back to article Slingbox Solo TV-over-the-net device

Sling Media's Slingbox Solo is for all those folk who already have a digital TV set-top box and don't fancy forking out for a local network and internet video streaming gadget that has an on-board tuner of its own. Sling Media Slingbox Solo Sling's Slingbox Solo: tuner-less The Solo sports the usual truncated triangle look …

COMMENTS

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  1. David Lurie

    Here's a question

    A question for everyone reading this: What can one buy to do the opposite of the slingbox. I have a wireless box that broadcasts my TV signal from Sky into my computer monitor/tv monitor in my office, but I want something that will broadcast a film I play on my desktop in my office onto the tv in the living room. And it has to be wireless, just to be difficult (although I could use powerline, I suppose)

  2. Graham Robinson

    More uses than you'd think

    If, like me, you have a TV, Digital TV and a DVD / Games player and your other half likes to use it to watch DVDs then this little box would be fine for watching the TV.

    I have the full slingbox and use it all the time, but I'm not sure I've ever used the tuner when the 9200t is so good and the only think going through the scart cable is box after box of star-trek-the-next-generation-voyager-enterprise.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Same old same old

    This is just a regurgutated press release. The "old" UK box (with tuner) did 640x480. It did 16:9. There is NO POINT in 8Mbps streaming unless :

    a) you are dealing with analogue TV - you won't get a better picture but you will get "sharper" interference (sarcasm alert);

    b) The slingbox can stream multiple video streams concurrently to different destinations (it can't with current firmware).

    So what's the point? Can't do HDTV and is massively overspecced for Freeview/DVD.

    It is obviously designed for the US market so do yourselves a favour and ignore it.

  4. Morely Dotes

    @ David Lurie

    X10 sells a "video sender" system here in the USA that is probably more-ore-less what you're looking for for.

    Many caveats:

    1. Don't visit X10.com without major spyware and virus protection. Don't use Internet Explorer for it, either.

    2. Their system is composite only - no S-Video, no SCART, no RGB.

    3. I had the old version and inadvertently hooked up the wrong wall wart, which let the smoke out. If you get this, or a similar system, be sure you keep track of which wart goes with which unit (a simple tape-and-magic-marker system should do it).

    4. The x10 Web site is easily the ugliest and least-well-organized I have ever seen, beating out many Government sites in that regard. Peril-sensitive sunglasses are recommended.

    I'd be interested in inexpensive units that use CAT-5 or Wi-Fi to accomplish the same end.

  5. packetboy

    Possible Answer

    Hi David,

    You could look at windows media center on your pc (included with vista) and then use a windows media center extender (an xbox 360 for instance) connected at your tv... not sure how you will go over wireless though i tried this using HDDVD rips and it wasnt happy but it might work ok for just normal movies... also media centre doesnt support avi's out of the box i dont think but there are plenty of sites on the net explaining how to get this to work..

    good luck

    packetboy

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Widescreen

    How exactly does it recognise 16:9/4:3 switching without seeing a voltage on SCART pin 8? Few channels use line 23 switching (in fact, I think only C4 analogue does).

    The fact that it has no SCARTs means it can't pass through RGB either.

    Not impressed.

  7. gyre
    Thumb Up

    sling catcher

    Supposedly the company that makes the slingbox is also coming out with a gadget called something like the sling catcher which should be able to take slingbox generated network traffic and display it on a tv, amongst other neat tricks.

    http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/27/sling_names_slingcatcher_release_date/

    It was displayed at a trade show earlier this year and was due around the middle of this year, but has been apparently delayed by a few months.

    -- gyre --

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ David Lurie

    The Wii can do this with ease.. Just download the 'internet Channel' AKA Opera for the Wii and then load TVersity (tversity.com) on the PC from which you want to stream, and away you go..

  9. Tim
    Thumb Down

    Do yourself a favour...

    Why spend £125 on a single input Solo device when you can get 3 selectable inputs with Freeview and analogue decoder for £97.

    The Slingbox is a great bit of kit, but the Slingbox Solo is all about selling less equipment for more money. If you want a Slingbox, do yourself a favour and get the old version from Amazon before the stocks run out...

    Unless you plan to make use of the 8MB features - and I suspect few would - the new range is nothing short of a complete rip-off!

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