What's so special about satellite radio?

No commercials on music stations. Since satellite radio's business model is based on subscriptions, the bulk of the income comes from listeners, not advertisers. Each satellite service offers close to 70 commercial-free music channels, so there's plenty of opportunity to sample mainstream and far-flung musical tastes. There are dedicated channels for rock, pop, rap, hip-hop, show tunes, opera, classical, country and western, jazz, electronica/dance, folk music, blues, latin, world music--it's all there.

No static. Poor AM/FM reception just plain sounds bad, but satellite reception is a strictly go/no-go deal. Although the sound quality isn't affected by the strength of the signal, weak signal strength increases the likelihood of sound dropouts. Once you have the signal, it's always quiet and static-free.

Artist/title readout. Satellite radio receivers continuously display the artist's name and the song title. It's a great convenience never to have to wait to hear a DJ announce a tune--and while that may not sound like a big deal, we found ourselves constantly checking the display to see what we were listening to.

Uncensored. In this post-Janet Jackson boob-paranoia age, broadcast radio will be more uptight than it has been in years. At least for now, Sirius and XM are offering completely uncensored stand-up comedy and hip-hop programming! Get it while you can.

Local traffic and weather. Sure, it's not as local as your "Traffic on the Fives" commuter station, but nationwide broadcasters Sirius and XM do manage to offer weather and traffic reports in selected major markets. If you live in a major U.S. city, chances are you can tune in to one of these channels and hear updates every five minutes or so on local traffic and weather conditions.

Internet (satellite) radio. You can investigate satellite programming at the companies' Web . While you're at the sites, check out their weekly listings and updates; we found XM's site way more informative about what's new. What's more, you can listen to each service online via any computer. Subscribers to Sirius can enjoy streams of every channel online for no extra charge, while XM offers an online service for $7.99 to nonsubscibers. XM subscibers can currently get XM online for $3.99, although starting in April, there is no extra charge. XM is also offering a free three-day online trial if you want to try before you buy.

Video coming soon. Sirius also plans to offer video service in Windows Media Video 9 sometime in the second half of 2006 and expects to devote two or three channels of premium video content designed primarily for children (think in-minivan TV/receivers). XM is also readying a video service.

What's it worth to ya?

Delphi's XM Roady2 is a typical compact plug-and-play receiver.

To get in the satellite game, you'll need to buy a Sirius or XM Radio tuner (sorry, you can't get Sirius streams on an XM tuner or vice versa--yet). Both companies initially targeted the car market, but now they're also moving into the home sector. Currently most satellite tuners are ultracompact units designed for transport between car and home; they're called plug-and-play units, but some models can serve in home audio systems. Boomboxes and dedicated home tuners are also available. Satellite radios' prices start at about $75.

Oh, and you have to subscribe to receive satellite signals: Sirius charges $12.95 per month, while XM will set you back $9.95 per month. Starting April 2, XM is raising its monthly charge to $12.95, but current subscribers can lock in the $9.95 rate if they purchase a full year. Both companies charge activation fees and offer discounted plans for second and additional subscriptions. And we'd steer clear of Sirius's $500 "Lifetime" subscription--it applies only to the lifetime of your Sirius receiver, and who knows how long that will be?

Both companies are constantly trumpeting their subscriber numbers, which change all the time. As of press time, Sirius has 1,100,000 subscribers, and XM has maintained its lead with 3,200,000 subscribers.

MP3 Satellite Radio Is The Latest Revolutionizing Technology

MP3 Satellite Radio Is The Latest Revolutionizing Technology

The answer to all your MP3 satellite radio woes is here, revolutionizing radio in much the same way as Tivo did for satellite television! With Time Trax, you can now download your favorite XM and Sirius radio shows in high-quality MP3 format directly to your computer.

If you want to burn the MP3 files onto CD-R's, post them on your website or even load them into your iTunes, it's up to you! There's no limit to what you can do with this neat little device.

Sure, you can purchase them directly from Sirius or XM Radio that can capture streaming radio and save it onto your portable player for later listening. For instance, XM's Samsung Nexus, the Sirius S50 or the Dell DJ MP3 satellite one will store up to 50 hours of time-shifted content and record your favorite shows.

However, the shortcoming is that the contents are only available on that particular device. While you can plug your portable gadget into your car, home stereo or in some cases your computer, you won't be able to effectively transfer individual songs or hours of broadcast back to your computer.

Time Trax is fantastic news for people who have already invested $400 in an iPod and would rather not purchase a separate device to stream radio. This can also be the perfect solution for that late-night exclusive concert or interview programming.

The software works with most XM and Sirius receivers - notably, XM PCR tuners, XM Direct receivers, as well as the Sirius Sportscaster, Sirius Connect Kenwood, Sirius Connect JVC, S
irius Connect Pioneer and Sirius Connect Alpine receivers. It won't work with the SkiFi or MiFi satellite radios at the moment, but generally it's compatible with the most popular models of MP3 satellite radio.

What will you need to get started with Time Trax? First, you'll obviously need your MP3 satellite radio and a subscription to either Sirius or XM, or simply an online subscription. If you just want to record off the internet and convert it to MP3 format for your iPod, you can choose to download the software for $49.

The other option is for people who want to record from their receivers. These Sirius or XM subscribers can purchase the Time Trax Complete package for $169.99, which includes a small adapter, a receiver, a USB cable, a stereo adapter cable and an AC power adapter.

