Satellite Radio is the future of broadcasting

Satellite Radio, in short, can be described as commercial-free music, news, sports and talk shows. Many of the biggest players and events are now available from Sirius radio and XM radio like Howard Stern, Fred Schneider (the B52s), NFL, English Soccer, NBA, NASCAR, NHL, Major League Baseball, INDY, and the PGA.

Satellite radio began in 1992, when the S spectrum was allocated by the FCC to four companies. The two main ones, Sirius and XM paid a pretty penny (in fact almost $80 million dollars worth) to buy a license. Satellite-based radio began on May 15th, 2001 when XM Radio completed their satellite system. Sirius followed shortly when they launched in July, 2001. Since then, expanded products and competition has changed the radio landscape.

While automobile manufacturers started installing satellite radio in 2001 and 2002, most new vehicles come equipped with one now. XM has two satellites (called Rock and Roll) in parallel orbits to cover the mainland US market, while Sirius has three. Both have recently been awarded licenses for the Canadian market.

So what are the differences between the two providers?

XM has a flat $9.99 a month fee with no contracts to sign. They have the latest portable equipment. XM offers some of the best varieties of programming available today. They offer 68 commercial-free music channels; 32 channels of News, Sports, Talk & Entertainment; and 21 channels of instant Traffic & Weather in major metro areas. Here’s the latest information of channels:

15 channels of Rock music

11 News channels (Fox, CNN, ABC, CNBC, MSNBC, BBC, C-SPAN, Bloomberg)

11 Talk & Variety channels (Discovery, E!, Experts & advice, African American Talk, Christian Talk)

10 channels of Pop music & Top Hits

7 Country music choices

7 channels of Blues & Jazz music

7 Hip Hop and Urban music choices

6 different channels of music by the Decades (40′s through 90′s)

5 Sports channels (ESPN, Fox, Sporting News, NASCAR)

4 Dance music channels

4 World music choices

3 Christian music choices

3 Comedy entertainment channels (adult comedy, family comedy)

3 Classical music channels

2 Kids entertainment channels (Disney)

2 Latin music choices

Sirius offers a $12.95 per month fee and you can pre-pay for a full year for a discount (works out to $9.99 per month). They offer better sports coverage with play-by-play of the NBA, NHL, and NFL. Sirius has signed some great talent of celebrity DJs. Sirius offers 60 channels of music with no commercials, 50 channels of News, Sports, Talk and Entertainment; and 20 channels of 24/7 Traffic & Weather in major cities. Here’s how Sirius stack up with their channel line up:

16 Talk & Variety channels (Discovery, E!, Talk for Women, CourtTV, Air America, Gay/Lesbian, Body/Mind/Spirit Talk)

14 channels of Rock music

12 channels of Pop music & Top Hits

10 News channels (CNN, CNBC, Fox, NPR, PRI, C-SPAN, BCC, World Radio, Bloomberg)

9 Hip Hop and Urban music choices

7 Sports channels (ESPN, play-by-play channels)

6 Country music choices

6 Jazz music channels

5 Dance music channels

4 different channels of music by the Decades (50′s through 80′s)

3 Classical music channels

2 Christian music choices (Catholic)

2 channels of Blues & Reggae

2 Latin music choices

2 Comedy entertainment channels (regular and uncensored)

2 World music choices

1 Kids entertainment channels (Disney)

To read more on Satellite TV and Radio, please visit my site: Satellite TV and Radio :: Your #1 Source for Satellite Television and Satellite Radio.

About the Author

Satellite TV and Radio :: Bringing a New World of Digital to You
Satellite TV and Radio :: Your #1 Source for Satellite Television and Satellite Radio.

Written By: Dale L

If you’ve watched any television in the last 24 hours you’ve probably seen an ad for a satellite television company. Often times these commercials promise many things to entice you into making a purchase. Free months of service, free equipment, and free installation are often mentioned as reasons why you should go with a particular service. These days it is extremely confusing when trying to make an informed buying decision.

