The Slingbox Tuner Review (Page 3 of 4)
Selecting Your Source
Since the Tuner lacks support for any external cable/satellite boxes or DVD players, the only thing you’ll need to do is indicate whether or not you’ve connected a terrestrial broadcast antenna or basic cable line. The final step is a choice of what kind of channel scan you wish to perform. You’re presented with two options: detailed or basic.
The basic option will be faster (took 2 minutes 17 seconds scanning basic cable), but may find less channels depending on the quality of service you receive. The detailed scan will take longer (a lot longer! 10 minutes 18 seconds for the same job), but will do a better job of finding fringe broadcast stations. Antenna users should probably opt for the detailed scan, but cable subscribers will probably be just fine with the basic. In my tests with regular cable, the detailed and basic scans found the same number of channels.
Configuring Your Router
The last step to setting up a Slingbox is punching a hole through your router so you can access the Slingbox while you’re away. This part is the most challenging, and is often where the non-technical throw their arms up in the air in confusion. Actually, it can be easy depending on the kind of router you own. If your router is UPnP capable, the setup wizard can “auto-magically” program your router for you.
The problem is not all routers are capable of this, and so require a bit of manual tinkering. Sling Media has made it a goal to help folks get past this step, which is one of their biggest roadblocks to mass acceptance. For one, Sling has put together an extensive list of routers (by brand and model number) that contains detailed, graphical, step-by-step instructions on how to configure it for a Slingbox. If your router is listed, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be able to set it up on your own.
For those who’s router isn’t listed (or just don’t get it), Sling Media is taking new strides to help you get set up. If you fail to activate remote viewing on your first attempt, you'll be presented with the option to initiate an online chat conversation with a Sling Media support representative that can guide you through the process. These knowledgeable folks do nothing but setup Slingboxes all day, so they should be able to help. If you still have problems, you can authorize the representative to remotely take over your computer, and he/she will complete the setup process on your behalf. There’s obviously a level of trust required to allow this, but you’ll be able to see everything they do on your PC screen as it happens.
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