Buying a HD receiver for Free to Air can be a frustrating experience. First, there are so many models to choose from, then you hear people saying that FTA sucks and that you should just stay with a service such as Dish network.

How can you cut through all the noise and find a receiver that satisfies your needs?

Here are my three very best tips that I use whenever I’m buying tech stuff. Especially tech stuff that I don’t really understand or where there are a lot of different opinions.

Tip #1 – Always Check Online Reviews

This is a great way to prevent any kinds of disappointments and frustrations. I usually go to Amazon.com and read the reviews even if I don’t indent to buy from them.

I always read the positive and the negative ones and then decide for myself which gadget is right for me.

Tip #2 – Buy Three, Return Two

Here’s a neat little trick I sometimes use when I’m not 100% sure what I want. This one exploits 100% Money Back, No Questions Asked type guarantees.

Okay here it is.

If you’re not sure which FTA satellite receiver to get, buy the three ones that get closest to your needs. Then simply test them all out at home and return the two you don’t want - or all three of them if you’re not satisfied with any of them.

Tip #3 – Use Knock-Out Criteria

Instead of thinking in terms of wants, think in terms of “Don’t want”. Instead of being paralyzed by all the choices, knock out a lot of options with don’t-want criteria. Then use Tip #2 on the ones that survive the filtering process.

Whenever I tell a friend how I approach buying tech stuff they say I’m a little crazy. But trust me, I almost never end up with a gadget that I didn’t want or that I don’t enjoy.

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