If you want to take advantage of the satellite radio boom that is accelerating almost every passing day, you only have two main options if you live in the US, XM or Sirius. Both providers offer high-quality digital programming with over 100 channels to listen to so you’re never without something good on the radio.
But what are the differences between the two services? It makes sense to find out beforehand and make the decision that’s right for you, since the equipment you buy that allows you to receive a signal from one of the providers, can’t be used with the other provider if you decide you want to make a switch for some reason. So that means looking at both XM and Sirius programming options is an important step in the buying process, as it will be very expensive if you decide to switch after you’ve bought the equipment.
However, in reality, there are more similarities between the two providers than differences, especially in the field of music. Each has over 60 music channels to tune into, including all the major genres like pop, hip-hop, blues, all kinds of rock, country, jazz, classical, as well as dance music and music from the 1970s. , 80). , 90, etc.) So in this area, either one will certainly provide you with all the music programming you may need.
However, the differences in the programming begin to appear in the sections of talk radio and sports radio. In sports, XM carries baseball and Nascar games, while Sirius has committed to more general sports programming, including all NFL football games, most NBA games, NHL and Nascar. So if you’re a sports fan, the differences can be significant in this area.
In broadcasting, one of Sirius’s biggest draws is Howard Stern. Of course, his radio show has been very popular for many years and has a lot of listeners, so if he’s one of your favorites, you can only find him on Sirius. But there are other talk shows available as well, though Sirius tends to attract more celebrity talk shows hosted by the likes of Martha Stewart, Jimmy Buffet, and more. Another plus in the talk area is that Sirius also broadcasts NPR, which also has a large fan base. However, the list is constantly changing, so check the latest channel lineup to see which talk channels are currently being offered.
Both services offer an always-on, everywhere service that’s available no matter where you live in the US, and the equipment to receive each service is quite extensive, with XM perhaps having a slight edge in the portability arena.
So, take a hard look at the channel lineups, choose your provider, and enjoy the next step in high-quality digital entertainment.
