Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with slingbox

Live sports on PC

paulyballs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:50:10 -0800

What's the best way to watch live tv (sports mainly) on a PC? My gf's parents have a vacation cabin with only internet access and they want to be able to watch live sports while they are there. What's the best option. Her mother asked me about "Digital TV for PC" but I think it's a scam. They do have full cable at their main home so I was thinking of advising Slingbox. Anything else out there that won't require me installing hardware at their main home? Thanks!

Help me figure out what I want.... slingox, xbox360, appletv

TuxHeDoh — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:36:47 -0800

Currently I don't have internet/cable/Sat etc... We borrow my neighbors internet and watch a lot of hulu on a laptop in the bedroom. We're looking to get Cable, DVR, and cable internet, but the TV is in the Basement. Is there a DVR that is available to stream to the laptop in the bedroom? I've looked at the Slingbox, AppleTV, and XBox360, but can't decide if any of these things will do what I'm wanting.

Internet TV w/ Closed Captions?

Yakuman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:17:23 -0800

Is there a Slingbox-like device that will let me send a broadcast TV signal to myself, including closed captions?

Easy Wireless Television?

lifeofthunder — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:03:55 -0800

How can my dad wirelessly connect a TV to cable television for under $500? My parents live in a large condo with limited cable hookups- and today my dad told me that what he really wants is the ability to have "wireless television". Read: you still plug it in for power, but nothing else. This would allow my parents to move the TV from one room to another if they wanted, without a messy cord solution, or the pain of unscrewing/screwing a cable every time.

Is the best option here to stream cable with a Slingbox to a media PC hooked up to a TV, or is there a better, less complex solution?

One DVR to two TVs?

cocoagirl — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:47:18 -0800

Is it possible to have just one DVR (Comcast Motorola, FWIW) and run it to two different TVs, with all functionality intact and accessible from either set? If not, what's a good set-up for what I'd like to accomplish? I have a projector TV with Comcast DVR downstairs. I now want a TV upstairs and the ability to watch cable and have the same shows programmed for recording, etc. For instance, I want to be able to set up a series recording from one location (downstairs) and then navigate to and watch the recording upstairs later, without having to set up duplicate schedules on two DVRs.

Can I run a splitter of some sort off of the DVR/cable box downstairs and retain the recording and ability to browse channels through the second TV? Hardwiring isn't a problem since there is already a conduit. Would a Slingbox solve any of this? There are quite a few laptops out of commission around the house that could be dedicated to the project. Or TiVo? I'm willing to entertain solutions either costly or ~~makeshift~~ innovative or both. If having & programming two DVRs is really the easiest option, I'm willing to hear that, too, though it just seems silly.

Slingbox experiences?

mkultra — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:08:30 -0800

How good is Slingbox's video? I'm mostly interested in the possibility of using it as a 2nd TV around the apartment- how good is the picture on a LAN, using the Mac client (assume HD)? On a Macbook, is it comparable to watching TV directly? How good is the quality over the internet, served from a standard TWC cable modem? Also, can the Slingbox's on-screen remote control the TWC DVR?

Slingbox - will it sling from Detroit to Cincinnati?

dpx.mfx — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:12:34 -0800

Can I put a slingbox on a television in Michigan and watch the video in Cincinnati? I'm confused about how slingbox actually works. With the Red Wings in the playoffs, and most of their games on Vs, I am desperately seeking a way to see the games without switching to satellite. Could I put a slingbox on the extra television at a family member's house in Michigan and have it "sling" the feed from the Detroit sports station to my computer? (we both have broadband connections) That seems to easy. Do you have a slingbox? Does it work? Is it the answer to my prayers??

Can i sling in HD with a Series 2 Tivo?

AsRuinsAreToRome — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:25:06 -0800

SlingFilter: I've got the Slingbox. I've got the Tivo. Will I be able to sling in HD? Electronics wizards inquire within! I just bought a Slingbox Pro and set it up. Its amazing. I love the ability to stream TV to my T-Mobile Dash wherever I can pick up a wifi signal. But here's my question:

Right now I have a standard digital cable box from Time Warner. I feed that via composite cables into my Series 2 Tivo which feeds into the back of my Slingbox Pro via composite (red/white/yellow) cables. Same thing from the Slingbox Pro to my TV. (I know I should be using S-Video).

I want to upgrade this whole setup to HD, but I'm having a hell of a time figuring out if its possible to get the Slingbox to stream HD without a Series 3 HD Tivo. Currently I have an Sanyo HD TV with an HDMI port in the back as well as component connection ports and I've also purchased Slingbox's HD Connect cable . If I upgrade my digital cable box to HD cable - will I still be able to control my Series 2 Tivo through my Slingbox without having to upgrade to a Sereis 3 Tivo?

Here's the back of the Slingbox Pro: http://www.slingcommunity.com/imagelib/slingarticleimages/15265/15265-3.jpg
http://www.slingcommunity.com/imagelib/slingarticleimages/15265/15265-4.jpg

Halp!

Do i have to return the slingbox?

keep it tight — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:28:01 -0800

Any tips on troubleshooting my new slingbox connection? I just bought the slingbox and put it in my parents home outside of Boston (dsl connection).

Whe I try to watch the sox games in NC (roadrunner), the stream is VERY choppy and freezez about every 20 seconds...

Any idea what may be wrong?

Slingbox on the PSP

jonson — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:09:52 -0800

As a massive dork & media consumer, I have a Slingbox at home, as well as a PSP. This video alleges to show the PSP being used as a receiver for the Slingbox. I'm sure it doesn't work WELL, particularly, and I'm sure it wasn't easy to set up, but does anyone have any idea how I would go about doing such a thing?

Slingbox won't get IP Address from DHCP server

zachlipton — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:31:20 -0800

SlingboxNetworkingWoesFilter: I recently got a Slingbox, and while I am quite happy with the product in theory, I'm stalled with networking problems and the Slingbox fails to get an IP address from the DHCP server. Network routing is being provided by Mac OS X's Internet Sharing feature, and while the DHCP log shows numerous DHCP DISCOVER requests from the Slingbox, no IP address is ever assigned. Read on for details. The network itself is fine, as is the DHCP server. Normally, clients send a DHCP DISCOVER, the server responds, a DHCP REQUEST is logged, and an IP address is assigned. This works with my laptop, a Tivo, another laptop, and numerous other devices. When the Slingbox is connected to the network and reset, all I get is a steady stream of DHCP DISCOVER entries in the DHCP log:

Jun 30 20:13:42 desktop bootpd[215]: DHCP DISCOVER [en0]: 1,0:13:b6:1:87:ef

Thus far, Slingbox email support has been less than helpful, but I haven't had time yet during business hours to contact them when I could be at home and actually manipulate things. As far as I can tell, Google doesn't seem to report any known issues with the Slingbox and OS X's Internet Sharing.

If anyone has any sugguestions on how to get the DHCP server (Mac OS 10.4.7's included 'Internet Sharing') to serve up an IP to the Slingbox like it does for other devices, I'd really appreciate it.