I did wonder about the AX HD61 but it might be a bit new and have a few teething troubles, while the SF8008 is in the position where it's reached some sort of maturity, while still being supported by the manufacturer.

Is there anything major to make it worth the extra cash? I would never say money is no object and I do like to see value for it. I can see it has an internal HDD slot but, if I intend to use an SD that's not a big deal. It also says it has double the RAM, which presumably helps at some point with performance. Does this make the picture better or make the box more responsive? On the downside HD61 doesn't have GB LAN or a USB 3.0 port, but those don't seem particularly vital, if my reading of various threads is correct. I do have a Synology NAS, so would transfer files, etc, from the box (and possibly play them via the box). I don't need/won't use the built-in WiFi on the Octagon, so that is not a key point. The remotes look pretty similar.

Sorry for asking a few questions and thanks in advance for any views you have

Tony