As of November 12, XM and Sirius have started to merge their programming lineups to create one satellite radio service. With the merging of the two companies comes more hardware choices for the same programming, so which radio is right? Read on, as we break down the wide variety of satellite radio receivers.

On-the-go receivers

They're not exactly the most stylish devices we've ever seen, but Sirius XM's lineup of portable devices have some appeal. For starters, all of the devices double as an MP3 player, so if the satellite signal is too weak users can always switch back to their regular tunes. Since they fit in a pocket, the players are ideal for on-the-go types who'd like to listen to satellite radio whether in the car, at the gym or at the home.

The Sirius Stiletto 2 is one of our favorites. Not only does it take on a form factor we're used to with other portable media players, but its variety of connectivity options make it ideal for most environments. The Stiletto 2 has the ability to connect over regular satellite radio bands, but also has support for WiFi connections, meaning the satellite radio can be streamed over the internet. The Stiletto 2 also boasts some other interesting features, like a microSD expansion slot, and a DVR-style recording feature that allows users to record their favorite Sirius XM programming. The device comes with My Sirius Studio PC software, which manages MP3 and WMA syncing of the device on a Windows-based computer a la iTunes.

The Stiletto's biggest downfall is its price. With a list price of $329, the device underscores the "satellite radio tax," and with other MP3 players like the iPod touch at a lower price point, buyers should be sure they absolutely love satellite radio before plunking down the money.

The Stiletto isn't the only game in town though, XM's most interesting portable radio receiver looks to be the XMP3, manufactured by Pioneer. Like the Stiletto, the XMP3 can play a variety of satellite programming, and supplements the satellite content with local MP3s or WMA files. The radio also sports some of the same DVR-esque functions, and can record five channels simultaneously for up to a total of 100 hours of recorded content. The device also has a microSD slot for upgradability, and is compatible with online services like Audible for audio books and Napster for DRMed music files. The XMP3's biggest flaw is the lack of WiFi support, which might be a deal breaker for some, depending on satellite signal strength at home or the office.

Due in part to the lack of WiFi, the XMP3 keeps the price low. At $249, the device seems much more reasonable than the Stiletto, and still offers a similar feature set. Keep in mind the channel lineups for XM and Sirius might still differ for a while, so the XMP3 will have the same channel numbers as XM, and the Stiletto will match up with Sirius. Both services have the full range of content though, it's simply channel number assignments that differ.

While it's not official just yet, we've heard whispers and seen some convincing screen shots that Sirius XM could be working on an iPhone / iPod touch application that would allow users to stream subscriptions over the net to the Apple devices. Users looking to skip the portable player game might want to keep those rumors in mind.

Docking station receivers

$250 to $350 is a chunk of change to be spending on a service that requires a monthly subscription on top of the device, so users looking to save some money can look towards these "portable" XM receivers that forgo the MP3 support and small size in favor of docking stations. They're not as feature laden as the on-the-go units, but they will get you up and running on satellite radio at a fraction of the cost. The other key feature with these docking station receivers is the ability to take them from the home to the car, without having to pay for an extra subscription fee.

Users looking for affordability can nab a $30 Sirius product, dubbed the InV2 radio, which comes with a car mounting kit. The radio has six presets to store channel favorites, and outputs over either a stereo minijack connection or to a car's in-dash radio using the built in FM-transmitter. For a few bucks more, ten to be exact, users could also nab the Stratus 5 from Sirius, which adds a larger and easier to read display. The screen scrolls through the current artist, current song and currently playing channel on a blue backlit screen.

On the XM side of things, there's only one comparably priced receiver, dubbed the XPRESSEZ. At $50, the receiver includes a fairly large black and white display which scrolls song name, artist name and current channel. The $50 kit includes car mounting gear too, so users won't have to spend any extra cash to get going on XM.

Overview

Between these two categories, users will likely find all the satellite radio they need. There are other devices out there like tabletop radios and other stereo style devices that specifically integrate with the services, though we're inclined to encourage people to skip satellite radio specific devices and instead use one of these modular devices as a supplement to another stereo system.

Have any questions about products we didn't answer? Be sure to leave a comment, or sound off about your feelings on satellite radio. Also, if you have more tech questions you'd like answered, be sure to hit our tips page and let us know.