How would you change the Slingbox Pro HD?
By Darren Murph 
posted Dec 5th 2008 7:30PM
posted Dec 5th 2008 7:30PM
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Price drop :)
couldn't everything use a price drop?
add itunes support
I'm with you... If it were just a tad bit less expensive I'd pick one up.
I would have to agree on price. I've had a SlingBox Pro for a little over a year. I've also got the component adapter for it. So I've already had to make two purchases to get it working like I want to. Actually, four purchases if you include the two copies of the mobile SlingPlayer I have. You'd think a user like me would be who they're marketing this this to. But I'm not even going to worry about the SPHD or the SlingCatcher which will be my next purchase until they both drop below $200. Sure I've seen the Buy.com and Amazon discounts but keep trying, sub 200 and we'll talk.
@OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th LOL
Surely there is some kind of trolling guideline that makes sure that all 'I love apple' posts are vaguely on topic?
iTunes support on a Slingbox? A Slingbox is for placeshifting TV. The relevance to iTunes is the same as your apparent IQ - zero.
Less expensive and Wifi!
Now, that's what I'm talkin about.
The problem with Wifi when doing streaming is the connection quality can't be guaranteed, and the speeds are slower.
Sure, 802.11n was designed for higher speeds, but the speed will drop off sharply the farther you get from it.
Asking for Wifi in a product such as this is quite ridiculous.
@Kevlar
Then call me "Mr. Ridiculous."
I'm for WiFi too.
Why stop progress?
If it is good enough to work with an internet connection, the wireless network should more than suffice...thinking that wireless networking is slower than an internet connection, now, that is ridiculous.
I have my Slingbox PRO HD connected to a Linksys WRT54GL router running in client-bridge mode (courtesy of Tomato Firmware). The PRO HD then wirelessly streams HD quality signals to my Gateway router (another WRT54GL running DD-WRT) which then sends that signal to my desktop (wired to the Gateway router) or a wireless laptop/netbook. On the desktop, I routinely get 8000 KBps when streaming at HD quality (the maximum stream rate the PRO HD supports).
My point is that Wireless G is good enough for streaming HD quality video from the Slingbox. Also I actually prefer a non built-in Wireless solution (to the Slingbox PRO HD) mainly because it can be a pain intputting 64 random ascii characters when enabling WPA/WPA2 encryption on devices that do not support a keyboard.
Ditto wifi. I stream HD videos from my Apple TV over Wifi, and just 802.11g wifi at that, with no problems whatsoever, and virtually instantaneous start times, meaning I'm getting well over 4-5Mbps. And yes I've got neighbours on either side with their own Wifi and the Apple TV is on a different floor and at the other end of the house from the Linksys Router...
I have my SB Pro connected to my network using an Apple Airport Express, 802.11g. No issues with networking or speeds to date. It seems WiFi connectivity built in makes sense as many people's home theatre isn't necessariliy colocated with their router. But I agree, on HD streaming this might be pushing it.
Having to buy SlingLinks or other WiFi bridges separately seems silly. Then again, they made us by an adaptor to connect HD inouts for the SBPro and want us to pay for separate software to view the stream on mobile devices too and it seems to me those should come included.
Better then the Hava probably. I have one now and it can't stream in full HD.
update the Mac Software and how about an HDMI solution?
I'm right there with you on the HDMI solution thingie. As for the Mac player, except for the obvious lack of HD playback support, what do you think needs improvement? I admit I'm not a Windows user and therefore I haven't used the Windows version of SllingPlayer, but based on my fairly superficial observations and impressions, the two seem mostly en par. What part of the fun am I missing?
The problem with HDMI is HDCP.
While not specific to the pro HD, I've found the video quality has worsened between the previous gen of slingplayer and this one.
How is that possible? The Pro-HD is the first that can stream in HD using H.264. Also, since it can now stream in H.264, when using it over the internet, the upload requirement is now much lower for the same video quality.
how about HD for mac...
Allow HD streaming to a Mac . . . I would buy this item if you could stream in HD to a Mac. The current software only supports HD streaming to Windows Operating Systems . . . . .
HD to the Mac, HD to the SlingCatcher, and built-in WiFi
Add streaming to iPhones and iPod touch.
I'm surprised not more people have mentioned this. I would surely be willing to pay a nice price for an iPhone version of the Slingbox Software. Its really the only thing I think is missing. HD to my Mac isn't such a big deal, as I really don't need to watch HD quality video while I'm in a hotel room with a crappy internet connection. The iPhone though would be a very welcome, much needed addition.
