I love my PVR. LOVE it! I can still be a TV junkie, but am no longer slave to broadcast times or commercials. One thing, though. We don't have a TV in the bedroom. Which is kind of a bummer because some nights, you just want to snuggle into bed and watch some TV.
So, you can imagine my delight when the folks from Sling Media's PR firm contacted me and offered to send me the new Slingbox HD that was recently launched in Canada to try. This meant that not only could I watch TV in bed, but, when I was on the road in a hotel with less than optimal cable services, I could launch my Slingbox and watch the several episodes of Megastructures that I had recorded. (Yes, Megastructures. I know. I'm a geek).
A little primer on the Slingbox for those of you who aren't familiar: the Slingbox lets you watch live streaming TV over the internet. It works with the cable service that you already have (and consequently your PVR) to stream your TV service.
The Hardware Setup
The Slingbox comes in a nicely packaged, startlingly well-labeled box. Engadget has a great slideshow of their unboxing (note to self - remember to take photos). There are lots of cables included to accommodate many different video setups.
So, I unpacked everything and then read the manual. Because I ALWAYS read the manual. The Slingbox manual was very friendly. Told me what was in the box. And then it had a page where I could write down all my model numbers because I would need these for setting up the software. SWEET. I like it when the product tells me what I'll need ahead of time to make it work.
Now, if you've never set up video equipment before, or do it rarely, it can be a little overwhelming. So. Many. Connections. This is the back of my Sony Bravia TV and the Slingbox. OK. Breathe. Read the manual. It will help.
And here's where I ran into a little hiccup. The manual has instructions for your HD source, your SD source and your co-ax source. And it labels them as separate, individual steps. Did I really need to hook all those up and run them through the Slingbox?
After much agonizing, I came to the conclusion that the answer is NO! So, if you are setting up your Slingbox, just choose your TV source and ensure it is outputting to your Slingbox. So my PVR is outputting to the Slingbox. Technically the Slingbox isn't hooked up to the actual TV screen. I did find this part confusing.
So, here's my advice for setting up the Slingbox. Don't read the manual. Just think it through: I want to watch my TV on my computer via the Slingbox. Find the TV source and make sure it outputs to the Slingbox. And choose the highest quality possible. My PVR only has one HD output which is going to my TV screen so I am using component video (the three-colour cable).
After having figured that out, I had to place the IR remote control sensor. What this does is allow your virtual remote control (in the Slingbox player that will be on your computer) to control your real-world video device. So, I press a button on my computer, it sends a signal to my Slingbox which then flashes through the IR sensor which is picked up by my PVR. You can see below how that looks. It only took me one try to position it; the manual does have some helpful hints on how to find the sensor in your equipment if you don't know where it is.
Final step was to hook up the Slingbox to the Internet. I plugged it into my router via an ethernet cable. And then powered it up. After a few minutes all the right lights came on, cycled and stayed steady. Yay, hardware setup! Elapsed time: 20 minutes (ran longer than I expected b/c I spent a lot of time agonizing over the video connections).
Note - the Support section of the Slingbox website has been updated SIGNIFICANTLY since I did the initial set-up. They have a lot of amazing articles there now including topics like "interpreting all those connections on the back of your Slingbox". Great stuff!
The Software Setup
Now that the Slingbox hardware was ready - time to download the player. There are versions for Mac and PC, but you can't stream HD onto the Mac. I'm on a Mac.
I downloaded the player, no problem. It has a very easy and comprehensive setup program. The cool thing was that it started streaming as I was running the wizard, so you could see your progress all the way through. The one confusing thing was when I had to confirm my PVR. The Slingbox Canada website has a widget where you can confirm that Slingbox which work with your TV service and PVR's make and model. I was able to find mine on the website (Shaw with a Motorola CDT6416 III) but when I ran the software set up, this particular model wasn't in the wizard. At this point, it was trying to confirm the IR codes for controlling the PVR. So, it suggested I choose "Other" and cycle through some testing. It only took one test to find the right control. So, if you're setting up your Slingbox and this happens - fret not.
The setup program was fast and easy. I postponed configuring the Slingbox for use outside my network because I knew you had to change your router config. And sometimes, you just don't want to touch your router :) So, internal network set up for the Slingbox took about 7 minutes. Easy peasy.
Using the Slingbox
The inaugural use of the Slingbox in the bedroom was on New Years. We didn't go out to a party this year. I'm a big fan of watching the ball drop in Times Square - even if it is 3 hours after it happened. So, at about 11:30, we took my MacBook Pro, climbed into bed and started up the Slingbox Player. [The router and the bedroom are at opposite ends of the apartment from each other. Maybe 35-40' distance - through 3 walls. We're on an 802.11n network with a fairly standard high speed connection (5 mbps)]. The streaming started right away, but the audio and video were slightly out of sync for about 4 minutes while everything adjusted itself. After that initial "sort it out" period, the show streamed without a hitch.
The interface for using the SlingPlayer is very straightforward. It's a remote. The default is a replica of a ComCast digital service remote. Oh, and I named my Slingbox Pamplemousse :)
Remote Viewing Outside My Home Network
When I did decide to set-up the Slingbox for out-of-network viewing, configuring my SlingBox and router for remote access was quite easy. There is a network configuration wizard in the desktop application and there is a setup assistant on the SingBox site which actually wraps a frame around your router's admin panel and shows you the different steps you need to take to configure the necessary incoming and outgoing ports. Handy!! Took about 5 minutes.
The remote viewing is great - I've caught up on a few shows that way. Just make sure you mention to the folks at home that you're going to be using the TV signal or that you both agree on what to watch. If you want to watch Ultimate Skyscraper: 1 Bryant Park and your spouse/partner/roommate at home wants to watch CSI reruns - well, one of you is going to be out of luck. There is still only 1 TV signal :)
The Sum Up
The Slingbox is some pretty cool technology. Great for remote viewing when you only have one TV, business trips, and weekend getaways to your hippy in-laws who don't have cable but great internet (shh, don't tell Rose). Pretty easy to set-up, super easy to use and pretty good quality streaming. Many thanks to the folks at Sling Media Canada and their PR firm, H&K, who arranged for a review copy of the Slingbox HD.
The Slingbox HD retails for $329.99 CAD and can be purchased at Best Buy, Future Shop, Canada Computers and London Drugs as well as on the Sling Media site. The SlingBox Canada website has a list and links to all their retailers.
Photo credits: Engadget, Sony, SlingBox and me