Slingbox PRO-HD Makes Your HDTV Truly Portable
We’ve reviewed a Slingbox before on these fair pages, and back then we used wise words: “make sure that you choose the model right for you”. After finally getting our hands on the Slingbox PRO-HD, we confess that the choice should be simple- widespread digital cable and high-definition media sources mean that you really should look at the higher-end version. A while ago, you might not have had an internet connection that could support the streaming this device, and we can’t overstate the importance of solid broadband to a successful encounter with this device. Slower connections degrade reasonably well on the receiving end, but you’ll want 1.5mbps upstream connection to get decent quality.
OK, we’ve already gotten technical without really talking about the device itself or why you need one. The Slingbox PRO-HD is simply a way to make your TV and entertainment system stream online with no monthly fees and a minimum of hassle. This version features a built-in digital tuner, definitely handy for those with analog/digital co-axial or digital over-the-air broadcasts to tune into. This version also comes with three inputs for a component, composite, and co-axial source, truly handy for anyone with a few different devices (like a TiVo or satellite box). After some setup at home, you’ll simply make sure your Slingbox stays powered and connected, and then can access your “feed” while away. This is perfect when you’re traveling, and still want access to your sports matches or news coverage that might not be available online or in other countries.
We tested out the Slingplayer software on a PC, which offers a nice interface, including a virtual remote control that works reasonably well (for cable TV). Lag can be an issue, and buffering may be required, but you can adjust the screen size to help a bit, and also use the nifty DVR-like buffer control that allows you to fast forward or rewind even live content. Of course, you can’t fast forward into the future, but it works nicely other than that. It doesn’t, however, work on Macs right now; the basic Slingplayer functions work fine though. Even cooler is the mobile version, available for a wide variety of smartphones, including Symbian, Windows Mobile, Black Berry, and Palm OS devices… not to mention the iPhone version. We’ve tried out the mobile version, and generally like the experience, but there are limits. The iPhone version requires wifi (no using up 3G bandwidth, for better or worse), and all of them sacrifice a bit of video quality or framerate (though audio tends to be quite good). The only real downside to the mobile versions is the price- an extra $30- which is steep if you are only an occasional user. Also, there is no PSP support, yet.
Now, there are downsides, and they are honestly a bit heartbreaking. First, there is no HDMI. None. This nearly kills the device for us, as all of our sources use HDMI and some use only that format. Further, though they call it an HD box, it can’t handle 1080p. That means no true Blu-ray beauty. Not only can it not output at that resolution, which might be acceptable, it cannot handle an input either. It doesn’t offer wireless connectivity, though that is likely sensible considering the unreliability of such connections (they offer a SlingLink Turbo solution to the problem of stringing ethernet cables; we haven’t had a chance to test). There is a nice infrared system allowing you to control your other devices from around the world using the Slingbox- but this means essentially controlling the device at home as well. You also can only watch media from one computer or device at a time. And even if you want to use the excellent mobile version, you’ll still need to initially setup your Slingbox using a computer.
We can take the good with the bad, generally. And the fact is, if you have the internet connection to handle it, the Slingbox PRO-HD is your best bet for distance and mobile viewing for now. At around $270, it’s a bit costly, but the build quality and design are quite good. And there is always the lower-cost version for those who don’t need or can’t support the HD features. We can’t wait to see wait Sling has up their sleeves next- but hope that it offers HDMI
