Review: Slingbox Pro

I have heard from several of my friends how cool Slinging is with their Slingbox. If this is a new term for you, simply put, it means using a box that is hooked up to your DVR (Digital Video Recorder, similar Tivo) and your cablevision or satellite TV through your home network so you tin can picket TV from your Windows mobile telephone or laptop. Now watching TV on your WM phone may non be a new concept with services similar SprintTV available, but I was blown away with how much more of... well, of everything that my Slingbox Pro offers across any other service or program or spider web streaming link I have always seen before. The bottom line is that if y'all accept heard whatsoever of the hype about Slinging, and then ignore it, considering chances are it was understated.

I will accept you through a detailed review of this incredible device from setup, to optimizing your viewing, to remote controlling your DVR from anywhere in the world.

OVERVIEW

Often times people practice not quite sympathise what the Slingbox is actually all about, so before we start really digging in let's make certain nosotros are all on the same folio. Beginning of all there are no monthly fees. You lot purchase the device and employ it. Simply put, the Slingbox allows yous to sentry TV from any internet continued Windows / MAC computer or Laptop or from whatsoever smartphone with WM, Palm, or Symbian Os from anywhere in the world.

Merely that is just the get-go. It will also allow you lot to control your DVR. This means that you tin can watch any shows or movies that you accept recorded on your DVR from your WM phone. You have full control of your DVR and then you can record shows, delete shows in your listing, view the guide, modify channels, etc... as if you lot were right in front of your Idiot box.

With the Pro version of the Slingbox you can connect to multiple devices, upwards to a full of four at the same fourth dimension. This means you can connect your slingbox to your DVR, DVD player, home security cameras, Apple tree TV, bones or digital cable box, satellite receiver, etc. Information technology can support upwards to 5,000 devices.

If you want to sentinel a great introduction of what the Slingbox is all about, then Go Hither

*(Ed Annotation: Prices below accept been corrected)*

Delight note that there are different versions of the Slingbox. The most common ones are the Slingbox Tuner, Slingbox AV ($129.99), and the Slingbox Pro ($229.95). The two main choices most will wait at will exist the Slingbox AV and the Slingbox Pro . The main difference between the Slingbox AV and the Slingbox Pro is that the Slingbox Pro supports High Definition and supports up to 4 devices being hooked upwardly at once. The Slingbox AV only allows one device hooked up at whatever 1 time with no High Definition support. Take a expect at the detailed comparing nautical chart for complete details.

I wanted this review to be more than simply hyping up the Slingbox, I as well wanted it to exist helpful once y'all actually do suspension downward and buy one of these absurd gadgets. So this review will be a petty more detailed than most. This review will exist focusing on the Slingbox Pro ($229.95).

SETUP

I ordered my Slingbox from WMExperts (and aye I paid for it myself!). It was shipped out fast and arrived inside 2 days. When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised that it was smaller than I imagined it was from looking at the pictures online. Its dimensions are just sixteen.38 x ten.0 x iii.12 inches (W x H x D). There was surprisingly niggling documentation included, but this proved to just exist a inkling of how simple information technology is to gear up under normal circumstances. Here is all the setup data you lot should demand. There is boosted help and guidance on the Slingbox website if farther help is needed.

There are three main parts to the installation, which are hooking it up to your Tv and video devices, so connecting information technology to your home network, and finally configuring the Slingbox Pro with the Slingplayer that you install on your computer.

AV Hook Upwardly

Every bit mentioned above you lot take a full of 4 inputs with the Slingbox Pro. Please notation that if you lot want to use Hard disk drive, y'all will need to use a special Slingbox Hd cable which is sold separately. Hooking upwardly to your DVR, cable box, DVD player, etc. is very simple. Basically, if your device has ii outputs, 1 goes to your TV and i to your Slingbox. If it only has one output, then put it in between your device and your Television. You then plug in the IR cable in the back of the Slingbox and line up the other end to where your device receives the betoken from the remote control. Here is what the back of the Slingbox Pro looks similar:

NETWORK Connexion

At present you are ready to connect to your domicile network. This is again really like shooting fish in a barrel as long as y'all are somewhat familiar with your abode network and know how to admission your router's security settings. If yous are completely home network challenged, then it would be easiest to bribe a friend that knows near domicile networks with a dozen cookies or a cheap gratuitous lunch or go online at the Slingbox website to see if you are able to figure it out with their documentation.

