Sling Media - Slingbox SOLO Overview

Slingbox HD SB300

somsri2001 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD SB300-100 Media Streamer and Sling Media SlingLink Turbo 4-Port Bundle

Product Description
The Slingbox PRO-HD brings your whole home entertainment system (HD Content from your cable set-top box, shows recorded on your DVR, that DVD that is in your DVD Player, and basic cable) to your computer and mobile phone.

Posted in Sling Media Sling Box, Slingbox Pro-HD SB300 Tagged: Slingbox HD SB300

Linksys Wireless-N

somsri2001 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:19:00 +0000

First – the product is a bit hard to configure if you do not have a compatible Linksys N router. The CDROM that comes with the WGA600N can only configure it if you have a compatible Linksys router. I have a Apple Airport Extreme N router and had to spend a little time googling to discover that the Reset button on the WGA600N puts it on 192.168.1.250 IP address and that I had to enable static IP in the same subnet on my desktop’s interface in order to be able to go to the Web GUI at http://192.168.1.250. After that, it was a breeze to setup. Very easy.

That aside, the best part about WGA600N is that it is very good for streaming HD content over your network. I have Slingbox hooked up to my HD enabled Comcast DVR to enable streaming to my desktop in the other room. The desktop has no wireless card and so it was wired to a NetGear Powerline HDX101. With this setup the HDTV streaming with Slingbox was not impressive – frequent lost packets, not so good speed etc.

But once I hooked the desktop to the WGA600N and had it connect to my extreme N router (Airport shows it connects at 300 rates, whereas my Laptop with WirelessN card connects at 130) no more lost packets, and I get the best streaming speeds, consistently (hovering around 5500Kbps to 6000Kbps).

Overall I am quite happy with its performance – Linksys should fix the configuration utility though, that will save people without Linksys routers some headache for sure.

Product Description
The Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter gives wireless connection capabilities to any wired Ethernet-equipped game console. The Game Adapter can be used in several different ways. If you have an existing home wireless network and a cable or DSL Internet connection, the Game Adapter lets your Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation2 or 3, or GameCube attach to the network so you can get into online games without running wires to the game room. Or, use a pair of Game Adapters to form a “cable-less cable” between two game consoles for head-to-head gaming — in the same room, or all the way across the house. There is also a special “Wireless LAN Party” mode to connect several consoles at once.

Lag-free head-to-head or Internet gaming, without stringing wires
Converts wired-Ethernet-ready game consoles to Wireless-N network connectivity
Works without drivers on Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation2 or 3, and GameCube
Dynamically changes channels and radio bands (2.4 or 5GHz) to find the fastest connection available

Posted in Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter Tagged: Linksys Wireless-N

Slinglink Turbo

somsri2001 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:56:00 +0000

This product not only proved itself, but it solved the problem of having to drill holes and run cables through the house, especially in a very difficult area. I am extremely pleased with this item, and would like to see the price drop a little more, but all in all it is definitely worth the price and time involved. It took about 3 minutes to have it all setup. There is no programming at all, it’s all automatic.

Box Contents – 2 SlingLink TURBO 1-Port Units, 1 Ethernet Cable, and 1 Quick Start Guide
Plug/Powerline 85 Mbps technology
Network Interface – One RJ-45 (100BASE-T-Ethernet) and Electrical Plug (Powerline Ethernet)
Power Line Networking Performance Standards – 85 Mbps Intellon Chipset
Power Supply – 100-230V 50/60Hz, Less than 5W consumption

Product Description
If you’re like most people, you don’t have an Ethernet jack right next to your television – or a hot tub in the living room for that matter. And while having both would be splendid, the SlingLink can at least resolve one of those dilemmas.The SlingLink TURBO brings network connectivity to any electrical wall outlet, making it ideal for the modern living room. With four switched ports, it connects your Slingbox, game console, DVR, computer or anything with an Ethernet jack. And it’s compatible with any home router.Just plug one SlingLink TURBO into the wall near your router, and plug in the other SlingLink TURBO wherever you have your Slingbox installed, and voila! You’re connected to the Internet. However, if you’re into that post-Apocalyptic look, with wires hanging throughout your house, or if you’d enjoy the company of an expensive technician sent to re-wire your home, then the SlingLink is probably not right for you.

