Long promised as the car radio equivalent of cable TV, satellite radio has had its ups and downs, and now the two companies in the space have merged their offerings into one company with subscribers of both services able to listen to all of Sirius and XM's content. There are some big advantages to receiving radio from the sky, and for some, satellite radio is a savior on long commutes and cross country journeys. However, the devices required to receive satellite radio aren't cheap, and with a monthly subscription fee, consumers already strapped for cash might think twice before investing in satellite radio.

Key satellite exclusives

Satellite radio has a few tricks up its sleeve that other services simply can't replicate, the most obvious among them being a signal that works anywhere in the United States and Canada, assuming users have a clear view of the sky. In my personal experience, cloudy days don't completely eliminate the signal, however any additional signal blockers like a parking garage or freeway underpass will make the signal cut out more than usual.

Satellite coverage aside, the actual Sirius XM service has some redeeming qualities. For a tech obsessed business nerd, I found the biggest quality of XM radio was its selection of live programming. On my nightly commute home, I found myself listening to CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer on XM and being thoroughly entertained. While local news is great, and local DJs can be entertaining, the variety of live programming on Sirius XM radio really is unmatched by any other alternative. Podcasts are interesting, but can't match the quality of the content on satellite radio.

Along with great live programming like CNBC and others is literally every major sporting event available via radio. With a "best of" package combining the best bits of both XM and Sirius, satellite radio offers the NHL, NBA, NFL, NCAA, NASCAR and IndyCar all on the radio dial. Sports talk fans also have access to the ESPN radio network, among others.

Satellite features available elsewhere

Many of the commercials for satellite radio tout the service's 60+ channels of commercial free music. Any iPhone / iPod touch user who has internet access has many more than 60+ channels of commercial free music, plus music that's customizable. Sure, there's no witty DJ to interject between songs, which is one of the best parts of satellite radio, but many users would gladly trade the $10+ / month service fee for a music service like Pandora, Last.fm or AOL Radio. Word on the street is that Sirius XM will also offer up an iPhone application and charge a $7.99 fee for internet exclusive music access, though that rumor hasn't been officially confirmed yet.

Satellite radio advertisements often tout audio quality as superior to FM radio and near CD-quality. As anyone who's ever used the XM or Sirius services can attest, the quality isn't poor, however there are some noticeable audio artifacts for discerning listeners. Internet radio stations available either via WiFi tabletop radios, computers, or portable devices like the iPhone often offer equivalent or better quality audio than Sirius XM.

Pricing

Satellite radio requires a receiver, which ranges from $30 all the way up to $350, and a monthly subscription fee. As Sirius and XM merged services, the companies standardized their rate plans across the board. Individual XM or Sirius plans start at $12.95 per month, while "Best of" plans, which allow users access to XM and Sirius channels on any radio, cost $16.99 per month. Sirius XM says it's planning to offer a 100 channel a la carte plan where users could pick their favorite 100 channels for $14.99, though the plan isn't yet available.

Compare the pricey service fees to most online services which are free, and it's easy to see that satellite radio has a specific target market, and people who don't fit into that target market might be better suited to WiFi radios, computer playback or using portable devices like the iPhone to stream internet audio.

Sirius XM's perfect listener

Sirius XM's content library and pricing makes the service justifiable for a specific subset of the population. Satellite radio is perfect for someone who's constantly in the car, like a sales representative, heavy commuter or truck driver. The ubiquity of signal, variety of content and commercial-free music make the drive that much more bearable. Other potential users who'd find the most benefit from Sirius XM might be someone who needs either constant access to 24-hour news and business channels via radio or someone who likes to discover new music from the DJs on Sirius XM.

People who should avoid satellite radio

Unfortunately for satellite radio, I find myself recommending against buying or subscribing to satellite radio to most people. Since people looking for high quality music often carry around their own music libraries on iPods or other portable media playing devices, spending $10+ per month plus the purchase of a device hardly seems worth it. Plus, users looking to discover new music on the go have services like Pandora and Last.fm as free alternatives, not to mention the countless other free online music services.

Satellite radio might be perfect for people who are frequently in their car; however for everyone else, stick to other portable media players.

Do you have a satellite radio account? Have you thought about getting one? We want to hear from you. Let us know if you love / hate satellite radio, how much you paid for your satellite radio and whether you think an MP3 player can do the job at less expense.

[Images: GoJeffery, Diametrik, ManyCats4Me]