Choosing Your Satellite Radio: XM or Sirius

If you are looking into getting a satellite radio system, you are probably debating whether you should get XM or Sirius. These are the two main satellite radio providers on the market right now. There are a number of things that you should take into consideration before you make any purchases. Each one is unique in its own way, so it is best to try and decide which the best suitable one for you is before you make your final purchase.

There are various pieces of equipment that you are able to choose from when purchasing either XM or Sirius satellite radio. The most common, and probably the best source of equipment for XM radio is Delphi, with Pioneer coming in a close second. For Sirius, Audiovox is one of the better brands to buy. Prices for this equipment tend to vary according to stores; prices are typically lower from a retailer such as Best Buy or Circuit City.

Since you have to pay a monthly fee in order to listen to satellite radio, it is probably a good idea to compare the subscription prices of the two companies. For a monthly subscription with XM radio, it is $12.95 for a single account. If you decide to prepay for two years, it is only $8.00 a month. If you and your whole family are looking to invest in satellite radio, the price is $6.99 a month for two to five radios. These prices are the same for Sirius satellite radio, except that in order to prepay, you need to do so for one year. If you choose to do this, the price that you will be facing is $10.00 a month.

Not only are you going to need to pay your subscription to satellite radio, you are also going to need to pay a fee to activate your system. This activation fee can be paid in two ways, over the phone or online. If you do pay your activation fee online, you will be saving a few bucks. XM radio’s online activation fee is $9.99, while Sirius has a $10.00 fee. Over the phone, XM’s activation fee is $14.95 and SIRIUS is $15.00.

Additionally, with both services, you will get to listen to Internet music for free. The next thing that you should take into consideration when deciding between XM and Sirius is the quality of the features that they have to offer. XM radio has over ninety radio stations, while Sirius has over eighty. Both of these satellite radios offer a wide variety of genres, each genre covering a good amount of stations. XM’s music stations are mainly commercial free, while Sirius’s stations do not have any commercials at all.

Both services do offer a number of sports programs, however these programs differ between the two companies. Nascar, MLB, and PGA Tour Network are exclusive to XM radio, while NFL, NBA, and NHL are exclusive to Sirius. Both XM and Sirius satellite radio offers you ESPN News and ESPN radio. There is entertainment and news programs which XM and SIRIUS offer that are similar to and different from one another. Some of the programs that both stations offer include Radio Disney, ABC News, CNN Headline News, C-SPAN and Fox News.

Some of the programs that only XM radio offers include Oprah Winfrey, Opie & Anthony, MTV and VH1. Some of the programs, which can be heard only through listening to Sirius radio, include Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Court TV, Discovery, and the Grand Ole Opry.

If you are the type of person who would love to listen to your football, hockey and basketball games, along with Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, and Court TV, then Sirius radio is probably the best choice for you. If you are looking for more variety when it comes to music and a fan of Oprah Winfrey, then it is better to go with XM satellite radio.