Introduction to Satellite Digital Audio Radio service(SDARS)

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Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS):

SDAR is a satellite-based direct-broadcast radio service in which

digitally encoded audio entertainment material is broadcast to

Earth-based receivers, either directly from an orbiting satellite, or from the satellite to

the receiver via a repeater station (This is a special case in which the receiver is in a

shielded location). SDARS is a radio communication service through which audio

programming is digitally transmitted by one or more space stations directly to

fixed, mobile, and/or portable stations, and which may involve complementary

repeating terrestrial transmitters, telemetry, tracking and control facilities.

Through SDARS compact-disc quality audio is available because of digital transmition

is employed.

History of Satellite Radio:

Satellite radio is an idea over a decade long. In 1992, the U.S.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the

“S” band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based

Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). Only four companies applied for a

license to broadcast over that band. The FCC gave licenses

to two of these companies in 1997. CD Radio (now Sirius Satellite Radio) and

American Mobile Radio (now XM Satellite Radio) paid more than $80 million each

to use space in the S-band for digital satellite transmission. The first satellite based radio launched by XM on Sep 25, 2001, then followed by Sirius on July 1, 2002.

At this time, there are three space-based radio broadcasters:

Importance and significance of Satellite radio:

We all have our favorite radio stations that we preset into our car

radios, flipping between them as we drive to and from work, on errands

and around town. But when you travel too far away from the source station, the

signal breaks up and fades into static. Most radio signals can only travel about 30

or 40 miles from their source. On long trips that find you passing through

different cities, you might have to change radio stations every hour or so as the signals fade in

and out. Now, imagine a radio station that can broadcast its signal from more than 22,000 miles (35,000 km) away and then come through on your car radio with complete clarity. One could drive

nearly hundreds of kilometers without ever having to change the radio station! Not

only would you never hear static interfering with your favorite tunes, but also the

music would be interrupted by few or no commercials.

Satellite radio companies are comparing

the significance of their service to the impact that cable TV had on

television 30 years ago. Listeners won’t be able to pick up local stations using

satellite radio services, but they will 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.

XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite

Radio and WorldSpace satellite individually provides digital-audio

radio services (SDARS), with commercial-free programming, digital-audio quality, and

countrywide coverage. Each company offers nearly 100 channels of digital music and

talk radio (many of them commercial-free or with a reduced number of commercials)

that can be received from coast to coast with no service interruption. Each

offering number of music channels, these services clearly provides programming options

not available through traditional radio.

One of the main feature of SDARS is SDARS provides almost Commercial free (or Commercials are restricted) programs. And also it provides news, weather forecasts, and sports apart from

entertainment-based programs The primary application for this service is constant coast-to-coast coverage of radio for cars. We have all experienced the problem of trying to listen to radio on a long trip. Both AM and FM stations fade in and out as we drive into and out of their coverage

area. Portable full satellite radio service available now a days for

the car, home stereo and personal radio environments. Car manufacturers have been installing satellite radio receivers in some models for a few years now, and

several models of portable satellite radio receivers are available from a variety of

electronics companies.

Signal reception is generally poor as well as variable in the cases of AM or FM. With the SDARS systems, radio coverage throughout the 48 continental states is solid and continuous. Unlike

for AM and FM channels SDARS signals are available in a unique format

Subscription based radio service:

Because the technology requires access to a commercial satellite for

signal propagation; Satellite Radio services are commercial business

entities (not private parties), which offer a package of channels as part of their service

–requiring a subscription from end users to access its channels. Satellite

Radio Service can be subscribed at a monthly fee of $12.95 U.S. and up which

is very much worth full to the service that it gives.

Future of Satellite radio:

SDARS seems to get good market growth because of the following factors. Increasing

partnerships of XM and Sirius with Automobile OEM and distribution outlets made the

SDARS more popular. Introduction of more convenient hardware smaller and more

portable radios for the automobile as well as the home stereo,

computer and office and personal environments made possible at the

same time.

Home and personal use Industry promotional advertising and

awareness campaigns given the SDARS more popular. Sirius and XM now

also offer subscribers the option of listening to their programming

online. Apart from all of this,

price drop of hardware making it more affordable for after market purchase.

Author can be contacted through [email protected] for more

information about SDARS.

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