Satellite radio is a type of digital broadcasting that uses satellites to beam audio signals to specialized receivers, most often in automobiles or home stereos. The service provides nearly CD-quality music, along with news, sports and talk programming, all without the interruption of advertisements. It operates on a subscription model, with the consumer purchasing a proprietary receiver and paying a monthly fee for a subscription to receive the service’s encrypted digital signal.
Most satellite radio services offer a large selection of channels and operate with no interruptions from commercials. The service typically offers a cleaner, more stable signal with greater dynamic range than conventional radio, and can deliver near CD-quality music. It also provides a variety of features, including the ability to send text information such as stock quotes and sports scores along with musical signals.
Sirius and XM satellite radio, which were merged in 2007, both provide a wide array of channels for customers in the United States and Canada. Customers pay a monthly fee for the service, which can be received with a satellite antenna in the vehicle, or through a portable receiver that connects to a car radio via an auxiliary input or FM modulator.
The satellite-radio system uses multiple frequencies to transmit the audio signal, which is then decoded by a special processor in a receiver. For example, a Sirius satellite transmission is comprised of three 4 MHz carrier signals. The receiver uses two of these signals in a time coincidence with one other to achieve maximum-ratio combining, and then decodes each carrier separately. The system is designed to avoid dropouts of audio signals from highway overpasses or scintillating (very deep and frequent losses in audio signal strength caused by radio fading due to trees).
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.