SlingMedia Announces Slingbox Mobile Public Beta

[Guest nickcornaglia]

http://www.slingmedia.com/slingbox/slingplayermobile.php

Despite the what the nay-sayers have to write, SlingMedia, creators of Slingbox, have released their Public Beta of SlingBox Mobile.

In case you have never heard of it, the Slingbox is a small hardware device that connects your TV, DVR, Cable Box, Video Surveillance System, etc to your home broadband network allowing you to watch LIVE (or recorded) television wirelessly on any PC anywhere in your home or a PC anywhere in the world. Place-Shifting at it's finest. And with a connected DVR, Time-Shifting at it's finest as well.

PC Version

Today, SlingMedia have expanded their versatility by making it possible to view your Slingbox connected television using your Microsoft PocketPC, allowing you to watch television on your PPC anywhere you are; provided you have an unlimited data connection, or WiFi access.

Fullscreen --> <--Treo 700w Screenshot

I have been a Slingbox user for some time now. My Slingbox is connected to my Comcast Cablebox/DVR. I watch AND control my cable on my laptop from anywhere in my home.

I also watch live television at my office PC in perfect clarity. (In a tiny little window in the corner of my screen...gotta be discreet!). I can watch ANY of the hundred+ stations available to me. Buy and watch ON-DEMAND movies. Or movies and television shows I have previously recorded.

The Monday morning Sopranos conversations have moved from the water cooler to my desk where we can review scenes as we discuss the latest WHACK!

I was lucky enough to be included in the Private Beta of Slingbox Mobile and can say that the future of Mobile Entertainment is here. Forget about small little clips of Cellular Network selected shows and channels. Forget downloaded iPod video episodes. I can watch ANYTHING at ANYTIME, LIVE or RECORDED, on my PocketPC.

Picture resolution automatically/continually adjusts itself based on your data connection. Higher speed connections, such as WiFi and Verizon/Sprint's EVDO will deliver the best results and smoothest picture/audio quality. I tested on my JAMin under Cingular's EDGE network, and can say that it is a very pleasant experience with minimized buffering. Image quality is impressive and I can even read the small scrolling text on CNN. Again, the faster your connection, the better your experience will be, so WiFi or 3G is recommended.

Like the PC version, you can control your home device (my CableBox/DVR) with the on-screen remote control. All of the options from my actual remote are there allowing me to change channels, record/play content, and even view my onscreen guide.

After months of feverishly refining their program, and smoothing out some of the more major bugs, Sling is inches away from their final product. During the Private Beta, they fully interacted with the testers and are truely excited to make this program everything users expect, listening closely to suggestions and incorporating user ideas & suggestions into the program...and they assure everyone they don't plan on stopping.

Now it's your turn to join in the fun. Head on over to http://www.SlingMedia.com and download the Pubic Beta which will be available until April 26th. A Slingbox is required to use the mobile version...and a PocketPC. Slink boxes currently retail for about $249 at most major electronics retailers as well as on the SlingMedia site.

The FINAL release of the software is planned to cost a one-time fee of $29.99, However, it will be made FREE to all existing SlingBox customers, as long as they have registered their SlingBox prior to April 26th.

A Microsoft Smartphone version is planned, but an exact date for it's release is not yet available.

A Note to my friends across the sea (I'm in the US): the SlingBox is currently only NTSC compatible. PAL versions are planned to be released later in the year.

A Note to those who unfortuantely decided to attach themselves to Apple computers instead of PCs ;): a Mac version of the SlingBox client is also in the works.

EDIT: Check out all of the features and requirements here:

http://www.slingmedia.com/slingbox/slingplayermobile.php

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Added screenshots to top post from the SlingMedia site.

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I'm due to get a PAL slingbox as soon as they are available... can't wait! ;)

P

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

PS Is that the first ever use of WHACK in a MoDaCo post? ;)

P

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Did I use it in the correct tense?

...latest whack.

...latest whacking.

...latest whack-a-doo.

;)

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

No idea, here in the UK 'whack' is only used to mean 'hit' really.

As in 'I WHACKed encece about the head with a wet fish.'

Here ends the lesson ;)

P

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Used like that here too....but also used to refer to a mob 'hit' as in 'If Vito keeps bad mouthing Tony Soprano,and making moves behind his back, he's gonna get whacked!'

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Oh yeah, I think we'd 'get' that too, since we all watch trashy American TV ;)

P

[Guest Disco Stu]

The Sopranos ? Trashy ?!?

Best drama ever made for TV more like.

Hey, Encece. Fuhgeddaboudditt. He's a friend of ours ;)

[Guest mitman]

I'm due to get a PAL slingbox as soon as they are available... can't wait! ;)

P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Does anyone know when this is available to us brits?

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Not announced yet as far as I know....but they say soon on their site.

[Guest nickcornaglia]

The Sopranos ? Trashy ?!?

Best drama ever made for TV more like.

Hey, Encece. Fuhgeddaboudditt. He's a friend of ours  ;)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So off topic for this thread....but I agree...the best television drama EVER!

[Guest YLA G]

this is just the same like sony does for psp..

[Guest killabee44]

Hmm, so your pc has to be on all the time in order to stream the shows? Im kind of confused on how it works/controlls the satellite and cable box...

[Guest nickcornaglia]

this is just the same like sony does for psp..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same as Sony does for the PSP with Sony's:

...you cant install on a client on a Pocket PC and eventually Smartphone.

...you can only watch over WiFi.

...you cant watch over a Cellular Data Connection. (GPRS, EDGE, EvDO, 3G, etc).

SlingBox Mobile is a bit more, I'd say.

[Guest killabee44]

ok, but does my home pc have to be running in order to stream the video? Or does the slingbox do it all?

Killabee44

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Sorry. Meant to answer you question but got distracted.

No It doesnt need to be on. The Slingbox streams directly thru your router. You obviously need the PC to set it up....but once it is....the PC doesnt need to be on.

The Slingbox controls your TV via infrared. A small IR sensor is placed near your cable box IR receiver. When you hit POWER on your PPC or another PC....it sends the signal to the remote just like you were using your Remote at home. Subsequently....all the other commands are sent in the same way.

The signal is then output thru the slingbox, thru your router....to the internet. Easy! ;)

[Guest killabee44]

It looks like dell has it on sale for 199.99 at this link:

Dell Slingbox for 199.99 link

However, they also have another link at which they are selling them for 249.99.

Dell 249.99 Slingbox link

It seems that it is the same item. Can someone confirm?

Edit: It is the same item. Same model number and everything. Not sure why they had it listed twice, but better for us right? They have free shipping (you will see it at check out) and a coupon for $10.00 off if you use your paypal acct. (code: X10DHMT?VL6NBS).

There is also a $20.00 off 150.00 code out there, but it replaces the $50.00 discount from the Slingbox. Dell might charge tax where you live (they did to me) but the 10.00 coupon would take care of that. Enjoy. ;)

Killabee44

Edited March 25, 2006 by killabee44

[Guest onimenogarou]

In case you don't want to spend $250 on the slingbox or you are non-Windows user, you can get a $100 TV Tuner for your computer (NTSC or PAL) and use ORB service. Watch and change channels just like Slingbox (with the right hardware) for a little bit cheaper, but you get to view all of your video on your computer and music and pictures too! Great for the Mobile Community! I use it all the time on my T-Mobile SDA! Down side is the computer has to be on. Check out the ORB Webpage