Slingbox 350
- Thread starter Towen7
- Start date
Re: New Slingbox Models on Oct 14
That was easy. I got the SlingBox connected to my source and the Internet, setup, and running on my iPad and iPhone very easily. I'm not thrilled with paying $15 for an iPad app and still having to pay another $15 for the iPhone app, but I understand why. There are no recurring fees to use the service and Sling has got to consume quite a lot of bandwidth to recive, process, and push the video.
The picture quality using the web browser (on the same network as the Slingbox) is more than acceptable when viewed full-screen on my 27" monitor. I'll probably use this instead of wiring for an STB and TV in the down stairs office.
Ditto with wifi on the iPad. The pic isnt great but certainly acceptable. The app lets you bring up a virtual remote that looks identical to the one your TV provider gave you. It works well but there is understandably a bit of lag between pushing the button and anything happening on the screen. When using a 3G or 4G connection there is a noticeable decrease in picture quality and some occassional buffering pauses. I can see using the cell connection for keeping up with a sporting or imprtant news event but I probably wouldn't want to use it to watch a movie that I cared much about.
The smaller screen size of the iPhone makes the perceived picture quality look better than the iPad when using a cellular connection. I don't know if Sling uses less bandwidth when transmitting to the iPhone but I haven't noticed as many skips or pauses on the phone as I did on the iPad. The remote controls are much different on the phone, and a little un-intuitive but you get used to it with just a little use.
My current Internet plan limits my upload speeds to 1.5 Mbps so I'm not surprised that there is a decrease in quality, even over 4G LTE. I expect that the picture quality when using a web browser or wifi on a network other than the home to be about the same as the 4G connection. I'm not interested enough to spend the extra $15/month it'd cost me to get 3 Mbps up.
I haven't tried it (because I don't see me using it this way) but you can AirPlay the video to AirPlay targets on the same network. I guess if I carried an Apple TV and connected it to a full sized TV when traveling this would be beneficial. That or if I wanted to watch TV in a room without an STB (not an issue for me because I have two wireless Uverse STBs).
I don't see it as a issue but only one person can be connected to the Slingbox at a time, even if both want to watch the same content. Considering my limited upload speeds I think adding additional Slingboxes would not be a good idea.
I mentioned a little glitch when using dual monitors and Chrome. What's happening is that using one Chrome window and the web viewer in full screen mode result in me not being able to see the mouse pointer on other Chrome windows on the other monitor.
That was easy. I got the SlingBox connected to my source and the Internet, setup, and running on my iPad and iPhone very easily. I'm not thrilled with paying $15 for an iPad app and still having to pay another $15 for the iPhone app, but I understand why. There are no recurring fees to use the service and Sling has got to consume quite a lot of bandwidth to recive, process, and push the video.
The picture quality using the web browser (on the same network as the Slingbox) is more than acceptable when viewed full-screen on my 27" monitor. I'll probably use this instead of wiring for an STB and TV in the down stairs office.
Ditto with wifi on the iPad. The pic isnt great but certainly acceptable. The app lets you bring up a virtual remote that looks identical to the one your TV provider gave you. It works well but there is understandably a bit of lag between pushing the button and anything happening on the screen. When using a 3G or 4G connection there is a noticeable decrease in picture quality and some occassional buffering pauses. I can see using the cell connection for keeping up with a sporting or imprtant news event but I probably wouldn't want to use it to watch a movie that I cared much about.
The smaller screen size of the iPhone makes the perceived picture quality look better than the iPad when using a cellular connection. I don't know if Sling uses less bandwidth when transmitting to the iPhone but I haven't noticed as many skips or pauses on the phone as I did on the iPad. The remote controls are much different on the phone, and a little un-intuitive but you get used to it with just a little use.
My current Internet plan limits my upload speeds to 1.5 Mbps so I'm not surprised that there is a decrease in quality, even over 4G LTE. I expect that the picture quality when using a web browser or wifi on a network other than the home to be about the same as the 4G connection. I'm not interested enough to spend the extra $15/month it'd cost me to get 3 Mbps up.
I haven't tried it (because I don't see me using it this way) but you can AirPlay the video to AirPlay targets on the same network. I guess if I carried an Apple TV and connected it to a full sized TV when traveling this would be beneficial. That or if I wanted to watch TV in a room without an STB (not an issue for me because I have two wireless Uverse STBs).
I don't see it as a issue but only one person can be connected to the Slingbox at a time, even if both want to watch the same content. Considering my limited upload speeds I think adding additional Slingboxes would not be a good idea.
I mentioned a little glitch when using dual monitors and Chrome. What's happening is that using one Chrome window and the web viewer in full screen mode result in me not being able to see the mouse pointer on other Chrome windows on the other monitor.
Re: New Slingbox Models on Oct 14
Suprisingly the company hasn't blocked slingbox from working on at the office. Since I'm on a lunch break I decided to see what the PQ is like on a PC on a different network. The web player shows the incoming bitrate and I'm fluctuating between 800Kbps and 1300Kbps and the picture quality is pretty decent. I may use this during some onf the late nights at the office. I imagine that increased upload speeds at home would only improve the PQ but I'm content.
All things considered I am VERY HAPPY with the purchase of the Sling Box and the the Sling Player apps. A one time $210 charge ($180 for the hardware, and $15 for the iPad app, and $15 for the iPhone app) and no monthly recurring fees let me have access to TV anywhere. IMHO it a lot better then having limited access to some of the channels like I get with HBO Go and similar apps.
Towen7 said:
Suprisingly the company hasn't blocked slingbox from working on at the office. Since I'm on a lunch break I decided to see what the PQ is like on a PC on a different network. The web player shows the incoming bitrate and I'm fluctuating between 800Kbps and 1300Kbps and the picture quality is pretty decent. I may use this during some onf the late nights at the office. I imagine that increased upload speeds at home would only improve the PQ but I'm content.
All things considered I am VERY HAPPY with the purchase of the Sling Box and the the Sling Player apps. A one time $210 charge ($180 for the hardware, and $15 for the iPad app, and $15 for the iPhone app) and no monthly recurring fees let me have access to TV anywhere. IMHO it a lot better then having limited access to some of the channels like I get with HBO Go and similar apps.
Re: New Slingbox Models on Oct 14
Found another quirk...
The Sling Player app has 3 playback modes; HQ (high qual) SQ (standard quality) and Auto. Every time I connect with the iPad connected via cell the player defaults to SQ with a pretty poor picture. I have to manually select Auto which is (according to the help menu) the preferred setting.
Found another quirk...
The Sling Player app has 3 playback modes; HQ (high qual) SQ (standard quality) and Auto. Every time I connect with the iPad connected via cell the player defaults to SQ with a pretty poor picture. I have to manually select Auto which is (according to the help menu) the preferred setting.
As I'm using the Sling Box more I have to wonder...
Why wouldn't TV providers allow the ability to stream directly from their head-end and cut out Sling Box. Dish builds Sling Box stuff into their receivers but streaming from the head end would eliminate the hardware on the customer's end, they could charge an additional monthly fee, or pay per use, they could restrict access to the channels you are already paying them for, and save their customer's bandwidth.
I guess that Comcast, Verizon, DirecTV, et al don't want to be in the streaming business at all.
Why wouldn't TV providers allow the ability to stream directly from their head-end and cut out Sling Box. Dish builds Sling Box stuff into their receivers but streaming from the head end would eliminate the hardware on the customer's end, they could charge an additional monthly fee, or pay per use, they could restrict access to the channels you are already paying them for, and save their customer's bandwidth.
I guess that Comcast, Verizon, DirecTV, et al don't want to be in the streaming business at all.