Satellite radio is one of the most popular ways to listen to music today. It offers clean digital signal with near CD quality sound. Several satellite radio companies offer a huge variety of channels. You can get stations with news, sports, talk, and comedy programming.
Most of these channels are advertisement-free. But some do air advertisements. Typically, there are only a few ad breaks. If you don’t like advertisements, you may not like satellite radio.
To receive a satellite broadcast, you need a special satellite receiver. These receivers are typically used in home and car stereo systems. They decode encrypted digital signals. However, they can also be used as a portable device. Some vehicles, such as Hyundai, are equipped with satellite radio receivers.
There are three major companies in the satellite radio industry. The first is Sirius, which launched four satellites in the early 2000s. One satellite covers the United States and the other two cover parts of Alaska. Each satellite transmits 60 channels of programming.
Another company is XM, which was founded in the 1990s. The company operates in North America and Africa. XM’s signal can be interrupted by trees, hills, tall buildings, and bridges. A ground-based repeater augments the signal in urban areas.
The third provider is WorldSpace, which was founded in the United States in the 1990s. WorldSpace’s programming varies from music stations to news and talk.
There are over 100 stations offered by XM and WorldSpace. Although XM is the only North American service, they operate in several other countries as well.
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