![]() ![]() You can choose any of these Slingbox™ latest models based on their descriptions: While abroad, you can still watch the local cheerleading competition.īelow are the things you need to get started with remote video streaming:.Be updated with the latest news on your favorite stars while relaxing on the beach.Daddy can catch the football game while sitting in the patio.Watch and follow what the chef does on your favorite cooking show while in the kitchen.Aside from the device, you also need the SlingPlayer application installed on your mobile device or click Watch on the Slingbox™ website with a supported browser on a computer to stream videos remotely. £250 buys a lot of TV shows from iTunes, though.The Slingbox™ is a device available in the market today that makes it possible to watch TV shows anywhere, anytime as long as you have an active Internet connection. The lack of HDMI inputs could be a problem for those with modern Sky or cable boxes, but it’s useful if you want to watch Freeview over the internet. The Slingbox Pro-HD is a very specialised device. There’s more compression and a lower resolution when viewing from outside your house, but it’s still watchable. Over a local network, picture quality was stunning – high-definition with few artefacts. This is shockingly expensive, though, at around £18. Once you’re set up, you can view TV in Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox (Chrome isn’t supported) or on your mobile with the SlingPlayer app. ![]() We were surprised this couldn’t be done over UpNP and the setup wizard only provides instructions for a handful of routers – you’ll be better off going to for help. Ours needed port 5001 to be opened for streaming to a mobile device such as the iPad, iPhone or Windows Phone 7, Android or Symbian mobile phones. The setup wizard examines your router to see if any ports need to be opened in your firewall to access the Slingbox’s video stream from outside. You instead have to right-click and use the ‘clear’ option in a sub-menu to go back a step. The layout for our test Xbox 360 was also strange - there’s no ‘B’ button to go back a step, which makes the menu system unusable. If your source isn’t listed, there’s no way to set a custom remote layout, though. This links with an IR transmitter cable that you position in range of your source equipment’s receiver. Once the wizard has found a video signal on one of the ports, it prompts you to enter the name of the device plugged into the Slingbox so it can load the correct virtual remote control. This is clear enough, if sometimes painfully slow to load each step. Once you’ve got everything connected, the rest of the setup is done through an online wizard. If you want an EPG you’ll have to plug the Slingbox into an external Freeview box. However, the Program Guide isn’t available in the UK, so you have to choose channels manually. Simply plugging the Slingbox into your aerial and scanning for channels lets you watch Freeview online without plugging the ‘box into any other equipment. You’ll need to connect it to your home network – as there’s no built-in wireless, you’ll have to use an Ethernet cable or the SlingLink Turbo homeplug networking kit (£62 from There’s also an integrated DVB-T tuner. You can also connect standard-definition devices to the Slingbox’s composite or S-Video ports. This could be a problem as manufacturers phase out component outputs in favour of HDMI. There’s no HDMI input – as the Slingbox sends video back out over the internet, it’s unlikely to be compatible with the HDCP beloved of Sky HD boxes (see FAQ). There are component inputs to connect to an HD TV box, blu-ray player or media player such as an Xbox 360, and component outputs to loop back out to your TV. It makes for a refreshing change from French TV for those on business abroad.Īs the name suggests, the Pro-HD adds high definition video support. There are also smartphone players, so telly addicts don’t even need to carry a laptop. The Slingbox range plugs into your home video equipment and broadcasts its content over the internet, so you can watch your shows from any PC or Mac connected to the ‘net. ![]()
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