Which Slingbox?

[mhowie]

While debating whether to pull the trigger on the Sling Adapter I am trending toward simply going with a Slingbox of some sort. My primary use would be to watch Dish content on a computer monitor- desktop and laptop, so I am curious to get input from those Slingbox/Dish owners-- which one should I get to work in conjunction with one of my HD VIP Dish receivers (722 and 612)?

Slingbox Pro HD
Slingbox Pro
Slingbox Solo
An older Slingbox model?
Does it really matter which one?

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[TheForce]

It really boils down to 3 as of now. The Slingbox solo is for one connection at a time, i.e. one A/V source.

The Slingbox HD can do up to 4 switchable inputs.

The sling adapter is for USB connection to your VIP 722 or 722K. Sounds to me like you could get by with the sling box adapter and it is the least expensive. But, you'd have to give up the idea of using it with your 612. If that is critical requirement, you'll be paying a high premium to connect that one as well, then you'll need the Pro HD which has more than one connection

 

[old corps]

The Slingbox Solo has worked fine for me.

Ed

 

[digiblur]

I chose the HD model since it had the inputs I needed. I can switch between the Dish receiver(or whoever I have in the future), my Roku, and cable.

All depends on your needs and if you plan on staying with Dish.

 

[jimdandyvi]

I am satisfied with a SlingBox solo. Streaming HD to a PC in your home is really over kill. One advantage of a SlingBox vs an adapter is that apparently with an adapter you can watch both the TV and the SlingBox feed simultaneously.

Jim

 

[mhowie]

It really boils down to 3 as of now. The Slingbox solo is for one connection at a time, i.e. one A/V source.

The Slingbox HD can do up to 4 switchable inputs.

The sling adapter is for USB connection to your VIP 722 or 722K. Sounds to me like you could get by with the sling box adapter and it is the least expensive. But, you'd have to give up the idea of using it with your 612. If that is critical requirement, you'll be paying a high premium to connect that one as well, then you'll need the Pro HD which has more than one connection

So if I wanted to use just the VIP612, the Slingbox Solo would be ok? I understand it (Solo) doesn't have HD capability, but I understand the difference in output quality between the Solo and HD is minimal if at all discernible on a computer monitor.

My VIP722 and VIP612 are in different parts of the house and one reason I don't automatically go with the Sling Adapter is the requirement that one go through the Dish website for access. The sharing of passwords with family members is not my overarching concern with this but rather the periodic flakiness this website has historically exhibited.

Thanks.

 

[mhowie]

I chose the HD model since it had the inputs I needed. I can switch between the Dish receiver(or whoever I have in the future), my Roku, and cable.

All depends on your needs and if you plan on staying with Dish.

I've been on board since 1996 but your point is well taken. And with a number of moves Dish has taken the past couple of years, leaving for a better provider is not out of the question. Good reminder also regarding the multi-input functionality of the Pro HD vs. Solo.

 

[R0ss]

I've been on board since 1996 but your point is well taken. And with a number of moves Dish has taken the past couple of years, leaving for a better provider is not out of the question. Good reminder also regarding the multi-input functionality of the Pro HD vs. Solo.

This is exactly why if I wanted to add a sling box of some sort I would not go with the dish branded model. The TV market is more and more volital every day, netflix just introduced a no DVD plan (unliited access to there online offerings), I'm sure there will be more changes. I too have been with dish for quite some time, however I would never say never to switching or eliminating pay tv

Ross

 

[flyguyj]

Hey dudes! If anyone is still paying attention to this thread, I'm in the same pickle! I just found out I'm going to be stationed in Italy for the next 3 years, starting in October. We're excited about it, but don't like the idea of missing out on football (note I didn't say futbol)!!!

I currently have a 612 and a 211k, and my contract is up in January. I don't have a reason NOT to re-up my contract, and I'm trying to decide basically the same thing, just under a huge time-crunch without the luxury of spare time to research for hours and hours.

So I'm basically asking those of you who are more educated on all this than I am, what do I do:

1. Keep the 612 and get a SlingBox Pro HD
2. Upgrade to a 722 and get a Sling Adapter
3. Upgrade to a 722 and get a SlignBox Pro HD
4. Upgrade to a 922 and just use the built-in SlingLoaded feature

I've been trying to do my own homework, but there are SO many mixed emotions and die-hard supporters of each of the above camps! Please help a brother out! Also, if you know if Italy's internet is worth a crap, that would be good to know too! Haven't found a bunch of good info about Italian internet quality (at least in English) ...

