I don't know if this was discussed in the original announcement for this update, but it seems disingenuous to call 1280x540 HD streaming. Sure, its ED, but according to the ATSC standard it is not HD unless there is 720 lines of horizontal resolution.
SlingCatcher .57 Update - Near-HD and Network Streaming Arrives! (Page 3 of 3)
High Quality Streaming from Slingbox PRO-HD
Since the Catcher debuted, everyone has been clamoring for the ability to stream HD content from the Slingbox PRO-HD in near-HD resolution (1280x540). For those who've looked into it, there are some reasons why this was difficult. Most importantly, the Catcher doesn't include hardware acceleration for MP4 decoding, which is how the Slingbox PRO-HD streams HD 1080i to SlingPlayer 2.0. Rumor has it full HD 1080i streaming to Catcher will one day be possible over LAN using MPEG-2 encoding, but until then, this is a great improvement.
With .57 on your SlingCatcher and firmware version 1.2.100 on the PRO-HD, you'll be able to stream at 1280x540 from the PRO-HD to the Catcher if you have greater that 2MB of bandwidth between them. When using SlingPlayer for TV and Connected to a Slingbox PRO-HD, press OPT on your remote control until the settings options appear. Select Advanced, and you'll see the various resolution choices.
Naysayers will be the first to point out that 1280x540 still isn't a full 1080i stream, and while they're right, 1280x540 is still very close to HD 720p... and it's a great improvement from before. The "HD (1280x540)" setting looks great when viewing HD content, and a 2MB requirement isn't out of the realm of remote streaming possibilities for those with really fast connections.
There are other improvements to be found in .57, but these two are the big ones. Even if you're not a PRO-HD owner, the addition of network streaming alone is well worth the download.
As with any new feature, there do appear to be some glitches that will need to be ironed out down the road. For example, fellow members in the forums have reported some problems with the Catcher recognizing files larger than 4GB from network shares (though that's not surprising), as well as some hiccups with accessing protected shares. I haven't seen any of these yet, but even if there are a few issues, this is still one fantastic upgrade.
Kudos to Sling on these valuable addtions to SlingCatcher; there's nothing that tickles me more when products I already own get better without me having to pay for it.
Have you downloaded the .57 update for SlingCatcher? Post your comments below.
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March 21, 2009 1:09 PM
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March 22, 2009 1:23 PM
acs12798 said: I don't know if this was discussed in the original announcement for this update, but it seems disingenuous to call 1280x540 HD streaming. Sure, its ED, but according to the ATSC standard it is not HD unless there is 720 lines of horizontal resolution.
strongly agree.
http://www.slingcommunity.com/forum/thread/34414/Inventing-new-HD-screen-reso...
How can a company just simply create a new display resolution and call it HD?
SlingMedia say the SlingCatcher is now HD at 1280 x 540. They just invented a newer (and lower) screen resolution just so they can market the device as HD.
Imagine Sony creating a new HD tv with the resolution of 1280 x 540, people would go crazy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_resolution says,
SDTV: 480i (NTSC, 720×480 split into two 240-line fields)
SDTV: 576i (PAL, 720×576 split into two 288-line fields)
EDTV: 480p (NTSC, 720×480)
HDTV: 720p (1280×720)
HDTV: 1080i (1280×1080, 1440×1080, or 1920×1080 split into two 540-line fields)
HDTV: 1080p (1920*1080 progressive scan)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Aspect_Ratios_and_Resoluti...
putting this new so called HD resolution between SDTV and HDTV.
The lowest HDTV resolution is 720p or 1280x720 which the slingcatcher can not do.
Why should we be happy about this? Why should we accept this?
Would we let other TV manufactures get away with this?
March 23, 2009 7:28 AM
Hi,
Is it possible now to copy and paste files from PC or Mac to the USB attached Drive to the SlingCatcher? This way one does not have to unplug the drive each time one has to upload content to it.
Thanks!
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March 23, 2009 10:29 AM
sambeckett said:acs12798 said: I don't know if this was discussed in the original announcement for this update, but it seems disingenuous to call 1280x540 HD streaming. Sure, its ED, but according to the ATSC standard it is not HD unless there is 720 lines of horizontal resolution.strongly agree. http://www.slingcommunity.com/forum/thread/34414/Inventing-new-HD-screen-reso... How can a company just simply create a new display resolution and call it HD? SlingMedia say the SlingCatcher is now HD at 1280 x 540. They just invented a newer (and lower) screen resolution just so they can market the device as HD. Imagine Sony creating a new HD tv with the resolution of 1280 x 540, people would go crazy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_resolution says, SDTV: 480i (NTSC, 720×480 split into two 240-line fields) SDTV: 576i (PAL, 720×576 split into two 288-line fields) EDTV: 480p (NTSC, 720×480) HDTV: 720p (1280×720) HDTV: 1080i (1280×1080, 1440×1080, or 1920×1080 split into two 540-line fields) HDTV: 1080p (1920*1080 progressive scan) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Aspect_Ratios_and_Resoluti... putting this new so called HD resolution between SDTV and HDTV. The lowest HDTV resolution is 720p or 1280x720 which the slingcatcher can not do. Why should we be happy about this? Why should we accept this? Would we let other TV manufactures get away with this?
Slingbox is a digital streamer, not a TV.
The lowest HD resolution as defined by the ATSC is 720p, but what about non-standard resolutions used in the PC sector? Is 1024x768 HD? How about 1152x864? In this device class, those labels are meaningless.
