Sling Media Slingbox PRO (SB200-100)

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: B000IVDIL4
• Item model number: SB200-100
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (176 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,245 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 25, 2006

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 Pro offers Component HD, S-video, coax, and composite video connections.

Slingbox Pro
The Slingbox Pro ensures that you can watch all of your favorite home theater entertainment anywhere you go, with the ability to watch and control up to three standard definition and one high definition video (via component connection) devices. Using an Internet connected computer or compatible mobile phone (with purchase of SlingPlayer Mobile software), you can watch and control your home TV, DVR, basic cable, digital cable box, or satellite receiver anywhere around your home or around the globe. With a Slingbox Pro you will never be separated from your favorite TV shows, sports broadcasts, breaking news stories, digital video recordings, or video on demand.

The Slingbox Pro 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 Pro 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. One of the video sources can be an HD component device.

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.

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 the Windows Vista operating system. Future Vista-specific enhancements are expected in early 2007.

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

Product Description
Slingbox Pro gives customers with basic analog cable, digital cable, satellite, and/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. In addition, Slingbox Pro can connect to multiple AV devices and features an HDTV component connection giving HD set-top box customers added performance and ease of use in connecting their Slingbox Pro to their home theater system.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

203 of 210 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable: Works better than my highest expectations..., December 9, 2006

By	David Pearlman "sound fanatic" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

So by now you probably know what this is: A thin ethernet client (read: single purpose computer) that takes video from your home devices and streams it so that you can watch it on a PC or other compatible device anywhere in the world with internet access. You get to control your home device through a virtual remote that sends IR signals through an IR "blaster" cable that connects to the Slingbox and shoots the IR signals to your home device just as if you were at home with a remote.

Looks good on paper. But does it work? Having a lot of experience with streaming video, I was very skeptical. In general, I've found that streaming video eminating from high bandwith commercial servers still results in videos that continually freeze as the buffer runs out. Just how could this Slingbox, which has to squeeze its broadcast signal through the intentionally crippled upload connection of a typical cable connection, possibly deliver the goods to the receiving device in a fashion that allows a good, non-stuttering, non-freezing picture? (In case you don't know, almost all home cable/DSL connections are limited by the providers to about 30kpbs upload speed; compare that to download speeds that range from 768kbps to 3mbps! This is done intentionally so that people don't use their PCs as web servers unless they pay much higher commercial rates).

Anyway, I installed the Slingbox (trivially easy if you have ever installed an A/V component before), installed the software on a PC (Windows 2000 or XP required, sorry you ME, 98 and NT laggards), and let the Slingbox installer do its thing. It asked me some simple questions and I was done.

Installation was quick and painless, but what about the real question: How's the streaming video quality? Well, on my home PC, which obviously has an advantage since it's on the same network as the Slingbox, I can get great streaming video. But that's no real challenge.

So I went over to a friend's house, where there's a kinda miserable DSL connection, installed the Slingbox player, and fired it up...And guess what? After about 30 seconds, where the slingbox player was adjusting the compression/resolution in order to provide stutter free playback, the picture was rock solid. Better than anything I've EVER experienced with video from any web server. And it stayed rock solid. W-O-W!

I'm sold. This product is for real. What a great product.

As for whether you need the Slingbox Pro, or the cheaper models. The pro adds capacity for multiple inputs, an integrated analogue video tuner (so you can watch EITHER cable or your attached DVR/VCR/DVD player/cable box/etc), and the abilty to stream the output of a HD (high definition) device. HOWEVER, be aware that to use the HD input to the Slingbox, you need a proprietary cable that is NOT included in the package (and which will set you back about $50). That kinda sucks, and I almost docked the unit one star for that bit of bait and switch (the box touts its high definition capabilities but doesn't really say that it will cost you $50 more to use them), but I'm so happy with the performance of the box in general that I'll let that slide...

148 of 152 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Product - Stingy Manufacturer, December 21, 2006

By	Mark McElroy "www-madebymark-com" (Jackson, MS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Slingbox Pro does an excellent job of streaming video from multiple sources (Tivo's, cable boxes, or satellite tuners, for example) to any internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world. If you have access to a fast internet connection, you'll be amazed at the quality of the picture and the sound.

Two issues:

1) The primary, defining feature of the PRO verison of the Slingbox is its ability to "sling" high-definition video across the internet to your laptop. It's unfortunate that the folks at Sling Media:

- saw fit to design the box to use a proprietary cable instead of the industry-standard HDMI cable that all HD component owners know and use, and

- failed to include their proprietary cable in the box with the Pro. When I buy a product for its PRO features, I shouldn't have to go back out and scavenge for a rare, $50.00 cable in order to use those features. This was a terrible oversight.

2) Be aware that you will not be able to use the Slingbox unless you:

- can plug it directly into your home network router, or

- purchase a $50-$90 wireless Ethernet "bridge," or

- purchase Slingbox's bizarre and expensive hardware solution for connecting the Slingbox to your router over your electrical wiring.

A PRO-level, premium product should be able to see and use a wireless home network connection, right out of the box; a trip back to the store to buy more hardware shouldn't be necessary.

The core product is great, and works better than advertised ... but this PRO package lacks what any pro would expect to find in the box. Be aware that, in addition to the Slingbox Pro, you'll need to buy:

- a home network router (if you don't already have one),

- a wireless G network bridge or the Slingbox networking product (if you don't have your router near your television), and

- a proprietary video cable (if you want to "sling" HD programming).

88 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to setup, works great with MacOS X 10.4.8, November 5, 2006

By	Chris Lee Mullins (Highlands Ranch, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like most everyone else in these forums, I'm fairly happy with my SlingBox. Very easy to set-up, although two things annoy me.

(1) That I need to purchase a proprietary Componant-to-HDMI cable from SlingMedia to get HD routed through this box. Its not an expensive cable, as HD cables go, but if I can't technically route an HDMI source, why fit the Sling with an HDMI connector? Maybe we're talking space-contraints here, since the Pro is already a bit larger than the other SlingBoxes and HDMI takes up less space than componants. Still, most people with similar set-ups will have componant cables lying around to integrate this thing into their set-up. The Componant-to-HDMI cable should really have been included with the Pro.

(2) No 802.11a\b\g\n option. Yes, you can go get your own 802.11-to-Ethernet bridge. Or you can use the (expensive) powerline networking option. Frankly, I'd much rather see a larger SlingBox with a couple extra cubic inches in the box to cram in an 802.11 chipset and an antenna hanging out the back. But I guess that would just increase the headache on SlingMedia's end, from a technical support standpoint.

That said, I still love this unit. The MAC OS X client works like a charm, despite being in Beta. On a Core Duo MacBook Pro, the OS X client is quicker than the WinXP client running on similar Core Duo Dell hardware (E1705). Very nice. Being able to customize the button interface and swap interfaces between Mac and PC (to suit what cable channels you commonly watch) is a nice touch as well.

Lacking any Pocket PC hardware, I can't tell you how well the handheld client runs (are you listening Sling? My Blackberry feels left out!) although the friend that recommended this product to me has connected to my Sling over the internet with his handheld HP.

I'm done here. Nice product, some extra features like 802.11 would be nice, not having to spend an extra 50 bucks on a proprietary HD cable would be nicer still. Despite that, I'm a happy camper.