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Sling Pro HD Review
Posted by Adrian Covert at 2:00 AM on October 4, 2008
The Gadget: Sling Pro HD is the top of the line Slingbox that streams your cable to any computer that can connect to the internet. The Sling Pro HD is a big step forward for Sling, now centered around the full HD experience, with component inputs, and OVA tuner, and 1080 HD streaming not just over local networks, but remote connections as well.
Price: $US300
The Verdict: Sling Pro HD is a worthy successor to previous Slingboxes for a number of reasons. Primarily, because it streams in real 1080i HD. Previously, you could connect a component source to the Sling Pro and Sling Solo, but it would down convert the HD signal, merely preserving the 16:9 ratio.
In addition, you can connect more than one HD source — not only is there a set of Component video inputs, but there is a coaxial input for over-the-air HD. This gives you two HD options, plus composite inputs for SD video. Another plus is that you no longer need to buy the special HD connect cable from Sling. You can use any component cables (or the ones they include) and connect it to your HD source. Easy.
(Click here for full-sized comparison)
Once I properly configured the router to work with the Sling Pro HD, I had plenty of bandwidth to stream in HD. As far as picture quality, there is a noticeable difference in sharpness between the HD streaming and down-converted 640x480 video. Is the HD stream jaw-droppingly, awe-inspiring, hands down more rad than the SD stream? No. But videophiles will likely agree the HD stream does look better.
Currently, the lack of Mac support for HD streaming hurts. But (at the time of publish) it is in development, and will arrive in the near future, so its not a huge deal. Secondly, if you're using a smaller laptop or smaller external monitor, you're also not going to notice that much of a difference between HD and SD. But if you use a largish external monitor with your Sling stream, the HD stream will be more prevalent.
We streamed over LAN and over a remote broadband connection, and noticed little drop off in picture quality when connecting outside the network. But that's not so much the fault of the Slingbox as it is the ISP. When the remote connection had enough bandwidth to stream HD over a remote connection, it was pretty close to the LAN in quality. As a note, most of our testing was done over wi-fi, and the results were equal to testing done via ethernet.
If you're willing to pay a little extra for more (and easier) HD input options, and a slightly better picture, by all means, consider the Sling Pro HD. It rarely sputters when the connection is sufficient, and with the program guide and ability to rewind up to 60 minutes built into the new 2.0 software, It's easier than ever to use. [Sling on Giz]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
FlashTurbo
Posted 2:28 AM 4/10/08
It's still stupid. Using component instead of hdmi is dumb. Most AV receivers and cable and satellite boxes will not output both HDMI and component, so once the sling pro is in the loop, you have to run component, rather than hdmi, to your TV. Sling guys are hacktards.
FlashTurbo
jwardell
Posted 2:26 AM 4/10/08
@The Brain:
Verizon admitted to me that you can actually use any router for FIOS. Of course most others don't have Coax MOCA support so your multiroom dvr and channel listings would no longer work.
jwardell
pdditty
Posted 2:22 AM 4/10/08
Until I clicked on the images and enlarged them I notice a small difference in quality. Blitzer's face looked sharpen as well as the words at the bottom of the page. Besides that it wasnt a drastic change in quality from HD to SD.
pdditty
pdditty
Posted 2:21 AM 4/10/08
@Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E: I feel ya daftrock but Kaiser's right, its much easier to just have the software work natively on a Mac. Most users are not gonna go through all that just to watch their Slingbox.
pdditty
The Brain
Posted 2:15 AM 4/10/08
I still can't get my Slingbox to work through the router Verizon gave me for FIOS. I really wish we didn't have to use strange routers for our ISP's.
The Brain
Boot Shrew
Posted 2:12 AM 4/10/08
mmm... that's some wolfy goodness!
Boot Shrew
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Posted 2:10 AM 4/10/08
@daftrok: Boot Camp or not doesn't take away from being a negative. One still has to pay for the OS, and one must then consume gigabytes of HD space in a separate partition for an operating system one may never use for anything except the Sling. No matter how you slice it, it would be optimal for Mac users that this be Mac native, for those who don't care to own/use Windows at all on their home device.
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
rclee820
Posted 2:09 AM 4/10/08
I would speculate that most mac users (aside from those on this board) probably aren't too familiar with the details of boot camp. Plus, it would just be easier to run the program in os x on a mac.
rclee820
daftrok
Posted 2:04 AM 4/10/08
Why does lack of Mac support for HD streaming hurt? You can just run Windows XP on Macs (which are dirt cheap right now) with Boot Camp.
daftrok
ivanwolf
Posted 2:53 AM 4/10/08
I just do not understand the concept for a slingbox? Take the signal from my cable connected to a 42" HDTV and send it to my 20" computer? Why?
ivanwolf
schmere
Posted 2:46 AM 4/10/08
@pdditty: I couldn't tell a difference at all.
schmere
aphex
Posted 2:35 AM 4/10/08
@FlashTurbo: It could possibly have to do with HDCP, which is required on DVI & HDMI. I assume that due to the nature of the Slingbox, they haven't been granted a license for HDCP.
aphex
aphex
Posted 2:33 AM 4/10/08
Don't expect a Mac client anytime soon. Sling was nearly a year late delivering their first Mac client, even though they even shipped new boxes with Mac support on the box 3-4 months before the client was released.
aphex
Adrian Covert
Posted 2:31 AM 4/10/08
@FlashTurbo: I was waiting for a official reply on the matter and i'm about to add it to the review, but they didn't go with HDMI because of content restriction issues that can arise using HDMI.