If you look at how the PRO-HD handles HD streaming to SlingPlayer on a PC, it streams at 1920x540, only interlaced (so, effectively 1920x1080). What if this is working same way, streaming 1280x540 interlaced (effectively 1280x1080)? Where does that put it on your scale o' HDTV?
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March 23, 2009 10:38 AM
updated: March 23, 2009 10:41 AM
non-standard resolutions would not be called HD.
that is why they are non-standard.
if sling indeed is considering the last upgrade to be "HD", then they need to update the feature page @ http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingcatcher-slingplayer to agree with you. "* HD Streaming from a Slingbox ProHD is not supported at this time." should no longer be listed.
Otherwise both sites can not be correct.
Once they update there site to admitting this low resolution is HD when it is not, I can move my argument from these forums to there customer service department and my credit card fraud department.
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March 23, 2009 12:04 PM
sambeckett said: non-standard resolutions would not be called HD. that is why they are non-standard. if sling indeed is considering the last upgrade to be "HD", then they need to update the feature page @ http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingcatcher-slingplayer to agree with you. "* HD Streaming from a Slingbox ProHD is not supported at this time." should no longer be listed. Otherwise both sites can not be correct. Once they update there site to admitting this low resolution is HD when it is not, I can move my argument from these forums to there customer service department and my credit card fraud department.
You can now stream at a higher res from your PRO-HD to your Catcher, and you're whining about it? There's a shocker. And, it's a little late for you to cry foul. You can't go back and claim fraud when you purchased it months ago knowing it didn't receive HD from a Slingbox.
I think the definition of HD for this device class is more flexible, just like it is for any compressed video format streamed over the web. If the user feels they're getting a high-def experience, then I believe it merits being called HD regardless of the actual technical specifications of the stream.
Of course, I know you well enough to know that you're going to make a mountain out of everything regardless of anyone else's opinion. So what if they changed it from "HD" to "HQ?" Would that make you happy?
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March 23, 2009 12:31 PM
sure, HQ would be acceptable.
HD is a official standard. A EU member of this site mentioned some countries have laws that stop marketers from put HD onto product that don't reach those standards. It is really something very basic, I can't believe everyone is try to get away with it.
March 23, 2009 3:22 PM
Matt, a 1280x540 interlaced picture is not effectively 1080 lines. It means there is 270 alternating lines refreshing alternatively creating a total of 540 lines. Its not that I am unhappy about the update, I would just prefer more honest marketing. (Note: I noticed slingcommunity updated their title and I appreciate it. However, I just want to clarify, my problem was/is not with the site. It is with Sling using the term HD in their settings).
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March 23, 2009 5:28 PM
acs12798 said: Matt, a 1280x540 interlaced picture is not effectively 1080 lines. It means there is 270 alternating lines refreshing alternatively creating a total of 540 lines. Its not that I am unhappy about the update, I would just prefer more honest marketing. (Note: I noticed slingcommunity updated their title and I appreciate it. However, I just want to clarify, my problem was/is not with the site. It is with Sling using the term HD in their settings).
While I personally feel the term "HD" in the context of web and streaming applications is a relative term defining the experience, I'll admit it doesn't fit the technical standard of "HD" in terms of TV broadcast standards. As such, I've updated the content on the site to reflect that by calling it "near-HD."
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March 24, 2009 2:01 PM
I wonder why people are so concerned by e's and h's. It looks a lot better. I am streaming remotely and the picture quality is solid. It is more than I had hoped for. I am extremely satisfied with this update. This update alone justifies the purchase that I was honestly starting to question.
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March 24, 2009 10:53 PM
Is it possible to configure proxy in this new update as available in the SlingPlayer under option/connection. This very important feature to speed up during congestion.
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March 25, 2009 6:48 AM
I think you misunderstood Matt.
A 1080i picture is effectively only 540 lines with two interlaced sets of frames.
So while Sam Beckett may be crying foul, every 1080i TV program he is watching is really 60 frames per second of 540 line video! So instead, Sling is simply running 30 frames per second of 540 line video.
I also believe that in the PAL video standard that 540p is actually considered HD. I might be wrong in that, but I seem to recall seeing that some place.
acs12798 said:
Matt, a 1280x540 interlaced picture is not effectively 1080 lines. It means there is 270 alternating lines refreshing alternatively creating a total of 540 lines. Its not that I am unhappy about the update, I would just prefer more honest marketing. (Note: I noticed slingcommunity updated their title and I appreciate it. However, I just want to clarify, my problem was/is not with the site. It is with Sling using the term HD in their settings).
I think you misunderstood Matt.
A 1080i picture is effectively only 540 lines with two interlaced sets of frames.
So while Sam Beckett may be crying foul, every 1080i TV program he is watching is really 60 frames per second of 540 line video! So instead, Sling is simply running 30 frames per second of 540 line video.
I also believe that in the PAL video standard that 540p is actually considered HD. I might be wrong in that, but I seem to recall seeing that some place.
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March 25, 2009 6:49 AM
Well, with the new network sharing you don't need the external drive at all..
Balperro said:
Hi,
Is it possible now to copy and paste files from PC or Mac to the USB attached Drive to the SlingCatcher? This way one does not have to unplug the drive each time one has to upload content to it.
Thanks!
Well, with the new network sharing you don't need the external drive at all..
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April 27, 2009 2:32 AM
No, 576i is SD in the PAL system.
Internationally 720i/p and 1080i/p is HD.
acs12798 said:
I also believe that in the PAL video standard that 540p is actually considered HD. I might be wrong in that, but I seem to recall seeing that some place.
No, 576i is SD in the PAL system.
Internationally 720i/p and 1080i/p is HD.
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