Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100 Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted to review this product's feature set and its ease of setup or its compatibility or some other attributes. However, I could not: mine failed after only 100 days of ownership. And I couldn't initially get it fixed by Sling because they told me they only support it for 90 days. I guess I'm old-fashioned in that I expect products to last more than three months before they fail. I also expect companies of those failed products to stand behind them.
UPDATE ONE MONTH LATER: Sling was now willing to honor the warranty on my Slingbox....but only if I paid them $50 more for an extended warranty. Yes, even though my product was well within the one year warranty. Only if I paid them more money would they answer my calls or e-mails asking them to replace my unit.
Anyone considering this product should add $50 to the purchase price when evaluating its worth to you. The product essentially comes with a mere 90 day warranty--you must pay extra after that. Sling should be upfront, adding that $50 to the list price and providing good support. But I guess that's not how they do business.
UPDATE ONE YEAR LATER: After stewing over the extra $50 for months, I opted to pay it so I could move forward and actually have a working SlingBox. I will give Sling credit: Once you pay them their extra $50, they do support you. They stayed on the phone with me at length, connected in remotely, and didn't hesitate to send a replacement unit for my failed one.
I did require support after receiving the new unit because no installation instructions were included and their software is not all that smart. It should have recognized there was a new SlingBox on my LAN and proffered "Do you want to configure the unconfigured SlingBox?" instead of making me hunt through the menus to force it to do so. There are still bugs in the latest configuration utility too, leaving me stuck in the procedure at one point with no "Continue" button and necessitating another chat with Sling support.
OVERALL: I cannot recommend a SlingBox for a non-technical user. With work, an average Joe can connect the cables to one but the software setup is for those who understand video hardware and computer software rather well. This is in no way whatsoever a "plug & play" product. Better software engineering (and hardware quality) could vastly widen the potential user audience. Maybe we will see this in future revisions, but until then it remains a hobbyist extravagance. Make sure you know what you're getting into before buying.

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Sling Media HD Connect Cable for Slingbox Pro ( HD200-100 ) Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't buy the Sling HD connect cable - more accurately referred to as a component video adapter - if you're eager to get your Slingbox Pro broadcasting HD quality, since it won't do that. Instead, buy it if you want to connect multiple sources to your Slingbox, since the 4-way IR blaster that's included means you can actually take advantage of the full input capability of the Pro. I take a star off on both how this has been mismarketed and how it should have been included with the Pro, but it's a must have if you're going to truly take advantage of the Pro's capabilities.
The Slingbox is a really neat toy, but they've done a semi-unethical job positioning the Pro and this adapter as HD "compatible" in an attempt to catch on to the HD upgrade wave. Some of it isn't their fault, as bandwidth is a huge issue. Think of it this way: compressed high definition video in 1080i runs somewhere in the 8-10 GB/hour range, with uncompressed video directly from over-the-air stations running quite a bit higher. Even the fastest current cable modems - let alone DSL - would have problems keeping up with that, and with uploading generally limited to 1/10th that speed to prevent you from running a file server, it's a moot issue, which is why the Slingbox limits remote uploads to 320x240. And while you can get closer to the required speed on a LAN and the Pro transmits 640x480 video over it, it'd probably take $600 more of hardware for the Slingbox to process a 1080i stream - and while Slingbox is neat, it's certainly not $1000 neat.
So the Slingbox downrezzes any HD signal you send into it. Whether or not connecting a HD component to this adapter results in improved output depends a whole lot on how well your DVR or TV already downrezzes to 480i, which also makes sense: an expensive piece of hardware like that generally has better electronics to do so. Generally, the best reason to buy this for the HD input capability alone is if you have an oddball HD source, like my DVHS VCR which doesn't display menus in certain resolutions. Otherwise, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not you'll get improved video even within your LAN. (Outside of it you probably won't notice the difference much either way.) And by the way, even though the port looks like it accepts an HDMI input, the adapter only accepts component video inputs - although at least it includes a set of component video cables so you can pass through the signal if you need to without spending any more than you already have.
The reason you buy this, though, is that the Pro is very good at streaming 4 separate devices - but while you can connect 3 devices without this item, you can only control 2 with the IR blaster that comes with the Pro. I spent a while trying to figure out a workaround for this, looking into such things as 3/32" Y cable splitters connecting to 1/8" plugs and looking into finding another brand of IR blasters since Sling won't sell you a second one. Then I hit my head against the wall once I realized this includes a 4-prong IR blaster. Basically, buy this cable set if you plan on taking full advantage of the Pro's capabilities to remotely control more than 2 devices - or get a headache.
No real excuse for Sling Media not to include this with the Pro and not to explain it to the consumer properly, but such is life.

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The Slingbox PRO HD Connect Cable enables you to watch your home television s HD programming (up to 1080i) by connecting your HD component device to the Slingbox PRO. The Slingbox PRO and SlingStream technology adapts the compressed video stream to match the available network and Internet bandwidth to provide the best possible video quality between the Slingbox PRO and the SlingPlayer application, whether running on a computer or mobile phone. Compatible with Slingbox PRO. Provides pass-through connectors, so you can easily add the cable into existing HD configurations. Provides component video and stereo audio connections.

