Digital Trends

Sling Media Slingbox

March 6th, 2006 | by Vince Veneziani

Features and Design

First, let's check out the design of this awesome little box. Slingbox is gray and small, which is very nice. It integrates well with your home theater setup and fits into those spots in your entertainment center. It has a nice rectangular shape, with three separate little squares in the middle. On the top, you'll see words like “My Videos, My Shows, My Movies Anywhere” to remind you what Slingbox was designed for. The back features quite a few inputs that require some looking over to understand. Power, S-Video, Composite Cable, IR, Coaxial Cable, Audio Inputs and Ethernet line the back of this device. There is also a reset button that is easy to use when you need to reset your box. The front sports just two LEDs:  One for power and one for network status. Because the Slingbox streams content to your PC it is limited to a relatively low resolution, thus the lack of component video or true HDTV support (although it works with HDTV equipment, it just will not output it via HDTV quality video).

To run Slingbox properly, you'll need decent system requirements. The Sling Media site lists the following: 

PC Client

-           Windows® XP Home/Pro/MCE or Windows 2000 SP4

-           Intel® Pentium® IV 1Ghz

-           256MB RAM

-           100MB Free Hard Disk Space

-           Graphics Card (24 bit)

-           Sound Card (16 bit)

-           CD-ROM Drive

-           Network Connectivity (10/100 Ethernet)

Network

-           Router-Wired or Wireless (UpnP Capability Recommended)

-           Cable or DSL Modem (Out-of-Home viewing)

-           256Kbps Upstream Speed (Higher Upstream Speed Recommended)

Video (NTSC) and Audio Source

Any of the following:

-           Analog Cable

-           Antenna/RF

-           Digital Cable Set Top Box

-           Satellite Receiver

·                     Digital Video Recorder (including but not limited to TiVo®, DirecTV®, DISH®, ReplayTV®, UltimateTV®)

You had better make sure your computer is up to the task before plunking down your hard-earned cash for this device. You won't regret it, though, especially if you have a laptop.

Image Courtesy of Sling Media