Sony SAT B2 receiver vs new receivers

[jmatotek]

I currently have Sony SAT B2 receivers. Do the new receivers have better picture quality? Or has the only improvement been in the menus? Also is there a difference in piture quality between different brand receivers?
Thanks
John

[HarryD]

It's possible that the DirecTV picture could look different among different recvs. You would have to try that yourself and a BB or CC or a dealer's shop. Improvements to the new recv's are faster processors and more memory..

[crkeehn]

Picture quality should be the same, the difference would be in the menus and features. Newer receivers should have added a number of features which were not previously available. Among them would be open TV/Wink as well as the advanced Program Guide. The Advanced Program guide is a big improvement. The receivers have sufficient memory to store about 3 days of program listings in memory which will result in much more rapid browsing as well as the ability to search listings.

In my prior incarnation, I had a Hughes HIRD-B2 receiver. Basic browsing was fine but to jump more than a couple hours into the future meant that the system had to pause to download the guide information. You could jump into the future but it took so long it wasn't worth it.

We have resubscribed to DirecTV recently and got a pair of Samsung SIR 300 receivers. Access to the guide is much quicker and the only time I see a download is when power to the unit has been lost. The download takes only about a minute and then you're good to go.

[boba]

The B2 also is not a plus receiver so it can't access the 110 & 119 satellites but most of the channels are on 101 so you probably don't need that feature.

[crkeehn]

The B2 also is not a plus receiver so it can't access the 110 & 119 satellites but most of the channels are on 101 so you probably don't need that feature.

I'd forgotten about the plus receiver issue. I don't remember the HIRD B-2 being a plus receiver either. That was one of the things that drove me away from Directv the previous time. We had DirecTV through Bell Atlantic/Verizon and they leased the receivers rather than selling them, or charged full freight. To get the Baltimore locals at the time I would have had to get an oval dish as well as pay extra to lease a plus compatible receiver. I could't run down to my local Best Buy and buy one as Bell ATlantic would activate only a receiver that they sold or leased.