Slingbox Buying Guide
Overview
Sling Media's Slingbox  line of products is poised to revolutionize the way you watch television. Taking a hint from voice over IP services like Vonage, Slingbox is the world's first TV over IP product, letting you stream standard and high-definition TV signals from your home to your computer or smartphone over the Internet, effectively letting you watch TV from anywhere in the world. SlingMedia produces different types of Slingboxes, each with different features, and they are all fairly simple to set up and easy to use. Also, with the upcoming release of the SlingCatcher, you won't even need a computer to stream your television.
Slingbox SOLO
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| The Slingbox SOLO is Sling Media's bare bones Slingbox, meant for those who really only want to do one thing; watch their normal home television on their laptop or mobile from anywhere in the world. The SOLO has only one input, meaning that it can accept a single from any one standard or hi-definition video source: a DVR (such as a TiVO ), digital cable receiver, basic cable set-top box, satellite receiver, Apple TV or DVD player. The PRO accepts connections from devices running on composite RCA (the regular red, white and yellow cables) and S-Video (for better picture quality). The PRO also accepts hi-definition signals up to 1080i over component video cables (best picture quality), although it will only stream in standard definition.
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Slingbox PRO
The SlingMedia's claim that the Slingbox PRO can connect and stream up to four media devices is a little bit misleading. While it certainly has the capacity to do this, each device must be connected via a different cable; one device can be connected with composite RCA, while another is connected with S-Video, etc. Trying to use two composite devices is a no-go, though. Furthermore, in order to connect an HD video source over component cables, you'll need to purchase SlingMedia's HD Connect breakout box (sold separately, of course).
However, the PRO doess offer up a couple extra features for which it may be worth forking over the extra cash. Unlike the SOLO, the PRO has A/V pass-through ports, making it a snap to attach it to your existing home-theatre equipment. Furthermore, the PRO also has a coaxial input and output with a built-in TV tuner which will let you hook up your basic cable connection and stream that, letting whomever is still at home watch a digital or satellite connection uninterrupted. |
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Related Products
External Links- SlingMedia.com: The home of the Slingbox line of products. Go here to figure out which Slingbox you need, see the technical specifications for each model and shop for accessories.
- Cnet.com: Get the latest tech reviews, straight from the horse's mouth and find out of the Slingbox is really worth your dollar.
- Wikipedia.org: A brief history of the Slingbox product line, including user comments and criticisms.
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