Brand Name | Sling Media |
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Item Weight | 1.22 pounds |
Product Dimensions | 16.38 x 3.13 x 10 inches |
Item model number | SB500-100 |
Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Color Name | Black |
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98% positive over last 12 months
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Slingbox 500
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Purchase options and add-ons
Compatible Devices | Television |
Connector Type | hdmi |
Brand | Sling Media |
Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi |
Color | Black |
About this item
- Watch and control 100% of your live TV on a tablet*, phone*, PC, or Mac. *Requires Slingplayer for mobile devices app, sold separately.
- Windows or MAC minimum requirements : Intel Core 2 Duo or better, DirectX 9 Class video card with more than 256 MB of dedicated memory for Windows PC
- Home TV interface via HDMI with live sports and Gallery View for easy program discovery.
- Sort by program genre or set up favorites, Integrated YouTube app and YouTube Web Gallery with top-trending videos.
- Get contextual YouTube recommendations, based on the show you’re watching, at the touch of a button.
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This Item Slingbox 500 | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart Add to Cart | |
Price | -40% $58.99$58.99 Typical: $97.99 | $109.99$109.99 | $149.99$149.99 | $199.99$199.99 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 |
Customer Ratings | ||||
User interface | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
Picture quality | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
Tech Support | — | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
Easy to install | 2.7 | 4.4 | — | — |
Sold By | Big LLC | Silicondust Shop | Silicondust Shop | Silicondust Shop |
connector type | hdmi | RJ45 | RJ45 | RJ45 |
connectivity tech | Wi-Fi | Ethernet | Ethernet | Ethernet |
tuner technology | — | ATSC | ATSC | ATSC 3.0 |
platform | windows | windows | windows | android |
video output format | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 | mpeg 4 |
remote included | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | — |
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Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B009FU8BR0 |
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Customer Reviews |
3.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #295,782 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #1,390 in Streaming Media Players |
Date First Available | October 14, 2012 |
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Product Description
Turn your new high-resolution tablet or smartphone into a TV. The elegant Slingbox 500 delivers stunning picture quality, full HD at 1080p. New, simplified on-screen setup, HDMI and Wi-Fi network connectivity makes it easy to get started.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the ease of setup of the tuner. For example, they mention the remote that comes with it is great for setup. They also appreciate the excellent picture quality and graphics. That said, some complain about the connectivity issues and battery life. Opinions are mixed on performance, quality, value, and streaming.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the setup of the tuner to be easy. They mention that the remote that comes with it is great for setup, and the Slingbox 500 is easy to connect to their Directv HD Satellite. They also appreciate the onscreen setup, which is handy and helpful during the setup. They say the UI is intuitive, and that the rest of the setup flows smoothly. They find the program guide to be very easy to search and navigate, and are able to skip it pretty quickly at first sign on.
"...cool link which takes you to a program guide that is very easy to search and navigate...." Read more
"...The rest of the setup flows smoothly if you make the right initial "VIDEO INPUT" choice. The device works very well!..." Read more
"...Setup is pretty stratigh tforward. You connect the Slingbox in the chain between your cable box and your TV...." Read more
"...This is Not a easy set up. I spent 3 hours in getting my product set up with many phone calls to Customer Support...." Read more
Customers like the image quality of the tuner. For example, they mention it provides a nice viewing experience on a Mac without having to load a lot of software. They also say the picture quality is excellent and the graphics are great even on non HD channels. Customers also say that the video is very clear and the audio is very crisp.
"...It provides a very nice viewing experience on the Mac, without having to load a lot of software, etc...." Read more
"...500 is easy to set up and is easy to use, and the quality of the picture is pretty good too...." Read more
"...Since I am using the Component connection, the picture quality has been great...." Read more
"...You might argue that component video is lower quality, but keep in mind that the Slingbox is going to compress and retransmit the signal anyway, so..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the tuner. Some mention that it works well, although there are a few shortcomings to be aware of. They say that it can even get a passable, continuous action stream on an iPhone or iPad over 3G. However, others say that there is a slight lag in response to commands entered using the virtual remote control, and that the use is somewhat buggy and sluggish. They also mention that the Dishworld app/service isn't working or launching, and it just doesn't work with the Genie and HDMI.
"...The device works very well!..." Read more
"...It works well, although there are a few shortcomings to be aware of - primarily the HDCP copy protection scheme you find on a lot of HDMI content..." Read more
"...There is a slight lag as compared to a normal TV experience, but not overly so...." Read more
"...Everything works great! This review is based on my experience with the Slingbox 500 and the Xfinity Pace/Samsung XG2 box...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the tuner. Some mention that it's very good, fantastic, and streams are high quality. However, some say that it does find its use somewhat buggy and sluggish. Some say the TV version is not worth it, and SlingMedia is a terrible company with terrible product support.
