Sling Media Slingbox AV (SB240-100)

Other products by Sling Media

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000IVDTSG
• Item model number: SB220-100
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

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  Electronics > Computers & Accessories > Networking Products > Access Points

• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 25, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description The first generation Slingbox was a big step forward for so-called "place shifting" technology, a device that allowed you to view incoming TV signals on any TV computer in your home, or on any Internet-connected PC around the world. Sling Media is now introducing the successors to this groundbreaking product. Now there are three Slingboxes to choose from, each with features that make it easier than ever to bring your TV and other media with you wherever you roam. Choose from the Slingbox Tuner, AV, and Pro models depending on your entertainment needs. Compare Slingbox models.

The Slingbox AV offers S-video and composite video connections.

Slingbox AV
The Slingbox AV is the perfect companion for your DVR, digital cable, or satellite receiver. With the ability to watch and control your favorite TV source, the Slingbox AV ensures that you can enjoy your TV entertainment--anywhere you go. Using an Internet connected computer or compatible mobile phone (with purchase of SlingPlayer Mobile software), you can watch and control your home TV, DVR, digital cable box, or satellite receiver anywhere around your home or around the globe. With a Slingbox AV you will never be separated from your favorite TV shows, sports broadcasts, breaking news stories, digital video recordings, or video on demand.

The Slingbox AV also includes the free Slingbox Finder service to locate a Slingbox from any network location, in or out of the home.

How it Works
Slingbox AV is a small device that connects to your cable box to redirect the TV signal to the computer of your choice--providing high quality video, no matter the distance, so long as there is a high-speed Internet connection. This technology also allows you to access and control your TV from anywhere--and your TV doesn't even have to be on.

You can enjoy signals from a digital cable box, DVR, satellite receiver, or DVD player on any computer at home, on the Internet, or on a compatible mobile phone.

SlingMedia's patent pending SlingStream technology delivers the smoothest and best video quality possible. SlingStream delivers up to a 400 percent video quality improvement over the original Slingbox. SlingStream is powered by a programmable engine that is capable of running the latest video compression algorithms. SlingStream dynamically adjusts to changes in network conditions, video content, and Internet bandwidth.

At Home, At Work, or on the Go
At home, Now you can watch TV in whatever room in the house you choose. Say goodbye to the days of having to watch your child's favorite DVD over and over again. Now you can watch your soaps in the laundry room. You can watch your fix-it shows in the garage. Or you can watch your cooking shows in the kitchen. You'll never get stuck having to watch shows you don't want to now that you're in charge of what's on, when it's on, and where it's on.

Now that you can access your TV wherever you have your computer, the clock won't be the only thing worth watching at work. You can watch your news and business channels to stay updated. You can catch the big game while tending to business. Or, you can watch your favorite shows during your downtime. In any event, work will never just be business as usual.

With the SlingBox you can travel to another country and actually understand the programs. You can visit the in-laws and not get stuck watching The Weather Channel. No matter where your journey takes you, one thing is certain: You'll never have to take up an extra seat to bring your TV with you.

You can change channels and control your TV on your computer just as if you were in your living room. The AV and Pro models add remote control options for your home theater devices. Smartphone support is available with purchase of SlingPlayer Mobile software.

Ready for Vista
SlingPlayer software is compatible with Microsoft's Vista operating system. Vista-specific enhancements are expected to be available in early 2007.

What's in the Box
Slingbox AV, SlingPlayer CD-ROM, AC adapter (100-240V 50-60Hz), ethernet cable, composite AV cable, S-video cable, remote control IR cable, quick start guide.

Product Description

Slingbox AV gives customers with digital cable, satellite receiver, or DVR the ability to watch and control their home TV using any Internet-enabled Windows or Mac-based desktop or laptop computer or Windows Mobile handheld or mobile phone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Awesome!!!, September 30, 2006

By	sallen (Champaign, IL) - See all my reviews

I have been considering the Slingbox for quite some time. I decided to go ahead and buy one when Sling Media came out with this new model.

Installation was an absolute breeze. It was so easy I was shocked! I was watching DirecTV/TIVO on my PC within 5 minutes of opening the box. I have broadband internet which is quite fast. Full screen viewing on my 20" 16:10 screen is somewhat grainy and blurry, but definitely viewable. I prefer to use about 1/3 of my screen for the viewer (SplingPlayer) and the other 2/3 for other applications. Nice sharp picture quality with this set-up! Surfing the web while watching TV is no problem. Web pages still load quickly and video is still sharp/smooth. Haven't tried to download a large file while viewing yet.

SlingPlayer is great! Choose full screen, left/right side, or adjust as you see fit. When you choose left or right side your internet browser (or whatever application you are running) will snap into place to cover the rest of your screen automatically. Very nice user interface and many skins to choose from.

No matter where you are, as long as you have an internet connection, you can watch your TV. I have Tivo which makes this device shine! I can watch my directv, watch anything that is recorded on TIVO, order pay-per-view, set up a program to record. Basically you can do anything that you can normally do with your DVR. The on screen remote control even looks identical to the real remote.

