SlingPlayer Comes to Boxee Box!

[Scott Greczkowski]

Just got this email!

Now you can now watch your Slingbox content on another TV when it is connected to a Boxee Box. SlingPlayer for Boxee Box is offered free of charge in the United States during its introductory period. Take advantage of this great opportunity now.

It's the same, familiar SlingPlayer experience you love. It's easy to change channels, navigate the program guide and schedule and watch recordings on your DVR. Only now it's on the big screen.

We think this is a great reason to own a Slingbox. Now you can take your living room TV
Experience with you to another TV in your house, vacation home or dorm room – all in crystal-clear HD on the big screen. To learn more about the SlingPlayer Boxee Box, CLICK HERE.

This version of SlingPlayer requires a Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD. If you have a Slingbox PRO, Slingbox AV, Slingbox TUNER or Slingbox Classic, you must upgrade your Slingbox. To learn more about how to upgrade your Slingbox to the latest and greatest, CLICK HERE

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

For those who have,or plan to have(like me,in addition to having D* of course) DISH Network HD Receivers with sling adapters,would one be able to watch their DISH recordings or programing on Boxee Box? That would be nice if the Sling Extender doesn't come out.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

So far in using it... it stinks...

I am connected to my Slingbox Pro HD which is on the same network and the video quality is terrible.

If I go to quality it only lets me select Better, but not Best (HD) The Best (HD) is greyed out.

The controls are hard to use (got to press the space bar on the bottom keyboard to bring up menu then use the D pad.)

To type your username and password you need to use the keyboard on the remote you can't have it bring up an on screen keyboard.

When you go and select help it brings you to the Sling Website and you can't exit back (that I have found) so when you exit the website you must load the Sling app again.

I am disappointed because they are advertising it as "crystal-clear HD" when you can't select HD mode.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Ok I was able to get it in HD mode... but only by connecting to the Slingbox Pro HD unit... I don't understand why the Slingbox Solo does not work in HD since it is also a HD Slingbox.

The PQ in HD mode is no where near HD. I am watching a direct feed of Reelz Channels HD from my C Band dish and the colors are very over bright and the picture is very soft with motion on the screen showing microblocking.

I am still finding the control very hard to use. I still give it a thumbs down.

 

[digiblur]

Tested it out in kinda of a useless situation. My Boxee Box sits right next to the 722k and SlingBox Pro-HD. I was actually impressed with the ease of use with the app. Mine was set to Best-HD when I checked the quality. I noticed you have several shortcuts. Here are some I remember:

Q - pulls up a quality stats screen showing buffers, framerates, resolution, bitrate etc. (Mine was pulling anywhere from 8-10 megabit)
P - Play
O - Pause (guess since it is next to P)
U - Pg Up
J - PgDn (guess since it is below the U)
D - DVR
S - Stop
I - Info
R -record

Of course the cursor keys do the left, right, up, etc on the keyboard (no need to flip it over)

Just try them all and find the shortcuts you need.

Quality wise I was actually impressed with the thing. I paused the video and I was able to flip between the HDMI port of the Boxee to the Dish722k. You could tell which one was which but the Boxee Box was pretty damn close. Sound was decent, it was a split second off from the video.

Only thing negative I could say about it is I couldn't find a control mode where it shortens the buffer to respond to several remote control presses. Now this is totally not the Boxee Box app's fault, but it won't see the Slingbox on my other 722 receiver...arghhh... I hate how DishNetwork neutered that Slingbox. It shouldn't even be called a Slingbox!!!! They should have called it RemoteDish or something like that since the thing only works with their $#%@(@ garbage website where you view in a browser (and their garbage Dishonline app for phones).

All in all I give it 4 out of 5. It's free and works great. I'm impressed, a Slingcatcher in a Boxee Box. Talk about a powerful little box. I can't wait to try this Boxee Box app out on the road.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Ok I was able to get it in HD mode... but only by connecting to the Slingbox Pro HD unit... I don't understand why the Slingbox Solo does not work in HD since it is also a HD Slingbox.

The PQ in HD mode is no where near HD. I am watching a direct feed of Reelz Channels HD from my C Band dish and the colors are very over bright and the picture is very soft with motion on the screen showing microblocking.

I am still finding the control very hard to use. I still give it a thumbs down.

As far as I know,the best you can get from Slingbox Solo is 480p progressive scan,just like with the old Slingbox Pro. The Slingbox Pro-HD is the only box that you can get HD(720p/1080i) with. I also use the digital audio outputs on my Slingbox Pro-HD's(I have two of them & one Slingbox Solo) to get digital sound. If you use the digital outputs on your Pro-HD,can you notice it on the Boxee Box versus the Solo?

 

[sfollenius]

For those who have,or plan to have(like me,in addition to having D* of course) DISH Network HD Receivers with sling adapters,would one be able to watch their DISH recordings or programing on Boxee Box? That would be nice if the Sling Extender doesn't come out.

Yes, I have the same question? My guess is no, since most of the slingplayer software won't work, you used to be able to use one of the older versions but I don't know if that works anymore.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

You are correct, I thought the Solo was also HD, but I am very wrong on that one.

Digiblur, unlike you I hate the layout and find it hard to use since I watch TV in the dark. Hard to see the keys in the dark.

 

[sfollenius]

Yes, I have the same question? My guess is no, since most of the slingplayer software won't work, you used to be able to use one of the older versions but I don't know if that works anymore.

My bad, I didn't read your post correctly, I was thinking of the 922's working with this.

 

[digiblur]

You are correct, I thought the Solo was also HD, but I am very wrong on that one.

Digiblur, unlike you I hate the layout and find it hard to use since I watch TV in the dark. Hard to see the keys in the dark.

Totally agree with the dark. Boxee needs a light up remote.

Might have to try one of those remote control apps on my phone for the boxee. Not sure if they have one though.

 

[digiblur]

My bad, I didn't read your post correctly, I was thinking of the 922's working with this.

No, it only works with standalone slingboxes. It doesn't work with the neutered ones that dish has.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

DISH should not be allowed to call their units Slingboxes...

 

[digiblur]

DISH should not be allowed to call their units Slingboxes...

Yep! I am glad I didn't pay for the one I have on the 722. It never gets used since you have to use that website. My work blocks their website. The standalone app connected to the slingbox pro-hd works just fine though.

I don't see why they won't enable the firmware to work with the standalone apps. If you call it a slingbox make it work like one. Its so confusing to people when you call it something that it is not.

 

[isaacmorseMI]

Yep! I am glad I didn't pay for the one I have on the 722. It never gets used since you have to use that website. My work blocks their website. The standalone app connected to the slingbox pro-hd works just fine though.

I don't see why they won't enable the firmware to work with the standalone apps. If you call it a slingbox make it work like one. Its so confusing to people when you call it something that it is not.

I paid for mine. I barely use it so I guess having to use the horrible website is only a minor annoyance.

 

[mr3p]

I'm probably one of only 17 people that purchased a slingcatcher but anyone care to comment how boxee with this app compares to the original slingcatcher?