May 20, 2009 7:48 PM updated: May 20, 2009 7:54 PM

If you just bought it call the sling tech support. They should give you free tech support if still in the 90 day warranty period.

Sound advice.  Only the firmware detected is what it uses to display what device you have. Could you have updated with the wrong firmware?

Pro is 0000001 and hdpro is 0000008 in the first few lines of the firmware

June 5, 2009 12:00 PM

The story that I eventually got was that it's a known hardware defect that shows up when the box is rebooted. So, Slingbox is claiming that the firmware update is not the cause, but the reboot that follows the firmware update 'reveals' the underlying hardware defect.

If you're out of warranty, you're probably out of luck although it seems that a few people who complained loudly early on received free out-of-warranty RMAs (probably before Slingox realized how widespread the problem was and set an official policy). If your hardware is still under warranty, the RMA process should be fairly painless. If you're not under warranty, the best you're probably going to get out of Sling is a small credit toward purchasing a new model.

Based on my experience, I would recommend that anyone considering a Slingbox purchase also buy the extended warranty and just figure that in to the price. If the Sling is too expensive for your budget with the extended warranty, I wouldn't buy it at all. Their handling of this issue for out-of-warranty customers has been abysmal. (For example, try finding any information on the official website about this problem - you can't even find out that there isn't a fix without paying $30 for a support call, and in most cases you won't even get that answer until you've been through a tedious and unnecessary troubleshooting process with their technicians - apparently, they have not trained their tech support people to be aware of this problem.)

June 10, 2009 7:25 PM

krypto69 said: Does anyone know if the HD model has this issue?

I bought a Slingbox PRO-HD  , and with an iphone/laptop i can sling to my comcast digital cable box and also the WD DVR media center , so far i am pleased the product.

The HD channels look much better ( bigger and clearer) than the SD channels on my iphone .

June 11, 2009 4:15 AM updated: June 11, 2009 4:15 AM

krypto69 said: Does anyone know if the HD model has this issue?

Did you try reading the post from chooch two posts above yours... yes the HD model has this issue.

If Evolution Works, Why So Many Idiots?

June 19, 2009 8:21 AM

Count one more SB Pro felled by the exact same sequence described above... I have tried emailing but am not getting any response. Has anyone tried the chat support? I just upgraded from DSL to cable to increase my upload speed and this happens! I am also considering if I should switch to Sony if Sling doesn't treat us in a stand-up, reasonable manner... any reports on the Sony? The whole thing seems similar to Microsoft's 360 ring of death issues which they extended the warranty to cover... except Microsoft didn't trigger the problem by sending an exploding software code to all of our machines like Sling. This leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and might be up for joining the legal action if that ever gets moving. If it is truly a software and not a hardware issue, why don't they create a patch for all of us!!

July 12, 2009 2:06 PM

There have been people that have had this issue without loading firmware so the reboot theory makes sense. The box goes bad and it shows up the next time it's rebooted.

Realistically, the number of boxes having this problem compared to the total number sold is probably fairly small.

Slinging Tivo HD, Tivo S2, and OTA from a Pro HD, Tivo HD from a Pro, Tivo HD from a Solo, and Humax DRT800 from a Classic to iPhone, Dell Inspiron 1520 with Sprint EVDO, and a SlingCatcher over Mi-Connection cable with 2Mbps upload.

July 16, 2009 4:35 PM

Just got an email response, basically they want to charge me the 30 dollars to call their tech support as I'm out of warranty. I'm guessing they won't issue any RMA to fix it, and mine is an older pro model (the red one).

Guess I have to buy a new one, or find an alternative (the sony model). If Sling isn't gunna step up and help those who their official firmware screwed, I won't buy another slingbox that is for sure

July 16, 2009 5:15 PM

I'm looking at the Hava players right now, maybe the Sony. The problem is only Sling works well on Macs. I have a Windows PC, but after getting an iMac I don't intend to give PCs anymore money lol

July 16, 2009 8:27 PM updated: July 16, 2009 8:49 PM

Looked into some options today. The Hava seems much cheaper than both Sling and Sony, especially right now on amazon :) Not sure how long that deal will last. However as of yet it doesn't work on Mac (they keep saying it's coming, along with iPhone). I have a PC laptop, so I guess it's not an issue, and I probably will get a netbook this fall to replace the laptop for travel. The Hava does however have a kickass PVR option which is enticing over Sony and Sling. As of yet I don't think Sony has any plans to release an iphone app, sling has one, Hava's is coming supposedly.

I really won't have a need for any of these remotely till January with my annual vacation. I can use my defunct sling player to stream to my PCs/Mac right now at home and just use the real remote to change the channel (I like having the TV playing on the desktop).

I might just wait till the fall, see what the prices are then, whether Mac/iPhone support has come from Hava or Sony, and then make a decision.

I also would like to give Sling Media the benefit of the doubt with this problem, and hope they soon step up and fix this issue FREE OF CHARGE before they start losing valued customers left and right.

If anyone from Sling is reading, and I have to imagine they are . . . I'm sorry but I'm not paying 30 bucks for a support phone call and then 99 bucks for an RMA fix given YOUR FIRMWARE DID THIS! I did not break my slingbox, it did not die on its own, your OFFICIAL FIRMWARE DID THIS! Do the right thing by your customers and fix this free of charge somehow. For the 130 bucks I could spent getting my Sling fix I can but a Hava or make a dent in a Sony system.

July 16, 2009 9:13 PM

NOPE! From what I remember it was a February firmware being replaced :-\ I remember looking at the dates and seeing it wasn't that old :(