I wonder whats preventing Sling from doing the work? Didn't we see a demo of it on a Touch a while back? The technology *must* be there. At the very least, I'd like an explanation of why Sling is sitting on their butts with this, rather obvious feature.
They were rejected from the App Store by Apple.
The SlingBox developers demoed a version of SlingPlayer on an iPhone, it looked pretty beta, but it was working. I wanted to steal that iPhone so bad!
The bigger question is, why did they get rejected? And is this a "feature announcement" in itself by Apple?
more reliable service when using slingbox remotely. works fine locally, but doesn't work 100% when using product remotely
Install OS X
Waiting for a MAC client.
How about support for DirecTV HD DVRs running on alternate remote codes (so I can control two from the Slingbox Pro HD, just like I used to from the Slingbox Pro).
Guide for the OSX client.
1) Lower price
2) Support streaming to iPhone
3) HD support for Mac
4) HDMI
5) Support Wifi - dont need high speed if streaming to an iphone :)
6) Support Cablecard for HD Cable access
More cowbell.
And by cowbell I mean interfaces for simple composite inputs (9) with a 3x3 mux board allowing for (simulated) security camera purposes and to enthuse those with Zoneminder style intentions that desire a variety purposed quality encoder for IP network camera creation.
There are a few things I would change.
1) Add IR learning features to the Slingbox. As I have a number of Satellite receivers which are not supported by the Slingbox, it would be cool to have the Slingbox learn the remote.
2) Be able to tune Analog Cable and QAM signals without having to reprogram the Slingbox each time when witching between modes.
3) iPhone Application!
HD streaming for Mac OSX +1, I have a slingbox pro hd at home, and I have to restart into Vista to watch TV - it is a HUGE pain in the arse. My life would be so much simpler if I didn't have to do that.
Yes Itouch application would be nice as a matter of fact the old windows mobile interface was actually better IMO than the interfaces for windows or Mac. remotes suck, and it would be nice to make it more usable for smaller netbook screen sizes (9 and 10 inches)
All the talk about the Mac, those are ways to improve the Sling Player Software, not really how to improve the slingbox. Just like streaming to the slingcatcher. I'm not buying of those until it supports HD.
The Slingbox HD is a nice device. I would like a simplier configuration method, just as a web interface instead of having the use the sling player software. Nice boxes to specify IP, gateway, port enable remote access. I find wizards to be complicated when you understand how the stuff works.
The learning remote idea, I agree with. It has 4 ir transmitters, it be nice to put them to use for other than controlling the cable box.
It already works on the Mac, just install Vista in boot camp and you are good to go.
What you are trying to say is that you want it to run in OS X.
/nitpick
It does support Mac, just SD, HD will be coming out soon I heard.
oh, me likey.
Before they do another god damn thing they need to get the f'in blackberry support going!
I've been hearing since January that software for blackberries would be out, its now less than a month a way from 2009 and I haven't heard another damn thing about it.
I feel like boxing up my sling box with a note that says 'screw you sling media for forgetting us blackberry users' and shipping it back to them.
Is it too much to ask for a 100-250V built-in switch mode power supply (like Apple did when they launched Time Capsule)?
I´m just the kind of person who hates wall wart power-adaptors, anyone else out there?
There can´t be that many components in there so they couldn´t fit it in.
Just got mine the other day and have been playing with it for a while.
Features mentioned I think are an excellent idea:
* WiFi
* a Universal Remote feature (in case your model doesn't match up exactly like mine, so some of the buttons don't perform as expected)
* HDMI ports
* Greater platform/device support (blackberry, Mac, etc)
* I believe someone mentioned being able to plug into a security camera (or cameras) - great with the first feature I'd like added...
Features that I think would be good ideas:
* Some built in DVR capabilities (maybe 2-4 hours of HD) with the option to download locally versus stream - so you can get high quality video over a slow connection without extra devices.
* A better mobile player application
* Make the mobile player FREE like the regular player - or at least include one license with the device!
* Multiple User Logon over WAN - so that you can set it up to broadcast a show to all your computers in the house (great when doing housework... However, I can understand why they need to restrict this over the Internet!)
* Sling Back Player - basically make it so the device also acts as a means to play computer media on your TV. (Example, play a slideshow of your pics on your cell phone to the TV via the slingbox).
