Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100
by Sling Media
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List Price: Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100
Customer Review: Space-shifting your TV viewing
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever since the arrival of VHS we've been taking time-shifting of TV viewing for granted. We can record TV shows that we want and watch them later on when we want to see them. The arrival of DVRs in recent years has additionally simplified this process, but the basic idea behind it remains the same. Some of these DVRs allow you to transfer recorded shows to your computer and from there to almost any device that plays video. However, for the most part this process is rather cumbersome and time consuming. I for one have only done this on just a few occasions. Furthermore, this doesn't allow you to watch live TV from somewhere else. Slingbox, on the other hand, allows you to do exactly this. Once you set it up at home with your various video inputs (cable, antenna, DVD player, etc.) you are able to access any of those devices via broadband internet. This, at least, is the promise of Slingbox, and for the most part it delivers on that promise. I've been using it for several months now, and am extremely happy with it thus far. Here are some of my observations:
* The setup was fairly straightforward, but it did not go without a few glitches. As you may expect, having three different video inputs and that many outputs, not to mention several cables for each one of those inputs/outputs, plus all the audio inputs/outputs, can be a wee bit confusing. Sorting out which cable goes where is bound to lead to an error or two the first time you do it.
* Connecting to the home network was no problem at all. The Slingbox recognized the network settings, and later on when I was trying to access it from various computers on the network I was immediately able to find it.
* The software setup was also pretty straightforward, although you had to download it from the internet.
Overall I think this is a good idea: you are certain to always get the latest version of the software. You do have to register your Slingbox and create a user account on the company's website. This account is used for the purpose of connecting you to your Slingbox over the internet, and is indispensible when you are away from home.
* There are many different versions of Slingbox software depending on the device that you are watching your video content on. The software for PC and Mac is free, but there are some major differences between those two programs at the time of this writing. The biggest difference is that PC version of software allows you to pause live video stream for up to 60 minutes, while the Mac version does not let you do this. This is pretty annoying if you are a Mac user.
* The software for various mobile devices is even more limited, and for the most part it is not free. The iPhone version costs $30 for instance. However, being able to watch TV on your phone could in and of itself be the single best feature of Slingbox, especially now that you are allowed to stream over 3G networks. This means that now you can watch TV and movies pretty much anywhere you are. In fact, you can do something even better: if you have for instance connected a device to your Slingbox that can stream video content from the net, you can now watch that same content on your mobile device as well. For instance, I have TiVo and I can watch Netflix movies streamed to it. Now I can watch those same movies on my iPhone, thus going around the obstacle that there are no ways of streaming Netflix movies directly to iPhone. When I tried doing this there was a slight sound delay, but it was not bad enough that it would interfere with my viewing experience.
* The HD version of Slingbox definitely makes a difference when watching the HD content. This difference in quality is most noticeable when you are streaming video around your own home network, but even away from home you can see the difference between HD and regular video.
* One of the limitations of this system is that if someone else is currently watching the TV that Slingbox is connected to, you are bound to watch the same stuff that he or she is watching. One way around this is to have two different ways of connecting Slingbox to the TV content: over the regular coax and through a DVR for instance. This way you can choose a different source from the one that the person watching TV at home is using.
* The quality of the video stream will primarily depend on the speed of the internet connection that you have. In my experience, as expected, the best results have been from watching the video stream in another room of my house over the Ethernet connection. The worst have been over slow WiFi and 3G connections. That's also where most of the dropped signals would occur. This might be a bit of a problem if you are watching a movie, but for watching TV news you would probably not be bothered at all.
* Another annoyance has to do with the fact that only one Slingbox connection is allowed at any given time. This means that only one person can be watching video streaming at a time. This could be due to the bandwidth limitations, but I would not be surprised if some pseudo-legal restrictions might be at play as well.
* The physical production value of the Slingbox is also very high. Its metallic casing feels very solid. The physical appearance of the Slingbox is also very appealing, and it fits very well with the rest of my entertainment center devices.
* I had just very limited experience with the customer service (I called them to clarify something during the initial setup) and have found it to be prompt, responsive and knowledgeable. Fortunately I haven't had any more serious problems with my Slingbox thus far, so I don't know how good the customers service would be under those circumstances.
