dslreports logo
Slingbox Overhyped?
Last week saw the release of the Slingbox, which lets you watch your TV and control your Tivo from any PC or laptop (even out of the house). The release had some heralding the arrival of a great technological convergence, though the Mercury News doesn't seem too impressed: " If you want to watch recorded programs away from home, you can get a home DVD recorder for less than $200 and put the programs on rewritable DVDs to watch on your laptop -- at much higher video quality."
view:
topics flat nest 
page: 1 · 2 · next
CameraAssist
join:2004-03-05
Miami, FL

CameraAssist

Member

Yeah Yeah...

We all knew that before Slingbox was released.
aeiouy
join:2004-08-05
Fort Worth, TX

aeiouy

Member

Re: Yeah Yeah...

quote:
" If you want to watch recorded programs away from home, you can get a home DVD recorder for less than $200 and put the programs on rewritable DVDs to watch on your laptop -- at much higher video quality."
So ignorant. I don't need my TiVo either, because I have a $20 vcr acting as a doorstop.

Seriously, buying a portable DVD player, burner and burning dvd for nearly the same price is not an equivelent solution at all.

It is like saying who needs a car, buggy or bicycle when I can walk anywhere I need to go.

agentmb
@rr.com

agentmb to CameraAssist

Anon

to CameraAssist
The person at Mercury apparently had no idea what the Slingbox was intended for. Watching programs from a TiVo unit is simply a bonus of the product. The whole concept of the unit is to let you watch live TV from any location, on your PC, as long as you have high speed internet access. The better you connection speed the lower the compression of the signal, making for a clearer picture. I can see the benefits of it. If you are staying at a hotel somewhere or a relatives house where they may only have basic channels, but you have the premium package at home, you could tap into your system and watch the channels you are familiar with. You could also set it up so that it sends you a movie that your TiVo or other DVR/PVR device has recorded, burn it to a DVD and throw it into a DVD player and have a movie night away from home. I think the concept it great. It adds to the feel at home while away from home concept. We already try to do that with webcams and VOIP services.
faberoptic6
join:2001-05-13
San Antonio, TX

faberoptic6

Member

Love the Concept

I missed the original article, but I'm very impressed with what they're trying to do. I can't run Ethernet or even coax in my loft apartment, so to get tv upstairs, I use a 2.4GHz broadcasting thingy that gets some nice interference from my wilan, resulting in diagonal lines across the screen.

I haven't tried the Slingbox yet, so I can't give it a yay or nay, but complaining about IP ADDRESSES AND OMGWTF NETWORK ADDRESS TRANSLATION is hardly a way to slight the product. If video quality is at least on par with broadcast tv, I'll grab one. Slow news day over at Mercury.

Evergreener
Sent By Grocery Clerks
join:2001-02-20
Evergreen, CO

Evergreener

Member

What did he expect?

I guess I don't understand what the reviewer expected from the SlingBox.

If you need something to watch live or recently recorded programs from a remote location, it sounds like a good fit.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5

Premium Member

It's just another toy for those who like them

This is nothing more than an interesting toy for $250 for those who like such things. A friend of mine ordered one the day this made the news. His closet is full of other toys he purchased and tried out for a month or two. This will probably join them before the year is out. I don't see this product as some big breakthrough. Like the reporter said: many other ways to get entertainment while on the road that are much better.

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall

MVM

Re: It's just another toy for those who like them

Isn't that what most technology is? Just a toy for the most part?
Primis1
join:2005-06-13
Coldwater, MI

Primis1 to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
quote:
Like the reporter said: many other ways to get entertainment while on the road that are much better.
Hardly (if this thing works, that is).

I stated this in the other thread about the Slingbox and I'll say it again, this particular piece of hardware has potential to be HUGE with a specific subset of fans of live TV: sports fans.

If you're a sports fan frequently on the road, this is a good way to still see the games you want. Why? If you're away from home, it's often impossible to find your home team's games broadcast anywhere. Just because you can go to a sportsbar or still have access to a TV doesn't mean you can see the game(s) you want. If you're streaming off your own home's feeed though, you'll still get what you'd get at home.

The buzz for this on the sports forums I've seen is considerable. These are people that will eagerly pay US $200/year just for the ability to watch every and any NFL game they want (keeping in mind there's only 17 weeks of regular season schedule for NFL), or will pay $15/year for pretty low-quality streaming audio of MLB radio broadcasts. The demand is considerable. Don't underestimate the market and their purchasing power because *if* this thing works well, it'll be big and a must-have item for sports fans that travel a lot... and trust me, there are tons of salespeople and execs that are huge sports fans with money to burn.
mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA

mglunt

Member

Re: It's just another toy for those who like them



You just made me think about something...