There are two main companies that are currently selling satellite television service. Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer excellent programming, a clear signal, and a quality customer service experience. So, you might be asking yourself, which one is better? Good question. Let me provide a few of the differences and similarities so that you may make a decision.

Channel Selection – Both satellite companies offer similar channel selections. From my experience DirecTV offers a wider range of programming. You’ll have to decide for yourself which channels are most important and then check each provider to see whether they’re carried. If your a sports fan, both providers offer all of the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL packages for your viewing pleasure.

Music Channels – I’m a huge fan of this optional service. If you enjoy satellite television or are just interested in commercial-free radio you might be interested in learning that both satellite tv providers have teamed up with satellite radio providers to offer you a great additional service. DISH Network is working with Sirius satellite radio to bring you music channels on your television while DirecTV has partnered with XM satellite radio. Both bring excellent sound and musical choice to the television.

Price – The price of service varies greatly depending upon the package of service you select. Since price changes so frequently my best advice is to compare both and see which provides the better deal.

Free Equipment – Both DISH Network and DirecTV now offer HDTV and DVR service. If you have an HDTV television you may be able to get a free receiver that will allow you to receive transmissions in HDTV. Both satellite tv providers now offer this option.

In conclusion, you really can’t go wrong with whichever choice you make. Whether you go with DirecTV or DISH Network is dependent upon your personal preferences.

About The Author

Michael Hizer is a successful internet marketer and expert in satellite television and online shopping. You can find the best deals in satellite television at http://www.bestdishdealonline.com.

bestdishdealonline@yahoo.com

Written By: Michael Hizer

I am sure you’ve seen these ads online and offline — “Free satellite TV!” “Get a 4-room Satellite TV System Free!” and “Satellite TV Dish and Receivers Absolutely Free!” But are these deals really free? Are them worth for the money? But are these satellite TV offers really free?

The answer to that question is yes … and no.

It’s a ‘yes’ because you got the satellite TV systems for free. Further more you get other promotions gifts such as digital video recorder (DVR), DVD player, home theater systems and HD systems for free. As the ads say: No equipments to buy at all. However, the programming service will cost you money. Each month, these socall “free satellite TV deals” are going to take out some dollars from your wallet.

Let’s examine the facts about free satellite TV deals.

Due to the demise of Pegasus and Voom services, there are only two major satellite TV providers in the USA — Dish Network and DirecTV. Both companies are providing 100% digital satellite pictures; both companies are offering amazing free satellite TV systems; and both companies have the finest sales support team for their customer services.

Dish Network Satellite TV

When you order a free satellite TV system from Dish Network, you will be asked to pay a $49.99 activation fee. This fee will be credited to your programming bill, so in essence, your satellite TV system is free. Installation of your satellite TV system is also free.

With Dish Network you have the option to upgrade to a DVR (digital video recording) receiver, or an HDTV (high definition TV) receiver at no charge.

You can get Dish Network services at a monthly cost of $19.99. However, Dish Network standard programming fees start at $31.99 per month (for standard 60 program channels). The monthly subscription fees then goes up to around $86.00 for 230 channels including Showtime, Starz!, HBO, Cinemax, and Sirius radio.

Dish Network offers more movies, shows, and HDTV than cable or DirecTV, and with one of their free DVR receivers you can record, pause, and fast forward live TV with a click of your remote. All Dish Network programs are broadcast in digital format for crystal-clear picture and sound.

DirecTV Satellite TV Service

Depending on your credit rating, when you order a free satellite TV system from DirecTV you may be required to pay a deposit or prepayment. Because the deposit is refunded to you and the prepayment goes toward your programming fees, the DirecTV satellite dish and receivers are free. Installation is also free.

If you want a DVR receiver you will be charged an additional $49.99. The charge for HDTV receivers is $299.99.

DirecTV programming packages start at $29.99 per month for 115 channels (including 31 music channels), and go up to more than $90 per month for 185 program channels, including Showtime, Starz!, HBO, Cinemax, and 31 music channels.

DirecTV offers more sports programs than you can get with cable or Dish Network, including the popular NFL Sunday Ticket which Dish Network does not cover. All sports channels are broadcasted in all-digital format.

