Print Article for : Satellite Radio For Free

Your Online Guide » Entertainment Guide » Enterntainment Guide

[S96]Satellite Radio For Free

by Matt Barstow, Mat

But that was then and this is now. Today we pay for cable or satellite and consider it a necessity in our lives, not a luxury. Sure, we could stick with “free” TV, but the reception would be bad, we'd only have 4-6 channels to choose from and there would be no CNN, no Food Network, and no ESPN. What would we do with ourselves?

So it seems a little reminder of those days when we hear people scoffing at the notion of paying for radio. “I've gotten it free all these years,” you hear people exclaim. “Why would I pay for radio?”

Although satellite radio services have been around for a few years, its notoriety was spun into high gear when Howard Stern publicly made the jump from “free” radio to a satellite service in early 2006. Now, everyone's curious and many people are considering paying a bill every month for the privilege of listening to the radio.

Just like cable TV, there are many proprietary shows on satellite radio you just won't hear if you don't have a subscription. So you have to pony up to the extra bill bar…but what do you get for your extra dough?

Lots. Talk shows, music shows, entertainment, sports.

Some of the most talked about XM Satellite Radio shows are not music shows but talk shows. There are literally more than a dozen to choose from.

Consider Air America Radio (on channel 167), which features chatter from such well-known mouths as those belonging to Al Franken, Jerry Springer and actress Janeane Garofalo. Largely a progressive station, this dial also features veteran radio host Mark Riley and commentator Alan Colmes.

For the right slant on things, take a listen to America Right (on channel 166). This program features shows from such luminary conservatives as G. Gordon Liddy, Peter Greenburg, Dr. Laura and Michael Medved.

If politics aren't your bag, how about entertainment or humor? On XM Radio channel 162, you'll find the E! channel. Yes, this is the same E! we pay for on cable and the format is generally the same. There's the E! True Hollywood Story, E! news and celebrity profiles. Now you can get all your E! gossip and news while drinking Starbucks on your way to work. My, how the world has changed.

If you're into sports, XM Radio delivers. There's the Sporting News channel, the Nascar channel, the ESPN channel, and a wide variety of channels dedicated to various sports like baseball, football and even hockey. Though many channels feature talk and sports opinion, one of the big selling points for many sports fans is the live streaming games. In this case, you truly can take it with you.

Got kids in the car? Tune into Radio Disney or XM Kids, the winner of several parents' choice awards.

Amid all this talk, there is music on XM Radio. Lots and lots of music. There are alternative music channels, top 40 channels, channels for 60s music, 70s music, 80s music and 90s music. Interested in music from Sweden and Ireland? Check out channel 29, or U-Pop, dedicated to hits from around the world. Needs some romance in your life? Turn your dial to The Heart (XM channel 23), where you can enjoy Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion and the like.

Satellite radio is actually composed of two Boeing HS 702 satellites orbiting our atmosphere and aptly named Rock and Roll. One is located at approximately 85 degrees west longitude and the other at 115 degrees west longitude. Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) is about 22,223 miles (35,764 km) above Earth, and is the type of orbit most commonly used for communications satellites. The first satellite to up, Rock, was placed in orbit on March 18, 2001. Roll followed with its launch on May 8. Satellite radio has a third HS-702 satellite on the ground ready to be launched in case one of the two orbiting satellites break down or fail.

Satellite radios station on earth transmits a signal to its two GEO Satellites, which bounce signals back down to the ground. The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains up to 100 channels of digital audio. In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains additional information about the broadcast. The artist, song title and category of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellites signal, broadcasting equipment is supplemented by ground transmitters.

Each receiver contains a unique manufacturers chipset. Satellite radio began delivering chipsets to its manufacturing partners in late September or early October of 2000. The chipset consists of two custom integrated circuits designed by STMicroelectronics. Satellite has partnered with Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, Delphi Delco, Sony and Motorola to manufacture satellite capable car radios. Each radio receiver uses a tiny, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the digital signal. GM has invested about 100 million dollars in digital satellite radio, and Honda has also created a contract to use these same radios in its cars. General Motors first began installing satellite radio receivers in specific models in late 2000 and early 2001.

For approximately twelve dollars per month, subscribers can listen to crystal clear digital sound. For this small price, music aficionados receive up to 100 channels of music, talk and news. They can also listen online via streaming audio service with over 70 channels. Most of the stations received are commercial-free, with none of the channels having more than seven minutes of ads per hour. Satellite advertisers include USA Today, BBC, CNN-Sports Illustrated and The Weather Channel. The service is clean, clear and more of what the surveyed population asked for. The future of satellite radio is clearly bright.

Article Source : Official Guide To Disney World

About Author

Both Matt Barstow & Pj Germain are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Matt Barstow has sinced written about articles on various topics from Keyboard Synthesizer, Entertainment Guide and Satellite. Matt Barstow offers valuable tips and information about ,. Matt Barstow's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.

Pj Germain has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alternative Medicine, Finances and web development. Pj Germain