Say my parents who live in Pa were to finally get HSI. I could buy a slingbox and hook it up at their house. I know my Dad will be watching the Steelers game, so I could just watch the game on my PC and save the $200 a year on NFL Sunday Ticket.
Primis1
join:2005-06-13
Coldwater, MI

Primis1

Member

Re: It's just another toy for those who like them

quote:
You just made me think about something...

Say my parents who live in Pa were to finally get HSI. I could buy a slingbox and hook it up at their house. I know my Dad will be watching the Steelers game, so I could just watch the game on my PC and save the $200 a year on NFL Sunday Ticket.
See... now you're not thinking HARDER... you're thinking SMARTER.
Freezone
join:2000-09-29
Southfield, MI

Freezone to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

His closet is full of other toys he purchased and tried out for a month or two.
Your4 friend needs e-bay badly.

mibtp1
@comcast.net

mibtp1 to FFH5

Anon

to FFH5
I love the idea of watching TV from any where in the world. I travel a lot outside English speaking countries and have maybe one channel available in English (CNN World).

Amazing!

Anonuser
join:2003-01-03
Milwaukee, WI

Anonuser

Member

I

Shall Highly enjoy mine once I get to a city with Best Buy so I can purchase one.

I would like to watch tv on my WLan, or on the net. My PDA has Cellular Broadband, so yay their (their site says they will be supporting pda's soon ^_^ )

Cant wait, I want it I want it! I've been a good boy this year!

Iridium3
Premium Member
join:2003-04-02
Los Angeles, CA

Iridium3

Premium Member

Duh

It is made for people who want to watch recorded programs that they missed on the road. I think it is an excellent invention.
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ

lestat99

Member

Re: Duh

I purchased one and so far I love it. While it isn't a technological breakthrough; it is a handy device.

I use it connected to my DirectTivo. As I travel a lot for business I plan on using it with hotel broadband to watch and control my home tivo. So far I have used it from local coffee shops and it works well.

I am also a big Tour de France fan and like to keep the live action open on a window on my desk while I am at work.

For these two reasons it was well worth my $250. I have tried other solutions such as Orb networks. The quality of the software and video streaming was no where near as good as the Slingbox. In addition, you still have to purchase a PC and video encoder card which is more than $250 while consuming far more power than the Slingserver.

Anonuser
join:2003-01-03
Milwaukee, WI

Anonuser

Member

.

Forgot to mention,
I would gladly purchase this just to watch my Sci-Fi Friday (Stargate-SG1, Stargate-Atlantis, Battlestar Galactia)

>:)

mibtp1
@comcast.net

mibtp1

Anon

Re: .SciFi Friday

I read your post and wanted to tell you about a charity auction: www.hollywoodcharityauction.com which has a BattleStar package. We just had a winner of a Stargate Set Visit. She posted her experience and photos. To see bidder comments, go to: www.thebroadcaster.com/raves.html.

As far as SlingBox. I just saw it featured on HGTV's "I Want That." Do you know, or have you heard if it can be used on more than one computer at home - - say a PC and laptop?

Thanks
Patrice
gagorder
join:2005-07-04
Hillsboro, OR

gagorder to Anonuser

Member

to Anonuser

Re: .

Can only be used on 1 computer at a time.

-gagorder

AreSee
join:2000-09-20
Atlanta, GA

AreSee

Member

ORB?

Doesn't ORB offer the same type of service for Free?
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ

lestat99

Member

Re: ORB?

The quality of ORB is very poor. No where near that of the Slingbox. The Slingbox software and qaulity of the video is fantastic.

In addition, it isn't free as you need a (preferable dedicated) PC plus video encoder card. The Slingbox doesn't need a PC at all to serve up the video.
coralfire
join:2002-08-16
Atlanta, GA

coralfire

Member

Slingbox first impressions

I admit it I'm willing to try near about any gadget that comes on the market. The slingbox is one device that I am actually impressed with. It really requires very little bandwidth to get a pretty good picture. Minimum for skip free sound and an OK picture is about 80-100kb. Anything 120 to 180 is fine for the window view, which on a laptop is a good 3-4" window. For full screen I would say you do need 400k or more. Right now the max is about 1mb. So far I have tested with an EDGE data card which would yield about 80k with all bars lit. That is ok. With a 1xRTT connection I could get 90-100K which was a noticeable improvement and fewer breakups. At home it works great on an 802.11b connection. I do have a comcast gold tier that actually gets 500-768 on the upload most of the time so it should not be a problem with some sort of broadband from a hotel or hotspot to get a good stream. Setup is real easy. I did have a problem with wifi on a hacked linksys box I swapped it out with another. Just use it as an AP anyway, and it worked fine.
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ

lestat99

Member

Overseas

I have a friend that is being sent to Asia for a few years on business. Being in that boat myself at one point I can't tell you what I would have given to be able to catch American TV...especially american football while in Asia.

