# Slingbox Alternative



## unixguy (Oct 6, 2003)

Hi

I am looking for an alternative to slingbox.

I have a slingbox solo .. but do not want to have to purchase a slingbox hd to watch tv in any room from my pc.

Is there an (non-hack) alternative .. that will allow me to watch shows on my tivo premier on my pc?


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## unixguy (Oct 6, 2003)

Just to clarify .. I would like to watch recorded shows and also change channels .. basically a slingbox without a slingbox.


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## danjw1 (Sep 13, 2005)

Tivo Desktop allows you to transfer shows to a PC (I believe you have to buy software to do it with a Mac). Some shows are blocked by the cable provider from allowing that, so that depends on your cable provider. Comcast, locally, seems to not block anything from broadcast and regular cable (ie. USA, TNT, ...) but they do block stuff from HBO, Encore, etc. Also, an unannounced feature, is that Premiers can stream from one to another Premier. This last feature is still buggy.


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

unixguy said:


> and also change channels .. basically a slingbox without a slingbox.


Try wifebox and/or girlfriendbox. Both are voice activated and will change channels. Operation can be intermittent though.

As far as the video playback ability, it really depends on whether you're looking to watch something realtime, or if you want to play previously recorded content. If it's the former then a slingbox (or Vulkano) is the way to go. If it's the latter, then there are multiple software solutions for transferring programming to a PC.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

You could always set up a PC and a high-def capture card (like the Hauppage HD-PVR), then do some software magic and use it to transport video over the netowrk that way.

Won't cost less than a slingbox, but it's not a slingbox.


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## yoheidiho (Mar 31, 2011)

Just get a Slingbox!


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## smoothtivo (Apr 26, 2004)

I have been using the monsoon vulkano for several months and it works very well. It streams like the sling box but also records for later watching over streaming.


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## ciscokid (Jan 14, 2003)

I've had a Hava Platinum HD for about two years, now, with absolutley NO PROBLEMS!

I have it installed in m son'a apartment in Philly and I can watch all of the Phillies and Eagles games sown here in Tampa.

Works very well!! And is quite a bit cheaper than a Sling Box.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

Why wouldn't you want a slingbox? It's one of the few devices in the world I've never heard a bad thing about.

Tivo used to be like that.


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## lafos (Nov 8, 2004)

aadam101 said:


> Why wouldn't you want a slingbox? It's one of the few devices in the world I've never heard a bad thing about.
> 
> Tivo used to be like that.


Slingbox, yes. There was some dismay over the slingcatcher, first the lack of resolution, then its disappearance from the market with no replacement.


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## robm15 (Feb 23, 2004)

aadam101 said:


> Why wouldn't you want a slingbox? It's one of the few devices in the world I've never heard a bad thing about.
> 
> Tivo used to be like that.


So you never heard of the bad capacitor issues that plagued the slingbox solo and HD for years? Don't know if it was resolved, but it was documented in many reviews and forums where the slingbox was discussed.


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## aadam101 (Jul 15, 2002)

robm15 said:


> So you never heard of the bad capacitor issues that plagued the slingbox solo and HD for years? Don't know if it was resolved, but it was documented in many reviews and forums where the slingbox was discussed.


No. I have never heard of that. Admittedly I don't follow that device too closely.


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## SMWinnie (Aug 17, 2002)

aadam101 said:


> No. I have never heard of [bad capacitors on the Slingbox Solo]. Admittedly I don't follow [the Slingbox Solo] too closely.


Big point of failure for the Solo is bad capacitors. Some in the device; some in the power supply. Nice description here.

The "that sticks in my craw" part is the warranty coverage. If you suspect the caps are bad, you have to roll the dice and pay for service, then hope that they admit the caps were bad and agree to credit it back if you. The Slingbox is still a great device, but it hasn't fared too well under Charlie's stewardship after Dish bought Sling.


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## yoheidiho (Mar 31, 2011)

lafos said:


> Slingbox, yes. There was some dismay over the slingcatcher, first the lack of resolution, then its disappearance from the market with no replacement.


My Slingcatcher works fine with the Slingbox Pro HD and Slingbox Pro. Resolution is fine with the Pro HD but the SD Pro is well SD. The Sling Projector software is a memory hog though but it does allow anything on the monitor to be slinged.


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

yoheidiho said:


> My Slingcatcher works fine with the Slingbox Pro HD and Slingbox Pro. Resolution is fine with the Pro HD but the SD Pro is well SD. The Sling Projector software is a memory hog though but it does allow anything on the monitor to be slinged.


The disappearance of the slingcatcher was one of the things that really confused me when I started looking into slingbox-like devices. It seemed like a very necessary building block for the product line. An iPad with an HDMI adapter may be the logical (albeit expensive) replacement.

Which brings me to another point, and the reason why I chose a Vulkano over a Slingbox. 'Slingplayer Mobile' is $29.99. 'Vulkano Player' is free. It really irritated me that Sling felt the need to charge so much extra for the mobile player.

Capacitor issue also factored into my decision, A lot of the slingbox reviews were filled with capacitor-related complaints.