* I wish that, in addition to watching live TV and other streamed content, we could also record content on your computer or other device. This could potentially make Slingbox the definitive TV content viewing platform, but my guess is that there are many legal potholes that would need to be surmounted before something like this can happen.
There are many supposedly revolutionary new devices that don't live up to all the hype that surrounds them. Slingbox, however, is not one of them. This product is as good as advertised. If you are interested in watching TV and all your other video content while away from home, I would strongly recommend giving Slingbox a shot. I have and have been extremely happy with my experience.
Customer Review: Slinging with success to laptop, Windows Mobile, and iPhone
Summary: 5 Stars
Like the majority of reviewers, I purchased the Slingbox Pro-HD to have ready access to my home media content while away from the house. A side benefit is access from different rooms within the house, but I did not justify the investment based on anything other than remote usage. Here's what I bought, how it is set up, and my findings.
Purchased: Slingbox PRO-HD, 4-port SlingLink Turbo. (No wired ethernet ports available near cable box.)
Connection: Slingbox connected to Time-Warner Cable Scientific Atlantic 8300HD DVR. (Component video and regular audio)
Viewing solutions: HP laptops (three configured), Samsung Blackjack (Win Mobile 6.1), and four iPhone 3GS'.
Pro's:
1. Everything worked exactly as hoped right out of the box.
2. SlingPlayer for Windows is much nicer than expected.
3. SlingPlayer for iPhone worked great for BOTH WiFi AND 3G. (A very cool demo to show friends...)
4. SlingLink Turbo was a concern at time of purchase, but worked great. You MUST plug directly into the wall however. No surge protectors can be used, so make sure you have an available outlet near your router and media components. Used additional ports for other network traffic that was formerly wireless. (Wii and MediaCenter PC)
5. Virtual Remote looks and works just like the regular remote that comes with the cable box. Fantastically easy with the Windows Player SW.
6. Streaming quality of HD content rates as follows, based on bandwidth:
- 2.5Mb and up : Perfect. Picture is great at full size as is audio. No jagged or chopped frames.
- 1Mb to 2Mb: Pretty Good. HD is not ideal, but quite usable. Standard def still very good. No change in audio quality.
- <1Mb: HD not really acceptable. Switched to SD. Audio is good. A few buffering pauses will occur.
7. No monthly fees. Nothing new to learn. Easy to teach the "non-technie" family members. My wife LOVES this.
8. Built-in tuner is a plus, but currently unused.
9. Picture-in-a-Picture (PIP) works great. I used it extensively during NCAA basketball tournament.
10. Even with the 4-port lingLink Turbo, this was still a relatively cheap investment via Amazon.
11. SlingLink can easily be mounted on the wall. (I did this and it was great for cable management.)
12. Works at the Marriott over their wireless network, even during the evening when traffic is the heaviest. A true test.
13. Cables for ethernet and video/audio were included. It would have been easy to drop these and force additional investment. A pat on the back to Sling Media for getting this right.
14. Slings ALL cable channels, including the premium channels I pay for. (HBO, Cinemax, etc.)
15. Controls DVR exactly like you are in the room. (Record, Play, Delete, Pause, etc.)
Con's:
1. No media included with box, so had to download the free SlingPlayer for Windows, which took a while to find.
2. Audio on one laptop is unexplainably not very loud. Still haven't figured it out, but I think it is the laptop configuration.
3. SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows works, but value on a small screen device is minimal. Sound actually more valuable than video.
4. Only one user allowed at a time. Takes over HDTV that it is connected to. A given, but worth remembering.
5. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is $30 per phone. It would be nice if SlingMedia included at least one license for free.
6. Still concerned about all of the negative comments around Sling's support policy and limited warranty. I am just assuming I'll have to drop $30-$60 a year for a couple of calls if something no longer works. Not an acceptable policy for a product that they should be able to stand behind with pride.
7. No HDMI support. A pretty glaring weakness given the HD support, but included component cable worked fine.
8. Cables could have been longer. (Ethernet, video, audio, and IR cable all seemed about 18-24 inches shorter than I would have liked).
Final thoughts:
I have been tracking the Sling Media offerings for the better part of four years and finally decided that the combination of features, pricing, and reliability was right to jump in. I am glad I did, since it all worked exactly as I had hoped. The recent addition of the iPhone support over 3G was a bonus.