Posted in Slinglink Turbo 1PORT Enet Tagged: Slinglink Turbo

Sling Media SC100-100

somsri2001 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:00:00 +0000

On-screen interface and remote control provide easy access to digital video from anywhere
Compatible with all Slingbox generations
Works with Standard Definition and High Definition TVs

From the Manufacturer
Sling Media released a software update on October 28, 2008 for SlingCatcher that fixes some critical video streaming quality issues from both Slingbox and SlingProjector. All new customers setting up a SlingCatcher on 10/28/08 or later will receive the new software as part of their first time setup process. Existing customers may download the software update over the Internet directly to their SlingCatcher by going to the Settings menu and selecting Software Update.

SlingProjector users should have a high-performance PC for the best experience. Minimum requirements are a 1.6 Ghz Intel Core Due or 3.0 GHz Pentium IV/Pentium M CPU with Windows XP or Vista 32-bit. 64-bit Windows Vista is not currently supported. The MAC OS is also not currently supported. As with any video or CPU intensive application, virtual operating systems such as Fusion and Parallels are not recommended.

Watch Your Digital Media on Your TV

The SlingCatcher is a universal media player for your TV. SlingCatcher’s on-screen interface and remote control provide easy access to TV from your Slingbox, Internet video from your PC, or personal media from your USB hard drive. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the digital age on your TV screen.

TV from your Slingbox
Access your Slingbox on another TV in your house or anywhere in the world.

Internet video from your PC
If you can watch a video on your PC, you can use SlingProjector to project it wirelessly to your TV.

Personal media from your USB hard drive
Attach USB storage to SlingCatcher and view your favorite media files on your TV.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Access Your Slingbox on Another TV

Simulated TiVo interface shown here – Slingbox works with over 5,000 devices.

The SlingCatcher allows you to access any device connected to your Slingbox* on another TV in your home or even a TV in another location.

DVRs are great, and anyone who has ever used one can’t go back to the old way of watching TV. But if you have multiple TVs in your house, your DVR content is usually stuck on one of them. The solution? Hook up a Slingbox to the DVR and a SlingCatcher to another TV. Instantly you can watch and control your DVR and all its programming from that TV too–with no additional monthly fees.

Going away to college can be tough. You leave your family, friends, and local sports teams behind. With a SlingCatcher in your dorm room, you can connect to your Slingbox at home, and it’s just like having a really, really long cable. You can hijack your parents’ TV or watch shows and games together–virtually, of course.

* HD Streaming from a Slingbox ProHD is not supported at this time.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Project Internet Video from Your PC to Your TV

SlingProjector software for 32-bit Windows XP and Vista* lets you select any window on your PC to project full screen onto your TV. This is ideal for watching an ever increasing amount of Internet video content on your TV instead of a laptop screen. Clips from YouTube or Hulu, full episodes from CBS.com or NBC.com, even streaming feature length movies from NetFlix can all be projected to your big screen, so you can sit back on the couch and enjoy. SlingProjector works with most web sites and video players.** Check out a few of these examples:

Everyone knows YouTube. Whether you find the millions of hours of user-generated video funny, disgusting, educational, or a good way to veg out on a Sunday afternoon, now you can easily share your favorite moments with family and friends on your big screen TV rather than hunkered around a tiny laptop.

Hulu is a popular video Web site with lots of clips, full-length TV episodes, and movies. Using SlingProjector, simply select the video frame and watch away!

