XM Radio vs. Sirius
Earlier we had a faceoff between Netflix and Blockbuster Online. Today, we are reviewing the heated rivalry between XM Radio and Sirius satellite radio.
If you are like most people you still have yet to purchase a satellite radio and are undecided about which subscription service to go with. XM? Sirius?
I've had the pleasure of using both services. Yes, I said "pleasure" because going from regular terrestial radio to satellite radio was liberating. I was no longer a slave to commercial after commercial. I wasn't stuck hearing the same song 10 times a day until it was so played out I felt like smashing my radio.
So, before we begin discussing which service is better, which ever you choose, you will be glad you made the jump to satellite radio. Also, if you don't have time to read the following few paragraphs, I'll include a chart at the bottom of the story to make things a little easier.
Many people listen to radio for music, and this is probably no different for satellite radio. If your main desire behind wanting satellite radio is for the music, then I am sorry to tell you that this review won't help you much. Both XM and Sirius are dead even on this front. A few might nitpick and say XM plays more of this band or Sirius plays more of that artist. This might be true, but generally you will find the same array of music choices on both services.
Now, Talk Radio, the second big reason to listen to radio. The simple question to this answer is "Do I want Howard Stern?" If so, you'll have no choice but to choose Sirius, because this is the only place you can "legally" hear his broadcast. Now, if you completely hate Stern, you'll be glad to hear me tell you that I enjoyed XM's offering of talk radio more than Sirius'. XM offered NPR and one of my favorite talk radio hosts Phil Hendrie.
However, Sirius is far superior when it comes to Sports. If you're a Sports fan, don't even look at XM, unless you're just a baseball fan, since XM has exclusive rights to air every MLB game there is. Sirius, airs every NFL and NBA game. Additionally, each game has a dedicated channel to both the home team and the away team. When Sirius has a radio called the Sportster, you know they mean business when it comes to sports.
Here's the chart I promised. I've scored each category on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being Superior and 1 being Poor:
- Music: Sirius 9/XM 9
- Talk Radio: Sirius 7.5/XM 8
- Sports: Sirius 9/XM 7
- News: Sirius 8/XM 8
- Quality of Service: Sirius 8/XM 8
The Winner: If you based a winner on my point scale given above Sirius slightly leads over XM. Like I said earlier, you'll be very satisfied with either service. It all depends on your individual taste. If you like Talk Radio, other than Stern, , go with XM. If you need to have Stern, go with Sirius.
Finally, we'd like to hear from you, leave a comment or send us an e-mail with your questions, comments or concerns.
Related Links:
1. Gadget of the Month - Sirius S50 (But, is it worth it?)
2. XM Radio To Debut Surround Sound
3. Sirius Radio To Air Show Dedicated To Sports Betting
4. Sirius Radio Hops Into Bed With Playboy
posted by Daniel M Silverman at 1:54 PM
6 Comments:
mmm... good review.
I just purchased a Sirius unit for home and the car but the home docking unit was not in stock. I've prepaid for one and am awaiting its arrival.
I understand the S-50s were hard to find in some areas and the home docking units in others.
Yes, the home kit for the S50 has been a rare find. They are just about rolling into inventory at both online dealers and local dealers.
I believe the Sirius Store at Sirius.com finally has them back in stock, so you might want to check there.
I hope that helps, and thanks for your comments.
Kudos on attempting this comparison, it's not an easy one to take on.
Just want to point out a couple things.
XM does not have NPR. SIRIUS does. XM has XM Public Radio (XMRP) in association with PRI, and also has Bob Edwards who is a former popular NPR radio personality. SIRIUS has two NPR channels: NPR Now and NPR Talk.
As for Sports: XM has rights to MLB, NHL, PGA and NASCAR (until next year when NASCAR moves to SIRIUS exclusively). SIRIUS' sports programming is very strong, with as you said, NFL and NBA exclusivity - but to say to not even look at XM if you're sports fan is a bit unfair.
It all boils down to personal preference really. Neither XM or SIRIUS are better for everyone - different people have different tastes. If you're a Stern fan, you'll want to choose Sirius. If you're an Opie and Anthony fan, you'll want to choose XM. If Football is more important to you than Baseball... well, you get the picture.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I seemed to have confused NPR being a part of XM. I remembered Bob Edwards hosting a show on XM and I confused that with that channel being NPR.
Another thing that you did point out is that my review did seem to ignore some of the other sports offerings that XM has, but none- the-less I still believe Sirius has the edge in Sports.
In addition, I also believe that both XM and Sirius need to differentiate themselves from one another more so than they do now. Also, they are spending too much too soon to attract new subscribers.
I AM A TRUCK DRIVER. I GOT SO DISCUSTED WITH THE CONSTANT LOSS OF SATELLITE SIGNAL AS I DROVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT I TOOK MY SIRIUS RADIO OUT OF MY TRUCK AND DROVE OVER IT. I NOW HAVE XM RADIO. I NEVER LOOSE THE SIGNAL EVER! PLUS OPIE AND ANTHONY ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN STERN. YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T TAKE SIGNAL STRENGTH INTO CONCIDERATION WHEN YOU WROTE THE ARTICLE. SIRIUS HAS 3 SATELLITES AND XM HAS 2. I GUESS SIRIUS IS BEHIND THE TIMES IN THEIR TECHNOLOGY.
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