Slingbox

[WickerBill]

Anyone have any experience with this seemingly spectacular technology? It supposedly works with Tivos, satellite, etc. The premise is you hook it up in front of your set-top box, hook it up to your home network, tell it what port to use, and then connect to it via IP from any computer anywhere and watch your television.

So, the possibilities are pretty awesome -- watch my Tivo from a hotel room instead of the 10 channels they give me on the hotel TV; watch PTI or SportsCenter or Champions League at my desk at work (ahem); put my laptop in front of my treadmill (which is in a room w/ no TV) and watch whatever I want....

Am I missing something here? Is this as good as advertised? All the reviews I've read so far read like Gene Shalit movie reviews instead of anything remotely approaching objective.

[chop456]

http://www.epinions.com/Sling_Media_Silver_SlingBox_Personal_Broadcaster/display_~reviews

Only 2 reviews.

A forum:

http://www.slingboxers.com/

After some bad moderation, expect a Slingboxer rebellion. :gomer:

:boo:

[nrc]

There's been some discussion of it over on the Tivocommunity. Generally very positive reviews "if you can justify the cost".

http://www.tivocommunity.com

[SteveH]

No experience w/ Slingbox, the concept sounds valid. However my experience with broadband at hotels has been spotty. Many are converting to wireless and are usually overloaded. I would think that bandwidth could become a limiting factor.

[dando]

WB, I've read bits about it, but lately my attention has been focused on finding the right projector for my HT. Conceptually and on paper, it sounds awesome, but I'm sure that getting it integrated into the network will result in some gotchas. AVSForum is a great resource for all things AV. Go to this forum (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=39), and search for Slingbox to view all reviews and user feedback on it. Once I get my home theater built (due for completion early next year), I'll definitely look into it. I just want to drop a DVD player and audio receiver into my equipment rack, and then add a media server to grab TV and recorded shows from the family room setup.

Some user comments from Techbargains/Pricegrabber (which I usually find useful):

http://techbargains.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/masterid=9814732/id_type=masterid

-Kevin

[oddlycalm]

Slingbox is all about whether you have the bandwidth, both at your home location and also where you want to watch from. Outside of that and the one stream limit, it's a very cool device for those that travel.

BTW, dando, what projector have you settled on?

oc

[WickerBill]

I very well might be spending a few months in the motherland soon, so I can't tell you how spectacular this would be for me.... if it works as advertised. I have monster bandwidth at home (12mb down 4mb up) so that won't be my popoff valve....

[fourrunner]

Verizon is coming tommorow to hook up it's new FiOS Internet connection ... I signed up for the 15 down / 2 up , it's $44.95 per month for the first year plus 1 month free + $50.00 rebate

They also have 5/2 & 30/5

Free install (wired) $64.99 (wireless)

Hope its good !!

[dando]

WB, looks like Amazon has them on special:


Sling Media: The Slingbox $205 shipped free, Dec 9

$30 Price drop. amazon has the Sling Media: The Slingbox for a low $205 after rebate. Free shipping. Tax in KS, ND, WA.

Enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are.

-Kevin

[dando]

BTW, dando, what projector have you settled on?

Well, do you mean what am I unsettled on? :) Reading all the reviews and comments on these is mind boggling. The 1st official IF 4805 thread on AVS has been viewed 1.1mm times, and has 18K posts on it! :eek: I'm debating on a cheap 480p...InFocus 4805 or Optoma H31...and then upgrading in the future to a true 720p or 1080p PJ. However, I am considering the low-end of the 720p spectrum, so I'm also looking @ a BenQ PE7700, which can be had for ~$2K now with a free bulb. They've apparently corrected the quality issues folks have been reporting. I'm a DLP guy, so I'm avoiding LCDs (thus no Panny 700/900 or Sanyo Z*). InFocus is going to introduce new models next month @ CEDIA, so I may hold off until next month to see when those will become available. The pics I've seen of these are pretty slick. 720p model @ $2.5K MSRP. This will be a dedicated theater room, so almost exclusively movies, but maybe an occasional big game in HD. So 720p would be nice, but that's mainly for HD, so I can prolly get by with a 480p model for now. I'll hafta get some pics up when it's finished.