If you have a NetFlix account, you already know you can stream thousands of full-length TV shows and movies to your computer. That’s great if you’re a lonely guy living in a 6′ x 6′ box. But if you want to watch a show or movie with your family, you probably want to sit back on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Now you can. And you never have to wait for your DVDs to arrive in the mail.

* 64-bit Windows XP/Vista and Macintosh support not currently available. SlingProjector is not supported when run in a virtual environment like Parallels, VMware or Microsoft Virtual PC.

** Projection of HD-DVD and Blu-ray video from a PC to SlingCatcher is not supported. For more info, visit our support site for details

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Watch Your Personal Media on Your TV

Watch Home Movies from Your USB Hard Drive
If you have kids, you probably have lots of video tapes full of great moments, and you just haven’t gotten around to compiling and burning DVDs so you can share with the rest of the family. Now you can store those movies on a portable USB hard drive. Just plug it into the SlingCatcher, and you have instant access to your entire video library — to share with friends and family.

Watch Podcasts from Your USB Hard Drive
Video podcasts let you keep up with the latest on every imaginable or niche topic. From comedy to news to personal health, you can subscribe to podcasts ’til your hard drive is overflowing. The problem, of course, is that you have to watch them on your tiny phone or small computer screen. With SlingCatcher, just plug in your USB drive or memory stick filled with podcasts, and you can sit back on the couch and watch to your heart’s content.

To get started with SlingCatcher, you’ll need at least the following:

A television (standard definition or high definition)
A broadband Internet connection (DSL/Cable modem)
A home network

Watch TV From Your Slingbox

Access live or recorded video from any device connected to your Slingbox.
Currently supported streaming resolutions vary from 320×240 to 640×480, depending on network connections and Slingbox in use.

Watch Internet Video From Your PC
Using the free SlingProjector software, display any region from your PC screen on your TV (up to 1024×768 based on PC performance)
System and network requirements:

High performance PC required for best results
Virtualized PCs such as Parallels, VMware or Microsoft Virtual PC are not supported
Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP with SP2
(64-bit Windows Vista and 64-bit Windows XP not currently supported)
1.6 GHz+ Intel Core Duo or 3.0 GHz+ Pentium IV/Pentium M CPU
1 GB RAM for Windows Vista and 512 MB for Windows XP
Display resolution of 1024 x 768
50 MB available disk space for installation
SlingProjector requires a consistent 5 Mbps wired/wireless network connection in your house between your PC, router, and SlingCatcher

Watch Personal Media From Your USB Hard Drive
Requires optional USB 2.0 hard disk drive or USB 2.0 flash memory stick accessory (all sold separately)
Supported media formats:

Video: WMV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, Xvid
Audio: MP2, MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3
File formats: .avi, .vob, .ifo, .ps, .ts, .mpg, .wmv, .asf, .mov, .mp4,.m4v, .mp3, .wma, .mp4a, .m4a, .wav
For more information on supported file formats and other My Media specifications, visit slingmedia.com
Coming soon: a file conversion and media management application for Windows XP/Vista PCs

System Requirements

A television that supports any of the following: 480i (NTSC), 576i (PAL/SECAM), 480p*, 576p*, 720p*, or 1080i* (Note: SlingCatcher supports Standard Definition streaming from any Slingbox regardless of input video format)
A broadband Internet connection (DSL/Cable modem)
A home network that supports consistent 5 Mbps wired/wireless connection between your PC, router, and SlingCatcher

* Requires component or HDMI cable purchased separately

Box Contents

1 SlingCatcher set-top box
1 AC adapter (100-240V, 50-60 Hz)
1 Ethernet cable
1 Composite AV cable
1 Remote control with 2 AAA batteries
1 User guide

Posted in Sling Media SlingCatcher SC100-100 Tagged: Sling Media SC100-100

Apple TV with 160GB

somsri2001 — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:59:00 +0000

Compatible with Mac or PC
802.11n Wi-Fi Wireless
160GB Hard Drive For Up to 200 Hours Of Video
Apple Remote

From the Manufacturer
Apple TV turns your living room into an on-demand movie theater. With a few clicks of the remote, you can rent HD movies from the same place you watch them — your widescreen TV.

