My new Slingbox Pro

For the past 4 years my wife has spoiled me on my birthday with wonderful vacations to Napa Valley, Toronto, Boston, and Seattle.  This year however would be different since we have an upcoming wedding to attend in Aruba.  So I had not had high hopes for my birthday this year especially after coming off a big 30th surprise last year.  I was proven wrong.

I had asked for the Sennheiser RS130 wireless headphones and a few clothes but was surprised to open the Slingbox Pro from Sling Media.  I've known about the Slingbox for well over a year now and we even have them in our retail store at Core3 but I hadn't actually got to play with one yet.  Can I just say WOW!?!

I pulled it out to the box and was amazed to see how small it was.  Let me tell you though; it's powerful.  I decided to move my cable modem and wireless router from my office to the living room since the Slingbox does not have wireless capabilities.  Had I not had to snake and hide cables behind my entertainment center the setup probably would have only taken about 10 minutes, instead my setup was about 30.  Even though the pro comes with HD 1080i support I decided to only use the S-Video connection to my Comcast DVR.  Once everything was plugged in and cables tied and looking clean I moved to my computer.

The Sling Player is a short download from Sling Media's website and once downloaded walks you through a quick and easy install.  Within about 5 minutes I was setup and ready to go with full control over my DVR.  Not only can I view live TV from any computer with an internet connection but I also have the ability to completely control my DVR.  After clicking the remote button on the Sling Player a picture of remote comes up on my screen which looks identical to my actual Comcast Remote.  Using the remote on the screen I can click the remote buttons to bring up menus, guides, and even control my DVR.  I can set shows to record or go to my previously recorded shows and watch them from my computer.  I was thoroughly impressed.

I then moved to my Verizon Wireless Palm Treo 650 and downloaded the mobile Sling Player to my phone.  Low and behold I am not only able to watch live TV from my phone but I can also control the cable guide by changing channels or managing my DVR.

I had to help some friends move this weekend and was disapointed I would miss a Chicago White Sox playoff game.  Not anymore, I turned on my phone, channed the channel to TBS and had the game on while we drove between moving locations.  I'm now looking forward to the upcoming hockey season.  Don't expect me to miss too many Chicago Blackhawks games.  We have a wedding next weekend and there is a Blackhawks game on during the reception.  Don't expect me to do much dancing.  My wife has no idea what she has gotten me into. 

Core3 Solutions is a certified reseller of Sling Media products so be sure to stop by our store and pick one up.  Ask about our installation services as well.

Posted October 6, 2008 | Read all posts by Curtis Hays