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  • Sirius vs. XM Satellite Radio
Technology Articles > Gadgets > Satellite Radio > Sirius vs. XM Satellite Radio

So you’re finally sick of the local radio options and are considering make the jump to satellite radio. Well, you are not alone. Millions of other people have been doing the same thing over the last five years or so. At first the choice was a difficult one for people trying to weigh the pros and cons of XM and Sirius because there was specific programming on each service. That all changed in July of 2008 however when Sirius purchased XM and became SiriusXM. The two companies were both struggling independently so a merger made the most sense and would offer a full slate of programming to the 18+ million satellite radio subscribers. They stated cost, variety and programming as the main reasons for the merger but it also had a lot to do with widespread rumors that both companies were facing bankruptcy. No worries now though as the consumers are the real winners here.

What does this mean for me?

What the merger means is that you can get everything on both XM and Sirius for a much cheaper price than before. You can still get standalone XM or Sirius packages if you choose to do so but the cost savings really comes in the bundle deals.

Cost

The first thing you have to do is either get satellite radio tuner installed in your car or purchase a standalone satellite radio and mount it using a docking station. These options will cost you $30 on the low end all the way to a few hundred dollars on the high end when it involves installation.

Once you have the ability to receive a satellite radio signal then it is time to purchase a package. Both XM and Sirius offer a-la-carte channel pricing that starts at $6.99 monthly but that really isn’t a great value unless you only want a few channels. The full XM package or the full Sirius package is $12.95 monthly on their own but you can package them both together as SiriusXM for only $16.95.

Programming

No matter which package you select you will be listening to crystal clear sound without commercials. XM carries the MLB, NHL, College sports from the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC as well as news from FOX News, CNN and CNBC and original channels like Oprah Radio, The VIRUS with Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern. Sirius has MSNBC, NASCAR, NFL, the NBA and a plethora of music.

Is it worth it?

No question about it. But, only if you are getting the SiriusXM package at $16.95 per month instead of a standalone deal. If you don’t get both, a few months down the line you’ll want to hear something and realize it is on a channel you don’t get. Instead of letting that happen we say go all out and get every channel you possibly can.