How is it different from the original Slingbox? I can't speak from actual experience since I don't own the original, but as far as the specs go there are some pros and cons.

The original Slingbox had a coax input. So you can hook up directly to analog cable or antennae. You can't do this with the SlingBox AV, but you can with the new SlingBox Tuner. The SlingBox Pro will do both analog and digital (and component HDTV).

The pros... The new SlingBox AV claims to have:

* SlingStream technology delivers up to a 400 percent video quality improvement over the original Slingbox

And the new SlingPlayer v1.4 for the Slingbox Tuner/AV/Pro provides:

* Improved video quality on the LAN: up to 4x the resolution of the previous SlingPlayer and over 200% speed improvement.*
* Adjust the SlingStream LAN video quality to match your particular computer and network conditions.
* Improved Setup Wizard: new screens are streamlined and easier to use.
* Improved Setup Wizard: direct access to customer support via real time chat. Relax and let our tech supports set up your router for you!
* AutoUpdate feature added to the Setup process ensuring users always install the latest software for their Slingbox.
* Users can rapidly cycle between Fullscreen (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), Letterbox, Windowbox and Pillarbox window modes to find the best fit for their video content.
* Full-screen improvements: If you put SlingPlayer in maximized mode it will stay there.
* Show/Hide player controls with one-click toggle. Just click once on the main player window to remove the controls when you aren't using them.
* Audio Visualizations added to Audio-Only mode. WinAmp AVS support means that users can add their own visualizations.
* Physical remote controls: SlingPlayer now works with remotes that support Microsoft Application keys. Now you can sit back and click on a real remote control to control SlingPlayer.
* SlingPlayer has a whole new look with the RedLine skin--just one more way to change the SlingPlayer to suit your tastes. With SlingCentral and other user contributed skins there are over 30 different skins available and more coming every month.

I won't miss the analog coax connection, I don't need it. If you need analog coax only then buy the SlingBox tuner. If you need both coax and digital devices then buy the SlingBox Pro (which will also give you component HDTV, but no HDMI).

On a final note, this unit is tiny. Much smaller than the original. It's about 1.5"(H) x 3.5"(D) x6.5 (W). Your gonna here some people call this thing ugly in appearance. It's not really that bad and it's so small that it can easily be hidden behind your other components or just pushed toward the back.

I'm a gadget freak and this is the coolest thing I've purchased in a long time!! Just buy one! This would make an awesome gift for anyone interested in computers and TV.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as advertised ..., April 4, 2007

By	Ron Sullivan (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

There isn't, honestly, much I can add that you're not seeing in either (well written) spotlight reviews. The Slingbox is, in my opinion, every bit as impressive as its reputation led me to believe it was. There were, however, a few things I labeled as being pretty important though, that I didn't clearly understand going in. I was hoping to just clear those up for any potential customers.


1. The way this works is that Slingbox, basically, hijacks one of your cable boxes. For example, if I was to turn on the TV that my Slingbox was set up on, it's going to display whatever I'm watching. If I lived alone, this wouldn't be a big deal; but between everyone else in my house, I can't completely monopolize a TV. What I did was just attach the Slingbox to my basement TV, which they never use.

2. A connection to your home network is required. I had mistakenly thought it was optional, that you were hooking SlingBox directly to your PC (like other tuner models). Make sure you have some kind of an access point to connect to. If I was to wish for anything, I would have loved if this model came with some kind of a built-in wireless card. It would have been one less piece of equipment I had to buy.

3. Mac software is now available for download. I know a lot of us were waiting ... now the wait is over.

4. Streaming video is a monster on your internet hook-up's bandwidth, just be prepared for the slow-down if you have a lot of internet-ready devices (notebook, xBox live maybe, etc etc) running all the time. If your system has some mileage on the tires, this might be a good excuse to consider upgrading it a little bit.

Other then that, as I said, this is every bit as good as advertised. Enjoy it!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works well at a great price, October 21, 2006

By	Glenn Ware (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Installation on a normal home network setup is very easy. My setup was a little more complex due to voip router, and 2nd wireless router. Sling has instructions on their web site but I still had to mess around with my settings in order to get it to work. To work on multiple routers you have to do port forwarding on both routers to port 5001. Once I worked this out everything is great.

Video quality is good in the house, haven't tried it from another location. I'm running the Sling AV with Netgear Ethernet power adaptors to my router and then watching TV via wireless to my laptop. Now we can watch TV in any room of the house. My wife loves being able to watch the news in the morning while in the kitchen. She also loves being able to surf while having a show running in a small window on the side.

Control of my Dish DVR is very good. We can manage any feature of our Satelite/DVR box. This will come in handy when we travel as we have our sons Seaseme Street shows on the DVR and now we can take those with us on the road.

Overall, I'm pleased with the Sling AV. It offers good performance at a great price point. Now Sling just needs to get the Mac version out so I can watch TV on my beautiful 15.4 inch Mac Book Pro.