The first question you lot would inquire yourself is if you are able to hook upwardly your Slingbox directly to your router or exercise y'all need to utilise your abode wireless network considering it is besides far away. If you lot are able to hook information technology up directly to your router, and so information technology is really easy. If you demand to hook information technology upward wirelessly, so you will need to purchase a wireless bridge or wireless game adaptor. When looking at buying a wireless span, the following wireless bridges have been tested and work well with the Slingbox:

• NETGEAR WGE111
• Linksys WET54G
• Linksys WET54GS5
• Linksys WGA54G
• SMC 2870W
• US Robotics 5430

These wireless bridges practice not piece of work reliably with the Slingbox:

• D-Link DWL-810
• D-Link DWL-810+
• D-Link DWL-G820
• D-Link DGL-3420
• Linksys WET11
• Microsoft Xbox MN-740

When I am slinging to my Sprint Mogul, I want to be able to remote my DVR without a remote control war. In other words, since I control what channel that TV would exist watching at habitation every bit I am watching information technology on my WM phone, I put my Slingbox in our chamber that has a DVR instead of in our living room where about of the family watches TV the majority of the fourth dimension. Our bedroom is also far away from my office where the router is to use a cable, and so I used the Linksys WET54G wireless game adapter I had laying effectually the firm. I starting time configured it to connect to my wireless network on my laptop and and so moved information technology to the Slingbox. The Slingbox Pro connected to my wireless home network immediately.

CONFIGURING SLINGBOX WITH SLINGPLAYER

And then far then good. Within 20 minutes of my door bell ringing with my Slingbox, I have it connected to my DVR and connected to my wireless network. Now with what should be the easiest function left, I was very happy. But when I went to install the SlingPlayer on my Desktop reckoner, it would not install. I am running Windows Vista and after contacting Slingplayer support, confirmed it was compatible with Vista. After browsing several forums for Slingplayers, I found out that Windows Vista'southward Data Execution Prevention (DEP) security application was stopping the installation without giving me whatever indication that that was what was stopping the installation. After finally totally disabling DEP, it installed just fine. I want to point out that this is apparently not a common problem and that this was not a Slingbox problem, but rather a Windows Vista issue.

In one case the Slingplayer was installed, it plant my Slingplayer immediately and walked me through step by step in configuring my Slingbox. The part that took the longest was finding the right remote command setting to remote control my DVR unit of measurement. Within ten minutes of installing the Slingplayer I was watching TV on my desktop computer.

SETUP SUMMARY

The physical features of the Slingbox Pro are very good. With multiple inputs and outputs information technology tin adapt to near whatever home entertainment setup imaginable. It has a very modest footprint and is non very tall, making it easy to fit well-nigh anywhere. My only complaint is that it does non have built in WiFi. This is the only reason that stopped me from giving information technology 5 out of v stars for its physical features.

Overall the setup was fast and painless. Minus the glitch I had due to Microsoft Windows stopping me from installing the software, the whole procedure from opening the box to slinging Telly to my desktop was merely nether 30 minutes. I was truly impressed with how easy Slingbox had designed the installation process to hook up all my video equipment and connect it to my habitation network. My only business was that Slingbox tech support did non have any clue of whatever possible challenges with installing the software on Windows Vista. I know this was an upshot with Vista and non with Slingbox, merely it was left to me to figure out that information technology was the DEP that was stopping the Slingplayer installation. If they would have had documentation of some common possibilities of challenges with installing their software on Vista, I would have given it five out of 5 stars.

If you want to see how to set up it all upward from opening the box to slinging to your jail cell phone C|Internet TV has a great video tutorial available online.

SLINGING TO YOUR WINDOWS MOBILE PHONE

At present comes the cool role, the reason to get a Slingbox to begin with... slinging to your WM phone! This was incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel. Get-go you volition demand to download the Mobile Slingplayer and install it on your WM phone. The Mobile Slingplayer does cost $29.99 but it does offer a 30 solar day trial with the full version of the software, giving y'all loads of time to make sure y'all get hooked on it.

Now the question is, how does the Mobile Slingplayer find your specific Slingbox over the cyberspace? Since nigh people do not have a static IP address, this could be challenging. Simply with Sling's gratuitous Finder service, it is a no brainier. Each Slingbox has a unique Finder ID. This Finder ID is tracked by Sling's Finder service. You merely enter in your Slingbox Finder ID, along with the password yous set up during the original configuration of your Slingbox, in the Mobile Slingplayer and it will automatically find and connect to your Slingbox! Information technology actually is that easy.

The absurd affair is that an unlimited corporeality of slingplayers can admission your Slingbox, i.eastward. your desktop, laptop, your WM telephone, your wife's Palm Os phone, etc... but only one can admission information technology at anyone time. There are two levels of passwords to help manage this. There is a basic access password that you can requite to your kids, significant other, etc. and then there is the Admin password. If you endeavor to admission your slingbox and yous get the mistake that it is unable to connect because is information technology currently being used by someone else, yous can override them with the Admin password and take control of the Slingbox. I actually found this useful when I forgot to close my Slingplayer on my laptop and then wanted to access it via my Sprint Mogul WM telephone. This also prevents twenty people from logging onto one Slingbox to lookout man that predictable pay-per-view HBO sponsored fight! But it can configure your network to include multiple Slingboxes if you want to, so more than one person can sling at the same time.

