When I was preparing for my journey abroad to Taiwan for a year or so, I was perplexed on how to satiate my TV habits. My fiance is not a big TV watcher, he is most happy popping a movie in the DVD player. But I, after working at home for a few years, have developed an addiction to my DVR, especially for those afternoon hours where my energy and motivation have long since disappeared. I did some research before moving and found that not only did our apartment not have satellite TV options, the local cable had about five English channels in general. And guess what? Food Network, SoapNet, and the Travel Channel were not on the list! Threatening to forego the move without my channels, my fiance looked at me like I was crazy and simply replied, "We will get you a Slingbox." I replied, "a Sling who?!?!"
Turns out, there is a device called a Slingbox that is a TV streaming device that enables you to view your home cable box or DVR from an Internet-enabled computer with a broadband connection. I was a bit skeptical that it would work, since I couldn’t view any of the free streamed shows on the network websites because of a Taiwan IP address. Since the shows are not officially aired in Asia, IP addresses from here are blocked from viewing them online. Utilizing an IP blocker only created issues with the performance speed of my laptop so I had pretty much given up hope.
Slingbox is available at a number of stores in the U.S., and I opted to check out Best Buy since I get most of my electronics there anyway. The Slingbox is made by Sling Media out of San Mateo, California. Basically what it does is take over the stream of your cable box, allowing you to log in and view live TV on your computer. For someone who travels a lot, this is an amazing product! Since you are already paying for cable or satellite TV at home, you are not breaking any laws, as it is your own system you are watching. In my case, moving abroad meant I was moving from my primary residence and would not have access to satellite TV anymore. However, my parents still have their subscription and have several boxes in different rooms of the house so I pitched my sob story, which was not initially well received. They were concerned they could not watch TV and that it would screw their system up. I finally got them to concede to partial ownership rights to the satellite box in Mom’s sewing room, since she rarely used it anyway.
What we ended up purchasing was the Slingbox Solo, which allows you to control one only one cable box. The Slingbox Pro lets you control multiple devices but is over $100 more expensive and not worth the already cursing glares I was getting from Mom as she envisioned my attempt to rule their living room DVR as well! Currently, Best Buy has the Solo for $179 which is less than I paid 3 months ago. In addition, I needed to purchase the SlingLink which is $149. The SlingLink is basically the wireless router that drives the Slingbox if your cable box and computer modem are in different rooms.
I am about average when it comes to computer technical knowledge and set-up was very easy. All the cables are included, and the set-up guide is pretty straightforward. The Slingbox sits by your cable box along with one of the SlingLink boxes. The other SlingLink box goes in by your computer modem and everything utilizes regular wall outlets. It may sound more confusing here, but trust me, the manual walks you through everything. Once the components are plugged in, you set up the remote viewing feature through Sling’s website. I had some initial difficulty there, but it turns out the issue was with my laptop, not the Slingbox. I was able to receive video but could not get any sound. When my fiance tried to view from his laptop, it worked just fine.
What you see on your computer screen is just like watching a video off YouTube or a media player. It is through the site and since you are watching your own programming, it is just like being at home. There is an online remote control that you can mouse over or use the number pad on your keyboard to enter channel numbers, etc. Only one person can watch the stream at a time which is how they ensure compliance with the satellite and cable providers. Basically, if my fiance and I are both on our laptops, only one of us can control the stream through Sling.
One downside to the Slingbox would be using it on a box that other people use frequently. Had I set it up for the living room DVR, I would only be able to watch programs when my parents were asleep or stick to viewing already-recorded programs. Fortunately, we have several extra boxes, so I do not have to worry about any problems with coordinating viewing schedules.
A couple of issues I have found since I installed it a few months ago as it has "timed out", similar to how your modems tend to. I’ve needed someone to reset the box and if you are 10,000 miles away, it is a little hard to do. Also, the power cord connector from the Slingbox itself is very short. I’ve had several instances where my Mom has accidentally jarred it loose, requiring a phone call at some pretty strange hours to have her check it. Fortunately, she’s a night owl so that phone call at 3 a.m. (her time) is not too problematic.
As for system compatibility, I am running it on a Windows Vista laptop and it streams beautifully. I have a large monitor that I could connect it to but have not tried that just yet, so I cannot speak as to image quality there. I’ve read there is a MAC version coming soon, or perhaps a Beta version that might be out already. Linux operating systems are not supported. Sling has some other products available, but I am not familiar with their features.
Even with the 9 hour time difference, I am able to catch all the shows I normally watched back home. It’s actually more convenient because I watch them during the day while I’m working or even cleaning the house. I will even admit to setting up the laptop a couple times while enjoying a relaxing soak in the whirlpool tub! Hey, it’s no different than the fancy hotel rooms with the flat screen TV in the bathroom. I probably sound like a constant TV watcher, but I’m actually not - I only have it on a few hours of my work day.
Overall, I’d definitely say the $450 we spent on it was completely worth it. I only wish I had known about this when I was doing more business travel as this would’ve saved me from the abysimal programming offered in some hotels!
