VU+ DUO or the VU+ SOLO will be the best for your needs based on what you've asked for BUT they don't have RF out and neither do the Dreamboxes mentioned, so you would need an RF adapter if you MUST have this feature...
The VU+ DUO has all the other things you ask for Optical, HDMI, Ethernet, cam slots, card readers, USB slots for disks, unlimited channels, flexible software usage, etc. and can also add a SATA driver internally up to 2TB, it is of course also twin tuner so record one channel while watching another, has twin card slots and twin CAM slots, twin scart + HDMI, it's THE receiver to have at the moment. Very easy to flash new firmware via USB stick. Runs open source Enigma2 (Linux) firmware and is supported by various third party groups (quite important when you are talking Linux and Enigma2). Cost ?399
VU+ SOLO has the same as the DUO except it's only single tuner, single card slot, no internal harddrive (external via USB only), single scart and no front panel display. Very easy to flash new firmware via USB stick. Runs open source Enigma2 (Linux) firmware and is supported by various third party groups (quite important when you are talking Linux and Enigma2). Cost ?299
DM500HD - No CAM slots, single tuner, single card slot, single scart, no RF out and uses eSATA drive for PVR plus other fuctions, no front panel display. Fairly easy to flash new firmware but requires you do this via USB lead connected to PC or via web interface (either way a PC is required). Runs open source Enigma2 (Linux) firmware and is supported by various third party groups (quite important when you are talking Linux and Enigma2). Cost ?319
DM800HD - No CAM slots, single tuner, single card slot, single scart, no RF out and uses 2.5" SATA drive only internally or you can use external USB drive for PVR plus other fuctions. Now discontinued and will be replaced by the DM800-SE later in the year (maybe!). Fairly easy to flash new firmware but requires you do this via null modem cable connected to PC or via web interface (either way a PC is required). Runs open source Enigma2 (Linux) firmware and is supported by various third party groups (quite important when you are talking Linux and Enigma2). Cost ?389
Technomate TM-800 - Might end up having the features you want, is VERY early stages on the software at the moment and right now it simply can't offer what you need, weather in future software updates it will remains to be seen, at the moment my advice would be to avoid. Runs open source Enigma2 (Linux) firmware BUT only has an unfinished UR release firmware at the moment and appears to not have any other third party support. Cost ?249
Over all the above it's fairly clear to me the VU+ DUO is the one that stands out, if you can't stretch to that then the SOLO (due out in a couple of weeks), Dreambox are to exspensive, with less features and poorer build quality. RF Adapters to add to all of the above I would estimate around ?30 for the brand new type, but there are often cheaper 'used' ones around of these on eBay, so well worth a look if you really must have the RF out. Hope this helps
Bookmarks