What You Need:

Widescreen TV

Apple TV works with widescreen, enhanced-definition, or high-definition TVs capable of:

• 1080p/i 60/50 Hz
• 720p 60/50Hz
• 576p 50Hz (PAL format)
• 480p 60Hz

Cables

HDMI to HDMI cable orHDMI to DVI cable and analog stereo or optical digital audio or component video cable and analog stereo or optical digital audio

Buy TV shows and music, too

Buy your favorite shows — commercial free — as well as songs and music videos directly from your Apple TV.

Watch YouTube on your TV

Watch YouTube videos on the big screen. Enjoy thousands of free videos, including the top featured, most viewed, and top rated.

Show off your photos

Free your photos from the web and see them on your widescreen TV. Access your Flickr photos or .Mac Web Gallery with a click.

What’s in the box

• Apple TV
• Apple Remote
• Power cord
• Printed documentation

Product Description
With Apple TV, you can rent and watch standard-definition movies with stereo sound or stunning high- definition movies with pristine Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Without leaving your couch. Apple TV also lets you browse millions of podcasts—including HD video podcasts—watch YouTube videos, view your Flickr and .Mac Web Gallery photos, and buy music and TV shows—all from your widescreen TV.

Posted in Apple TV with 160GB Hard Drive, MB189LL/A Tagged: Apple TV with 160GB

Slingbox SB260-100

somsri2001 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Watch your HDTV anywhere on your laptop or mobile phone with no monthly fees
Watch and control a high-definition or standard definition A/V device, such as a DVR, cable set top box, satellite receiver or DVD player.
Full set of pass-through connections for easy integration with virtually any A/V device.
Clip+Sling ready. Use your Slingbox to clip segments of your favorite TV programs and share them with friends and family online.
Supports Windows XP/Vista, Mac and Windows Mobile, Symbian or Palm OS-based mobile devices.

Amazon.com Product Description
The Slingbox SOLO allows you to watch and control your favorite TV source from anywhere in the world on your laptop or mobile phone. So now nothing can come between you and your DVR, digital cable, satellite receiver, or DVD player. The Slingbox SOLO not only allows you to watch your home television anywhere, but it also allows you to watch any cable subscriptions, special programming, or sports packages you may have–at no extra cost. If it’s on your home TV, it’s on your computer and phone–with no monthly fees. With the Slingbox SOLO, you can watch all your favorites wherever you see fit.

Watch and control your HDTV anywhere on your laptop or mobile phone.
No monthly fees.
On screen remote control.
Crisp video streaming.

Slingbox SOLO can connect to a myriad of A/V devices–over 5,000 of them.

Features:

Watch your HDTV anywhere on your laptop or mobile phone.
No monthly fees.
Watch and control a high-definition or standard definition A/V device, such as a DVR, cable set top box, satellite receiver or DVD player.
Full set of pass-through connections for easy integration with virtually any A/V device.
On screen remote control. Every feature that’s available on your TV remote control is accessible through the included SlingPlayer software for your Windows or Mac laptop. This means you can view your electronic program guide (EPG), change the channels, queue a recording on your DVR, or even watch pay-per-view movies.
Clip+Sling ready. Use your Slingbox to clip segments of your favorite TV programs and share them with friends and family online.
Mobile phone compatibility. SlingPlayer Mobile software lets you watch and control your TV and all of its programming on compatible Windows Mobile, Symbian or Palm mobile phones. Separate download required.
Crisp video streaming. SlingStream is the innovative streaming technology that ensures you receive the clearest picture possible at any given location.
Supports over 5,000 A/V devices.
Broadband internet connection w/router required.
Supports Windows XP/Vista, Mac and Windows Mobile, Symbian or Palm OS-based mobile devices.