Wrapping things up

Both Dish Network and DirecTV’s deals are lucrative. As mentioned before, you will get sets of satellite systems and home electronics for free but the programming services will cost you anywhere from $32 to $94 a month.

If TV is one of your primary forms of entertainment and you want the biggest variety of shows, movies, sports, and news — then we satellite TV deals should be something you should seriously consider. Cable TVs nowadays doesn’t looks like a good deal to go for as their monthly fees increase a lot every year. For football fans that wish to get every NFL games- DirecTV is what you are looking for; for normal family, Dish Network seems to be a better choice. You can check out some of the reputable dealers (both Dish Network and DirecTV) at here.

However, if you watch just a few television programs a week and have access to over-the-air TV, then satellite TV probably isn’t for you.

About The Author

Teddy LC., expert writter on consumer products reviews. Check out his latest satellite TV related website and get more info on satellite TV dish TV free deals: http://www.satellitetvissue.com.

Written By: Teddy LC.

If you haven’t discovered Sirius satellite radio yet get ready for a nice surprise. Sirius is changing the way the world listens to music.

Every second of the day, Sirius satellite radio is shooting over 120 channels of amazing radio straight into the heavens to their three state-of-the-art satellites that rotate in figure eight, geo-synchronous orbits around the earth.

Sirius uses statistical multiplexing technology which means it provides more bandwidth across the full spectrum of Sirius satellite radio streams. The bottom line is better overall sound quality and superior sound resolution.

It all starts at their studios in NYC’s Rockefeller Center. On any given day as musicians stop by for live interviews and performances, on-air hosts are hard at work taking satellite radio to the next level.

Sirius satellite radio offers a diverse lineup of radio, music and sports legends spinning music they love. The lineup includes Eminem, David Johansen, Grandmaster Flash, Tony Hawk, Vin Scelsa, Liquid Todd, MC Lyte, Kelly Slater, Meg Griffin and many more.

The best part of Sirius satellite radio service is no commercials. None. That means 65 channels of music, plus you get more than 50 channels of great sports, news and entertainment programming, much of it exclusive to Sirius.

Sports lovers might want to listen close to this. Live play-by-play coverage of every single NFL game and the only 24/7-radio channel dedicated to all-things-NFL, all year long. And it’s all included with your regular Sirius radio subscription: no extra charges, fees or packages. That’s the best value available for any sports fan.

NFL Radio is the only 24/7-radio channel of its kind and is a Sirius original. Want NFL credibility? Start with show hosts Dan Reeves, Cris Carter, John Riggins and Shannon Sharpe.

Sirius also offers a full spectrum of original talk programming. Two NPR channels: NPR Now and NPR Talk.

The Plug & Play Sirius satellite radio modules come with optional home and car kits for use at home, in your office, in a truck, boat or car. No matter where you are, youre connected.

Home units connect directly to your home entertainment system. These sleek units contain features such as song/artist title memory, 4 preset banks with text input and optical digital audio output.

All 120 channels of Sirius satellite radio is available throughout the continental US with crisp digital-quality sound. Every single channel is included in your Sirius subscription. This keeps you connected to the music and entertainment you love, no matter where you are.

You have a choice of subscription plans that offer long-term savings, a yearly plan at a lower price and month-to-month plans starting at only $12.95 per month.

You just can’t find this kind of value or this kind of radio on any other dial. Get geared up for the future of music with Sirius satellite radio.

Copyright 2004 1 Stop Shopping Online.com. All Rights Reserved.

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This article may be re-published “as is” (unedited) as long as the author’s bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.

About the Author

Gary Gresham is the webmaster for http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com He offers this amazing, digital-quality, radio at http://www.1stopshoppingonline.com/satellite-radio.html

Written By: Gary Gresham

Whenever someone mentions about satellite TV in United States, Dish Network and DirecTV will be the first two names people mention. Yup, Dish Network and DirecTV are currently the two biggest (or the ONLY two shall i say?) company in the satellite TV world.

