Top 10 SlingPlayer Tips for PC
As seen by BrandonC - Moderator SlingCommunity

1. RTM….
   I know you have heard this before, but in this case it’s extremely important. RTM! Read the Manual! The SlingPlayer comes with a lot of options from setup, to video settings, to options. There is not a lot of documentation in the player itself, so spend some time reading the manual/help file and you will learn quite a bit about the settings and options. The best place to see what they are is to read it in their help file. The easiest and best way to get there is simply hitting F1 when running your SlingPlayer.
   
2. Setup Static IP and Port Forwarding in Your Router.
   In most cases, the SlingPlayer will retrieve it’s own IP address and can setup port forwarding using UPnP. I have found that (in some cases) routers do not hold the settings or when you add more devices to your system the Slingbox address may change. All Slingboxes come with their MAC address right on the bottom of the box. I always take this address and assign it a static IP address even before plugging the box in.
   
3. Run the Video Tuning Wizard.
   The Video tuning wizard automatically sets up your player for your computer. It will run automatically on installation of a new Slingbox. Watch the video for a few minutes before deciding which mode you like; it goes through a few different scenes. Also, if you change anything on your machine I recommend you run it again. You can run it anytime from Help > Video Tuning Wizard
   
4. Try the Skinless mode.
   The SlingPlayer will play without the skin (graphics around the video). Click once when viewing in windowed mode; the skin around the player will disappear. This is great if you want to watch a specific program with just the video playing. You can also resize the video only by moving you mouse to the right side of the video, click and hold to drag the video to a different size.
   
5. Run always on top.
   You can have the player to be "Always on top" of any other window by right-clicking on the video that is playing, then select "Window Mode > Always on top". Run it this way with tip #4 and you can have a small video window always on top of whatever else you are doing on the computer.
   
6. Audio Only Mode.
   If you are simply listening to music or whatever is playing on the Sling box, put it into "Audio Only" mode. This decreases the needed bandwidth and lowers the demand on your system. You just enter "Alt-A" or click on "Player > Audio > Audio Only". You can switch back quickly by pressing "Alt-A" again
   
7. Learn the Key Commands.
   Most of the remote and player functions are controllable by simple key commands. You can change channels, change video size, window modes, and more by simple key commands. Clicking on the remote button will show you the commands, as well as right clicking on the video window. Once you learn some of these changing channels or video setup is fast and easy!
   
8. Register your Sling Box
   I am not typically a person that feels I have to register the products I own. Most times vendors want you to register just to get and send you more information. This case is different. When you register your Sling Box you get access to the Sling Accounts webpage . Any time you need your sling finder number you can get it. This is very handy when traveling or if you need to install the player on a different computer, let Sling Media store the info for you and you can go to their site and retrieve it any time you wish.
   
9. Check your upload speed.
   In order to get the best remote viewing you should have at least 512Kb upload speed to the Internet where you have your Slingbox. You can check your upload speed on Sling Media’s site. The SlingPlayer will work at slower speeds, but I have found 512Kb or more to work the best.
   
10. Follow the SlingCommunity Forums.
    Sling Media is constantly upgrading and announcing new software. To keep up with the changes and make sure you are always up to date with the latest, monitor and participate in the SlingCommunity Forums. The Slingbox and SlingPlayer is an amazing device, and Sling Media is constantly improving it!