XM or Sirrius?

I've decided to get satellite radio b/c the stations where I live are terrible. I was looking for advice on which system was better based on people have personally used/heard. Is one better than the other for signal strength and reliability of signal? Any ups or downs for one system vs. the other?

 

Thanks

hOWard Stern will be on Sirius in January.

Sirius....I own stock.

Happy XM subscriber since July of 2002. The choice ultimately comes down to what you like to listen to, both services have their strong suits. Listen to both of them before you buy and then decide.

Rick

doogdog's got it. i'm a sirius man since i'm more interested in dance/trance/jazz. take a look at the channel lineup for either services and see what appeals to you. oh and i also got sirius becaus ea relative already has it, so i'm only paying $8 a month .

i've had XM for about 2 years now, but every rental car i've had has had sirius, so i've had some chance to compare them.... and in all honesty, i'd say thier is very little difference between them now.

 

their line-ups are very similar. I know you can go to xm.com and preview the different stations they have to get an idea of what music they play (im sure sirius does this too.) - oh and they cost the same now as well.

 

Right now, i would base my decision on which brand has the reciever i like better (also keep in mind where you'll put the reciever in the car and how well it will fit -- if you plan on using that cubby hole up top, i think each brand only has one reciever small enough to do the job at this time)

Are you interested in sports?

 

I would check out the differences in those lineups.

 

I believe XM has baseball and college football (BigTelleven, PacTen, ACC, a couple of others)

 

I think Sirius has hockey, basketball maybe, NFL maybe?

 

I also think there is a difference in monthly fees.

 

I have had XM for 2 years and have loved it, but as I'm a huge hockey nut, I think I may be switching to Sirius.

 

Check the lineups...thats my suggestion.

Sirius here too.

Seems to be what most people here choose:

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5798

Better programming (both talk, sports, and music) than XM

(unless you like unsigned, garage, and heavy alternative rock...XM is heavy in that area.)

Plus if you like to listen to sports, Sirius has the good ones (NFL, NBA, NHL, etc)

while XM has the sleepy "sports" (golf, MLB, etc.).

 

And based on your screen name, it looks like you are a hockey fan?

Then you surely want to go with Sirius.

 

Oh, and prices are the same. XM raised their prices to match Sirius.

Reception is about the same, XM was worse for awhile since it only had 2 satellites and Sirius had 3, but XM now has 3 too and when riding in a friends car who had

XM I noticed it cut out about the same as my car does with Sirius (which is not very often and really only when you drive through tunnels or thick tree lined streets, etc).

You can try Sirius free for 3 days online at www.sirius.com

Sirius here, my rentals always have XM and I end up listening to comedy.

 

Sirius rock, blues, & traffic reports are better IMHO.

I'm leaning toward Sirius right now... Has anyone had trouble picking up a signal during storms (like the old satelite tv) or when you're out in the country/mountains?

 

BTW thanks for the advice everyone

I'm leaning toward Sirius right now... Has anyone had trouble picking up a signal during storms (like the old satelite tv) or when you're out in the country/mountains?

 

BTW thanks for the advice everyone

 

nope, never

 

 

i get cut out under bridges occasionally, and streets with a lot of heavy tree cover right next to the road once in a while.

I have been with XM for about 2 years. Here is why I picked XM:

 

- XM's equipment is more advanced then Sirius. The MyFi is the only portable satellite radio out there. Since the MyFi they have released a Pioneer version. The next one will have MP3 capability. I take it from my car to the train every day. I listen to this thing on the train, in the subway and walking around NYC. Then when I am home I bring it in the house. You can even record XM to the unit.

 

- O&A (Opie and Anthony). If your into that type of talk radio these guys are a blast. If you are a hoo hoo fan (Howard Stern) then Sirius is your choice.

 

- XM has a wider range of music. If you want obscure music Deep Tracks is your answer.

 

- Overall XM is really gaining strength. XM has 4.4 Mil Subs and Siruis has 1.8 Mil Subs. http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001010547

Delphi Roady XT is soon to be released, here is a link to what it will look like and the specs.

http://www.xm411.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=17350

I have also become addicted to O & A, way funnier than Stern in my opinion. Used to be a huge Stern fan until about 3 years ago when he started bitching about the president and the FCC daily. Any way you go you will never listen to commercial radio again. My radio is still tuned to 87.9 and hasn't been changed, nor will it.

Rick

Doogdog: I totally agree about O&A. I used to listen to Howard. Then my Girlfriend got XM before O&A came on and I was hooked from the start.

Sign up for free web streaming to both XM and Sirius and then make your choice. Both offer 3 free days access to their service by using you internet browser. Sound quality isn't perfect, but it would give you an idea about the various channels, etc. Since they are now about the same price, and lack commercials on most music channels, it is really a personal choice, so give both a try and then select the one that fixs your style.

 

-S

I tried both, liked Sirus better.

 

Music slection is better for me.