Adrian Covert
DaiWalka
Posted 3:16 AM 4/10/08
@Adrian Covert: lol
DaiWalka
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
Posted 3:08 AM 4/10/08
@ivanwolf: It slings people you don't like out the door.
Kaiser-Machead's LEGO WALL-E
RalphWiggum
Posted 3:06 AM 4/10/08
@ivanwolf:
It makes sense for watching your TV when away from the home (think business traveller stuck in a hotel wanting to catch up on his DVR).
That being said, I see absolutely no need for it in my daily life.
RalphWiggum
Adrian Covert
Posted 3:04 AM 4/10/08
@ivanwolf: some people actually leave their house from time to time, or live with other people who leave their house from time to time, or don't have cable/satellite run to their bedroom.
crazy, huh?
Adrian Covert
cbandes
Posted 3:37 AM 4/10/08
The best thing about it is being able to watch your tv from anywhere you are - when traveling, on lunch-break, etc. The other great thing is that it lets you watch tv in any room that has a computer at home - for me that means my office and bedroom are now places I can watch tv while still only having one tv in the house...
cbandes
William Hook
Posted 3:34 AM 4/10/08
I want that. But only because the enclosure looks so sexy.
I actually have no need for a slingbox in terms of the actual device, but I really really really want that box.
William Hook
benjello
Posted 3:24 AM 4/10/08
@daftrok: This also means you have to run Windows, which is poop.
benjello
jolejniczak
Posted 3:57 AM 4/10/08
I use mine while I am traveling abroad. TV in most UK hotels is limited. I'm not sure I would ever stream HD content...seems unnecessary outside of the house. Are most PC's out there even capable of handling the HD content? Even laptops?
jolejniczak
Volalum
Posted 4:20 AM 4/10/08
Bring on the iPhone 3G app and I'm in.
Volalum
axiomatic
Posted 4:45 AM 4/10/08
@aphex: Correct, it IS because of the HDCP secured HDMI connection that this thing uses component RGB instead.
HDCP / HDMI sucks anyway. Display port is far better.
axiomatic
theshortguy
Posted 4:42 AM 4/10/08
@Volalum:
I wouldn't hold your breath. Even if they developed one you know apple wouldn't approve it due to how much bandwidth it would eat up. But then there would be a good reason to jailbreak.
theshortguy
rclee820
Posted 5:53 AM 4/10/08
@ivanwolf: It's so you can watch your tv remotely from anywhere you have a broadband internet connection.
rclee820
StartingAces
Posted 6:54 AM 4/10/08
The slingbox is a handy device. I snagged a SD one a couple years ago and it's been great for catching day baseball, watching TV on the road, having a portable TV to put on the stoop, and browsing/setting DVR when I have a dull moment.
I want to upgrade if only to get access to multiple devices at once.
StartingAces
AlternateEarth
Posted 8:35 AM 4/10/08
Alas, my company has sling box blocked on our net...
AlternateEarth
thespiessman
Posted 9:07 AM 4/10/08
I have the original Slingbox Pro it works great on my AT&T Tilt and my Mac. It's also great for setting the DVR when you forget you want to record something that you want to watch later or watching anything I record on my DVR on my bus commute to work. As soon as the Mac version for the Pro HD is will grab one! Cool Stuff.
thespiessman
MegaZone
Posted 11:49 AM 4/10/08
As the Beta Program Manager on the PRO-HD, it is nice seeing it get a positive reception. :-)
MegaZone
MegaZone
Posted 11:49 AM 4/10/08
@AlternateEarth: Have you tried configuring the Slingbox to use port 443 or the like? That often works.
MegaZone
MegaZone
Posted 11:48 AM 4/10/08
@jolejniczak: The min-specs for HD are a 3GHz P4 class CPU or a 2GHz Core 2 Duo class CPU. It may actually work on lower end processors, but that's our official recommendation.
MegaZone
MegaZone
Posted 11:46 AM 4/10/08
@FlashTurbo: Component is the only option, it is the 'analog hole'. HDMI has HDCP, which would mean no streaming, so it is worthless in this case.
If you're STB doesn't do simultaneous HDMI & component, get a better STB - like TiVo HD, which does.
MegaZone
shockwaver
Posted 4:36 PM 4/10/08
When I worked for Futureshop, we (read: I) put up a slingbox as a demo unit to sell them. Naturally having the admin info for the router we used, I set it up so I could watch it from home. A bit of handy work with the demo media center meant that after hours I could watch live TV, or any of the recorded stuff from the PC.
Was a hell of a lot cheaper then cable.
shockwaver
FlashTurbo
Posted 5:39 AM 8/10/08
@MegaZone:
Guys you all missed the point. Consumers never give a rats ass about the technical excuses and it's not about what hardware I have. Most people use Dish or DirectTV or cable or U-Verse or FIOS and most of those boxes and AV receivers won't push both. Sling comes out with a brand new box limited to 1080i and you're blaming someone else's obsolescence? Slingtards.
FlashTurbo