There will always been things that I'd like to see improved, including better quality at lower bandwidths. However, given the content being "slinged", this is really a pretty polished offering. If you are going to be accessing the SlingBox regularly from a "Good" bandwidth connection, I would highly recommend the Pro-HD. Enjoy!
Customer Review: Excellent for Viewing Satellite HD on PC
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I appreciate Slingbox's placeshifting function, my needs were more local. For years I have used PC cable TV tuners (such as SiliconDust's HDHomerun) to view HDTV in a window on my PC monitor while I, uh, work. It's a convenient way to use the PC while being able to switch back and forth to TV viewing. Recently we switched our household from cable to DirecTV satellite. Unfortunately there are no DirecTV satellite tuners that will work with a PC. DirecTV had such a product under development but the project was killed a couple of years ago. DirecTV does offer DirecTV2PC software which works very well but only allows you to view shows recorded to the DVR (if you have that) over the network but not live shows.
I tried to use the Hauppauge HD PVR for this purpose. It was great for recording to the PC from the satellite receiver, something the Slingbox cannot do, but it was otherwise not useful for watching TV on the PC. See my review under that product.
The Slingbox Pro HD does **remarkably** well at viewing DirecTV anywhere in the house on a PC, as well as it's more common use for remote viewing. The Slingplayer software is extremely good. Not only is the image and sound quality excellent, but the remote control emulation and guide is exceptional. The guide is far handier than what DirecTV provides in that you can see far more channels in one view and scroll through them in a second. You can switch channels by clicking on the guide as well as using the remote control emulation. The remote control emulation is also remarkable in that it is skinned and works exactly like the actual DirecTV remote. There are assigned hot-keys that can be used from the keyboard too. They are so intuitive I started using them successfully without reading the manual first.
In my attempt to get satellite TV on my PC, I bought a new 32" HDTV to use as a PC monitor since it included PIP functionality so I could watch TV in a window while working on the PC. Unfortunately the PIP window was not resizable, only movable to 4 locations. And to switch to full-screen TV, I had to grab the remote and switch to the TV input. Since I bought the Slingbox, I have stopped using the PIP function. The Slingplayer window is resizable, infinitely movable, easy to switch to full-screen with a click and has a few unique configurations, such as a right or left side-strip position that abuts to the desktop instead of overlapping it. Finally, Slingplayer adds a 60 minute buffer, so it creates a time-shift function that the non-DVR satellite receiver in my office does not have. Maybe you can tell I have fallen in love with it. The Slingplayer integration into the PC is so seamless and convenient, I can't see doing without it.
The one thing the Slingbox cannot do that I was able to do with my PC cable tuners is easily record shows to my PC hard drive. The Monsoon HD Platinum permits recording, but I chose the Slingbox because it has higher resolution streaming (1080i versus 720p). The Slingbox image is stunning. Despite being interlaced, I see no deinterlacing artifacts. The DirecTV receiver puts out 1080i native except for some PPV movies at 1080p. So, the Slingbox image looks identical to the DirecTV.
Also, I have used Slingplayer to connect to the Slingbox with my Acer 1st generation Netbook. The Slingbox dynamically scales the image to accommodate any wireless transmission issues and fit the 1024x768 Netbook 8.9" screen. Once the connection is made there is a 10 second or so period when the "optimization" occurs. There is a little stuttering on my Netbook during that soon cleared up. After that the image was remarkably clear and stable.
Over all, I am quite impressed with the Slingbox HD Pro. It's a rather expensive solution to get satellite TV on my PC, but the Slingplayer PC software is vastly superior to any thing else I have seen. I am going to try a $99 capture card (AVerMedia AverTV CaptureHD) that, in theory, can provide TV in a window and PC recording from the satellite box, but I am expecting it to be less polished and more unstable. It might end up being adequate for satellite TV on PC, but it will not offer the remote watching (placeshifting) of the Slingbox.
Customer Review: Great Product
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I already had an older version of the Slingbox Pro...So set up for this one was rather easy..not that it is difficult to begin with. When I did set up the other Slingbox pro in India..... PROs are the only ones that work with PAL and NTSC I did have a few problems , but Customer service is excellent and is world wide. They run u thru all the steps simplifying everything.
