Watching television online is still something which has not yet fully evolved and if somehow your favourite channel is available online, it will either streams with poor video quality or is expensive. This where Slingbox comes to rescue and it has finally made its way to India.
Slingbox HD
What is Slingbox?
Slingbox is a device which helps you access your cable or satellite television box, VCD/DVD player or jukebox virtually from anywhere in the world with help of a Windows/Mac PC, Android/iOS tablet or smartphone.
In order make the whole setup work first you need the to connect the slingbox to your cable or satellite television box, VCD/DVD player or jukebox and to an internet connection via the Ethernet port. Slingbox HD can be connected to a maximum of four content generating devices and Slingbox SD can be connected to one device at a time. Then download the Slingbox app on your tablet or smartphone and if you want to access it via a PC or laptop then you just need a web browser.
Slingbox 120 SD
Slingbox upstreams content via the internet connection and you can watch the same content virtually from anywhere with the help of your PC, tablet or smartphone. This obviously needs a good internet connection at your home or where the slingbox is setup to provide decent upstream speeds which is the main concern in India. And if you are going to access the content while travelling then you need a decent 3G or HSDPA connection to prevent buffering.
The interface of the Slingbox app has a nice and easy to use interface and best thing is that you get an on-screen remote control which exactly matches with the physical remote at your home in most of the cases else there is a default on-screen remote control which has all the basic functionalities. The Slingbox setup shown to us had the support for the popular DTH/cable operators in India such as Tata Sky, Dish TV etc.
Slingbox Advantages
There are many advantages of the slingbox other than just watching television virtually. Slingbox is a one time investment as you are already paying for your home television connection and internet. Other than this slingbox helps you to access your television in the parts of your home where you don’t have a television. And one of most interesting use that is setting up a slingbox in another country/state, if possible, so that you can watch all the local TV channels live virtually and that too free of cost.
One thing which you may not like about the Slingbox setup is that you can’t access the content from one slingbox via multiple devices and this is something which is fair as it may lead to piracy issues.
Slingbox Price in India
SlinMedia has come up with two variants of the Slingbox.
1. Slingbox PRO-HD costs Rs. 7,999
2. Slingbox 120 SD costs Rs. 4,999
3. Sligbox Android/iOS app costs $29.99 or Rs. 1500(approx)