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VUDU Set Top Box for Movies On Demand Review

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(More customer reviews)Vudu's combination of solid Standard Def and High Def video performance, stable hardware/software, easy to use interface, ease of setup and instantaneous playback make it the closest product yet to the "killer" internet based movie delivery platform. But for a few small improvements and one very critical issue with the studios, vudu could be the next way most of us watch movies on demand.
First the good news:
* Video quality is excellent on the SD content and outstanding on the HD. On Hot Fuzz (SD) there were NO discernable artifacts and the upscaled pic (1080p) on my RS1 FP was as good as the same movie I saw upscaled on my Toshiba XA2. The HD on the Bourne movies was very good and compares favorably to any HD DVD or Blu-Ray that I have. Video quality is nailed on this product.
* Interface is excellent. Quick to browse. The search function is fast and filtering results are relevant . Interface is the best I have seen for a video service.
*Setup is very simple. I would have no problem giving this to any tech challenged family member who has the prerequisite network requirements. Also it comes with all the cables you need to set it up on your HD tv, including HDMI and cat 5 network patch.
* Customer service is readily accessible and responsive by both phone and email. They seem to be solidly behind their product.
*The software and firmware on the unit is being updated regularly. It appears VUDU is commited to making requested changes and fixes on a regular basis. New features (such as TV and HD content) are being rolled out quickly to customers.
*Movie load speed is instantaneous on the features I have watched so far. No lag or glitches in playback. And the areas that are pretty good right now but need improvement...
* Sound is hit and miss. A good number of films are only in stereo. Vudu says this is what the studios have given them. New releases are coming in with 5.1 but not all.

* There is no Closed Captioning right now in the box.
* The remote is compact and simple, consisting of only a few buttons and a down-click scroll wheel. Even though it is a joy to use, it is RF only. I wish that I could integrate this with my IR Harmony remote.
* HD content right now is limited to the free Bourne Movies. As I mentioned the quality is excellent for both video and sound. More HD content is promised and would be the SELLING point for this product if they could have well encoded, quality new titles available for rent in DVD release time window.
* Price for entry is still to high. Vudu will need to come down to the $49 - $99 range for the initial hardware setup to be competitive. Indications are that the price is dropping.
The critical issue for Vudu? Studio release policies! Vudu is hamstrung right now by the fact that:
* some movies are not for Rent on first release but rather must be purchased. Movie purchase, even if a feature is in HD, is NOT where Vudu will attract customers. I don't go to Blockbuster to buy a film, and likewise I won't be buying a film from Vudu. However, I will pay more for a day/date release with the same DVD as Blockbuster has if I can just get it from Vudu. Even more so if it is in HD.
*New releases must rentable on the same day as they are released to DVD. This is THE market that Vudu will compete in. Catalog title rentals are great for the occassional view, but are not where Vudu's success will be made.
*HD content will be a HUGE driver for success. More HD content, especially HD new releases are necessary.
Vudu is a well executed, easy to use and stable product out of the gate. It is poised for greatness. If the above issues can be addressed, it will be under your TV sooner rather than later.
-Alex Baird-
Vudu Evangelist
*********
Update to review: 11/03/08
I wanted to update my review after living with and using the VUDU system for a year or so.
After this first year, Vudu is still being used extensively in my home theater. Vudu has consistantly updated and upgraded their product through both the interface and the quality of the movie software they deliver. This has improved the ease of use of an already great interface. For instance, they have grouped all their versions of a movie (Standard Def, High-Def, HDX (their blu-ray quality version) into a single listing so you no longer havea a confusing multiple list with each title. Sorting and finding movies has also been improved with the added bonus of "recommended" titles (think tivo recommendations) and a listing of the most popular rentals and purchases. In addtion they have instituted an archive feature where purchased movies can be stored on their servers to free up room on the local drives. Extended rental times and of course a much larger library of movies rounds out the changes to the interface.
The biggest and most important change for me though has been the quality of the movie software. The number of HD titles has been greatly increased. But more importantly is the release of many new films on the HDX format. This high bit rate codec is NOT a purchase/rent and immediate view format. It takes about two hours to download an HDX encoded title. However, the quality is truly the best of ANY downloadable service to date and is indistiquishable from a HD-DVD or Blu-ray. When I compared the HD-DVD version of "Chronciles of Riddick" with the HDX version it was impossible to tell the difference even on freeze frames swtiching back between the two. A similar comparison of the Blu-ray version of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and the HDX version confirmed this. It is simply amazing to be able to get such high quality video through a download service! There is a difference in the audio quality between the HD disc formats and the HDX, with the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray having the more advanced lossless codecs (Dolby Tru-HD, DTS-Master HD or PCM uncompressed) with richer sound. But HDX is encoded with a high bit rate DD soundtrack in up to 5.1.
Overall the Vudu is the internet based movie service to beat. Vudu has done an outstanding job of upgrading their product and seem hard at work on delivering even more features in the future.