 

[flyguyj]

I'm sorry, I guess I should've clarified: My Dish receivers will stay with my little brother in the States, and I will have zero access to them and their remotes whatsoever, so whatever the solution, it will have to be as close to the "real thing" as possible.

 

[digiblur]

I say go with the SlingBox Pro-HD. It's not neutered like the Sling Adapter, you can use with the Slingbox App on your laptop/devices. It will still integrate with Dishonline like the slingadapter. It will work with DirecTV or Digital Cable if you change down the road.

The quality is going to depend on your upload speed at home. So get the fastest upload you can get before you leave the states.

 

[empiretc]

Agreed! Make your life easy and get the SlingBox Pro-HD.

They have been selling on fleabay for ~$150.... real tempted to get another one.

 

[flyguyj]

Thanks a million guys! But one question. What do you mean by "It will still integrate with Dishonline like the slingadapter."

 

[TheKrell]

Agree with the others. I have a Sling Adapter and in some ways it's infuriating. I also have a Hava (like a Slingbox Solo) and it just works.

What digi means about the integration is that you can add a Slingbox Pro HD to Dish Remote Access, just like you can with a Sling Adapter.

 

[jimdandyvi]

There are several things you need to consider. Your goal is to come up with a rock solid system that will need little or no attention from you little brother. With Italy being six hours ahead of Eastern time you will have limited times during the day when it is convenient for you both to talk and diagnose problems with your setup.

To omprove the reliability of your setup the cable modem, router Dish receiver and SlingBox all should be all be connected into an UPS.

If at all possible avoid using a WiFi connection from you SlingBox to your brothers network. Using an ethernet connection eliminates another series of of potential problems.

Carefully analyze your brother's internet connection. You need to look the upload speed and its stability. An SD picture to be viewed on a PC requires 1 Mbs. If your brother moves a lot of files over his network, video, audio, etc. there maybe contention issues. If you want HD pictures at your end your brother should have a steady 4 Mbs upload speed. Wh3n you get to Italy you will need to shop for the best connection you can find.

Finally be sure that where ever you install the receiver and Slingbox you have good ventilation and consider installing a fan to keep everything as cool as possible cool. Your objective is to keep everything running trouble free for three years.

 

[TG2]

I would also add to this, that you may need to be preparred to add a VPN connection back to your brothers place.

There is one person I've dealt with, and his IP address in the EU was the cause for him not to get to Sling based IP space.

Whether that person was being denied explicitly (abuse from an IP range) or that Dish/Sling was denying enmasse is not known, as there wasn't (at the time) any documentation saying you could or could not access streams from outside the USA. There are posts of people accessing from Hong Kong from 2010, and at least one person in France. Just be ready ...

 

[jimdandyvi]

I have watched my SlingBox in Panama, Greece and Sweden.

The biggest problem I have had is trying to watch from a hotel or internet cafe where you are sharing the connection with many other individuals. If you can't maintain a steady 500 Kbps download then it is almost not worth the effort. If you have to connect using a wireless connection it can get really bad. A cheap router/ access point just isn't robust enough to handle 15+ WiFI connections simultaneously and unless you set up the router to prioritize Sling packets you will get some freezes.

 

[digiblur]

I would also add to this, that you may need to be preparred to add a VPN connection back to your brothers place.

There is one person I've dealt with, and his IP address in the EU was the cause for him not to get to Sling based IP space.

Whether that person was being denied explicitly (abuse from an IP range) or that Dish/Sling was denying enmasse is not known, as there wasn't (at the time) any documentation saying you could or could not access streams from outside the USA. There are posts of people accessing from Hong Kong from 2010, and at least one person in France. Just be ready ...

That's the beauty of the actual real Slingbox, direct connection to the Slingbox's location, no going through Dishonline or other website. Just an app and direct connection.

 

[TG2]

I have watched my SlingBox in Panama, Greece and Sweden.

I forgot to include this person was using a sling adapter.. so it could have been something dish did.. or again some form of more direct IP blocking or could have even been the ISP he was going through ... the keypoint was the user could VPN to his house, and then do sling connection just fine but traces & pings would never come back from one hop outside one of the sling server he was getting upon login direct.

 

[Jim5506]

Even the SlingBox AV does a good job with SD.

The limiting factor is your uplink speed on your local ISP.

Unless you pay extra, the basic DSL/Cable internet is typically 500kbps or maybe 750kbps upload.

If you want HD you need 3,000kbps.