The Slingbox PRO Review (Page 2 of 6)
Setting up the Slingbox
Even though the Slingbox is geared for the more advanced A/V user, in some ways it’s easier to set up than the Slingbox Tuner or Slingbox AV. The PRO has inputs and pass-thru outputs for every connection, so it doesn’t matter if your device only has one A/V output; you can still connect it with ease. Best of all, this means that you also have all the cables you need to connect all sources.
Another nice improvement over the original Slingbox is the switch from the 1/8” mini-jack to standard RCA connections for the A/V inputs. The 1/8” mini-jack made it difficult to use longer cables if the Slingbox couldn’t be placed in close proximity to all sources. This also means you audio/videophiles out there can opt to use your own cables over the cheap-o cables provided.
Out of the box, the Slingbox PRO can support two (three technically, but there's an IR limitation... more below) external devices like DVRs and set-top boxes, as well as a direct cable or antenna connection. If you add the HD dongle, you can connect a high-definition capable source as well. However, this is where an possible IR limitation sets in, as the Slingbox PRO only has one IR blaster port and a twin IR blaster cable. You should be able to set up one of the blasters to hit two of your devices, but that's assuming they're stacked on top of each other or really close together.
If they're not, you have two options. The upcoming HD adapter will have a second IR port built in, which will solve the problem. However, if you didn't want to lay down 50 bucks just for another IR port, it should be possible to overcome this small hurdle with a few accessories from your local Radio Shack. Of course, it would have been much easier if there were two IR ports were on the back of the Slingbox PRO itself.
The (Optional) HD Input
One of the most exciting new features on the Slingbox PRO is a high-definition capable input, though it requires a separate accessory to take advantage of it. For $49.99, you can grab a component video dongle that allows you to throw 480p, 720p, and 1080i signals into your Slingbox. Keep in mind, the Slingbox doesn’t stream them at HD resolutions, but instead internally scales them to 640 x 480 over LAN in HQ mode, and 320 x 240 when connecting remotely via SlingStream.
The HD dongle will include both a component input and output, a crucial feature since most HD set-top boxes only sport one component video output. This also means folks who have HD sources that do not output analog and HD signals simultaneously (think HD TiVo models prior to the Series 3) finally have a viable solution. I’m also pleased to report that the pass-thru feature didn’t affect the quality of the HD image when sent to a TV screen.
I’m a little concerned about Sling using a standard HDMI interface on the back of the Slingbox since you can’t actually plug in a HDMI source into it. I’ve always felt proprietary connections should use non-standard connectors to avoid confusion. I’m sure it won’t take long before the first threads from confused Slingers start showing up in the SlingCommunity forums. Just in case, I’ll repeat it. You can’t plug HDMI devices into the HD Input on the Slingbox PRO. It will only work with Sling’s HD dongle.
Read "First Look: Slingbox PRO HD Performance" for a first look at HD performance.
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