Satellite radio is a subscription service that offers you a wide variety of entertainment, including music, news, sports, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather services, and more. It's broadcast from coast to coast in the 48 lower United States, so you'd be able to drive from, say, Boston to San Diego and never lose the signal. The signal is also digital, so it's always clear and free of static. When you subscribe, you receive an entertainment package of over 120 channels.

Service Providers: XM and SIRIUS

XM and SIRIUS have merged into one company, called SIRIUS XM Radio, Inc. Right now, you still subscribe to one or the other, until the synergy is complete. But new programming options are already happening — for instance, you can order a "Best Of" package of the other provider's most popular channels. A la carte offerings are in the works, which will allow you to add channels you like to a smaller base package.

The music channels represent a significantly wider variety of genres than you'll ever hear on conventional radio. You'll get all your familiar styles, such as modern pop, classic rock, modern country, alternative, adult contemporary, and R & B. You'll also be able to delve deeply into genres like vocal and instrumental jazz, classical, Broadway standards, college-radio indie rock, Latin, uncensored classic and modern Hip Hop, Christian, classic country, punk...the list goes on and on. Within each of those genres, even the familiar ones, you'll hear incredible programming depth. Refreshingly, the music channels of each service are 100% commercial-free.

Live sports broadcasts are also staples of both services. Sports and leagues are specific to each of the available services. XM, for example, covers the entirety of Major League Baseball, while SIRIUS broadcasts every National Football League game.

The traffic and weather channels provide regularly updated reports of conditions in over 20 metropolitan areas around the country, which can help when you're in the middle of your commute, or taking a trip to any one of them.

Entertainment is provided by a number of well-known sources, including Howard Stern and Martha Stewart on SIRIUS, Opie & Anthony and Bob Edwards on XM. Stand-up comedy is a popular listening option on both services, and you can even catch old-time radio programs on XM. SIRIUS, meanwhile, specializes in several original, interactive talk programs. Network tie-ins include E!, the Discovery Channel, Disney, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Sports. You'll also find lots of talk about politics, from both sides of the political spectrum.

Here's a quick comparison of the two:

Which one should you choose? That all depends on the type of programming you'd like to listen to. SIRIUS is very personality-driven, using lots of on-air talent, including some extremely well-known names, to present the music. XM takes an "Ultimate Playlist" approach, digging deep into its catalog of over 2 million songs to present you the music you know, the music you haven't heard in years, and the music you'd never have heard otherwise. Neither is necessarily better; each appeals to different personal tastes. And with the companies merging, in the future you'll only have the one company to consider.

Click the following links to find out more about XM and SIRIUS.

Subscription Fees

A subscription to either service costs a total of $14.93 per month ($12.95 plus a $1.98 music royalty fee), plus an initial activation fee (usually around $14.99). When you buy a satellite radio (see below for more on satellite radio hardware), you must call to activate your subscription; this subscription is then associated with that individual radio (each radio has a unique identification number). Every subsequent satellite radio you buy must be patched into your account by your service provider. If you replace your radio, you must call to switch your account from the old radio to the new one.

XM and SIRIUS both offer a family plan, in which you can add extra radios to your account at a discounted rate of $9.96 ($8.99 plus a $0.97 music royalty fee) per radio (on top of your base $14.93 monthly subscription for the first radio). You can save money by purchasing a prepaid yearly or multi-year plan with XM or SIRIUS, which lowers your per-month average subscription cost.

There are lots of types of satellite radios out there, including portable radios that let you hear XM or SIRIUS just about anywhere.

What do I need to listen to satellite radio?

Satellite radio began life as strictly a car thing, but quickly spread into the home and beyond. All you need to get satellite radio service is a satellite radio (there are several types for car and home), a satellite radio antenna, and a subscription.

The type of radio you choose depends on where you'd like to listen to satellite radio most, and the type of hardware you'd like to have. Click the following link for a deeper discussion of satellite radio hardware and accessories.

Satellite radio can make any drive that much more enjoyable.

Regular radio is free. Is satellite radio really worth it?

We think you'll fall in love with the entertainment variety you'll find on satellite radio. Never has radio been this diverse, in terms of the music you find, the entertainment you enjoy, and the sports coverage you get. The coast-to-coast coverage area also makes it an indispensable part of any long road trip you take, especially when you consider that there are channels that do nothing but continuously update traffic and weather conditions in certain cities around the country. And, of course, never having your music interrupted by commercials is awfully nice.