hyperone

I've had a Slingbox (which crashed after 18 months) and a Slingbox Pro, that Slingbox sold me for cost after the first Slingbox failure. While both of them have let me watch a lot of U.S. TV shows, football and baseball over the last 3 years, while on layovers, I can't in good conscience recommend the product.

The box freezes up and requires reseting, with my laptop computer hooked up to the home network, at least every other month. This almost invariably happens just as I start a 12 day Asia trip - very frustrating! I've also had to go through a full system reset three times in the last 18 months that required tech support - at $30 a pop. If you get one, I hope your wife is tech savy enough to be able to do a reset from home while you're on the road.

If you go to the Slingbox support page and look in the Slingbox Answers Forum you will see that I am far from the only person who has had problems keeping the dang thing working. http://answers.slingbox.com/communit...x/slingbox_pro

There are a couple of other options to Slingbox out there now. There is a competitor that I have been looking at called the Monsoon Vulkano. They have three different boxes including a $149 direct competitor with the Sling Pro, and a $315 version that has a DVR and 500 GB hard drive built in, that has all kinds of additional capabilities. They're just getting to the market and getting mixed reviews, so I may wait a while and let them get the bugs out.

Another option is what I've been using for the last few weeks. I have Comcast cable and they've just come out with Xfinity, which lets you watch most TV shows, but just not live - kinda like Hulu. But, like Hulu, you can't watch live TV and you can't log on from overseas. Unlike Hulu though, I can logon to Xfinity using my free Anchorfree Hotspot Shield VPN, that gets me on the internet from a US server.

In short, don't just focus on Slingbox - there are other options available.

Magenta Line

I've got a Slingbox Pro and it's GREAT! Gotta echo everything FlybyKnight said and emphasize this point; you need to make sure you think through how you're going to set it up and how you're going to use it because it's not as simple as going to BestBuy, purchasing it, then taking it home and setting it up right out of the box. That might work in your case but you really need to look at where everything is in your house/technology sandbox and make sure you've got everything you need there including outlets.

I'm an Apple guy and have had very few problems with my Slingbox and having it go offline except for this past week. For some unknown reason, it went out in the 4th qtr of a game last Saturday at home and I have no one there to reboot it so I was SOL. Then 3 days later, the darn thing started working out of the blue and I've been watching football every night ever since! Go figure!?!?!?!?!

I regularly watch Slingbox on my MacBook Pro and have pretty good reception in most places. Like all things on the 'net though, your results will heavily depend upon your internet connection at your layover hotel. BTW, I also set up my own remote wireless in my hotel room.

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions and also do indeed check out the competition.

If it's just NFL football you want, you need to check out the NFL Game Pass. That works great and you can probably get a good deal since the season is 1/2 way done.

FYI -- I carry a MacBook Pro on the road, use DISH network at home, and use Time Warner as my ISP.

FlybyKnite

Totally separate entities.

Slingbox works with your tv/dvr set-top box. You can watch your slingbox from anywhere since it is a one-to-one connection (your computer to your slingbox).

You can view Netflix movies and stuff Instantly after you log-in to the Netflix portal. Since it is an internet service, they restrict you to viewing only within the US. Applies to computer or iPhone app. You can get around the US only restriction if you have a VPN service that makes it look like you are in the states. VPN is also handy in DXB.

VPN service is becoming another must-have for international folks because it protects you and your data from prying eyes and ears, as well as letting you appear to be in the states for copyrighted/restricted services like Netflix. I'm a happy customer of WiTopia, it's the best pay-for-it deal I've found on the net that has no bandwidth restrictions.

skipdragon

I have had SlingBox for 6 months. Works great.
Set up was easy. The SlingBox, Cable Box and Router are all next to each other, so no need for any extra SlingLink or such. I did get an extra cable box just for the SlingBox, so no conflict with anybody at home changing my TV channel. I did not hook the extra cable box up to a TV, so no one at home can see what I am watching or even knows when I am watching.
Basic SlingBox, paid $179. I have control of my entire DVR Cable Box.
No complaints and recommend it to everyone.

sparkmo

Set up my Blu-Ray on an HD so netflix is available.

FlybyKnite

Well, there you go-- skin that cat a different way .

I have an older Pro model (just the one connection available) so I went the VPN route since it also has other security advantages. But I am hoping for a Xmas upgrade present

myoface

I have a had SlingPro for about 3 years and have had very few complaints. One deal is I am having trouble setting it up on 2 computers (mine and my wifes) but that is probably or the best anyway! The tech support does **** me off, they should support the product with out charge, but I have not really had to use it yet.

Edit:
You cant say the slang for urine on here? lame.

FlybyKnite

Very few complaints either. Had no problem setting up on my laptop and desktop. I think I set them both up as Admin level installs-- might want to try that. Of course you can't run them simultaneously due to copyright rules (one knocks the other off the connection).

MD11Fr8Dog

Why? Just watch Netflix on your laptop or iPhone! (see FlybyKnight above)

Also, look into Boxee (installed on my laptop), XBMC (also on my laptop), Hulu (website), etc. Plenty of ways to watch all of your favorite shows without a Slingbox. Channelsurfing.net is great for sporting events.

FWIW, I've had a Slingbox for almost 4 yrs, but my local ISP decided to start port blocking so I can't get it outside of the home network (I live in a very rural area with only 1 real choice for anything close to high speed internet, but fiber optic via the phone company coming soon).

myoface

Yeah i thought of that, but it still did not work. I aint that smart so I did not really want to spend alot of time on it. it works for me and I am the one who is gone all the time. The wife just wanted to be able to watch Tv upstairs where we dont have a TV.