Satellite radio options.

[paullgj]

Hi!

I want to install a satellite radio in my 2007 Liberty Sport. Not a technical question, but I am confused about the differences between Sirius, Sirius XM, and XM. Any meaningful differences in the programming? Probably I'll go with Sirius as its receiver may be the easiest to install. I think I saw somewhere where some XM aftermarket receivers have a jack for MP3 player input. That would be important for me.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[beartard]

I've subscribed to both services at some point or another and cancelled when they dropped my favorite genre after the merger. There's not much difference. Both XM and Sirius are one company now and both now offer packages that share popular content from both services on each other's equipment.

Both services' receivers do exactly the same things (most are made by the same company) and there are receivers out now that can pick up both services (with two contracts). If you can afford it, get a portable that will cache stations for when no sat signal is available (indoors, at work, etc.)

Both also have their own way of hooking up, but you can go the FM modulator route (satellite sent to your radio through the air), an aux-out cable, or an interface unit that allows most headunits to control the satrad so it can be mounted out of sight.

I had an XM Myfi portable, a SkyFi2 full-size, a roady XT, and Sirius starmate 4 (as well as a few older ones from each service) and none of them had an input for an mp3 player. But you can get FM (and bluetooth) modulators standalone now.

I chose to dump both of them and get a bluetooth smartphone with pandora, last.fm, and slacker on board. That way I can pick my own music, podcasts, etc. and not be dictated to by a struggling company as to what I should like to listen to.