Product Description
The Slingbox SOLO incorporates high-definition component, S-Video and composite video inputs as well as outputs, making it compatible with just about every HD or standard-definition satellite receiver or set-top boxes and DVRs on the market. The Slingbox SOLO is the perfect companion for your DVR, cable box, satellite receiver or DVD player. With the ability to watch and control your favorite TV source, the Slingbox SOLO ensures that you can enjoy your TV entertainment – anywhere.

Posted in Slingbox SOLO SB260-100 Tagged: Slingbox SB260-100

SC100-100 Sling Media

somsri2001 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Slingmedia is hitting a home run with this one. I love it, I have a total of three. Two are setup in my home so that can watch my Tivo which is in the basement in the upstairs family room or the master bedroom. It is nice because I can watch recorded shows from either location. I installed the third one at my girlfriend house in Florida and she can now watch recorded shows and can make her own recordings. The picture is great on my home network and there is no notable drop off at my friend’s home 700 miles away. BUY, BUY, and BUY.

I have had a slingbox for several years and this is a really nice tool. I can download movies and project them with the correct resolution to TV or save to USB and play them on this box. You can also project most any video to you TV or, connect to your slingbox so you only have to pay for one DVR from the cable or satilite company.
This was the cheapest place to buy it that I found. Fast mailing and met my standards.

Posted in SC100-100 Universal Media Player for TV Tagged: SC100-100 Sling Media, SC100-100 Universal Media

Linksys Dual-Band

somsri2001 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Lag-free head-to-head or Internet gaming, without stringing wires
Converts wired-Ethernet-ready game consoles to Wireless-N network connectivity
Works without drivers on Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation2 or 3, and GameCube
Dynamically changes channels and radio bands (2.4 or 5GHz) to find the fastest connection available

Posted in Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter Tagged: Linksys Dual-Band

Slingbox SB300-100

somsri2001 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Technical Details

* Supports Windows XP/Vista, Mac and Windows Mobile, Symbian or Palm OS-based mobile devices.
* No monthly fees
* Streams High Definition video Around the house or over the Internet (requires minimum 1.5mbps upload)
* Multiple inputs Up to 3 devices
* Built-in Tuner ATSC/NTSC/QAM

I originally bought the slingbox pro last year and have just tried the Hava Platinum HD, so here are my impressions. Setup for the Slingbox Pro-HD is easy. You download the software from their website, install it and it guides you through the process of finding the pro-hd on your network and setting up your devices. BTW – hookup was very easy and straight forward. I connected the slingbox hd to my cable, my router and the power cord. Went to my laptop and took it from there.

In my scenario there are a couple of things to note. I live in NYC and have digital cable with HD. Now, I have to use my cable box to be able to see HD channels. By bypassing the cable box and directly connecting my cable line into the slingbox HD, I can either see all of my regular cable stations (up to channel 99) OR I can see whatever HD channels are free (or over-the-air) in NYC. You can’t do both at the same time (at this time, according to their website – that will require a firmware update that is ‘high’ on their list – I have some history with waiting for them to ‘develop’ something . . I’ll come back to that later).

I set up the slingbox pro HD to look for qualcom HD channels one my cable line and let it do it’s thing. It found about 20 HD stations, the best being NBC, CBS, ABC, WB, UPN, PBS, PBSkids. The others are either home-shopping type sites or sports-versions of the big networks. The picture is really great – super clear and with no artifacts – great HD experience at a smaller size. This is VASTLY improved from the regular slingbox pro that I had last year – the picture on that was terrible – fuzzy, grainy – granted it was SD video, but I absolutely hated it.

I then set up the slingbox to look for the regular cable channels. I had to delete the HD setup and have it look up the SD channels. It picked up the channels up to 99. These looked OK and were still better than my memory of the regular slingbox pro. I had one issue in where the picture cut out and had ‘low’ signal strength. I searched through the forums at slingmedia and apparently this is common to other users and there’s no quick fix that anyone has posted.

