Anyone using a SlingBox?
Dec 29, 2008, 8:54 am
#46
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
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Posts: 6,912
yeah, it isn't and HD stream at all, that would require more like truly 2-3MB to be a true protocol of HD, but the HD Slingbox, will STREAM and HD signal to slingplayer 2.0 solid at 700kps, but below it will ratchet down to VGA or XGA. But, at 700kps it will either slingstream or can be set to stream the HD signal and it will remain solid.
And it looks about 200% better than the VGA stream at the same speed.
And it looks about 200% better than the VGA stream at the same speed.
Jun 10, 2009, 12:22 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
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Jun 24, 2009, 10:18 am
#49
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Del Ray, Alexandria, Virginia
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Posts: 1,655
Jul 22, 2009, 10:41 am
#51
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,489
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Slingbox, but hope that FTers with experience can give me guidance.
- I have standard analoge cable just via the coaxial cable. It comes with my internet connection, and works just great. I don't really need the slingbox near the TV as it doesn't have a cable box, so can I just install the Slingbox in my office near the cable modem? (FYI... my upload tests as speedtest.net consistently run 13Mbps, so should not have issues there.)
- Since the current setup is a coaxial cable, do I have to get a Slingbox Pro-HD (just because is has coax inputs) or is there a way to hook the Solo up to a coax cable?
- The laptop is only about 3-months old so no issues there.
- Obviously will be using this on the road (otherwise, why bother,) but would also like to use it at my house in AZ. Don't really want the expense of a Slingcatcher there if it is not necessary; is there a way to hook the laptop VGA to an old TV I have there?
- Is the download speed as important as the upload speed? The DSL in AZ only runs 1-2Mbps, so not the greatest in the world.
Jul 22, 2009, 10:55 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
1. If all you have in analgoeu, I would still go with the ProHD since with IT you could attach a simple smaller desktop HDTV antennae and get full HD broadcasts. It has inputs for both, cable and off air ATSC feeds. The quality is EXCELLENT, I use a small desktop antennae on mine.
2. You don't HAVE to, but see post one.
4. Laptop VGA out to tv can be done, to composite in, or dvi, or HDMI (the latter two an "older tv" won't have. quality will suffer. But, a catcher could be in your future, it really enhances the experience, remote control, speed, not having to have the pc connected all the time.
5. you will only get DL what you have UPLOAD at the location with the slingbox, so if you only have 256up, you'll only get 256 max down.
pm me for a deal on the prohd, there is a pretty good deal going on now, with a coupon of course.
2. You don't HAVE to, but see post one.
4. Laptop VGA out to tv can be done, to composite in, or dvi, or HDMI (the latter two an "older tv" won't have. quality will suffer. But, a catcher could be in your future, it really enhances the experience, remote control, speed, not having to have the pc connected all the time.
5. you will only get DL what you have UPLOAD at the location with the slingbox, so if you only have 256up, you'll only get 256 max down.
pm me for a deal on the prohd, there is a pretty good deal going on now, with a coupon of course.
Jul 22, 2009, 10:58 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Slingbox, but hope that FTers with experience can give me guidance.
[*]I have standard analoge cable just via the coaxial cable. It comes with my internet connection, and works just great. I don't really need the slingbox near the TV as it doesn't have a cable box, so can I just install the Slingbox in my office near the cable modem? (FYI... my upload tests as speedtest.net consistently run 13Mbps, so should not have issues there.)
[*]I have standard analoge cable just via the coaxial cable. It comes with my internet connection, and works just great. I don't really need the slingbox near the TV as it doesn't have a cable box, so can I just install the Slingbox in my office near the cable modem? (FYI... my upload tests as speedtest.net consistently run 13Mbps, so should not have issues there.)
[*]Since the current setup is a coaxial cable, do I have to get a Slingbox Pro-HD (just because is has coax inputs) or is there a way to hook the Solo up to a coax cable?
[*]The laptop is only about 3-months old so no issues there.[*]Obviously will be using this on the road (otherwise, why bother,) but would also like to use it at my house in AZ. Don't really want the expense of a Slingcatcher there if it is not necessary; is there a way to hook the laptop VGA to an old TV I have there?
[*]Is the download speed as important as the upload speed? The DSL in AZ only runs 1-2Mbps, so not the greatest in the world.
Jul 22, 2009, 12:30 pm
#54
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: SPEBSQSA
Posts: 3,489
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Slingbox, but hope that FTers with experience can give me guidance.
- I have standard analoge cable just via the coaxial cable. It comes with my internet connection, and works just great. I don't really need the slingbox near the TV as it doesn't have a cable box, so can I just install the Slingbox in my office near the cable modem? (FYI... my upload tests as speedtest.net consistently run 13Mbps, so should not have issues there.)