HD for Mac! When will mac users finally be able to watch HD on their computers? More users are buying Macs and I think SlingMedia need to hurry up and work its way though the problems and get a Mac version of the SlingPlayer 2.0! I think Slingboxes uses WMV codec to transport their videos, maybe that's why they are having so much trouble getting a Mac version out... even the first Mac version of SlingPlayer took them a while to get it working. Why not use MP4 to begin with?....
i would like it with:
1- Full Macintosh compatibility
2- ability to receive Slingbox HD content from another slingbox HD. this way you can have a home network and watch things from another room, which perhaps you have the DVR with a program you want stored, that you don't have in whatever room you are in.
for this kind of money, it ought to have that ability.
I agree with the obvious. Streaming to iPhone would move slingboxes like water. No HD Support for Mac is pretty sad.....
Create a virtual tuner card driver so every other software that works with a tuner card will work with it. Having to use their software is a huge limitation.
That client for the Blackberry that they announced almost a year ago would be nice.
Surprised that no one has mentioned the (in)ability to stream to multiple TVs...
This would bring it into increased popularity with enterprise applications.
When I see posts like this I can't help but think how f%$@ed a company must be to be so disconnected from their users/customers that they need to pay/get engadget to ask their readers what to do. On one hand it's great to reach out and create a conversation (I use the word loosely here). On the other they end up looking like a big duffus for not being able to extract this info elsewhere, especially when it's not like any of these posts haven't been posted elsewhere on teh internets or communicated to a CSR. Things like this speak to the company lacking the internal organization and processes to capitalize on the knowledge their customers are sending their way. I also find it interesting that half of the posts here basically say "deliver what you've been promising." Seems pretty common sense....
Why do you presume Sling had anything to do with this post? Engadget has done this kind of thing for many, many products.
mr2kx, there's a reason the tag "how would you change" exists. http://www.engadget.com/tag/how+would+you+change/
Let's have a look, shall we, and see just how many companies are apparently "f%$@ed" by your assessment: Guitar Hero, Apple, Canon, the Voodoo Envy, Microsoft, Sony, ZeeVee, Nikon, Apple again, Dell, OpenMoko, Sprint, Acer, etc..
Next time, check your "common sense" at the door and do a little investigation. Which, if Sling is paying for this, is what they are doing. You should learn a lesson from them, if that's the case.
I would love to buy one, but I won't until they have iPhone support.
I am satisfied with my Slingbox PRO HD overall, a big step up in Picture Quality over my old Slingbox PRO. This is almost as good as it gets when watching streamed video on the LAN.
However, the new SlingPlayer 2.0 software is a pig especially when streaming HD quality video over the LAN. I have no problems when watching the streamed HD video on my Quad Core powered desktop but I do have to lower the resolution/bitstream rates when streaming video to my Core 2 Duo powered laptops. SlingPlayer 2.0 is also characterized by high CPU utilization. I also wish the future revisions to the SlingPlayer 2.0 will bring back the Favorites shortcuts without the need to logon online to access them.
Hopefully the next revision to SlingPlayer 2.0 software will address these issues.
As a Slingbox original owner, there is one hardware change that would get me to upgrade to a newer model: integrated WiFi. This really should have been a part of the design already. I frequently don't have a cable outlet near my router, and I'm not willing to run cat5 cables everywhere in my home. Add WiFi...please
Mac support is another area that could be improved. I was an early beta tester back in 2006, and while the software has come a long way, it's a lightyear behind the PC client. Sad.
As a G1 owner, I would love to see an Android client in the future as well.
It shouls be cheaper, have built in WIFI and finally, be able to stream to iphones.
Why the hell didn't engadget ask for input on ways to improve that pile of crap we waited two years for, the Slingcatcher?
I have had the sling box pro for a year and it has not worked. Their customer service was and is horrible. The only solution they gave me was new blasters. They refuse to think that the box is defective and the problem is on my end(my direct tv hd box). Spent well over 8 hours, 4 of which was with their customer service, and they could not fix it. Money down the drain. I bought a lemon and they refuse to do anything about it. Sling if you want to make a difference, send me a new box and take back the old one.
How about being able to save the 1 hour buffer of streamed audio/video that you've been watching? And maybe the option of being able to increase the buffer to as much as your hard drive will allow?
iphone support
Want support for the Homeplug devices we already have (Devolo in my case), which is lacking in current releases according to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2A84EYAAB37CW/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
1) HDMI support for both the SlingBox HD and the SlingCatcher
2) HD support for the SlingCatcher
3) Lower price would be nice :-)
The best idea is not in software, but in hardware. What Sling needs to develop next is a way around the data limitations in today's high-speed internet connection. You can't squeeze full HD (or even very good SD) through a DSL line or 1.5 Mps cable-modem connection. If we wait for 20Mps connections to be everywhere, remote access to real time streaming of HD content is years and years away. The only way around this is to offer users the option of a higher-quality transmission but not in real time.
