Slingbox M1 is an affordable way to watch TV just as if you were at home

Slingbox M1

Slingbox M1 is an affordable way to watch TV just as if you were at home

Being able to watch all your TV channels from any computer or mobile device sounds too good to be true — but it’s easy if you have a Slingbox.

Fans of the Slingbox have long known its secret — you can watch what’s on your home TV from anywhere you can get online.

Indeed, the Slingbox has had a single purpose since its introduction in 2005.

Eleven years later, Slingbox has pretty much perfected the science of beaming your home TV’s signal to any computer or portable device on the Internet.

The M1 is Sling’s most affordable box. If you want to stream your TV, it’s all you need.

Set up

Sling includes all the cables you’ll need to get streaming.

Connect the M1 to your TV’s set-top box using red/green/blue component cables or red/white/yellow composite cables.

If you’re using the red/green/blue component cables to connect to your TV, just transfer those cables to the M1 and use the Slingbox’s red/green/blue component output to your TV. You’ll need an extra set of cables for that configuration.

You also need to plug in red/white RCA cables for audio.

Plug in the power cord and then decide how you’ll get the M1 online.

If you have Ethernet ports near your TV, use Ethernet. Otherwise, the M1 includes Wi-Fi.

To complete the setup, you’ll need to use your Mac or Windows computer or your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.

You’ll create an account on Sling.com, which is how Sling connects you to the M1 over the Internet.

Be aware that the mobile apps cost $15 to purchase. Phone and tablet apps are not universal, so if you want to watch on an iPhone and iPad, you’ll pay $15 for each.

Watching on a computer is done with the free Slingplayer for Desktop (PC or Mac).

Whichever way you choose to watch, you’ll have to download an app from Sling to finish the M1’s setup.

The software walks you through the setup painlessly, and you can watch on your iPhone in less than five minutes.

Watching TV

Smooth experiences in watching TV from computer, iPhone and iPad.

Select the name of the Slingbox and the connection will begin after a few seconds, probably a little fuzzy at first, but the connection will become clearer in a few seconds, depending on the speed of the Internet connection on both ends.

The Slingbox can only stream to one user at a time. If you have a stream going and another family member tries to stream, a message will tell the second user a stream is already in progress and ask whether they want to disconnect the first user and take over the stream.

There are controls on the streaming screen to allow you to start and stop the video, change the volume, call up an on-screen guide and change the channel.

The video can run in a tiny window or take up your entire screen on a computer. Mobile apps display in full-screen mode only.

Since you’re watching your home TV’s set-top box, if it’s a DVR, you can watch all your recorded shows and set up recordings as if you were at home.

There is a lag 5 to 8 seconds in pressing a button on the virtual remote before the DVR back home would respond.

You have to know that the remote viewer of the Slingbox is controlling the viewing at home on the TV connected to the Slingbox.

If you’re single or there’s nobody else home watching TV, the problem is moot, but if the remote user is on the road and wants to watch a show, and someone else is home and wants to watch something else, there’s a conflict.

One other item to mention is the ability to play the stream to a television equipped with an Apple TV or Roku box.

To stream to either box, you need a mobile app to facilitate the connection.

Coclusions 

The video quality is good, but it does fluctuate with the speed of your connection.

If you spend a lot of time away from home and want to take your TV programming along for the trip, Slingbox is perfect for you.

It’s also a great way to entertain kids.

Pros: See your TV content from anywhere you have Internet.

Cons: Remote commands can be slow to respond.

Bottom line: Sling has a great product that’s easy to use and does its job perfectly.

Source: Slingbox