Satellite radio delivers clear, digital signals with nearly CD-quality sound. Subscribers pay a monthly fee to listen to a selection of radio stations and other channels, including sports, news and talk. Many satellite radio services offer a variety of music channels that are free of commercials.
Unlike traditional radio stations, which depend on advertising revenue to cover operating expenses, most satellite radio services are subscription-based. Subscribers typically receive a receiver that decodes the encrypted satellite digital signal and broadcasts it over your car or home stereo system. Most satellite radios also have a built-in MP3 player, which lets you save your favorite tunes and listen to them on other devices.
There are three main satellite radio companies (Sirius, XM and WorldSpace) that serve the United States. While they each offer a different set of channels, the main differences between them are the satellites, ground transmitters and radio receivers. The satellites and transmitters are positioned in parallel, geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles from the Earth. The receivers are designed to pick up the incoming signal from multiple satellites, decode it and turn it into over 170 channels of music, talk, news and other content.
The most common type of satellite radio is a portable model that you can take with you from your home or car to another location, such as the beach or the park. These radios usually have a rechargeable battery and multiple inputs, so you can connect them to other devices. Some models come with vehicle cradles that make it easy to mount them in your car without drilling any mounting holes. Others are a “plug-and-play” type that plugs into your vehicle’s audio system.
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