SlingBox Devices Tech Gadget will Sunset Soon!
If you’ve never heard of one. That’s because your TV provider offers one with a catch !!!
Ever since smartphones started appearing with a price tag of $499. Yes; I’m going way back to the days when the palm Treo 600 was King. With all the technological breakthroughs; It would’ve been nice if we could watch TV in the palm of our hands. By the time the original Slingbox came out the only viewing method was the PC or laptop. Although the internet connection speed needed to be more than 3 down and 1.5 up. Image quality was in standard definition; Furthermore, It was not ready for Primetime viewing; it was good enough for watching the news. I personally never owned the original Slingbox much like most of my tech. I normally chase the 2nd Generational model which was called Slingbox Solo.
Slingbox Solo
By the time Slingbox Solo was released most users had DSL or equivalent broadband service. It was time to dive into this device that shifts video from your cable box not only sends video but offers remote control of your cable box. I couldn’t see myself watching primetime television or any network. I see it as a tool to watch and catch up on Football (yes, Soccer from England the Premier League). Another use to set your eyes on; someone will never miss a sporting event or any intense moment on TV again. How many times the US OPEN Tennis had rained out with delays and the Men’s finals just happen to end up on a Monday night primetime. Well, I just cannot get home in time for the beginning. So out comes my phone whether it happens to be my windows HP phone, windows phone (need to look this up), or iPhone 3S. There was always a crispy picture waiting to be viewed on my commute home. Not all was perfect; you see Cellular signals in the past were triangular signals if we step out of the zone it will disconnect. This was not a long time ago. Given the time frame of 2005 to 2008.
The Slingbox can send the video signals to the far end of most countries you can travel to with a slight delay. I know, I have tried it in London, Paris, and the Caribbean. It works sort of!! You see if Sling has a Server in London, Paris, and the rest of Europe. That’s where your ABC, NBC, CBS, and a host of other broadcasting apps fall short. Your apps no longer work outside the circumference of the United States of America. The viewing image on your phone and laptop will be 10 times better than if the Sling company seldom has a Server at that location. Your connection will magically reroute to the nearest country in my case with the Caribbean islands I’m guessing the Servers were rented in the Caymans or Bahamas. A very unusual Tech to figure out for the undeterred; If they were to buy a Slingbox Understanding its full potential would be an understatement by all means.
SlingCatcher
Viewing Slingbox on a TV without the need of connecting your Computer/Laptop to your TV. Especially if your modern flat-screen TV has a Vga or Hdmi connection. The Sling Company came out with a gadget called Slingcatcher. This device looks like a Slingbox slightly larger with Component, HDMI, Network, Digital Audio, and 2 USB ports. The interface is standard digital media for video, images, and music.
A Tab that shows Slingplayer where you would log in to your Sling account to view your streaming content. The video content quality is of a VCR video from Blockbusters. It was good for catching a game in the garage or rec-room. The price of the device was set very high and did not serve the community well. Until most of the Big Box stores started selling them on clearance. It soon got absolute It was the age of the next-gen apple-TV and Google TV to determine how we sling to another TV.
SlingBox 350
The introduction of the Slingbox 350 had gadget geeks glee for a new product; however, the only thing holding it back was the price. The average price for the Slingbox Solo was 99.99 worldwide global pricing. Trust me you will be surprised how consumables around the world tend to have the same buying price. With Christmas around the corner, there was a good chance of the price reaching a sweet spot of $125 or less. Slingbox Solo ceased production; so, buying a sling 350 would be the most appropriate to buy. Which can be a win for everyone that needs one.
Honorable Mentions
Even though the release of the latest Slingbox 350, M1, and the M2 devices. The Slingbox continued to be more powerful, and the image quality has drastically improved since its introduction. More manufacturers have joined in helping with the shifting of cable TV for your phone, Tablet, and Laptop. More devices were introduced that had Slingbox app compatibility. Such as the Apple TV 2nd Gen and beyond. They helped the viewer retrieve content through Apple Airplay. This provided a square box with three stripe antenna letting the viewer using the phone and tablet this application is viewable for your television. On the other hand, Google TV and later Android TV used similar technology called Chromecast. Which also provided a square box with three stripe antenna letting the viewer using the phone and tablet this application is viewable for your television. Now, this is interchangeable between each brand. There’s no one is better than the other as long you have a Slingbox app on your devices you can stream your favorite shows.
It’s so sad that my Slingbox will be turned off on 11/09/22. Life Goes On!!
