Satellite Radio Receivers

Music fans all over the world are preferring satellite radio receivers over traditional radios. Why? To know more about this new rage, read on…

Companies like XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, launched their own satellites to start a new radio service. With the launch of satellite radio services, radio broadcasting and reception took a huge step towards customer satisfaction.

In this new technology a ground based radio station transmits its signals airing prerecorded or live programs to satellites which are orbiting high above the earth. They receive these signals and retransmit them back to the earth where they can be picked up by subscribers. This way of transmission of radio signals covers very large area than the conventional method enabling these receivers to offer great sound quality and entertainment to the owners. At present, the ones used uniformly serve XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio customers present all over the United States of America.

Listening to Radio via Satellite

Satellite radio is a paid service. You have to pay the subscription and activation charges to receive programs airing music, talk radio, sports and news. You also need to buy special hardware like radio receivers, antenna and other accessories which enable you to receive these programs. This radio service is also called digital radio because it works on a digital based technology and these receivers are equipped to handle digital signals. An owner can record programs being telecast on one channel while listening to a program on another one.

Gone are the days when you had to pay both XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio to listen to Dylan’s weekly, Theme Time Radio Hour, Folk music program, The Village, Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern or the Metropolitan Radio Opera Channel. The merger of these companies resulted in SIRIUS XM satellite radio company which now provides more than 100 channels for a customer to choose from.

Car Digital Radio Receivers

Every terrestrial-based radio station has a limited range as you can experience while traveling. If you are listening to your car radio while driving, then, you must have experienced the loss of signals or interruptions of the radio signals, prompting you to change the radio station. As you travel out of the range of a station, it starts fading in and out. With satellite car radio receivers installed, you are always in range of the radio signals which covers continental U.S.A. This enables you to listen to your favorite radio stations while traveling to any place in the country.

Home Satellite Radio

For exclusive home use, dedicated receivers of this kind are of great use. An indoor or outdoor antenna for receiving signals, is mandatory for these receivers. These are available in the form of component tuners and ‘connect and play’ form.

1. Component Tuner: If you already have a entertainment system such as a home theater at your house, then this is the most suitable option for you. You get very good quality sound by plugging in the component tuner to these systems.
2. Connect and Play: This system is set up by connecting a specially designed antenna and radio or video receiver together.

Portable Receivers

You can carry a portable radio receiver and listen to the programs even when you are taking a walk. A stereo headphone, a rechargeable battery and a portable receiver together in tandem, can provide a memorable experience. These receivers comes with FM transmitter modulators which also powers the device and transmit wireless signals to stereos in cars. This reduces the number of sockets one has to manage and your car speakers are put to best use. At home you can plug a modulator in your home theater system and laze on a beanbag to enjoy it.

Satellite radio technology is still in its infancy as compared to the traditional radio. However, it has captured the attention of millions of radio fans who want to listen to their favorite programs uninterrupted with a CD like quality. If you go through satellite radio reviews, you will find mixed reactions about their performance. A common complaint about these products is that most of them doesn’t have a proper music manager which could help the users a lot in managing their song collections.