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## yoheidiho (Mar 31, 2011)

smbaker said:


> Capacitor issue also factored into my decision, A lot of the slingbox reviews were filled with capacitor-related complaints.


No hardware issues to date, knock on wood. I do hear that there are plenty of people with power supply issues. Cheap Chinese crap!


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## Seattle (Dec 13, 2001)

yoheidiho said:


> No hardware issues to date, knock on wood. I do hear that there are plenty of people with power supply issues. Cheap Chinese crap!


I have seven Slingboxes and a Slingcatcher. The power supply on a few failed and my Slingbox Solo is one with bad caps. I also have a few Havas and they still work fine.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

smbaker said:


> Which brings me to another point, and the reason why I chose a Vulkano over a Slingbox. 'Slingplayer Mobile' is $29.99. 'Vulkano Player' is free. It really irritated me that Sling felt the need to charge so much extra for the mobile player.


Especially since they charge full price for every platform.

I've never had a problem with 3 models of Slingboxes over 6 years. However, my Vulkano has more features at a significantly lower cost.


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## Worf (Sep 15, 2000)

Yeah.

I still remember when I got my slingbox many years ago - they were throwing in free copies of Slingplayer mobile. 

Then again, this was when slingbox was its own company, not bought out through echostar and now whomever owns them.

Guess I should look into this vulkano thing.


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## smbaker (May 24, 2003)

Worf said:


> Guess I should look into this vulkano thing.


Make sure to look around for deals. At the time I bought mine, there was a very good deal on the Vulkano if you bought two of them. That being said, I have no idea why someone would want two of them.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

I think I'm going to get myself a Vulkano Flow. Does anyone here run the Mac client? Any idea if it's Lion compatible yet? I installed the software just now to check it out ahead of time... and it crashes on launch every time. So I'm wary...


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

smbaker said:


> Make sure to look around for deals. At the time I bought mine, there was a very good deal on the Vulkano if you bought two of them. That being said, I have no idea why someone would want two of them.


I bought 2 when they had the $99/each Thanksgiving Day special. One went out as a Christmas gift. BTW, unlike Slingboxes, multiple Vulkanos on the same network are tricky to set up.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

There's a weekly special on Vulkano's page now, $99 for the Vulkano Flow, no need to buy two:

http://www.monsoonmultimedia.com/products.html


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

Use a HDHomeRun for live TV and just download Tivo recorded shows.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Fofer said:


> There's a weekly special on Vulkano's page now, $99 for the Vulkano Flow, no need to buy two:
> 
> http://www.monsoonmultimedia.com/products.html


The Platinum cost $99 on sale or $129 full price, DVR capability via SD, and the players are free. You have to pay $12.99 (still cheaper than Slingplayers) and you can't add storage to record if you get the Flow.

I don't see much advantage of buying the Flow if you can snag a Platinum somewhere.

http://vulkanocommunity.com/vulkano-comparison-chart/


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## DougD (Apr 26, 2011)

ciscokid said:


> I've had a Hava Platinum HD for about two years, now, with absolutley NO PROBLEMS!
> 
> I have it installed in m son'a apartment in Philly and I can watch all of the Phillies and Eagles games sown here in Tampa.
> 
> Works very well!! And is quite a bit cheaper than a Sling Box.


Can you change channels on the Tivo with it? Also can you use it to start playing a show you have already recorded ?


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## DougD (Apr 26, 2011)

Can I use a Sling Box along with streambaby to watch shows stored on a linux box? Also would I want to get the HD version if I am watching across the internet?


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## DougD (Apr 26, 2011)

Allanon said:


> Use a HDHomeRun for live TV and just download Tivo recorded shows.


Will the HDHomeRun work for watching shows on cable. All of my cable channels except for a couple of locals are scrambled.


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## ncsercs (May 5, 2001)

Beryl said:


> The Platinum cost $99 on sale or $129 full price, DVR capability via SD, and the players are free. You have to pay $12.99 (still cheaper than Slingplayers) and you can't add storage to record if you get the Flow.
> 
> I don't see much advantage of buying the Flow if you can snag a Platinum somewhere.
> 
> http://vulkanocommunity.com/vulkano-comparison-chart/


Just ordered the Platinum for $99 from Buy.com - It's not listed as such and the Buy SKU is 220284848.

According to one of the reviews, it is confirmed to be the Platinum. :up:


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## gt7610c (Oct 5, 2002)

Looking at the reviews for the iPad app it looks like they killed support for non current Hava/Vulkano devices (like the Platinum). Can anyone confirm or deny that? I have 2 EOL Slingboxes (Classic and AV) and haven't been impressed with Sling since Dish's acquisition and would like to pick up a Platinum or Flow. Platinum seems the way to go unless it is EOL (appears to be) and won't work/be supported.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

gt7610c said:


> Looking at the reviews for the iPad app it looks like they killed support for non current Hava/Vulkano devices (like the Platinum). Can anyone confirm or deny that? I have 2 EOL Slingboxes (Classic and AV) and haven't been impressed with Sling since Dish's acquisition and would like to pick up a Platinum or Flow. Platinum seems the way to go unless it is EOL (appears to be) and won't work/be supported.