In USA the set up seemed to go very smooth for me. The set is complete without any need to buy any more cables.Like someone else mentioned u will need the Turbolink if u want to connect the sling box wirelessly. But that was not a problem for me for which some of you might consider cancelling one star...because if u dont have ur tv service , router and slingbox in the same room u might have to make that expense. My brother had helped me out with that so that was sorted.
Now This one really doesnt have anything new to offer more than the HD compatibility. SO if u do use HD...then this shud be perfect for u. I have also tried the HAVA but prefer Sling because of its ease of use. Also the Streaming is excellent if u have a good Internet speed connection.
Dial up users...forget it...Let alone HD u wont even get decent SD streaming.
My connection speed in India is lower ...and I view the channels thru remote viewing here ...and the connection speed drops by atleast 200mbps..which is something u really must consider. If ur have a faster internet speed then the slingbox is a worthwhile investment.
Also when u check the remote viewing when u within the Sling box network ...as in ur watching tv on ur laptop or phone at home where u sling is connected...the picture quality is par excellence. But when u do the same outside the network the quality of streaming definitely suffers.
You have to download the Sling Player online..thats silly coz they cud have provided us with a CD for the same...but its hardly anything..In a way its not bad as they make sure u have the latest firmware.
Also SLing is compatible with MAC and PC...Since I use both...I totally enjoy the convenience of not have to switch between comps.
Also U will have to subscribe to watch sling on ur phone so dont fall for this thing thinking that the phone service is free...U do have a trial before subscription though.
It has a built in tuner which sets up all the channels and u u can mark ur favorite channels for quick access. that is a cool feature I must say.
MAjor drawback...Sling wont work with Iphone...not yet...they say they are working on it...but there are just a few hacks out there which are not even worth a try.I would rather wait for the authentic Slingbox player for Iphone.
If u have a good internet speed and dont want to pay monthly for watching TV on the go...Then Sling box pro is an excellent option.And for those with HD...SLingbox Pro HD is definitely a great option.
Hope this helped.
Customer Review: High-quality streaming, but with some network issues and limitations (4+ stars)
Summary: 5 Stars
The Slingbox HD promises to take your HD and standard video content and "sling" it to computers throughout your house on your home network or anywhere else via the internet. You control your device using a remote skin that looks exactly like, or close to, the real thing. The idea and the technology are awesome, but it has some limitations that may dissuade some buyers.
First, the Slingbox does not have wireless capability. If you have your router and your media devices, including a cable connection, in the same room, and if you have an ethernet port available on your router, you're golden. Set up is a breeze, although you will have to download software from the SlingMedia site. If, however, you have a wireless home network and must set up the SlingBox in a different room, you are going to need additional equipment. Forget the company's SlingLink (Slinglink Turbo 1PORT Enet Connection Bridge (SL 150-100)) which supposedly makes the SlingBox wireless; it works well ONLY on the same circuit. For most people, this means that the router and television must be located in close proximity. Instead, I set mine up with a network bridge (Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter) that makes the Slingbox work flawlessly. I get high quality streamed video on both Macs and PCs, both at home and away. However, this took me hours on the phone with SlingMedia to figure out.
The device has several connectors: coaxial (for cable), standard, USB, and HD. Some people may find the HD claim misleading, since it can stream HD 1080i, not 1080p, and the 1080p devices must be changed to a 1080i output. The dimensions are roughly 13" L x 4.5" D x 3.5 " H. The box is surprisingly lightweight and can sit easily on top of a DVD player or other piece of electronic equipment.
Before you buy, you should consider how you are going to use the Slingbox and where you are going to install it. Because the skin remote overrides what is currently being viewed, a remote user can change the channel on those watching at home. You cannot use it to watch different video content. (When testing this, I changed the channel on my sister during a crucial football play; you can imagine the cursing.) If you are buying this to allow someone in a different country to view US television, attach it to a rarely or never used cable outlet. Also, because the Slingbox allows only one computer at a time to view video, you may need to buy more than one Slingbox for multiple users, with each assigned his own.
As long as buyers don't expect a complex media center that slings different media to different parts of the house or the world at the same time, they should be thrilled with the quality of the device.
-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann