XM and Sirius radio have begun the process of merging. However, the two remain for most business purposes seperate entities that you still must choose between. It is still necessary to compare the two, to determine which is the better satellite radio service to go with.

Sirius’ strategy involved getting some of the biggest names in entertainment, like Jimmy Stewart, Eminem, Howard Stern, and Martha Stewart to executively produce streams or entire channels. The Howard Stern move became a highly publicized event, and needless to say, many of his followers made the switch. XM on the other hand, seemed more focused on commercial free music and didn’t manage to snap up as many impressive personalities aside from Oprah and “Opie and Anthony”.

The two companies also have exclusive contracts for various sports. Sirius radio has the NFL, CFL, and NBA, whereas XM radio has the MLB. Sirius also has full NASCAR coverage as well as the exclusive rights to men’s NCAA. OVerall, it seemss Sirius overwhelmingly outdoes XM on the sports front as well.

As far as bonus features, both companies offer a comparable internet radio service at no extra charge. Both XM and Sirius attempted to create devices which could potentially allow you to download songs as they are played on the air, however the RIAA has intervened and claims using “high definition” methods to record radio is illegal, despite lower quality methods being perfectly legal and allowed, i.e. cassettes. The Sirius S50 has limited recording methods, which comes the closest to achieving that dream, as you can record individual songs, however, after the song ends, the recording stops, so you have to record them manually one by one, but nonetheless free is free. You can however, schedule to record shows (not music) such as Howard Stern or Martha Stewart in advance.

While the two services have merged, the differences between them are still significant enough to warrant comparing and considering carefully which service to use. Overall, it appears Sirius has grabbed some of the bigger personalities and sports, among other features but it will depend on the individual customer’s preference. Opie and Anthony or Howard Stern? NFL or MLB?

Though keep in mind, the two companies are merging, and the lineups combining, allowing you the best possible selection by mixing the best of both worlds, so either choice is helpful, though recently “Sirius XM” has begun repackaging and labeling many of their products and services with a combined logo and branding, though XM Sirius has yet to merge together the two companies satellites and it is still unknown whether they will be compatible to merge the broadcasts into one service.