Ok, you have made the decision of entering the world of FTA or want to upgrade to a better receiver. But the question is what receiver should I purchase? There are allot of manufactures and models to choose from. Starting out there are allot of questions, I will try to answer the most asked questions;


Should I buy a used or new? Buy New, as this "industry" is like the Cell phone industry, new features, more user friendly, better compatability, Etc.

Is there one receiver that is easyer to program? All new receivers are about the same, like driving a car, You get out of a Ford into a Toyota, basicly everything is there, just in different places.

Where should I get advise on the receivers I am considering? This Forum, Give the greatest weight to the "Senior" members with multiple receivers. There are many who have one receiver and think it is the greatest (just like your first car, the best car in the world!).

Where should I buy from? Any reputable satellite dealer, such as the ones that advertise on this site, ONLY IF they carry the manufacture and model that you have chosen. Note: stick with your selection, do not get talked into another that they have a "special" on, If they can't supply your selection, find another dealer who can.

Clones, what are they? If the receiver is popular there will be Clones, a better more accurate description would be "Counterfeit". A clone or counterfeit is a PHYSICAL copy of the original, they will even have the logo's and trademarks, they look exactly like the original. But that is where it quits, the insides are different, and the original manufactures programs that change frequently will not always work in the clones. They have very poor support. STAY AWAY FROM CLONES! Buy from a reputable dealer. If in question, ask the dealer, is it a clone? and use a credit card, for protection.

What is the "key" in selection of a receiver? SUPPORT! Support if the most important "feature" of the receiver. Many people get wrapped up in the speed of the processor, the size of the memory etc. While these features are important, they are secondary to support. If you buy the NEW "SUPER WAZZO" receiver that was the dealer special, and the dealer tells you it is a great receiver, however after the next ECM (Electronic Counter Measure, the providers send them to confuse non-subscribing receivers) and it is not supported in a timely manor. With the new "SUPER WAZZO" there are few answers and IF'y support, because it is new and not yet popular. The senior members and Mod's will or may not have the answers. So you wait for a answer or a new program, your receiver is down and wife pissed! - - So what to do? - - Buy a "Seasoned" receiver with good support. Seasoned = been on the market 2 years or longer with a good track record of supporting its products with updates. With the "Seasoned" receiver it will have alot more support in this forum, as the Mod's and Senior Members will be more likely to own them, and thus more familuar with them. Another area that is not talked about and is very pertinant, is receiver and software stability, there are receivers w/programs that have a assortment of problems that show up, vidio glitches, rebooting the receiver, locking up, just to name a few. This again is usually poor software support.
Support = How long does it take the receiver manufacture to get the program for the receiver adjusted and YOUR receiver up & running after a major ECM (Electronic Counter Measure). This will be YOUR down time, and the $20.00 that was saved on the new "Super Wazzo" receiver may not have been such a great deal!

Some pointers; Look in the "FTA Receivers - Files Only" forum, under the Manufacture/Model headings and compare the software download dates on the receivers that you are considering after a ECM (Electronic Counter Measure), what Manufacture and Model had the fix the quickest?
A feature that is worth consideration is the USB memory stick programing and is avaiable on some receivers. The receiver has the usual serial port for programing, plus a additional USB port feature, this uses a USB memory stick/drive to transfer the programs from your computer to the receiver instead of the usual serial cable. It is fast and convenient. I highly recommend it.

My top picks for stable and supported receivers as of 08/24/2008; For HD the Sonicview SV8000, For Standard Def. with USB loading; Sonicview SV-360 (single or dual tuner), Captiveworks CW-700/800, Viewsat VS-2000 Pro, Ultra or Ultra Lite, Note: There are/will be CLONES (counterfeits) of the above receivers, do your homework! Don't end up with a clone!

So many times on all forums the question is asked “what receiver is best”, or “what receiver should I buy”.
These questions will always get bias answers, as each will recommend what they think is best.

What is best for one may not be best for you.
Ask yourself these questions and it should help you decide what receiver is right for you.
After all is done it will take some research on your part, but this should give you a good start.

Is this your first receiver, are you up-grading or adding another receiver.

If up-grading or adding, what do you want that your current receiver doesn’t offer.

Are you after DN & BEV only, or also interested in FTA.

What satellites/channel’s do you want. (Some research is needed here, as not all satellites are available in all area’s).

Will you be using a motorized or stationary dish(s).

What equipment do you have, and how much are you willing to invest in this hobby.

What are the extra features you “must” have (USB loading, PVR, HD, etc.).

Keep in mind that any unit with good support will get the same satellites & channel’s that the more expensive units get, other than HD.
It’s the added features that may make a difference, and all units I have seen have a picture quality equal or better than a sub box.

Now it’s time for the research part.
I would not recommend any manufactures over another. I will say stick with one of the more popular manufacturers.
Once you make your choice visit their site, and purchase from an authorized dealer only.

If wanting DN & BEV only, 3rd party support is #1. Research the forums for the unit your interested in, are the coders keeping up.
If you plan on using a motorized dish do the research, some control a motor fine, others not so well.

I guess the bottom line is use the “search” option, do the research. If the forum your on doesn’t support a unit your interested in join another, there’s many out there.
Asking someone else what receiver to buy is useless. A Viewsat owner will say Viewsat, Pansat owner will say Pansat, Etc., Etc., Etc., and this is not necessarily what’s right for you.

PVR: A DVD recorder works better than most PVR’s and can be used with other equipment. Not worth the added cost.

If you can afford the best, and money is no object, by all means splurge and buy the best with all options.
If all you want is TV any of the cheaper “supported” units will work.