Questions About S/H (Beginner)

[Windy]

Been reading up a bunch and am confused (again ).

Looking at the plant photos using S/H method, I can't tell the difference between clear plastic pots versus the S/H pots (they both have holes). What's the difference?

Also, do you still use a soaking method for watering? Or, is the pot put into a tray filled with fertilized water?

I've purchased so much stuff (fertilizer [MSU], pots, media) for my orchids and don't want to buy more. They're growing very slowly (each has progress), but I have problems keeping up with watering them. I'm thinking of trying S/H (I have a bunch of lava rock).