So, what are the criteria for the comparison?
Please, add to this or correct me [after all, I am from Humanities, an amateur, not a professional in technical sciences] - but I propose the following... for now...
1) Processor
-speed?
-is it safe to overclock and by how much, not to destabilise the receiver?
-A-V codecs already at the HW level [licences paid for by the designing/manufacturing company]?
2) Motherboard
-capable of twin tuner function?
-can it handle Picture-in-Picture [PiP]?
-streaming supported properly [the "South Bridge" capable of data throughput necessary for high bitrate streams?]?
-expansion slots [memory and tuners]?
-overheating/cooling?
-how much memory?
-HDMI loopthrough?
3) Tuners
-twin tuner function - how many channels can be recorded at the same time [given one has twin LNBs on a dish]?
-sensitivity to weak signal?
-1080p?
-blindscan [HW or SW based], thoroughness and speed of doing so?
-PnP or built into the motherboard?
-4:2:2 supported?
-all DiSEqC protocols fully supported [including v. 1.1, with at least 16 twin LNBs]?
4) How many card readers/CI slots
-universal built-in card readers?
-compatibility with all CI CAMs?
5) HDD/PVR function
-compatibility [internal, external]?
-power supply sufficient for all the tasks, including powering up the external HDDs without their own power supply and the cooling fan?
-versatility/functionality [recording from deep standby, recording from EPG, pause etc.]
-reading from/writing to NTFS formatted disk?
6) Multimedia
-how many audio, visual and audio-visual formats are supported and how [on the level of HW or by SW/plugins]?
-streaming supported in all directions [from the receiver to a PC or vice versa - external HDD -> USB, eSATA, PC or NAS to receiver]?
-synced properly or controls to sync it manually present?
-no problems with high bitrate A-V files [stuttering or freezing, not synced etc.]?
7) Support
-all the necessary tools given to the community?
-how many teams are writing for a receiver?
-which OS's are supported [original, perhaps non-Linux, Enigma2, Neutrino]?
-support servers are stable and always online, with everything written for a receiver already waiting there for easy and efficient download directly into a receiver and installation [from OS to Emulators/CS SW, EPG, subtitles and all manner of other plugins]?
8) Price [all inclusive] and warranty
-clones rarely have warranty
-additional, excessive Postage & Packaging costs?
-HDMI cable included?
9) Remote control
-quality of build?
-full functionality [unmapped, "dead" buttons?]?
10) CS support [more than just CCcam]
-card reader?
-server?
-client?
-managers/built-in editors [all via remote] for all those?
11) Company attitude towards customers
-interested in what customers have to say?
-promptness in acting towards remedying potential problems?
-taking responsibility for its [in]actions?
12) Price
-value for money?
-quality of build?
-long-term support?
13) Does it also wash the dishes and keep the dog quiet?
Please, add to this or correct me [after all, I am from Humanities, an amateur, not a professional in technical sciences] - but I propose the following... for now...
1) Processor
-speed?
-is it safe to overclock and by how much, not to destabilise the receiver?
-A-V codecs already at the HW level [licences paid for by the designing/manufacturing company]?
2) Motherboard
-capable of twin tuner function?
-can it handle Picture-in-Picture [PiP]?
-streaming supported properly [the "South Bridge" capable of data throughput necessary for high bitrate streams?]?
-expansion slots [memory and tuners]?
-overheating/cooling?
-how much memory?
-HDMI loopthrough?
3) Tuners
-twin tuner function - how many channels can be recorded at the same time [given one has twin LNBs on a dish]?
-sensitivity to weak signal?
-1080p?
-blindscan [HW or SW based], thoroughness and speed of doing so?
-PnP or built into the motherboard?
-4:2:2 supported?
-all DiSEqC protocols fully supported [including v. 1.1, with at least 16 twin LNBs]?
4) How many card readers/CI slots
-universal built-in card readers?
-compatibility with all CI CAMs?
5) HDD/PVR function
-compatibility [internal, external]?
-power supply sufficient for all the tasks, including powering up the external HDDs without their own power supply and the cooling fan?
-versatility/functionality [recording from deep standby, recording from EPG, pause etc.]
-reading from/writing to NTFS formatted disk?
6) Multimedia
-how many audio, visual and audio-visual formats are supported and how [on the level of HW or by SW/plugins]?
-streaming supported in all directions [from the receiver to a PC or vice versa - external HDD -> USB, eSATA, PC or NAS to receiver]?
-synced properly or controls to sync it manually present?
-no problems with high bitrate A-V files [stuttering or freezing, not synced etc.]?
7) Support
-all the necessary tools given to the community?
-how many teams are writing for a receiver?
-which OS's are supported [original, perhaps non-Linux, Enigma2, Neutrino]?
-support servers are stable and always online, with everything written for a receiver already waiting there for easy and efficient download directly into a receiver and installation [from OS to Emulators/CS SW, EPG, subtitles and all manner of other plugins]?
8) Price [all inclusive] and warranty
-clones rarely have warranty
-additional, excessive Postage & Packaging costs?
-HDMI cable included?
9) Remote control
-quality of build?
-full functionality [unmapped, "dead" buttons?]?
10) CS support [more than just CCcam]
-card reader?
-server?
-client?
-managers/built-in editors [all via remote] for all those?
11) Company attitude towards customers
-interested in what customers have to say?
-promptness in acting towards remedying potential problems?
-taking responsibility for its [in]actions?
12) Price
-value for money?
-quality of build?
-long-term support?
13) Does it also wash the dishes and keep the dog quiet?