How does xm radio work

No matter where you prefer to enjoy your Sirius XM Radio programming, we have plenty of options for receivers that will make the perfect addition to your home stereo system, vehicle, or office. Here at Satellite Radio Superstore, we have all of the best antennas, parts, and accessories that you could need to create the ultimate satellite radio setup. Browse our entire selection and then place your order today! Sirius and XM received approval from the U.

Department of Justice, but the companies couldn't move until the FCC begrudgingly allowed the merger to go forward in July The new company goes by the name Sirius XM Radio. In this article, you'll learn what separates satellite radio from conventional radio and about the equipment you'll need to pick up satellite radio signals. Satellite radio is an idea over a decade in the making. In , the U. Only four companies applied for a license to broadcast over that band.

The FCC gave licenses to two of these companies in Listeners aren't able to pick up local stations using satellite radio services, but they have access to hundreds of stations offering a variety of music genres.

Each company has a different plan for its broadcasting system, but the systems do share similarities. Here are the key components of the two satellite radio systems:. Satellite radio works a lot like satellite TV -- you purchase a receiver and pay a monthly subscription fee for a certain number of channels.

For the moment, there are slight variances in the three satellite radio companies' systems. In the next three sections, we will profile each of the companies and their current satellite radio services. XM and Sirius each offered more than channels. Although the companies merged, both XM and Sirius still exist as separate services.

Subscribers to one services can purchase an additional "best of" subscription to the other service. While XM Radio and Sirius have merged into a single company, the two services aren't fully integrated yet. Part of the reason for this is due to differences in hardware and software. XM Radio uses two Boeing HS satellites, appropriately nicknamed "Rock" and "Roll," and two BSS satellites it calls "Rhythm" and "Blues," placed in parallel geostationary orbit, two at 85 degrees west longitude and the other two at degrees west longitude.

Geostationary Earth orbit GEO is about 22, miles 35, km above Earth, and is the type of orbit most commonly used for communications satellites. A design flaw in the HS satellite caused its solar panels to function inefficiently. XM launched "Rhythm" on February 28, , and "Blues" on October 30, , to replace the older satellites. XM Radio's ground station transmits a signal to its two active GEO satellites, which bounce the signals back down to radio receivers on the ground.

The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains more than channels of digital audio.

In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains information about the broadcast. The song title, artist and genre of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellite signal, XM's broadcasting system is supplemented by ground transmitters. Each receiver contains a proprietary chipset. XM began delivering chipsets to its XM radio manufacturing partners in October The chipset consists of two custom integrated circuits designed by STMicroelectronics.

Each satellite radio receiver uses a small, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the XM signal. GM began installing XM satellite radio receivers in selected models in early For that price, listeners get more than channels of music, talk and news. They also get access to XM Radio online, a streaming audio service with more than 80 channels. In addition to amazing entertainment content, SiriusXM offers a variety of traffic and weather services.

You can get detailed local weather, gas prices, sports scores, as well as movie times and locations. Explore Infotainment Services. All dedicated Music for Business players have the ability to block, password-protect, or hide channels you prefer not to play.

Please refer to your radio manual for instructions. You can also block channels via devices that support our online management portal. Compare Radios. This service is ideal for grocery, convenience, and retail stores, or any environment where you want to inform and educate in-store patrons about your products and services.

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