It's actually quite simple when you really look at the configuration - the USB cable connects from the Time Trax adapter to your computer and the other included cable connects the Time Trax adapter to your Sirius or XM receiver.

Check out TimeTraxTech website for more information. There has been some speculation about the viability of this innovation over time. MP3 satellite radio sales have diminished slightly from the introduction of Time Trax software.

As a result, XM Radio has taken several steps to shut down Time Trax's operation, as it interferes with their exclusive Napster contract and some of their product sales (notably the portable satellite radios that compete against iPods). Despite ongoing threats, Time Trax developer Elliott Fruitkin continues to create new technology to help the average user problem solve.

The Satellite Radio Service Technology ?

If you're browsing the internet in search of a satellite radio service for the US and Canada, then you need only check two websites: Sirius and XMRadio. These two giants are your only options and yet you'll notice striking similarities between the two websites' design, the product pricing and the programmer's stations.

Rumors have been flying around that Sirius and XM will form a ground-breaking merger this year, uniting all 14+ million customers under one banner. However, as of right now, you'll need to know what makes each slightly unique.

Country Music Fans may favor the XM Radio satellite service, which provides listeners with two extra stations - one focusing on Americana Country like Robert Plant or Blackfoot, and the other focusing on Folk Country like Tim Garrison and The Nitty Gritty Band. Both stations have country music from the 80s and 90s, new country, bluegrass and classic country.

Christian Music Fans may favor XM one. This service includes one more Christian music channel than Sirius - in addition to Christian Pop / Rock and Gospel, XM also hosts a Southern Gospel channel with Gold City, Greater Vision and The McKarneys.

Electronic Music Fans will prefer the Sirius service if they'd like a Breakbeat/Old SKool station, in addition to the usual Trance/Progressive stations that both satellite radio services provide. XM has exclusive rights to acclaimed BPM, but Sirius has a special Dance Hits station.

Rock Music Fans will probably prefer Sirius. While XM provides four different "alternative radio" stations, a punk station, a heavy metal station, a jam bands station, a college indie station and three classic rock stations, Sirius gives subscribers roughly 23 stations with everything that XM's service has -- plus New Wave, Glam Metal, Jimmy Buffet, Grateful Dead, Elvis, Canadian rock, UK rock, Garage, 60s Rock, 70s Rock and an additional punk/ska station.

World Music Fans will find that both service providers offering two French stations, but Spanish-
speaking subscribers will find XM the better option, since they offer Rock En Espanol, Regional Mexican, Latin Pop, Latin Jazz, Hispanic Rhythmic and Spanish AC. Sirius, on the other hand, has only one Spanish music station for Latin Pop. Additionally, XM has a station for African and a business station in Italian.

Rap and Hip Hop Fans may prefer XM because their service focuses on more Soul and Funk, along with uncensored Hip Hop and Urban Contemporary -- unless they're big Slim Shady fans, in which case they may need Sirius Radio's Eminem station.

In some ways, XM Radio caters to the aging population with Good Morning America, Casey Casem's Top 40 Countdown, Theme Time with Bob Dylan and Wolfman Jack. On the other hand, Sirius Radio goes after the 20-somethings crowd with Bam Marguera, Howard Stern, Jamie Foxx and Tony Hawk shows. However, both satellite radio service providers are likely to give you something you can enjoy.

Sports Fans will find many similarities in XM and Sirius service options. For instance, both providers have ESPN, Nascar and NHL exclusives, as well as both college and NFL football. XM gives better golf / PGA Tour coverage and Fox Sports, while Sirius gives better NBA coverage. On XM, catch shows with Jimmy Johnson, Dale Jr, Coach K, James Carville, Luke Russert and Cal Ripkin.

With the Delphi SkiFi2 radio, you can get a sports ticker to show game scores on your display screen and the SportsCaster comes with 30 sports presets programmed in. However, Sirius gives you game alerts, 30 presets and lists all your favorite teams in one category with the Sportster and Streamer satellite radios. Additionally, get exclusive programming with Jerry Rice, Daryl Johnston, Randy Cross, Adam Schein, Shannon Sharpe, Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart, Rick Ackerman and Frank Isola.

Cable Television

HDTV TO ME

What is Cable TV? Cable Television, also referred to as Community Antenna, or simply just Cable is a way of providing television entertainment through fixed coaxial cables instead of the older radio broadcasting method.
Cable TV uses a network of optical fibers and coaxial cables with broadcast amplifiers that meet at a central location to supply an assortment of channels to subscribers in certain areas.

One of the main features that separates Cable TV from broadcast TV is that cable television carries more bandwidth, making it much easier to control who can, and cannot receive a signal. Due to this larger size of bandwidth, cable TV is able to provide more television channels. Of course, these extra channels come with a higher monthly subscription fee as well. The weakness of digital compression is that it tends to soften the quality of the picture. Due to the increasing popularity of satellite TV, the competition is increasing for Cable, and they may have to do something drastic in order to keep their existing clientelle.

Satellite Internet

Satellite Internet is not quite as fast as Cable Internet, but it is definitely much faster than Dial-Up modems. The ideal user of Satellite Internet would want broadband access, and be living in a rural area.

Satellite Internet is offered by 4 providers, which are: StarBand, Pegasus Express, Tachyon, and Teledesic. The equipment necessary to receive Satellite Internet is a satellite dish (2 feet by 3 feet), two modems, and coaxial cables linking the dish to the modem. Once this is all set up, you can sit back and surf the net from just about anywhere!