Sports fans this is a must buy product if you are unable to
be at home to watch the game. Too often
it is easy to be away when the game is on and watching a game on DVR after you
know the final score is less than exciting.
This product enables you to watch live anywhere you have Internet
access. If you put it on your cable
box, you are able to access your DVR and your On-Demand from where ever you may
be, with again the caveat that Internet access is necessary. It can be WIFI or 4G or direct connect but
Internet access is crucial.
I found that computer access is very good. You can actually use an onscreen remote to
change channels or go to DVR or OnDemand just as if you were sitting in front
of your TV. Hooking an HDMI cable to my
laptop I got an excellent picture on my flatscreen TV. I was not as thrilled with the application on
my tablet. The remote was too small to
use my fingers and I needed to use a stylus.
It did work and the picture was fine.
A caveat to Sling's claim of never any fees. If you want an application for your phone or
tablet, they charge you $14.99. The
tablet application will not work on your phone. The phone application will work on your
tablet with less resolution. I was
annoyed that they require two applications at $14.99 each to use your mobile
devices. It's not like I will be using
both at once. In fact if you try and log
in on your tablet while you are running the Slingbox on your laptop you are
given a choice of "too continue" and knock the laptop off or not too
continue and continue using the laptop.
So they have the ability to keep you from having simultaneous users on
different platforms so why charge you double for two mobile applications.
Another caveat is that if you are on the road and want to
watch the game, anyone at home trying to use the same TV you're accessing
through the Slingbox will be thwarted.
The Slingbox grabs the cable box and it is in control. The local user can not watch another channel
while the Slingbox is being accessed.
Well they can but that prevent the use of the Slingbox. (I tried.)
Sling claims multiple devices can be used with their
box. I have only tested the Roku and it
worked fine. Much easier than lugging
my laptop to the TV every time I want to use it.
BTW I just thought maybe I should look at my Kindle Fire for
the Slingbox and I would have to buy the application again, even though I
bought it for my Acer Tablet. I guess
due to Amazon store selling it for the Kindle and Google Play Store where I
bought it for my Android tablet.
Needless to say I am not spending $14.99 to put it on all my devices.
Overall this is pretty darn cool technology. It would be better with out the multiple
application fees. It would be better if the home user could watch a different
channel while Sling is working. Hey, you
DVR one or sometimes more channels and watch another channel, why that can't be
done with the Sling is over my pay grade.
I did try the Belkin TV and was told by their technical support that a
laptop is not a mobile device so it would not work with my laptop. I have since read in some forums that people
have made it work with their laptops but I returned it. If their tech support is not supporting
laptops I have no interest in being a beta site. I worked in computers for 25 years, if
someone wants me to beta a product they can pay me.
So the Slingbox does what I need it to do.
Watch and control live TV on a tablet*, phone*, PC, or Mac
Play and schedule DVR recordings
WiFi connectivity and Ethernet port
Absolutely no monthly fees
If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.
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