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Sling Media SlingCatcher SC100-100 Universal Media Player for TV Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been waiting for this product for 22 months, having seen the announcement and demo at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronic Show in January 2007. I have long been a fan of Sling Media and have used its products for close to three years. I have also recommended them to many friends and colleagues. I am a technologist and a "gadget freak" and seldom return products. Even less frequently I write reviews.
I received the SlingCatcher yesterday, after pre-ordering it on Amazon, and I could not have imagined, 24 hours ago, that I would now be packing it to return it. In a word, this product is a disaster. It is expensive for the features it offers (I paid $299 at Amazon, and I note that the product is already discounted two days later) and it is poorly implemented.
The installation was the only positive part of the experience. It was very simple to install (even simpler than a Slingbox) and recognized the network immediately. I have a wired, 1 Gigabit network available at the right location. The SlingCatcher does not have WiFi. The only peculiarity is that it took several minutes to download a software upgrade. Given that I have one of the first units to come off the boat, I wonder how many bugs were discovered during the trip from China to the USA. I should say that I did not experience any of the installation problems mentioned by other users.
The SlingCatcher lets you do three things (according to what's written on the box): watch video from the Internet; watch video from a Slingbox; and watch video from a PC. But be careful about making assumptions about what these descriptions mean!
Watch video from the Internet -- while you might think that this feature would allow you to browse the web and stream videos from it, it is not quite so. You have to have a computer on your network running a software program called "SlingProjector," which allows you to "project" whatever you can play on your computer onto the SlingCatcher (and your TV.)
I downloaded the SlingProjector software to my laptop (which I operate wirelessly) and to my home computer which sits on my 1Gig network (iMac running Windows because there is no SlingProjector software for the Mac OS yet!) I was able to go to the web from my laptop and stream software which in turn was streamed from my computer to the SlingCatcher and my TV. In order to stream a Hulu or Youtube video, the software lets you capture the portion of the screen where the video is being shown via a "cropping" feature. This works reasonably well, but the resulting quality is not that great. Part of it is a function of the quality of the incoming video, but I think that the fundamental problem is that as you stream the signal twice, you lose quality. In addition to that, you are showing the video on a large screen TV, and that is bound not to look as good as on the computer. So, expectations are high and quality is lower than it could be. Not a good outcome.
I then streamed videos from my home computer on the 1G network, with similar results. Note that in order to do that, you better have the SlingCatcher, your computer and your tv in the same room, otherwise you have to go back and forth all the time. I was watching a video and all of a sudden a computer message popped up right in the middle of the screen, which required going back to the home computer to click on the message.
But the worst part of the SlingProjector was that it did not work in some instances. I wanted to show a PowerPoint presentation on the tv screen, and in order to do that I did not use the "cropping" feature, but I put the SlingProjector in full screen mode. After opening the PowerPoint file, it was not possible to get the thing going from my laptop to the SlingCatcher. I managed to see a screen, but then the whole thing would freeze and I could not make it work even after restarting and resetting the box. After a while I gave up.
The second feature is the ability to connect to a SlingBox and watch on a TV what you would until now watch on your computer. That feature seems to work, though I found the menu system quite cumbersome. The quality also did not seem that great. I would have thought that having two hardware boxes talking to each other would allow Sling to optimize protocols and provide high quality and speed. Not so. Perhaps you can get better results with the HD box, which I do not have (it would have been the next purchase probably.)
Finally I thought I would get good results with the third, "slam dunk" feature, "Watch Video from your PC." Note that even this description is misleading. Watching video from your PC means implementing the Sling version of "Sneakernet" -- copy your files on a USB stick from your computer and walk it over and plug the stick into the SlingCatcher. But much to my surprise, this did not work at all. I tried both a USB stick with a few files, and then attaching a 500GB USB external hard disk full of media files. In the first case it found nothing, in the second case it told me that the files were unreadable. So much for the slam dunk feature.
So, I am disappointed at two levels. First, because the product is buggy and does not work as advertised. I knew what I was buying, because I have been reading about this for almost two years and despite the misleading descriptions, I knew enough not to be surprised. Even so, however, the product just does not work!
At another level, I am very disappointed in Sling. This was a huge opportunity to corner the market as the "media center" device of choice. For $300, why didn't the company include a web browser, so that I could go on the web directly and stream video from there as opposed to having to do it twice, with the additional inconvenience of having to use a computer in the middle? Was that not possible, given that the product is 2 years late and they charge $300? How much more would that cost? Some additional memory maybe?
Second, what's the deal with Sneakernet? Have we gone back 20 years? If you can read from a USB device (which you can't even make work) can't you allow me to read from devices on my network? I have several computers on the network as well as a NAS. My Playstation allows me to browse all these devices, retrieve and stream videos in HD, retrieve pictures and music and play it at high quality and flawlessly on my TV. If you can do it from a USB device, why can't you do it off the network? Even if it requires people to upgrade to a 1Gigabit network for HD video, it is still better than not having the feature at all.
In conclusion, I am very disappointed. The SingCatcher is under-featured and overpriced. Most importantly, it is a buggy product, which is incredible for something that's been in the works for over two years.


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