Have you ever wished you could take your tv stations and your Tivo recordings everywhere you go? Well cheer up because the Slingbox can make that dream a reality.
So how does it work? Sling Media describes it thusly – “With a wave of a virtual magic wand, Slingbox placeshifts the television signal from your source device to your PC – located at home or 3,000 miles away – via the Internet. Thanks to the Slingbox, you can enjoy your home TV programming wherever you are – the office, a hotel room, your garden, even the bathroom – anywhere there is an Internet connection. You truly can watch and control your television anytime, anywhere – the power is in your hands.”
Reviews:
CNET: “Slingbox offers the advantages of an affordable price ($249), a seamless install, a high degree of compatibility, and no need for a source PC. We’d love to see improved video quality at larger screen sizes and software clients available for non-PC devices–Sling Media is pledging to add the ability to view the Slingbox from a handheld or a cell phone soon. In the meantime, the Slingbox remains a credible solution for viewing real-time video from your home no matter where you are.”
PC Magazine: “Sling Media’s Slingbox scratches an itch you may not yet have. This technically impressive set-top box compresses and transfers live TV, satellite, or DVR video from your home to a computer anywhere in the world, all without requiring a PC to be up and running at home, and with minimal quality loss.”
G4 TV: “If you’re looking to stream television, look no further than the Slingbox. It’s elegantly simple to setup and use. It doesn’t try to be anything more than a streaming box, a sidekick if you will. It’s a Batman and Robin type relationship. And, more importantly, it does it well. Combined with a TiVo or another DVR, the Slingbox becomes even more useful.”
Product Information:
Click here for full list of features and specifications.
Pros: Decent video quality, no host setup, easy to use, no subscription fees
Cons: Standard definition video quality only, support for Windows XP and 2000 PCs only (so far), no built-in wireless support, monopolizes the attached device, may not have necessary IR codes to fully operate your cable box.
Bottom Line: The Slingbox works as advertised, so if you are one of those people who feels the need to watch your local news when you are halfway around the world – the Slingbox is a definite buy (especially at around $250).
Posted by Sean
