I once bought a Merc II for $150 + shipping, and amazingly, it didn't stutter on h.264 feeds at all.
Of course, it couldn't decode them, so no stuttering. The Openbox has many flaws, and I doubt they will ever be fixed, but the price is so low, that it's a bargain.
Pros:
1. Fast and effective blindscan.
2. Good looking display
3. Cheap price
4. 64 Diseqc 1.2 positions. User selectable.
5. Good USALS implementation.
6. Much less confusing than Azbox to operate ( far fewer functions ! ) .
7. No overheating issues, it stays cool 24/7 , so far.
Cons:
1. No 4:2:2 video
2. Inability to tell whether a particular feed is DVB-S or DVB-S2 or FEC value ( simply too automatic for my liking ).
3. No manual PID entry ( but that can be done with a channel editor).
4. Ethernet port is pretty much useless, apparently used for "key-swapping" in Europe.
5. All video ports are not always useable. If you select 1080i output for example, the composite video doesn't work because it can't display that format. There is no conversion. Azbox ports ALL seem to work ALL the time.
You'll get a better receiver, if you buy an Azbox HD . Got the money ? If the Pansat 9200 HD didn't overheat ( according to reports) so often, it would also be better than the Openbox . Got the money ? You see a pattern here, it's bang for the buck. If you must have 4:2:2 video, get an Azbox and make your life easy ( or use a PCI solution, like I currently do) . If money is tight, and you need an HD receiver, the Openbox HD is the choice.