Which is better?

Try moving it to the DirecTV forum. You may get a better response.

Any plans for a DirecTivo system in the future? You might need extra feeds (a DirecTivo uses two feeds for its two-tuner feature). I'm guessing a four room system with 18" dish will only offer a 2 x 4 multiswitch. Only four feeds available and no access to satellites other than the primary 101º location.

What about your locals? or HDTV? They come from 110º or 119º satellites which would require another satellite dish plus a 4 x 4 (or 8) multiswitch.

Just some techie stuff to think about.

I don't have experience with the receivers, so I can't recommend one over the others.

I already have the 18x24 dish for locals, a friend gave it to us. It has the built in multiswitch. I am going to have the installer install the 18x24 dish and we will let him take the 18" or put it on e-bay or something. I just want to know which boxes I should go with.

Personal preference for me is the Hughes boxes. As far as entry level boxes go they are the best. They do have their faults, caller id feature is hit or miss, some of them lose time etc. But I like their guide layout the best, they seem to be the fastest (RCAs are dog slow and I dislike their guide layout and remote) The Hughes boxes are manufactured by the same folks that bring you D* so any problems in the system are fixed for Hughes owners first.

They all work, none of them are outright junk, I am just stating my preference. I see all of them on a daily basis (I am a D* tech). My personal system has a Hughes and 3 Sonys (Manufactured by Hughes).

HTH

RR