He is going to purchase a Slingbox and hook it up before he leaves.

fuzz
Fuzz
Premium Member
join:2000-06-05
FuzzLand

fuzz

Premium Member

Ever heard of BeyondTV?

www.snapstream.com
Does exactly the same thing, all you need is tv card for you computer. I've been doing this for years. Nothing new or fantatic.

Move along...nothing to see here.
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ

1 edit

lestat99

Member

Re: Ever heard of BeyondTV?

But that is the point...you need a pc running to use any of the other solutions. Would be pretty hard to reset a crashed windows box when you are in Asia. Not to mention you need to purchase a video encoder card with IR flasher plus the cost of any software.

Also, Snapstream, IFAIK, doesn't have the ability to stream an external source with integrated infrared remote control. This is one of the stregths of Sling. I can stream my DirectTivo and CONTROL it remotely. The slingbox has a IR emmitter. I am not interested in another PVR for my PC...rather I want access to my exisiting Tivo. Yes, I know that Tivo can be hacked..this just seemed like a much quicker and easier option.

Finally there are actually two separate video inputs on the Snapstream. There was some talk about a future release being able to switch between two sources in addition to streaming to cell phones. Once they do this it would be hard to compare these features for the price.
aeiouy
join:2004-08-05
Fort Worth, TX

aeiouy to fuzz

Member

to fuzz
quote:
www.snapstream.com
Does exactly the same thing, all you need is tv card for you computer. I've been doing this for years. Nothing new or fantatic.

Move along...nothing to see here.
How much is it going to cost me to build a pc, install slipstream get it configured to work with my sources (By the way I have dual-tuner directv tivos so I will need multiple tuners in the pc) get this mess hooked up, get it online and then stream data very efficiently and effectively pretty much anywhere I can grab a decent connection.

You clearly have not actually used one of these devices to make such claims.

Your solution is much kludgier, more expensive, less effective and less efficient.

Snapstream is not even a good call as a replacement for what it is designed for, and that is being a PVR.
coralfire
join:2002-08-16
Atlanta, GA

coralfire

Member

Snapstream/Sling

I had been using snapstream to stream video and it just does not compare to sling. The biggest draw is dynamically adjusting the bandwidth that sling is able to do. If I am on 100K connection or 1Mbit connection the video will adjust based on the current conditions. With snapstream I need to log into the web interface and change the stream to work with the connection I am on at the time. Not to mention I need to dedicate a computer for snapstram (for the most part). Right now sling is feeding off my directivo so I have all the functionality of the tivo.
rbrugman
join:2002-09-22
Marquette, MI

rbrugman

Member

What's the problem?

My friend in Florida purchaced one, and I helped him test the online part. It really wasn't all that bad! The video quality and picture size adjust to the amount of bandwidth you have, so if you are lucky enough to have a really fat pipe, you can get some really good looking video from the thing. If you have a standard cable connection like he does, it looks like your standard web stream.

Robert

vansumner
@rr.com

vansumner

Anon

Re: What's the problem?

RE: "The video quality and picture size adjust to the amount of bandwidth you have, so if you are lucky enough to have a really fat pipe, you can get some really good looking video"

Orb is free and does the same thing (as well as photos & music), but I can stream it to my phone or pda as well as my laptop. they have just launched a feature that also allows you to reset the stream speed on the fly in case it drops. So what's the big deal? I'll bet everyone here has a decent pc in the house that has all your media files anyway, so why pay $250 + tax to cram another box into the living room??

I've been recording the Tour de France thru Orb and watching it later in the day thru Orb on my laptop while I am visiting my folks. Not only that, but I've been listening to music (thru Orb--in place of my parents' music selection) AND showing new photos thru ORb for FREE.:o

mibtp1
@comcast.net

mibtp1

Anon

Re: What's the problem?

Where do I find Orb and is it as easy to set up as Slingbox?

Thanks.
Patrice
gagorder
join:2005-07-04
Hillsboro, OR

gagorder to rbrugman

Member

to rbrugman
I wouldn't recommend using orb, as it requires that you have a dedicated PC, TV Tuner Card, and its fairly easy to mess up setting it up. Slingbox makes it easy as 4 steps.