Also a consideration is to keep the CRT PJ I have from my old HT setup, but those things are such a PITA to converge it's not even funny. I spent $4500 on that thing ~5 years ago ($12K MSRP), and now I can get a better image @ 25% of that cost. Amazing!

-Kevin

[WickerBill]

WB, looks like Amazon has them on special:



-Kevin

Link me! All I see on Amazon is $249 w/ $30 off if you get an Amazon Visa.

[dando]

Link me! All I see on Amazon is $249 w/ $30 off if you get an Amazon Visa.
Sorry for not including the link. FYI, the deal is AR (after rebate) - $50 rebate. Here's the linkage from Techbargains.com, and the updated deal info:

http://techbargains.com/jump.cfm?id=108&arg=B000AMLXHW

http://techbargains.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=9814732&search=SB100-100


Sling Media: The Slingbox $199 shipped free, Dec 9

$30 Price drop. amazon has the Sling Media: The Slingbox for a low $205 after rebate. No monthly fees. Free shipping. Tax in KS, ND, WA.

Enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are.

ebuyer has it for $199 with no rebate. Free shipping. Tax in AZ, TX, TN.

$50 rebate Exp 12/10/05 Email Deal Similar Deals

Rebate link:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/00/10/00/15/13/04/100015130401.pdf

EDIT: direct link to ebuyer deal:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=224515&_LOC=US

-Kevin

[dando]

WB, I noticed in this weekend's ads that the price dropped to $199 @ most of the brick & mortar outlets, too.

-Kevin

[dando]

WB, looks like Amazon has a better deal (plus no tax or shipping):


Sling Media: The Slingbox $189.99 shipped free, Dec 13

Price drop. amazon has the Sling Media: The Slingbox for a low $199.99 - 5% off Code: CUSTAPPRSAVE (Exp 12/20) = $189.99 No monthly fees. Free shipping. Tax in KS, ND, WA.

Enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are.

Linkage on Techbargains.com.

-Kevin

[WickerBill]

Unreal.

I just wanted you to know that.

Wow.

[dando]

Unreal.

I just wanted you to know that.

Wow.
You wanna give me a linky and login to view? :gomer: :p

-Kevin

[WickerBill]

Nooo, it's mine, preciousss.....


Yeah, but give me a day or two to figure out how to change the password before I go handing it out. :)

[KLang]

I saw a short CES report on CNN this morning that said you will soon be able to watch that video on your cell phone. If you should want to that is.

[Dirty Sanchez]

I hear the resolution of the video it pushes out is pretty crappy.

[dando]

I hear the resolution of the video it pushes out is pretty crappy.
It's just in its infancy now. Once the changeover to HD happens in '09, the analog frequencies will be available for wireless services with more bandwidth and reach.

-Kevin

[WickerBill]

I hear the resolution of the video it pushes out is pretty crappy.

Judge for yourself....

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/bugmenot1234/sbcap1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/bugmenot1234/sbcap3.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c163/bugmenot1234/sbcap2.jpg

[cart7]

Slingbox? I call it a Kaiserbox, others call it a Slingbox. uhhh huh

[chop456]

$159 at Buy.com w/free shipping.

How big/intrusive is the desktop software? Say, if I wanted to install it somewhere I'm not supposed to be installing anything. Wink wink, nudge nudge - know what I mean?

[WickerBill]

It's huge.

55mb download, I think.

[TrueBrit]

Slingbox...isn't that the name of that crappy movie with Brangelina's ex husband, you know, the one we all watched just because Halle Berry took all of her kit off.....?;)

[racer2c]

Slingbox...isn't that the name of that crappy movie with Brangelina's ex husband, you know, the one we all watched just because Halle Berry took all of her kit off.....?;)

Halle and Billy Bob starred in Monster's Ball in which Halle did reveal her 'talents'.

Billy Bob starred in the movie Sling Blade about a 'simple man' who likes potatos.
Post 22 is in reference to that movie.

