In the field of satellite radio, there are just two names that come to instant recall – XM and Sirius. When we compare Sirius radio vs. XM radio, there are several factors to take into account since both Sirius and XM offer excellent programming covering a vast variety in terms of music, sports, entertainment and talk, news, weather and traffic information. Both XM satellite radio and Sirius satellite radio give their users the options of listening to their broadcasts via a satellite receiver or online. Both are competitively priced. Both XM and Sirius have celebrities on their shows.

 So lets take a look at each service in detail.

XM vs. Sirius – Satellites

While XM has two satellites called Rock and Roll, Sirius owns three satellites over the US. Sirius radio is based out of New York, while XM radio comes from Washington DC. XM radio was launched in 2001 while Sirius radio was launched in 1989. If you compare Sirius vs. XM in terms of number of channels, XM radio offers 170 channels as compared to Sirius’ 130 channels.

Equipment And Pricing

To access satellite radio programming, you need equipment in the way of receivers. Looking at XM vs. Sirius here, XM scores as it has a unit that allows you to link it to your pc, to your car unit or to your regular home unit. XM also has the portable and user-friendly Delphi SkyFi with plenty of features for its users. Sirius also offers portability with its receivers. Both have units that can be used in the car, at home, or even on your boat. The standard receivers of both brand names cost almost the same. The higher end models cost more depending on the extra features available.

With pricing of subscriptions, comparing Sirius vs. XM, Sirius radio is slightly more expensive than XM radio but users claim that the programming variety and the signal quality are worth paying for, which brings us to programming in the XM vs. Sirius comparison.

Programming

Both XM radio and Sirius radio have a loyal fan following with XM having more subscribers than Sirius and both have a healthy competition over content. With Sirius offering 130 channels and XM satellite radio offering 170 channels, preferences depend on the users and what they are looking for.  Sirius satellite radio has tied up with National Public Radio and Public Radio International. When it comes to sports, Sirius has an edge with exclusivity to NBA and NFL games, NASCAR and NHL. XM radio scores in great comedy, music stations and special talk channels. They also broadcast audio books and radio dramas. Finally XM users can opt for the only-online listening over the Internet at a plan that costs less than the regular plans.

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