Hands-on review: Slingbox PRO-HD

Now you can sling HD video a your local network to a nearby PC—or, theoretically, to a Net-connected laptop that's thousands of miles away. Sounds cool, but unless you've got megabit-level uploading speeds on your home broadband connection, you'd better keep your high-def expectations in check.

The PRO-HD ($299, shipping now) isn't the first Slingbox capable of receiving an HD signal (both the low-end Solo and the high-end, four-input Pro can accept 1080i sources), but it is the first to actually sling HD-quality video (maximum resolution: 1280 by 768) to a remote laptop or desktop PC. And when I say PC, I mean PC—the SlingPlayer software is available for both Windows and Mac, but you'll need the latest version (2.0) to receive HD video, and for now it's Windows-only (although a Mac version is "coming soon").

Anyway, setup for the PRO-HD is essentially the same as with previous Slingboxes; you just connect your various set-top boxes (such as cable/satellite boxes, DVRs, DVD players, or even an Apple TV) to the PRO-HD's A/V inputs (component, composite, and S-Video inputs are available, along with analog and Toslink audio inputs), then connect passthrough cables from the PRO-HD to your TV. After that, you connect the Slingbox to your home broadband connection via wired Ethernet, while a three-way IR blaster lets the PRO-HD control all your video components.

Once the Slingbox hardware is all set, you then install the SlingPlayer software client on your desktop and/or laptop; a setup wizard takes you step-by-step through the configuration process. Overall, the process was pretty simple, although I ran into a hiccup when the wizard couldn't automatically configure my older-model Apple Extreme Wi-Fi router for remote Slingbox streaming over the Internet (after manually tweaking the necessary Port Mapping settings (easily done), I was good to go). After that, the SlingPlayer connects to your Slingbox and starts streaming; a software remote lets you control all your set-top functions, including changing channels, recording, watching saved shows ... anything. Pretty cool.

I ran most of my tests on the Vista partition of my Boot-Camp'd MacBook Pro (2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB of RAM), and while I was slinging video over my local Wi-Fi network, the results were impressive, if not quite 1080p impressive. Streaming at about 3Mbps, HD images looked much sharper than I expected, especially when watching the talking heads on CNN HD or ESPN HD. I did notice some dropped frames and choppiness when I switched to channels with more action; for example, a clutch of speeding Tour de France cyclists on Discovery HD Theater looked especially choppy, although not unwatchably so. That said, shows with relatively static indoor shots, such as "Gossip Girl" and other network dramas, fared much better (my screenshots don't do them justice).

Slinging HD video over the Internet is another matter, however. I use Road Runner cable broadband at home, and speedy though my service is, it can only manage about 500Kbps or so upstream, leaving me with just blocky QVGA video (see the screenshot below) when watching SlingPlayer remotely over the Internet—watchable, but a far cry from 768p HD video. Sling Media reps say that you'll probably need at least 1.5Mbps upstream from your home broadband connection to stream HD over the Net (you can test your bandwidth right here). You can always force the SlingPlayer software to try and display HD even with middling bandwidth, but be prepared for seriously choppy video.

Speaking of SlingPlayer, the deskop version of the software has undergone some welcome changes; there's now a 60-minute buffer that lets you pause, rewind, and fast-forward video, along with a handy channel guide that grabs programming info from the Net and lets you change channels with a click. Also, don't forget the SlingPlayer Mobile player, with versions available for Symbian, Palm, and Windows Mobile smartphones; a BlackBerry version is coming soon, while an iPhone player is said to be in the works (none will display HD video, of course).

So, is the Slingbox PRO-HD for you? Well, that depends on a couple of factors: Whether you have enough bandwidth at home to sling HD video over the Internet—and, if not, whether you're content with slinging high-def video to your laptop/desktop in another room (or to another HDTV, once the long-promised SlingCatcher finally arrives).

Personally, I'm really only interested in slinging HD over the Internet—and since my poky broadband connection won't allow it, I'd rather save myself a C-note and downgrade to the Slingbox Solo ($179, versus $299 for the PRO-HD). That said, if I could get 1.5Mbps or better upstream, I'd snap up the PRO-HD in a heartbeat.

And while $299 isn't exactly cheap, the new Slingbox makes for something of a bargain once you consider all the video—including premium channels and even PPV/on-demand—that you can sling to your various systems and devices. Last but not least, consider the upcoming Sling.com Web portal, which (among other things) will let you watch your Slingbox from any Web browser. Sweet.

Related:
Slingbox PRO-HD product page