[WickerBill]

Kit! Ha! Look at the funny British guy!

(j/k, Setanta and FSC have me saying funny words just like you)

[chop456]

$110 w/free shipping at Buy.com (http://www.buy.com/prod/slingbox-tuner/q/loc/111/203138518.html)

[WickerBill]

Works incredibly well IND to London, btw.

Which is good because this Hilton has 6 channels and 4 are news only. Junk.

[nrc]

Works incredibly well IND to London, btw.

Which is good because this Hilton has 6 channels and 4 are news only. Junk.

No BCC America?

[TravelGal]

Bringing this back up becaused a number of our Canadian friends are still waiting for news of a CC broadcast partner.

Can someone in the US "sling" the ESPN (or any) signal to a laptop in Canada (or NZ, for Kiwifan)?

For example, I have a home network. If I give the key code to someone, can they log into that network? How do they? That's the part I don't understand.

Sorry for the basic questions but CCWS fans are getting desperate!

[nrc]

Bringing this back up becaused a number of our Canadian friends are still waiting for news of a CC broadcast partner.

Can someone in the US "sling" the ESPN (or any) signal to a laptop in Canada (or NZ, for Kiwifan)?

For example, I have a home network. If I give the key code to someone, can they log into that network? How do they? That's the part I don't understand.

Sorry for the basic questions but CCWS fans are getting desperate!

If they're resorting to streaming video over the internet, why not use Race Director?

[TravelGal]

Because it's so small. Is the slingbox that small also?

Not to mention that RD does not include all those wonderful production value laden minutes prior to the race and afterward.

[WickerBill]

TravelGal,

Absolutely. I, err... "slung" (slinged? Done slang?) while I was in England and Singapore with no problems (that is, watched the Sling that is in my bedroom in Indy from my hotel in those places). Worked like a charm. I know of people who have bought friends in Chicago Slingboxes so they can watch Cubs games.

Here is how it works: the Slingbox connects between your last set-top box (DVR, DVD, cable box) and your TV, and also connects to your internet connection. It puts a code for itself out on Sling Media's servers called a "Finder", so as long as someone has that finder code and the password you set up, they can connect from anywhere on earth. Nobody is logging in to your home PCs, or your home network *at all*.

Screen size: you can scale it from tiny to full screen; obviously the quality will depend on A. how fast the Sling can push data to the internet and B. how fast the user can pull data from the internet. I have 768k upstream at home and regularly watch Champions League games at work in an 800x600-ish window and it looks pretty darn good.

Let me do a screen grab and post it here.... give me 5 mins.

[WickerBill]

Here ya go... (a little something for Ank too!)


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/456452043_112b8fd5de_o.jpg

[Ankf00]

:flame:


















:cry:

[TravelGal]

Thanks WB. We'll investigate and see if our Canadian friends want to invest in the box. I'm assuming the simplest version will work?

Ank, wtf? I mean, what on earth do you mean, my dear? Edit: OH, I see, I'm actually supposed to look at the picture, not just the quality of it.

[Insomniac]

Thanks WB. We'll investigate and see if our Canadian friends want to invest in the box. I'm assuming the simplest version will work?

Ank, wtf? I mean, what on earth do you mean, my dear? Edit: OH, I see, I'm actually supposed to look at the picture, not just the quality of it.

There's another type that has an integrated tuner, so if you have cable, you just hook it up to a free cable outlet and don't worry about it.

[RusH]

Sony is in full assault with competing products that streams near HD quality.
Just heard from the little birdie at Best Buy.

[WickerBill]

Buy Sony's LocationFree stuff if you want the best of the best with bugs and high prices to match.


Buy Slingbox if you just want it to work.

[chop456]

I'd really like to do this but I only have one sat box.



:flame:




:cry:

That's what you get for supporting a team named after a tomato. :p

[Insomniac]

I'd really like to do this but I only have one sat box.

If one person doesn't need to watch it on the TV that it is hooked to and the other with the slingbox (basically, if only one person needs to control your sat box) then you should be okay. Many have multiple outputs.