Looking to get a sling box...

[ashutto20]

Looking to get a sling box from best buy and didnt know what I would have to do in regards to dish...

I hook it up and what not but will they still charge me per month and do I have to tell them I have one and what not...

Please help

 

[ryotgz]

Looking to get a sling box from best buy and didnt know what I would have to do in regards to dish...

I hook it up and what not but will they still charge me per month and do I have to tell them I have one and what not...

Please help

Slingbox has no monthly fee. Just hook it up to your network, plug in your video source and put the IR in front of your receiver and go.

 

[empiretc]

for sure. I have a slingboxHD on my 722. it just works.

 

[budda]

fee

software on mobile devices cost about 29.00, laptop and desktop software is free.

 

[Jimmerinwi]

Have a slingbox for my 722K and a Sony location free for my 222k. No charge for either one. One advantage for the Sony is it is wireless and does not have to have a hard line ethernet connected after set up. Pic qualiy is about the same on both.

 

[ashutto20]

So is it better to go through your local best buy and get one and you dont pay a monthly fee

or

get a 922 and pay a 17 dollar fee...

They both do about the same thing correct...ill still be able to watch my dvr events and what not through the bestbuy slingbox???

 

[lparsons21]

I'm confused about what to get with Slingbox. I have a 722k and would like to put a TV or a computer in my bedroom. No hookup there now.

So which Slingbox product at the 722k end is needed?

And since I have lots of computers, and especially an HTPC configured one not being used now, I suppose the bedroom end could be that PC hooked to a TV/Monitor and running Sling software?

thanks

 

[Bob Haller]

theres a slingcatcher for direct connection to TV but it wasnt high def and currently out of production

A replacement was announced at CES ut hasnt been produced .....

 

[TheKrell]

So which Slingbox product at the 722k end is needed?

Any would work. If you want HD, you want the Pro HD model.

And since I have lots of computers, and especially an HTPC configured one not being used now, I suppose the bedroom end could be that PC hooked to a TV/Monitor and running Sling software?

Absolutely. What Bob is discussing above is the PC-less way of doing it (Slingcatcher, Sling Receiver). But most any reasonably fast PC should work, not necessarily a HTPC.

 

[lparsons21]

Thanks.

Currently the HTPC is just not used. Hulu sucks on the big screen and I can get Netflix and Amazon via my BluRay player easier. It is a Dell Hybrid, it is 'reasonably' fast, but no speed demon.

Or I could use it as an excuse to get a new Mac Mini...

 

[TheKrell]

Or I could use it as an excuse to get a new Mac Mini...

Not a bad idea if you really want to spend money. Beats the heck out of AppleTV or iTV or whatever they're calling it these days. Doesn't the Mac Mini even come with a remote?

 

[lparsons21]

Not a bad idea if you really want to spend money. Beats the heck out of AppleTV or iTV or whatever they're calling it these days. Doesn't the Mac Mini even come with a remote?

Not any more. But I've got 3 of them already!

I use my iPad with MobileMouse to control the current mini. The new one is better for HTPC because it has HDMI out.

 

[ashutto20]

So is it better to get a slingbox from like best buy or get a 922???

And do they both do the same for the most part???

 

[empiretc]

get a standalone slingbox, you will be able to connect other video sources as well.

the slingbox +iPad combination is AWESOME!

 

[bpiddle]

Not any more. But I've got 3 of them already!

I use my iPad with MobileMouse to control the current mini. The new one is better for HTPC because it has HDMI out.

The Sling website says that the minimum computer requirements for a mac include an Intel 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo Class Processor. The mini comes with either a 2.4 or 2.66 Class Processor. Is this a problem? Does it work anyway? Or will it only work for standard definition slinging and not for "near" HD slinging? My slingcatcher just died and a Mac Mini seems like a great replacement. To get a replacement slingcatcher these days can be between $600 and $700 so a Mini is in the same price range --- but can the Mini sling at "near" HD quality? Are there any other alternatives?

 

[empiretc]

I would bet it can. a netbook with a 1.6 atom can.

 

[bpiddle]

I would bet it can. a netbook with a 1.6 atom can.

Thanks for your reply. It is true that a netbook can produce an excellent standard definition picture. In the windows world, the Sling website lists as a minimum requirement for a standard definition picture a Pentium 4 processor (I think the lowest speed for a Pentium is 1.3) but for high definition slinging the minimum requirement is listed as an Intel 2.4 GHz core 2 duo processor.

On a netbook, for example, the sling software will automatically reduce the resolution of the picture to a point where the processor can handle it (provided you have not changed the default settings). The screen size on the netbook is small enough so it doesn't really make that much difference. But if you connect the 1.6 netbook to a 50 inch high definition TV, the picture that would be produced wouldn't look very good and clearly would not approach a high definition picture. For example, I have a 1.9 GHz laptop and it does a great job in producing a great standard definition picture on its own screen but strains to produce a high definition picture on the 50 inch set. (It stutters, dropouts etc.)

The slingcatcher does have enough power to generate a high definition picture depending on bandwidth. For example, I spend half of the year in New York where I have FIOS with a 35 Mbps up and 35 Mbps down connection and the other half in Colorado where I have a connection that generally is around 4 Mbps up and 18 Mbps down. I can sling from New York to Colorado at around 3 to 4 Mbps. With the slingcatcher you can adjust the resolution produced depending on your bandwidth. The default is 320x240 for slinging over the internet. To get a picture of 640x480 you need a connection of at least 1 Mbps. For a HD picture you need a 2 Mbps connection with 3 Mbps recommended. So with a sling catcher and a connection of at least 2 or 3 Mbps, you can have a HD picture.

My question was whether with an Apple Mini you can approach this. The Apple Mini clearly meets the sling requirement for a standard definition picture. But for a high definition picture using a mac, sling recommends a 2.8 GHz core 2 duo processor (as opposed to the minimum requirement for a windows computer of 2.4 GHz). The mini has a 2.3 or 2.6 GHz processor. I thought maybe it was close enough so that in practice it might work. That is why I raised the question. I am sort of reluctant to spend $600 or so to buy an Apple Mini when it is unclear whether it can really produce a high definition picture on a 50 inch screen.

 

[emtjim]

Anyone know when the SlingBox 700u gets released for purchase?

 

[mmeyer4663]

Anyone know when the SlingBox 700u gets released for purchase?

I would love to know too!
The 700 was announced at CES. What could be taking sooooo long?

 

[TheKrell]

We know Dish releases equipment of beta quality, so it can't be beta testing!