The company of dish network tv and directv have been competing for the top spot for many years. As long as most can remember, it has always been dish network vs directv in the world of satellite television.When someone is looking for a satellite TV deal, comparing offers from Dish Network and DirecTV is almost a must-do proceduer.

Here are some common comparisons that potential satellite TV consumers interested:

1. General comparisons between Dish Network and DirecTV

Dish Network offers the most competative satellite TV price. They beat DIRECTV a little in pricing and beat cable TV a lot. Quite a number of the online Dish Network dealers are offering free DVD and DVR that records up to 100 hours of programming now in the promotion period. while DirecTV, although with a higher price, they offer some attractive premium packages like NFL Sunday Ticket that Dish Network doesn’t have. With Sports season pass feature on TiVo, DirecTV lets users record an entire season without re-runs.

2. Programming comparisons between Dish Network and DirecTV

Over 256 channels are available for Dish Network programming. Dish Network broadcasts as many as 231 NFL pre-season, regular season and post-season playoff games without having to purchase a costly season package subscription! (Game access subject to channel availability and programmer restrictions.) It has more comprehensive international programming with additional foreign language programming packages.

DirecTV supports up to 225 channels in their broadcast. DirecTV has exclusive rights to some sports channels, but you need to pay an extra fee to get these channels. Some of the sports packages include NHL Center Ice, MLB Extra Innings, NY Yankee Games, NBA League Pass and NFL Sunday Ticket which gives you access to almost every NFL game.

3. Customer services comparisons between Dish Network and DirecTV

Both Dish Network and DirecTV has a 24 hour customer service line. As Dish Network concerns a lot about their customer relationships and they monitor their dealers pretty well in term of customer satisfactions. VMCSatellite, one of the online Dish Network dealers, once won JD Power top customer satisfactions within two continuos year.

4. Satellite systems warranty comparisons between Dish Network and DirecTV

Most Dish Network dealers offers life time warranty for their basic satellite equipments. DirecTV dealers normally provide a 2 year extended warranty from the day of activation of their satellite systems.

5. Monthly cost comparisons between Dish Network and DirecTV

Dish Network base package starts from $19.99/mo. and DirecTV base package starts from $29.99/mo.

No matter which one you decide to go with, you’re sure to get a great deal with some really good service. Even though they are both good, the continuing war of Dish Network vs Directv will probably go on for many more years to come

About the Author

The author, Mithchel Richmond, is one of the expert writter in satellite TV deals. For more info on Dish Network or DirecTV deals, kindly visit his latest website: http://www.sunsatellites.com.

Written By: Mitch

The Satellite TV industry has made huge gains on the cable tv industry in the past several years. With the price of cable tv skyrocketing every year, many cable subscribers are making the switch over to satellite tv. Okay so you’ve decided to switch to satellite tv; but which satellite tv provider do you choose?

A satellite tv provider is a company that owns and operates satellites in geostationary orbit around the earth. These satellites broadcast the satellite signal down to your satellite dish and from their the signal is transferred to your receiver (black box). The two largest satellite tv providers in the United Sates are DirecTV and DISH Network. The vast majority of satellite tv subscribers in the United States use one or the other so this article will concentrate on comparing the two satellite giants in an attempt to help you decide which of the two is best foryou.

With the almost exponential growth of the satellite tv industry, both DISH Network and DirecTV are now in a position where they can afford to offer the satellite equipment (dish and receivers) free to their subscribers. So for starters both DISH Network and DirecTV offer free satellite equipment. Basically the only qualifiers are that you be a first time subscriber and that you have a credit card for monthly billing purposes. So if the equipment is free how do the two providers make any money? Well, you do have to pay for the monthly programming of course. The price of your monthly programming bill depends on which programming package you choose.

DISH Network’s America Top 60 programming package starts at $24.99 per month and local channels are available. DISH Network presently is not making new subscribers commit to a one year contract. You can end your subscription at any time with no financial penalty to pay. DirecTV’s entry level programming package is called the Total Choice package and comes with local channels and is $39.99 per month. With the Total Choice package you get over 130 channels. DirecTV does require you to sign a one year subscription agreement. If you cancel your service before the year is up, then you have to pay a penalty fee to DirecTV.

