Satellite Radio
 

Please excuse me if this ends up seeming like advertising, that is not my intent. If this falls under advertising, tell me and I will clear it. I also know that there was another post about Sirius, but it ended up going nowhere.

A large part of my job includes driving. The only radio station in my area that plays close to my taste in music seems like more of a loop than anything else. Its always the same artists over and over. Listening to CD's doesn't really work because I don't like listening to the same artist for an hour or more. I could make my own CD's but not only do I not have the time, I also tend to get bored with one by the time I'm done burning it. A few months ago, I purchased a Sirius reciever to install in my work truck. I looked at XM before choosing, and couldn't find any decent reviews. XM has 170ish stations where Sirius has only 130ish. I ended up choosing Sirius because I couldn't find anyone with XM to tell me what they thought and I knew a couple people who liked Sirius. I also saw that the lineup for Sirius fit my taste a bit better than XM. The reciever cost and monthly price were pretty much the same. I sometimes lose my signal when I get stopped under a freeway overpass outside the city which sux, but it comes back pretty quick. I also have yet to have a weather related problem. Both offer free internet radio with a subscription. You can also get a free trial for either.

Sirius here:
SIRIUS Satellite Radio - The Best Radio On Radio

XM here:
XM Satellite Radio - America's #1 Satellite Radio Service

I like the format of XM's internet radio better because you can see what is playing on each station without listening and there is also an active list of each station. Sirius does not have as many options. You can only see the stations to choose from when you select a genre. You can also only see what is playing when you have a station playing.

Now to review a station.
My prefered station is 027 "Hard Attack". This station plays heavy metal spanning its entire history including the darker genres that would never be played over the air. If you prefer hard rock, there is 020 "Octane", classic metal and hard rock can be found on 019 "Buzzsaw". I listen to all 3, but 80% is 027. Some of the DJ's can get annoying, but they don't spend enough time on the air to bother you to much. Some are a trip and make you laugh your ass off. The music is outstanding. I guarantee that you will hear something new. More than likely there will be something new that you like (I say this assuming that you like the type of music played here). There are also some pretty damn good "speciality" shows. First off is the Devils Dozen. The top 12 most requested songs of the week. This gives you a chance to hear new music that you may have missed. I really don't pay much attention to the opinions of others when choosing my music, but there is always something I like played here. Ian Christe hosts a show called Bloody roots 3 times per week. This show is somewhat of a history lesson in metal. He chooses one sub genre and talks about it as well as playing a selection of music. Kinda helpful if you are like me and don't quite get the whole sub genre thing. Contact High is filled with stoner metal. Never been my thing, so I don't have much to say about it, I tend to change the station for this one. Then my personal favorite, Beyond the Pit. The most brutal metal I have been able to find. Every night at 11pm eastern is another chance to make your ears bleed.
Even if you aren't a metal fan, I can assure you that you will be able to find a station that fits your taste on either Sirius or XM. Both also offer stand alone internet radio if you have no need for a satellite radio (i.e. no car). Give the free trial a shot, it only asks for an e-mail address and you can always make a fake one to avoid spam.
If anyone has anything else to add, I'd love to hear about it. I am also interested in a review of other satellite stations as well as XM.


Matt

HD>Satellite.

I shouldn't have to pay for radio.

By what I understand about HD radio, it is pretty much an extension of regular local stations. It is also broadcast on public airwaves making it subject to FCC censorship. I did look at HD, but it didn't seem worth a long look. I know that at this point, I can get less than 50 stations to choose from in my area. Of the listings I've seen and the very short time I actually listened, I saw no point. I didn't hear anything I liked. Saying that you shouldn't have to pay for radio is like saying that you shouldn't have to pay for tv. Subscription based radio is the natural progression much the same way as cable and satellite tv. Paying $12 per month to hear good music is pretty resonable of you ask me. Then there is the fact that I can drive from LA to Seattle without changing stations.
Going beyond saying that HD is better than Satellite because you shouldn't have to pay for it, could you provide a little more input? Are the stations any good? Are they much more than an extension of the regular stations? Since it is free, is there the same level of advertising as you would find on a regular radio station? Is it censored?


Matt