on satellite as well.
If your car does not already have a satellite radio receiver, you can add it by using a vehicle kit and connecting it to an existing head unit with an aux input jack. Or you can choose a Sirius or XM vehicle-specific antenna to install directly into your car’s dash.
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