I signed up for HD in May and D* sent me the Samsung 360. It's a decent box.
The infared is very touchy though. the IR on the box has a limited 'field of vision'. So if you're not right in front of the box, you can have a hard time changing channels, etc.
I also don't like that you can't adjust how long messages/banners appear on the screen. For example, the caller ID box stays on the screen for a good minute after you pick up the phone. I recall being able to adjust this on the RCA boxes.
You can try asking D* for the Hughes or RCA, but generally they will send you whatever the receiver du jour is.
If you sign up at a BB or CC, you should be able to choose from whatever receivers they have.