So, I switched it back to HD.

There is a program guide that looks like every other program guide out there. Nice feature, but only works for the cable channels, at least for me. The HD channels have show up as channel 1.1, 1.3 and so forth – and there is no program guide for those. A bit annoying because I had to figure out what each channel is. This would be OK, but there is considerable lag to changing the channel. You can select a ‘quick mode’ that basically lowers the quality of your picture while you change channels. It does make it faster, but still not as responsive as changing the channel on your TV. It’s probably inherent in the technology.

Pros – easy setup, easy connection, picture looks great. Channel guide if you use regular cable channels

Cons – you can’t have both SD and HD channels with a direct cable hookup – you have to go through your cable box, which means you have to set up the IR remote (I didn’t do this, but I assume it works as I haven’t seen anyone complain out it).

I didn’t hook anything else up because it’s doubtful that I’d want to stream DVD’s or my camcorder’s video to a laptop or PC – I would do that directly and have much more control.

Now, one of the reasons I bought the original slingbox pro was because they had advertised that they were working with Microsoft to connect it to Vista so that you could record TV to your computer, thus making it a DVR. That never happened and eventually both MS and Sling media removed those references from their websites. I found that really frustrating because I waited a long time for that. It tought me a lesson to buy technology for what it will do TODAY and not some promised future. All that to say, who knows if they will ever update the firmware to show both SD and HD channels at the same time?

Another thing – when I had the original slingbox pro, I didn’t much enjoy watching my home TV remotely when I was traveling or on my phone. It was too jerky and I was worried about maxing out my home/phone bandwidth and data plans, so it was not fun for me. Plus, it killed my battery on my phone too quickly. You may have different needs, likes and dislikes, so take that into account when reading this review. It’s unlikely I’ll ‘sling’ my TV, so I’m not reviewing that, but keep in mind that it’s the biggest selling point of the slingbox HD and you may really want that.

Overall, the slingbox pro HD does what it is advertised to do – nothing more, nothing less, and what it does it does with good quality.

Posted in Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100 Tagged: Slingbox SB300-100

TiVo TCD652160

somsri2001 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Controls cable TV with record, pause, rewind and fast-forward in HD
Records two HD channels at once, while watching another recorded show
160GB internal hard drive records up to 20 hours of high definition programming (or 180 hours of standard definition
Video output modes include: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
Sources supported: Digital cable, Analog cable, Digital antenna (ATSC), Analog antenna and broadband content

It is a good DVR. It took a few hours to get used to the user interface, but this was not due so much as Tivo having a bad interface, but it was because it was so different than the Comcast Motorola box that the Tivo replaced. Now that I am used to the UI, I don’t know why I did not get one sooner as it is so much better than the Comcast Motorola DVD. Not only that, I suspect it uses a whole lot less power because it is so much cooler to the touch – all in all a big win over my old box. Reading the power consumption stats on the back, the Tivo box uses about 1/4 the power. I like the way it groups recorded shows and the Season Pass concept where you can subscribe to a season. Its find feature is far superior to that of the Comcast Motorola DVR and. The show directory also beats Comcast’s offerings hands down – more detail. It does a much better job of not recording ‘old’ shows than the Comcast DVR even though told the Motorola box to not record old stuff, it did anyway.

Be careful when putting a Tivo product on a Comcast cable. There are a lot of terrible service people at Comcast who don’t have a clue. The setup was excrutiatingly painful requiring two trips to a distant Comcast store and much time on the phone. Eventually a Comcast service person came to my house and he had a heck of time getting someone on the phone that knew what they were doing. He did solve the problem. In one case I was told that it was impossible to put a Tivo box on a Comcast cable, but the Comcast employee was dead wrong.

I would have given the Tivo 5 stars if the remote had a back light. It is a dark colored remote and it is worthless in a dark room – no way to see it without turning on an external light source.

Posted in TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder Tagged: TiVo TCD652160