I accept the Dart Mogul which had EVDO, a must to experience the true value of slinging. I have streamed video over the cyberspace before with any one of the multiple Tv streaming links. I have had SprintTV. And so needless to say, my expectations for clarity of picture and sound were not besides loftier. It would non have taken too much for me phone call it adequate and even adequate when comparison against these standards. But when I commencement saw the quality of video on my telephone, I was diddled abroad. When at that place is a lot of motility and action, you tin can certainly tell that it is streaming, but for the most part it was very clear, smooth and not blocky. The Slingbox offers the best steaming experience I have e'er seen, hands downwards. Here are some of the screen shots from my phone in landscape full screen manner:

The other gene that really impressed me was the complete control that Slingbox gives me of my DVR from my WM phone. I can do anything with my DVR anywhere in the world as if I was sitting in front of the Idiot box at abode. Last week, I was on the road with work and realized that I forgot to set the season premiere of Scrubs on my Tivo. So I opened up Mobile Slingplayer, went to the guide and selected Scrubs to record at nine:30 pm. Later on that night, I used Mobile Slingplayer to access my recorded shows on my Tivo and watched the Scrubs I set to record. Here is what my Tivo guide looks like on my telephone:

Mobile Slingplayer also gives you complete command of watching shows on your DVR equally if you had the remote in your paw. I can pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. Here is what the controller looks like on my telephone in portrait fashion:

It also has a cool quick links feature. This gives you the opportunity to jump between your almost watched channels. Y'all can also add together remote control commands to it too. Here you tin see some channels I selected while adding the jump dorsum and bound forrard commands for my Tivo:

The other absurd thing is that if you have Satellite or cable TV service, then chances are y'all take a large selection of music channels. For example I have DirectTV, then I take all the music channels offered past XM Satellite Radio. Now with my Slingbox Pro hooked up to my Tivo unit, I also have XM Satellite Radio on my Windows Mobile Phone!

Mobile Slingplayer does a very proficient chore in optimizing the picture and audio in existent time depending on the connection. I do detect stuttering for the first xxx seconds or so, but and so information technology runs completely shine with very rare jumping. If you want to take control of the video and sound quality and manually tweak it, it does offer a fair corporeality of options for you lot to practise that.

I too want to mention that there is a desktop Slingplayer that you lot tin utilize on your laptop computer as well. Information technology is also very like shooting fish in a barrel to navigate and includes a total remote command for your cable box or DVR.

I know there is always room for improvement, just I am hard pressed to find whatsoever that are major plenty to bring down my awed impression of how well this application integrates with my Slingbox Pro sitting 2,500 miles away in my sleeping room at habitation.

MOBILE SLINGING SUMMARY

Since the Mobile Slingplayer is the end consequence of having a Slingbox, it is a vital component of the whole procedure. This why I spent and so much time testing this awarding. If the Mobile Slingplayer failed in optimizing the streaming, lacked in control functions of my amusement equipment back domicile, failed in finding and maintaining a connection to my Slingbox, everything would be for nothing. The Slingbox would be a waste of coin and a waste material of infinite in my entertainment center. This is why I am and then happy that I am so impressed with the Mobile Slingplayer application. Information technology delivers on every count. Information technology excels where it is needed most. It produces loftier quality optimization of the video and sound streaming. It is a breeze to setup, and offers easy navigation of my entertainment equipment. This is an piece of cake 5 out of 5 stars!

Windows Mobile Slinging:

Determination

There is little incertitude that anyone who owns a Slingbox will be happy with it. Information technology is easy to setup and fun to employ. If yous ever establish that Tivo was a blessing to your life style, making it possible watch your favorite shows on your terms, the owning a Slingbox is the next logical step. You don't even have to be home to set up your DVR to record a moving picture or testify. You don't even take to be habitation to lookout man it.

The only question, then, comes down to price signal. The Slingbox AV is $129.95 and the Slingbox Pro is $229.95. That may sound like a lot at kickoff glance, merely not then much when put into perspective. Like I mentioned in the beginning, about major cell phone carriers offer some sort of TV service, like SprintTV, for a monthly fee. A lot of these fees start at around $x a calendar month for their basic channel option and then if y'all want want to add together extra channels, similar children'due south programming or boosted sports channels, yous need to add some other $5-10 a monthly. So for $10-20 a month service fee, it does not accept long to realize the value of having increased quality, channel choice, command of your DVR, admission to all the Satellite music channels with my DirectTV Satellite TV, etc. for a prepare toll and then aught more. I am on the go plenty to realize the value this offers.

It is amazing how many times I have come to capeesh my Slingbox in the short time I accept had it. I was in a hotel this last week, with zilch on the limited channels they offered. I broke out my laptop and shortly I was slinging on a 17 inch screen with a full selection of satellite channels plus all the movies I had already recorded on my DVR at home. Then yesterday I was taking my 6 year old to the doctors office. He was starting to get restless waiting for the doctor, so I whipped out my WM phone and started slinging SpongeBob SquarePants. At the airport, whenever my airplane is delayed, I can now pull out my phone and start slinging any one of a pick of movies. It is certainly non a necessity, only it can be heaven sent at times.

TECHNICAL SPECS

To go all of the latest versions of the Slingplayer and the Mobile Slingplayer, you tin can download them directly from the Slingplayer Website.

Here are the technical specs for the SlingBox Pro:

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/review-slingbox-pro

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