RECEIVER ADVICE

 I have decide to write this article to assist my clients who have been calling, texting and emailing me to inquire about the various receivers we have in the market.
Today I have these to share with you:

There are 2 types of receivers,

1. Standard receivers

These can be free to air receivers or Free to air with a card slots and or cam slots. These receivers will tune to any channels on any satellites as they have the following software protocols built into them, Diseqc 1.0 and 1.1 for switching between multiple LNBs and Diseqc 1.2 and USALS for controlling a Diseqc motor on a motorised dish.
There is no extended program guide, only now and next. (However some receivers run a Linux operating system and it may be possible to find a "plug in" online which can offer an extended program guide for various program providers but this does need some research and IT skills.

2. Dedicated receivers like Freesat receivers. 

These receivers (Like Sky receivers). They have been built and licensed by a particular program provider. (A program provider usually has a number of channels on a satellite as do other program providers who share the same satellite and there may be individual channels on a satellite which are not part of a package). Dedicated receivers often have pre-programmed tuning capabilities and it may not be possible to scan in other channels / frequencies at all (e.g. freesat receivers) or if you can, only the frequencies it lets you and not others
(like Sky receivers - if you scan another satellite with a Sky receivers it will only scan in a % of channels, once the ones which coincidentally have the same frequencies as Sky channels).
Dedicated receivers usually do not have Diseqc 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 or USALS. Freesat and Sky receivers do not although other receivers on other satellites may have. (e.g. The dedicated "Strong" receivers for the French TNTsat package do have Diseqc and will tune to anything). Freesat receivers and Sky receivers are therefore not suitable for other satellites.
Dedicated receivers like freesat receivers do, however, come with a licensed extended program guide (EPG) which looks forward (usually about) a week. The latest generation freesat and Sky receivers also have an EPG which can look backwards a week (this requires and internet connection with a UK IP address). It is also called catch up TV.

Then there are single tuner receivers and twin tuner PVRs.

The latter lets you record one channel and watch another. Cheaper twin tuner PVRs may only have an external USB hard drive option. The top of the range receiver from any manufacturer is a twin tuner PVR with an internal hard drive option.

There are receivers with a standard operating system and receivers with a Linux operating system

This does not apply to dedicated receivers (only from option "1" above). Some receivers run a standard operating system and some receivers run a Linux operating system. The latter is more complicated, it is best if you have reasonable IT skills but you are rewarded with more features - Examples are - better IT connect-ability, steaming, and control from any computer in the world through a web interface.

Receivers Examples.

Good free to air (or card / CI) single tuner receivers -
(Note - single tuner receivers usually have USB and an external hard drive or USB stick can be connected so the the channel you are on can be recorded now or later).
Low cost -  freesat v7, v7 max, Fretek 220 fantassy, Sab sky 4780 HD (Sky is the model name - nothing to do with Sky TV) & others
If a larger budget is available -Technomate TM5402 and Technomate TM6902
Linux single tuner - Vu+ solo SE Version 2 
Good twin tuner PVR receivers -
Low cost twin tuner PVR -Icecrypt s3750
Ultimate twin tuner PVR -Icecrypt s6600
(The Icecrypt s6000 is Linux but unusually is as easy to use as a standard receiver).
and advanced Linux twin tuner PVR - Vu+Duo 2
Good dedicated UK single tuner receivers -
Freesat -Humax HB-1100S
Sky -DRX595
Good dedicated UK twin tuner PVR receivers -
Freesat -Humax HDR1100s
Sky - DRX895