Slingbox 500: Miracle in the Sin City (Part II)

From regular or snail mail to electronic mail (email); from printed books to electronic books (eBooks); from analog recorded voices or music to digital or mp3 music and audio books; from landline calling (receiving and making) to cordless and later on wireless cellular communications; and from watching TV shows, movies, and sports in real time at home to postponing doing it at a later time also at home through the VCR or the DVR, welcome to the digital age!

Indeed, these amazing technologies are bringing changes to our lifestyle. They allow us to shift the time and place to read, listen, watch multi-media contents and all sorts of entertainment.

Almost unbelievably “miraculous”, seemingly “magical”, definitely “mind-boggling”, and still a “mystery” to many mere mortals, the Slingbox technology is the latest to invade our lives.

                       

Slingbox 500

Converging with other technologies that are as amazing and awesome, the Slingbox 500 allows the home TV users the ability to watch their favorite shows, movies, recorded contents and even live ones at a time and place of their choice. No more feeling the frustration of missing live sports events, scheduled TV and Cable entertainment or subscribed shows.

Upon receipt of my Slingbox 500, I opened it and proceeded with the installation right away. Just by following the instructions with illustrations, it was user friendly and was installed with ease. After downloading the Sling Player Apps in both my iPAD and iPhone, and connecting the HDMI cable and all the multi-colored composite/component cables for audio and video that came in the box to my TV, set-top box and Slingbox, I proceeded with the test.

Already connected with WiFi at home, I clicked the Sling Player icon on my iPAD and connected to the Cable TV and Slingbox. As clear and as bright, I watched what was showing on my HD TV monitor and move from room to room and place to place in my home. From upstairs I used the iPAD also as a remote control by changing channels, accessing the On Demand, and DVR in my set-top box.

I did the same thing with my iPhone after disconnecting the iPAD. I experienced the same good results. In fact, I also accessed my shows using my data plan instead of the WiFi at home. It also worked beautifully.

Next, I went to a nearby Starbucks Café where WiFi is made available for free. My tests in both WiFi and data plan also worked perfectly. When I tested both the iPAD and the iPhone by clicking the Sling Player icon to access my home TV at the Gold’s Gym where I go to exercise, it also generated good results.

I am now convinced that any electronic device connected with the set-top box and Slingbox at home via Internet would allow the user to access any or all of the contents available on his home TV.

About ten (10) years earlier, I used the first generation of Slingbox with my Laptop and Desktop as the connected devices. Now with tablets like the iPAD and/or smart phones like the iPhone that are more portable and mobile, the saying, “My TV, My Way, Anytime, Anywhere” is truer than ever.

You are paying for the privilege of watching Cable TV shows and other recorded contents in your set-top box. Of course, this privilege is enjoyed only with one Slingbox and the corresponding connected set-top box. There is only one controller.

However, if you obtain a second set-top box and connect another Slingbox, access to it and all similar shows can be done independently. Usually, the monthly subscription fee for the second or even third set-top box is much cheaper.

I tested the Slingbox technology abroad before. Connecting it to the set-top box in the Philippines, I was able to access all the TV shows there. While abroad, I have been able to watch all the shows here. I do not see any reason why I cannot do it similarly with the more sophisticated Slingbox 500 and with tablets and smartphones as the connected devices.

Last Christmas, my daughter Traci and her husband Jason gifted us with Roku 3. It is also now connected with the Cable set-top box. This means that all the shows accessible to the Roku player are also now available to us anywhere,

Although I have not tested it, I understand that this is also true for Apple TV and Chromecast.

As I have shown and tested, the Slingbox makes your Home TV available ANYWHERE on an Internet connected device. The same thing is true in smartphones and tablets. The finer features of Cable TV like DVR and On Demand are likewise made available. Breaking news, sports live and stats, recorded contents, business matters, movies, and other fields of entertainment could now be made accessible to you on Big Screen or at the palm of your hand either at home or on the go.

Even better is the fact that after your purchase and installation of the Slingbox, no monthly fees are required to continue enjoying its benefits and features. I understand that the online support directly from Sling Media as well as the Sling community has been quite responsive, competent and effective.

I strongly recommend that readers buy the Slingbox 500. We are not home all the time. The device lets us watch our TV shows from anywhere especially if we travel often.

For the enterprising readers, I see some Slingbox-based business opportunities to take advantage of.