1) Plug in cables
2) Install Software
3) Configure Network
4) Watch

-gagorder
sphiend
join:2003-01-05
Atlanta, GA

sphiend

Member

I like mine...

Mine works well both on the local network and away from home. Allows me to watch video (PVR, etc.) in a room that does not have coax feed. Seems to require less than 1.5 mbit for full quality on the LAN. Video quality is also decent via broadband with 768k upstream. Multiple slingboxes can be used at one time and are self sufficient (no computer is required, they run their own services on the network) I hope to use mine at some point for CCTV monitoring (in the event that my burglar alarm is triggered). There are drawbacks (only one viewer per slingbox, requires special client, and client only available for windows presently) but the software seems solid and the remote functionality is working well for me. Overall, it functions better than I expected. I believe that someone will eventually create the equivalent of 'shoutcast' for this device and allow you to multicast video. At that point, I expect these will go gold on ebay as they are yanked off the shelf.
tlpintpe
join:2002-09-13
Spicewood, TX

tlpintpe

Member

Re: I like mine...

If you are watching Slingbox, does it prevent the TV viewers in the room where the Slingbox is located from watching the TV?

Ken W
@12.145.x.x

Ken W

Anon

Re: I like mine...

It sends the same signal to both the Slingbox and the TV, so you can both watch the same program.

Of course then there are the fights over the remote when you are not even in the same city!

I set up a separate receiver, just for my remote use. Others have split the signal and used the internal tuner in the Slingbox to control the channel. Only problem with this is the premium channels.

Lots of options and potential. Pretty exciting!

AnnaS8
join:2005-05-26
Annapolis, MD

AnnaS8

Member

Need Tivo?

Do you need Tivo for this to work of can you use different DVR? I think I already know the answer but I won't know unless I ask. lol Also...If not then what is a good one to use with a PC? I have a few extra boxes I can build if need be. I work evenings and where I work as only a few decent channels. I know you can build a DVR box but I am looking to stream it to my PC at work.
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ

lestat99

Member

Re: Need Tivo?

You can use anything. On the back of the slingbox are SVideo and RCA Video/Audio connections. Just take the output of any device and feed it into the Slingbox.

MarkWal
@dyn.grandenetworks.n

MarkWal

Anon

TV2Me

What kills me is all the hype SlingMedia has been "slinging" about this product. I came across a product called TV2Me 2 years ago that has the same concept, but gives you DVD quality (full-screen resolution) with no latency! As a sports fan, though, it has been invaluable to me when I travel, plus it can control my TiVo. I've seen both, and in my opinion, there's no comparison.

••••

EDSTCA
@covad.net

EDSTCA

Anon

Does anyone know

Does anyone know... where you can find a product manual for this device?

blouisdiddy
@47.xx.18.rev.nextweb

blouisdiddy

Anon

Re: Does anyone know

It's on their website:

»www.slingmedia.com/docum ··· ion.php4

mibtp1
@comcast.net

mibtp1

Anon

Slingbox - 2 computers?

Does anybody know if you can use Slingbox on more than 1 device, say a PC and laptop?

Patrice
gagorder
join:2005-07-04
Hillsboro, OR

gagorder

Member

Re: Slingbox - 2 computers?

The slingbox can only be used with 1 Computer at a time.

-Gagorder

mibtp1
@comcast.net

mibtp1 to mibtp1

Anon

to mibtp1
Thanks for responding.
Patrice

mmsmith
@comcast.net

mmsmith

Anon

Slingbox and monopolizes device attached to?

I read an article on this device on CNET. One of the bad features was that it monopolizes the attached device. I am interpreting this to mean that if I wanted to access my TV remotely that everyone at home would need to watch the same show with me? Does anyone know for sure?

alexcue
@dhcp.mtpk.ca.charter

alexcue

Anon

Re: Slingbox and monopolizes device attached to?

yes it does. it uses the source at home directly so anyone at home would also see the same thing you are remotely. If they switched the channel that's what you would see.

mmsmith
@comcast.net

mmsmith

Anon

Slingbox and recording

Does anyone know if there is a way to record the show being watched to a DVD recorder or disk on the recieving computer?

alie4251
Premium Member
join:2000-09-23
Little Rock, AR

alie4251

Premium Member

Re: Slingbox and recording

if u have comcast with a dvr built in use it to record
then watch it laters that way is the only way i know
page: 1 · 2 · next