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Chances are you have a love-hate relationship with conventional radio. Sure, you probably appreciate radio's steady stream of music, news, and sports broadcasts. Plus, there's radio's alluring mystery factor--you never know what you might hear when you tune in. (Bet you can't say that about the old, familiar playlists in your MP3 player!)

Unfortunately, it's easy to forget all that as soon as you consider the flip side of radio: the endless surfing through a handful of stations, staticy reception, and steady flow of obnoxious commercials.

Enter satellite radio, the antidote to conventional AM/FM radio's most annoying traits. Sure, it involves mastering more tech gadgetry, and unlike your father's radio, it's not free. On the other hand, it offers great reception, tons of music and special-interest stations, and stations that transmit not just music, but handy text information, like sport scores and stock quotes. So how does this all work, and how much will you have to pay? Read on--we'll take a look at the benefits, how much it costs, and how to pick out the equipment that's right for you.