As both satellite giants use the very lates technology in their satellites and receiving equipment, what differentiates the two is in the programming options that they provide to their subscribers. I would rate DirecTV somewhat ahead of the DISH Network in their sports packages, as they offer seasonal sports options like the N.F.L. Sunday Ticket that DirecTV has exclusive rights to. Both providers offer tons of premium movie packages to choose from including HBO, Showtime, Starz and Cinemax. All these come with multiple channels per movie package. As DISH Network has more satellites in orbit than DirecTV does they have the capacity to offer up to 500 viewing channels, whereas with DirecTV, you can ‘only’ get 250 channels. Also, DISH Network offers a lot more foreign programming packages than DirecTV does.

Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer 100% digital picture and CD quality sound in all of their programming. So again, they are tied in this important quality. This technology allows for a crystal clear perfect picture that cable tv simply cannot provide.

DISH Network, a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications, was founded in 1996 by Charles Ergan. While not quite as old as DirecTV, DISH Network was the fastest satellite provider to reach the 100,000 subscriber level doing so in just four short months. Presently, DISH Network has over Nine million satellite tv subscribers in the 50 United States and District of Columbia. DISH Network has many ‘firsts’ to its credit, including being the first company to offer a satellite tv receiver that had a built in DVR (digital video recorder).

DirecTV was begun in 1994 and is the largest satellite tv provider in the United States. When it first launched in 1994, Direct TV was the first satellite TV company to offer all digital-quality, multi-channel TV programming through the use of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) technology. DBS technology is now the standard for the satellite tv industry and we have the ingenuity of the DirecTV engineers to thank for it. While DirecTV does not have as large a bandwidth allocation as the DISH Network does, to counter this DirecTV has arranged to have to exclusive deals with programming companies to cater to the programming whims of their subscribers.

In the all important area of customer care, both DirecTV and DISH Network offer outstanding customer care and support. Both offer online Faqs sections and help sections to their websites. You can also call both toll free to get help with any problem you may be having. Pay-Per-View movies may be ordered either by using your remote control or calling the 800 toll free number for either provider.

Both DirecTV and DISH Network offer free professional installation as part of their free satellite tv promotions. One difference is that DirecTV will install your equipment for free in up to five rooms, where DISH Network presently only installs for free in up to four rooms of your home.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATION:

Both DISH Network and DirecTV offer an outstanding television viewing experience. The picture reception for both is far superior to that of cable tv. DISH Network’s entry level package is cheaper than DirecTV’s; but then the Total Choice package comes with alot more channels. DirecTV is stronger in the area of sports coverage, while DISH Network places somewhat more of an emphasis on its premium movie packages and foreign programming options. And both have outstanding customer care, both having won the prestigious J.D. Power Award in recent years for providing the best overall service among satellite and cable subscribers.

Our recommendation is that both DirecTV and DISH Network offer a superior television viewing experience than cable tv. Both are alot cheaper than cable, offer superior picture quality and free equipment and instalation. Both also offer superior customer care service compared to local cable providers. If you’re a big sports fan and just have to have that certain premium sports package, then DirecTV is for you; but if you’re not a huge sports fan and cost is an issue, then you might want to go with DISH Network and it’s entry level America’s Top 60 at just $24.99 a month. Also, remember that DirecTV will require a one year commitment, whereas with the DISH Network there is no contract to sign, meaning you can cancel your service at anytime and not have to pay a penalty.

Whichever satellite provider you choose, you can’t go wrong. As a subscriber of the DISH Network and a sales person that has several years experience in the satellite tv industry (have sold both DirecTV & DISH Network)I highly recommend that you drop cable, stop feeding the pig and switch to satellite tv service today. The vastly superior picture quality alone that DBS satellite technology provides makes it worth the change. It’s like heaven watching tv with no more squiggly lines running across the tv screen!

For more free and helpful information on Satellite TV, how to find the best deal, and how to set it up, visit http://www.dish-n etwork-satellite-tv.ws

Written By: Frank Johnson