Philips DSX5350R DIRECTV Receiver (see restrictions)
Average at best..
I wanted a Philips brand receiver because my TV, VCR, and DVD are all made by Philips. It is conveinent to have the remote work automatically without having to program it and I have always liked their products. BUT, I do not like this receiver. For those who do not know, there is a big difference between the different brands of DirecTv receivers. <br />The guide displays on this model is inferior to those of other receivers I have used mainly the cheaper Hughes systems.  Hughes is much more functional when it comes to searching the guides and setting your favorite channels. When viewing the 'Info' of a program, the Philips receiver displays the info over the main part of the screen, while Hughes displays the 'Info' over the top portion of the screen. It doesn't sound like much, but it is nice to be able to search for another show while still watching the one on the TV. <br />Also when scrolling on the on-screen guide, Philips only displays the current program playing. Other receivers display the next hour or so worth of programming. This is really bad when searching for someting to watching at 10:27 because everything is almost over, and the Philips is only going to show you the program the is currently on, not what is also coming on afterwards. The only way to view what is about to come is to view the full-screen guide in which you can not view a program and view the full-screen guide at the same time. <br />I have also used the a few RCA receivers. The receivers are not bad, but the remote is harder to operate than the Philips and Hughes remotes. The Hughes remote does light up making it very easy to operate in the dark. The Philips and RCA are not back lit.