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Slingbox

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The Slingbox is a TV streaming device that enables consumers to remotely view their cable, satellite, or personal video recorder (PVR) programming from an Internet-enabled computer with a broadband Internet connection. It is produced by Sling Media of San Mateo, California.

1 Operation
2 SlingPlayer software
3 SlingCatcher
4 Customer support
5 Broadcasting
6 Versions
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Operation

A Slingbox can redirect up to four live Audio/Video signals from a cable box, satellite receiver, DVR, or other Audio/Video source to the viewer's PC located anywhere nearby, such as in home or office, or, when using a broadband Internet connection, anywhere in the world. To avoid copyright infringement, only one user can access the stream from a Slingbox at a time. This way of accessing content is known as placeshifting. However, unlike Sony's LocationFree Player, the Slingbox user is not required to obtain or pay for a new license, in order to stream to another computer. A Slingbox connects a TV source (via coaxial cable, composite cables, component cables, or S-video cable) to an existing Internet connection. Digital video recorders and cable or satellite set top boxes can be controlled through a separate infrared (IR) cable that lets users change channels from the remote location. Software on a user's computer or mobile device connects to the Slingbox and provides the user interface for viewing the video stream and changing channels. Onscreen virtual remote controls are provided for controlling almost all connected device. Note that all control inputs are done in the slingplayer window via computer mouse. There is no provision for use of hardware IR remote control units while watching slingplayer even if the PC has an IR receiver. This may be fine while watching on a laptop, but if connecting a PC running slingplayer to a TV, one must access the PC every time one wants to change the channel or skip the DVR.

SlingPlayer software

The Slingbox utilizes Sling Media's proprietary SlingPlayer to display audio and video on Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh running Mac OS X, and select mobile devices. SlingPlayer is not available for Linux, BSD or other open source systems. However the Windows version of SlingPlayer will run on open source systems via Wine. The latest SlingPlayer version for Windows is version 1.5 (technically 1.5.0.322). This version adds or improves support for specific audio/video devices.^[1] Sling Media released a Windows Mobile version of their player on April 26, 2006 which allows users to stream their video over Pocket PCs and smartphones. A high-definition-compatible version of the Slingbox was announced in September 2006^[2]. Sling Media announced a Mac OS X port of the SlingPlayer at the January 2006 Macworld Conference and Expo with a promised release date of Q2 2006. The release was later delayed to Q3 2006, and then again to Q4 2006, leading to allegations that Sling Media was promoting vaporware. In September 2006, Sling Media began selling new Slingbox hardware in packages that had the official Mac OS X logo on the outside, indicating support for the Macintosh platform even though the Mac OS X port of the player software was still not available. Sling Media released the first public beta of their player for Mac OS X on October 31, 2006. A completed version was released in early 2007. Version 1.0 works on both PowerPC and Intel Macs as long as it runs at least OSX 10.3.9. Official Version Page A Palm OS client Beta has also been released ^[3]. Players for Nokia N73, Nokia E65 and Nokia N95 and unlimited (up to 10GB per month), free access are available as part of the X-Series from 3 in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Austria, Australia and Hong Kong.

During the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show the company announced a future feature known as Clip+Sling that allows users to share clips of their favorite TV shows with each other through a hosted Web service. The announcement was made during Les Moonves' keynote.^[4]^[5] Applian Technologies released a PC-based recording program for Slingbox in 2006 called At-Large Recorder 1.0. Following that event, Sling Media added an encrypted protocol to the communication between Sling Player and Slingbox, rendering At-Large Recorder 1.0 useless with newer firmware. In October 2007, Applian Technologies released At-Large Recorder 2, which is once again able to capture and record Slingbox streams on a Windows PC. At-Large Recorder 2 includes a circular recording feature for use in continuously capturing feeds from security cameras or media monitoring.

SlingCatcher

In 2007, Sling Media announced the launch of the SlingCatcher, a hardware device similar to a set top box, which would enable users to watch their television remotely, without the need for a computer.

Customer support

Slingbox customers have requested help configuring their Slingboxes on the SlingCommunity web site ^[6]. SlingCommunity is an interactive community dedicated solely to Sling Media's Slingbox™ Personal Broadcaster. The configuration of a SlingBox requires several technical steps including configuring the consumer's firewall and setting WAN mode of the device. Help is available at Sling Media's support site [1]. Configuring a SlingBox is often difficult for users who are not experienced with router configuration or port forwarding.

Broadcasting

The SlingBox has found an unexpected niche in television broadcasting. Broadcast engineers at several TV stations have installed them at remote locations to observe traffic and weather conditions. KPIX-TV in San Francisco has several connected with wireless networking, using EV-DO via a cellular network (mobile phone) provider. This costs only a few hundred dollars for each site, versus well over ten thousand for a setup with a remote pickup unit and auxiliary broadcast licenses. However, the system is not yet reliable or broadband enough to handle live remote broadcasts. Cable TV providers are also using it to provide proof of performance for companies that run TV ads on their systems. [2]