Slingbox?

teide_ian

Hi all,
Was just looking today on the internet about the slingbox, and is says link up to a computer in uk and watch say via my computer here in tenerife.
Not quite sure about how the whole thing works and if anyone could shed any light in detail would be gratefully received.
What i wanted was to watch english tv in my house and cannot put such a big dish up, but i have a large dish sky etc in the bar i own.
Can i not link this slingbox up to the receiver and computer i have in the bar then send it to my house computer or is it not possible.
Dont think i could get anyone to rig one up in uk you see.
Thanks in advance.

Analoguesat

Yes - it allows you to placeshift your tv viewing. You will need a reasonably quick internet connection.

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teide_ian

Thanks analogue sat.
Trying not to be thick. But would it be possible for you to go in to a bit more detail as to the set up etc, what i need to do or have, how it works.
Thanks in advance.

Analoguesat

You connect it to your satellite box, DTT box or whatever, then connect the SB to the internet. You download the slingbox viewer onto your remote computer, set up the connection parameters at both ends and away you go


http://uk.slingmedia.com/page/home

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teide_ian

Thank you for the reply.
Sounds alot easier the way you have put it.
Will try ordering one later.
Thanks again.

Analoguesat

If you do please tell us about how easy it is to get up and running - I know a few folks on the forum would be interested

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Analoguesat

ian - heres some info from the Misco site which might help:

Watch all your television channels anywhere in the world on your desktop PC, laptop, or SmartPhone, with the Slingbox hooked up to your broadband connection. It's the revolutionary device taking television viewing to new places, literally! You don't need a subscription, you don't need a new set-top box, the Slingbox can work with a standard VCR, Sky box, an NTL/Telewest box, Freeview box or DVD player.

Use your Scart or S-Video connection to hook up to the Slingbox, and then connect the Ethernet cable to your internet modem/router, and that's it! The output is streamed over the internet, it's that simple!

By using the supplied software on any Windows (XP/2000) or Apple Mac computer connected to the internet at broadband speed, you can view the output, no matter where you are in the world. There's no hassle of international TV signals, encryption, or television interference. It works with existing and digital broadcasts! You have a personal secured stream, letting you watch your home's range of television channels - whether free-to-view like ITV1 or subscription-based like Sky Sports 2 - straight over the internet in a smooth and high-clarity display. Ready to work with Windows Mobile Platform web-enabled mobile phones, you can have television in your pocket!

With an on screen virtual remote control, you can switch channels, and get menu access. Working beautifully with Sky+, allowing you to record, live pause, rewind, fast-forward and use interactive facilities. Slingbox is so easy to use, you don't have to worry about a complex set-up, it will detect how fast your system is, and optimise picture quality depending on how fast your internet speed is. Every Sky+ option works fully.

Working in full-screen or in a window, the Slingbox Slingstream software will deliver quality video and audio, whether over a wired or wireless network. The Slingbox itself houses a Freeview tuner, letting you access around 30 television channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, Sky, UKTV and various other providers, including a massive amount of radio stations. The Slingbox "placeshifts" your television viewing, giving you the service you'd expect from your home TV system, only at work, on holiday, on a train or wherever else you have high-speed net access.

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teide_ian

Thanks for the further information analoguesat.
I am going to try ordering two this week as i have a friend who has access to a big dish and sky receiver.
Ialso have via digital spain in the house so are going to try connecting up both of these i.e he watches my via and i watch his sky, so will be interesting to see how it goes.
Is it true that if i buy a sky + receiver you can use the tuner option as a second live feed through the sling box, read on a forum someone doing this so his daughter could watch sky live and he could without turning her programme over.

Analoguesat

No idea of the actual praticalities & possibilities with a slingbox,but Ive been thinking of buying one to play with at some point.

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teide_ian

Have a look at this.
www.britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=413978

Mazda-mick

I like it a lot, would it be possible to use satellite internet instead of getting an ADSL line installed, i have an apartment in tenerife which has a 1M dish and sky.

Anybody know how much ADSL costs in tenerife?

Cheers.

rolfw

It should work over satellite internet, but your bandwidth usage would become expensive.

For those who haven't tried it, it is akin to watching TV on a 12/14" portable, if you are happy with that and don't mind the odd stutter here and there, then it may be useful to you.

There is certainly one hosting company using a UK ISP to Sling Freeview signal overseas, so at least their upstream should be guaranted.

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teide_ian

Was looking at various sites today and the US Version Slingbox AV looks really good and also cheaper, what i wanted to know is if i got this does it matter about the NTSC/PAL if i am going to run it purely through a european digi box to my computer then TV. Or does the NTSC/PAL only matter going through a terrestrial arial.
Thanks in advance.

Milkybarkid

Is there a US version that does HD ?

There are quite a lot of HD channels over there.

iceman

Considering the amount of extra data required for HD...I doubt it very much...

billnot

One of the members of my CBExpats group has tried it - "slinging" from his house in the UK to his apartment here.

The limiting factor is upload speed - most people with ADSL have a much higher download speed than upload; I have 3Mb/s download verses 384Kb/s upload.

His verdict is that the technology undoubtedly works, but his received picture is very poor because of the limited connection speeds.

teide_ian

You can get a HD Version in america its called the Slingbox PRO.

Likvid

What i would like is to have a Slingbox at both sites and directly connected to the TV and not use a computer to change channels.

Like a 2 box solution and then use a VPN tunnel between the boxes.

Why hasn't anyone done this? legal issues?

mctighed

Slingcatcher due to be released in America later this year. Connects straight from router to TV input, no computer needed either end.
Best uploald speeds available in UK (Not business) be24. up to 24meg down and 1.3 meg up.

Turok

Hello good evening!
i have bought,the Slinbox Classic,on Ebay Usa 2 days ago,for 130$ including airshiping,now i look,any source on the net,where i can get acces,to us televsions channels!

what downstream ,is needed,for slingbox pro useres,to watch Hd Tv?

,in Austria,at moment 4 MBIT,over dsl,is the higest,what i can get,for 50€/month!
upload spped not good only 512 kb

are they any other difrents,between,slingbox pro,and classic?

2cvbloke

A slingbox is used to send channels from your own TV receiver (Satellite, Cable or Terrestrial) to your computer over the internet, rather than watching other people's paid for TV which probably would change channel part-way through...

As for the HDTV questions, personally I'm not too sure, but it's probably pretty bandwidth-consuming to send a full size HDTV source over the net...

Analoguesat

Just as a follow up to this, I bought a slingbox a couple of months ago and have had it running quite happily from Galashiels (near Edinburgh) to Brighton (south of London).

Here is BgonaStick's comments about the experience running my dreambox

_http://www.satellitehelp.co.uk/blog/archives/139

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dasteelman

I would love it if someone could give me a 5 min test before i bought one

snap

I've seen Sling working from Ontario to Madrid quite well. Resolution is acceptable, you wouldn't want to watch a feature film on it.
The big drawback is that you need bandwidth to spare. When your neighbours come home from work and all switch on their PCs the speeds can plummet.
Watch your bandwidth usage as well, with mine I have to pay extra over an agreed limit. Just watching a few youTube videos and BBC News 24 can push you over a limit in a few days.

rolfw

I've used a trial stream and have a similar impression, not bad for watching on the equivalent to a 12" TV, so really only for things which you desperately need to watch.

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