The way you do that is to basically have the Slingbox and Slingplayer work together as a DVR. You tell the local Slingbox the shows you want and it records them, in real time, to a local drive. You connect your laptop (or Slingcatcher) from a remote location, and it gives you the option of watching a live feed as always, or using that same bandwidth to start sending you a copy of whatever it is you recorded. The files are locked down and encrypted so they can't be used for piracy purposes etc.
Imagine this - you get into your hotel room, fire up the laptop and tell it to start fetching your shows, while you go have dinner. Come back in an hour and you have something to watch while the connection continues to spool additional content to you in the background. Let it run while you sleep and you wake up with a fully synched copy of your home DVR, ready to watch anything you want, in real HD.
Hell, Sling is owned by Echostar, it isn't like they don't already have access to DVR technology.
Until they figure this out, I don't see any point to the HD Slingbox. To save the cost of extra cable boxes? An HD Slingbox with a SlingCatcher costs more than rental of a cable box for years. Or watch HD on your computer monitor? Again, what exactly is the point of that? I use my slingplayer locally to throw the football game in the corner of my monitor while I am working, but if I want the HD experience, I will do that in front of the HD TV, not my computer.
I have an original Slingbox and I love it, but these new versions don't offer any meaningful difference over the original Slingbox when it comes to remote viewing over the web, which is the primary value of the Slingbox.
In the meantime - where is that iPhone player?
Blackberry Slingplayer!! This device is great...no complaints.
Tru2way support would be nice...
All he was saying was to listen to your customers. Even Branon's saying it in this video....
http://www.openforum.com/innovation/video_bransonclip_industryofthefuture.html
I think the Pro-HD is an excellent piece of hardware. When you have the bandwidth, the video can't be beat.
Wireless at this time would cause more problems then it cures. 802.11g can stream the video, but the slingbox should be the soul source of wireless activity. To place a slingbox on a busy 802.11g network is only asking for trouble. 802.11n will probably be the answer but it is still in draft and IMHO should not even be sold at this time.
My single complaint about the Pro-HD. It does not stream 5.1 audio, even though Sling Media provides a digital audio input. They also do not tell you this, on their web site.
Not specific to the SBPHD, but to SB hardware in general:
1) UHF blasters. I have a Bell ExpressVu 9200 DVR (Dish/Echostar hardware) which has two built in receivers. The second receiver is controlled by UHF, not IR. If I connect the second receiver to my SBPRO, I cannot control it. Given that Echostar builds both pieces of hardware I would hope they could address this, even as an optional accessory?
2) +1 for Blackberry and iPhone/iTouch mobile software. I realize the BB client is likely beta by year end from posts on other boards, and as mentioned I would hazard to guess Apple is blocking the iPhone client as a "bandwidth hog"
Overall, I am happy with my SB support. Had to return my SBPRO due to a failed firmware update that bricked it and they turned around updated hardware in less than 48 hours so thumbs up!
Apples just stupid for not supporting the Sling Media Player for iPhone... not that everyone will be using Edge to stream from iPhone... we could use WiFi, so what is the problem...
I would buy it the day they have support for iPhone streaming...
Until then i'll just wait and see what they are doing...
if not then that's there lost...
Wifi would be nice. Still, the number of support calls they would receive from people expecting HD over their wireless G (or B!) network probably makes it a tough call.
Yes, Internet connections are almost always slower than wireless, but still not guaranteed. Just use your microwave oven or cordless phone and suddenly the connection dies!
iFone support would be sweet. Lower price would be nice, but I expect to see that happen within six months or so. Even at 300 dollars, you get a LOT of techno-bling for the money.
Jim
1) Lower price
2) Support streaming to iPhone
3) HD support for Mac
4) HDMI
There is a growing community of expats who would love to have access to HDTV from the U.S. But many of these people, including me, use Macs. I'll go HD when it comes out for the Mac. So will several other people I know.
Taos Turner
Argentina
www.argentinepost.com
Fix the DirecTiVo remote to work correctly, like the Classic, or Pro. Multiple buttons don't work or work incorrectly (live acts like jump to end of buffer ->|). Did Dish have Sling break this on purpose or was this poor testing? Curious minds want to know...