Review on GTMEDIA DVB S2X Satellite Receiver Generation by Paul Wilson

I've been doing FTA for about 13 years and needed a basic box to replace my previous one which was struck by lightning. I live in the US (Indiana) and use a 1m Ku dish with an SG2100 motor. No major complaints so far. It loads quickly, the GUI is easy to navigate, the image quality is excellent, and there are no audio/video sync issues. Overall it's very simple and there is no need to look into the manual which is basic at best. USALS was easy to set up and DiSEqC1.2 allows manual East and West switching. Blind scanning is very fast and doesn't seem to miss any channels. The option to enter a transponder manually is a bit hidden in the menu, but doable. The location of the remote control is excellent and the buttons are pleasant to the touch. It also has a learning function for the 4 buttons on the top. The device includes a WiFi dongle that is easy to set up in the network menu, but the only menu item is YouTube and it doesn't work. It most likely needs an update which I haven't done yet. I don't know much about IKS or encryption, but there is a secret menu with many different options. It also has typical recording and timeshifting capabilities when connected to a USB stick or HD. As with most boxes, only a few satellites are pre-programmed for North America. Adding satellites literally takes seconds. Specify the location and give it a name. I currently have 13 satellites configured. I have noticed that many boxes get unfair/unhelpful 1 star ratings because they are only pre-programmed with East satellites where FTA is popular. If you don't know how to add west satellites then there is nothing for you in the FTA hobby. Some cons: It doesn't have an optical output, which I would have liked. It doesn't stream to your phone or tablet over Wi-Fi like my previous box. USB updates only, no RS232 port. So if you screw it up, there's probably no hope of getting it back. It's not the best FTA box, but still a solid 5 star for the price.