- Since the current setup is a coaxial cable, do I have to get a Slingbox Pro-HD (just because is has coax inputs) or is there a way to hook the Solo up to a coax cable?
- The laptop is only about 3-months old so no issues there.
- Obviously will be using this on the road (otherwise, why bother,) but would also like to use it at my house in AZ. Don't really want the expense of a Slingcatcher there if it is not necessary; is there a way to hook the laptop VGA to an old TV I have there?
- Is the download speed as important as the upload speed? The DSL in AZ only runs 1-2Mbps, so not the greatest in the world.
Has anyone had experience with locations with slow(er) download speeds?
Jul 22, 2009, 3:38 pm
#55
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Anyone find that some hotel connections have poor downloads? Even downloading podcasts can be slow.
Seems it would make more sense for people traveling on business, having nice business hotel rooms paid for, then leisure travel.
Besides which you'd want to do something else than watching a lot of TV from back home on a laptop screen.
Or it's not bad tuning into some channels you can't get in the US, like in other languages or CNN International or BBC.
Or just rip some DVDs to the laptop before you leave.
Seems it would make more sense for people traveling on business, having nice business hotel rooms paid for, then leisure travel.
Besides which you'd want to do something else than watching a lot of TV from back home on a laptop screen.
Or it's not bad tuning into some channels you can't get in the US, like in other languages or CNN International or BBC.
Or just rip some DVDs to the laptop before you leave.
Jul 22, 2009, 3:48 pm
#56
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
Last month, we were in Hawaii for my birthday. My #1 1K GF is a big tennis player and of course wanted to watch French Open tennis, but that was WAY EARLY in the morning, lke 02:30 early.
So, I had the slingcatcher hooked up to the TV in the bedroom, had the home ProHD record the tennis and we watched it over breakfast in the mornings in HD! I had about 3MB dl in the room, only needed 1MB of that though for good picture. I have 1MB up at the home, which makes for a decent "hd" feed to come from the slingbox ProHD.
It was 10 minutes to hookup everything on the Hawaii end, but 8-9 of those minutes was setting up the two wireless travel routers so I could get internet at the device in the bedroom. Router 1, connected via ethernet to the slingcatcher, connected wirelessly to Router 2, at the ethernet drop in the room which authencticated the connection.. voila, instant local wireless ethernet and no cables or having to be near the internet connection.
Worked like a charm.
So, I had the slingcatcher hooked up to the TV in the bedroom, had the home ProHD record the tennis and we watched it over breakfast in the mornings in HD! I had about 3MB dl in the room, only needed 1MB of that though for good picture. I have 1MB up at the home, which makes for a decent "hd" feed to come from the slingbox ProHD.
It was 10 minutes to hookup everything on the Hawaii end, but 8-9 of those minutes was setting up the two wireless travel routers so I could get internet at the device in the bedroom. Router 1, connected via ethernet to the slingcatcher, connected wirelessly to Router 2, at the ethernet drop in the room which authencticated the connection.. voila, instant local wireless ethernet and no cables or having to be near the internet connection.
Worked like a charm.
Jul 30, 2009, 2:06 am
#57
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 2K, Marriott Platinium, Global Entry, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 370
Anyone find that some hotel connections have poor downloads? Even downloading podcasts can be slow.
Seems it would make more sense for people traveling on business, having nice business hotel rooms paid for, then leisure travel.
Besides which you'd want to do something else than watching a lot of TV from back home on a laptop screen.
Or it's not bad tuning into some channels you can't get in the US, like in other languages or CNN International or BBC.
Or just rip some DVDs to the laptop before you leave.
Seems it would make more sense for people traveling on business, having nice business hotel rooms paid for, then leisure travel.
Besides which you'd want to do something else than watching a lot of TV from back home on a laptop screen.
Or it's not bad tuning into some channels you can't get in the US, like in other languages or CNN International or BBC.
Or just rip some DVDs to the laptop before you leave.
I know I have a problem when I starting choosing my hotels based on their internet connection. It was during the NBA playoffs and had to watch my team. In some ways it was just easier to torrent the games I wanted to watch to avoid the buffering.
As for watching it on the laptop screen if your laptop has hdmi all you need is a hdmi cable.
Jul 30, 2009, 8:09 am
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
Jul 30, 2009, 8:40 am
#60
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Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Well maybe I was thinking more of B&Bs and inns in smaller European towns than chain hotels near airports or in big cities.
Broadband is common enough even in those areas but not so much big hotels.
Many of them do have LCDs wall-mounted but I didn't check to see if they had HDMI. Most often EU has their own standards, especially for non-HDTV displays.
Broadband is common enough even in those areas but not so much big hotels.
Many of them do have LCDs wall-mounted but I didn't check to see if they had HDMI. Most often EU has their own standards, especially for non-HDTV displays.