You might want to ask the question on their forum. I'd be interested in their response.

http://vulkanocommunity.com/forum/vulkano-iphone-ipad-player/

I'm guessing it will be supported but not upgraded -- like they did the older Hava. I'm relatively pleased with Monsoon and would get a new model if it offers desired features. The Monsoon investments are so low that doesn't hurt much -- unlike Slingmedia which is more reliable but pricier.

I can't figure out how they get around copy-protection rules on the Vulkanos. On my Platinum, I can record things that are copy-protected and port to my iPad. (I can't do that on my TiVo and must use my Slingbox to watch those programs. )

BTW - I can't see getting a Flow since you have old Slingboxes. If you don't want a EOL product, I'd get at least a Blast.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

Beryl said:


> The Platinum cost $99 on sale or $129 full price, DVR capability via SD, and the players are free. You have to pay $12.99 (still cheaper than Slingplayers) and you can't add storage to record if you get the Flow.
> 
> I don't see much advantage of buying the Flow if you can snag a Platinum somewhere.


I agree. You can get the Platinum for $99.00 right now. Then add an inexpensive Esata HD and you have a Deluxe but at a lower price. You also get the mobile players at no charge as opposed to the $12.99 Flow/Blast ones.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

DougD said:


> Can you change channels on the Tivo with it? Also can you use it to start playing a show you have already recorded ?


You can operate your TiVo just the same as if you were sitting in your living room with either a Vulkano or Slingbox.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

DougD said:


> Can I use a Sling Box along with streambaby to watch shows stored on a linux box? Also would I want to get the HD version if I am watching across the internet?


Sure, no problem. The Vulkano or Slingbox will access the TiVo just fine.

Far as the version goes it depends on your upload speed. If less that 1,500-1,600Kbps I would go with the SD Solo box or the (close to) HD Vulkano. If higher you could go with the Slingbox Pro HD.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

gt7610c said:


> Looking at the reviews for the iPad app it looks like they killed support for non current Hava/Vulkano devices (like the Platinum). Can anyone confirm or deny that? I have 2 EOL Slingboxes (Classic and AV) and haven't been impressed with Sling since Dish's acquisition and would like to pick up a Platinum or Flow. Platinum seems the way to go unless it is EOL (appears to be) and won't work/be supported.


All Hava support for PC/Mac or mobile players have been discontinued. 
Support for all Vulkano boxes is still available. The Platinum uses the same software as the Deluxe models. They just are not selling it anymore but you can get it for $99.00 right now.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

Beryl said:


> I can't figure out how they get around copy-protection rules on the Vulkanos. On my Platinum, I can record things that are copy-protected and port to my iPad. (I can't do that on my TiVo and must use my Slingbox to watch those programs. )


You can record anything that goes through the Vulkano either straight to your computer or to an attached HD or SD card.

That opens up a lot of things.
For example I needed a 2 minute clip from a previously recorded TiVo show. So I recorded it to my Vulkano. Then it was easy to upload the video I recorded to an online sharing site.

Or...
Convert any old videos, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc to MP4 by just playing them through your Vulkano and recording as you go.

You could also record any other video your TiVo plays, rented or otherwise.


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Brandon C said:


> Or...
> Convert any old videos, VHS tapes, DVDs, etc to MP4 by just playing them through your Vulkano and recording as you go.
> 
> You could also record any other video your TiVo plays, rented or otherwise.


Thanks for the idea. I'll be trying to copy an old 15 minute clip I recorded on a disk that can't play on my laptop (not recognized) to mp4 soon. I have no clue what format it is but I really want to preserve it. I'm guessing that it is as simple as plugging in the DVD recorded into the Vulkano instead of into the TV and then using the Vulkano's input.


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## Brandon C (Feb 16, 2011)

Beryl said:


> Thanks for the idea. I'll be trying to copy an old 15 minute clip I recorded on a disk that can't play on my laptop (not recognized) to mp4 soon. I have no clue what format it is but I really want to preserve it. I'm guessing that it is as simple as plugging in the DVD recorded into the Vulkano instead of into the TV and then using the Vulkano's input.


It works great for copying/converting videos to mp4 digital. All you would have to do is plug your DVD player into the Vulkano's input. I would recommend you send the output to your TV so you can monitor and setup the recording to make it easier.

I did something like that to convert hours of old VHS tapes to MP4. Then all I had to do was copy them to a thumb drive. Since my TV has a USB port I can now play these old home videos at any time. All I have to do is plug it in to watch.
No more saving to DVD, etc. Way cool!


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Brandon C said:


> Way cool!


That is way cool and sounds simple. I've been carrying that 15 minute video around for a couple years and really wanted to upgrade the only thing that can play it. Thanks for speaking up on this thread.


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## commander (May 18, 2015)

I created a slingbox alternative using just two components available on Amazon for around $250.

All the details can be found here:

Slingbox Alternative/Replacement DIY


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