"...But to simply allow you to watch TV in the house on a computer, it's plenty good...." Read more
"...costs we stripped all 3 down to basic cable, but it was not a very satisfying experience...." Read more
"...The box itself is fairly compact and generally well made...." Read more
"...football playoffs at a vacation home on a large screen TV with consistent dropouts despite excellent broadband at the sending and receiving locations..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the value of the tuner. Some find it worth the price, while others say it's a little expensive.
"...The wifi and the wireless IR blaster alone makes it worth all the $$$ for easy of setup, operation, and lack of cables...." Read more
"...Slingbox could have more technology in such a big package and large price tag...." Read more
"...Yey, no fees! Went to slingbox website, logged in, and everything, and all the channels I could not watch with direct online, works!!!..." Read more
"...Looks to offer a great variety for a very modest price." Read more
Customers are mixed about the streaming. Some mention that streaming over the local network is pretty good, the signal is great, and reliable. They say it can even watch over 4G and LTE cell networks. However, others say that it has weak or no video signal, it's not possible to stream HD using this combination, and that it can't receive many of the channels they bought the unit for.
"...You can even get a passable, continuous action stream on an iPhone or iPad over 3G, which is amazing when you consider that half the time Youtube..." Read more
"...I have not observed any degradation in signal quality by the Slingbox...." Read more
"...Results: would work about 5 minutes before losing the signal and would have to restart the process. This was definitely the worst...." Read more
"...The feed is popping clear steady HD and I hooked up both HDMI and Component. I cant really tell the difference...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the connectivity of the Slingbox 350. They mention that it can only connect via Ethernet, loses the connection enough, and is dependent upon a tolerable connection. Some customers also report low connection rates and issues with buffering. Additionally, some customers report that the SlingerBox detects no signal from the HDMI port.
"...This worked better than Tests #1 and #2 but it lost the connection enough that it wasn't worth it to try to pursue it any longer...." Read more
"...In spite of the initial installation issues and the irregular service connection that happens from time to time, I am satisfied with my Slingbox 500." Read more
"...problem that Slingbox reported is that some (important) channels couldn't be used over HDMI because of encryption/DRM issues..." Read more
"...is an issue with the Internet, when the bit rate drops, the streaming is on optimizing. That is an Internet issue, I am suspecting it is at home." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the battery life of the tuner. They mention that it stops suddenly at random, stalls, and shuts down a lot. It keeps restarting, and it pauses sometimes. It also freezes up all the time and reboots multiple times during setup. Customers also report issues with the device randomly turning on when watching cable TV.
"...would work about 5 minutes before losing the signal and would have to restart the process. This was definitely the worst. My wife was not happy...." Read more
"...When the service connection is bad the programming is constantly interrupted...." Read more
"...every once in awhile it will have a hiccup where the video on screen will freeze up so you'll have to restart the app again to get it to start..." Read more
"...The software on the website constantly crashing and tons of advertising you cannot remove and sometimes, advertising video would start and you have..." Read more
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Well, I'm happy to report that it worked great. Setup is not too bad. Basically, you buy the sling box and it plugs in via HDMI cables between your Dish (or other) receiver and your TV. When not in use, it basically works in a pass through sort of setup; you don't even know it's there. You can watch TV like normal and simply continue your receiver as normal.
If you want to watch TV via the Sling box (for example, in my case, on my iMac in the next room), then you just use your web browser (i.e. safari) to visit the Sling box website where you can log in and watch TV via their website). I have it configured to pop open a little browser window, which has the TV inside it. This can be re-sized on your desk top and/or made full screen. There is also a little icon which, when clicked, displays a life like remote control on your desktop. You can then operate the virtual remote control almost like normal pretty much. There is also (at least for Dish) a pretty cool link which takes you to a program guide that is very easy to search and navigate. Once you find the program you are looking for, you just click it and it flips the TV over to that channel for you.
There is a slight lag as compared to a normal TV experience, but not overly so. In my particular case, I'm usually switching from watching a program in the living room to on my computer, so I already know which channel I wanna watch. That cuts down on the amount of channel surfing I have to do, which tends to limit the amount of lag I have to deal with. Also, using the program guide (as opposed to just flipping through the guide on Dish itself) helps avoid any situations that might involve the perhaps 1 or 2 second lag you do experience. But for running the whole thing via wifi, I'm pretty impressed with how it all comes together. It provides a very nice viewing experience on the Mac, without having to load a lot of software, etc.
My understanding is there is also an app for the iPad, but I have not purchased it, nor tested it. It's also possible to access your TV from pretty much any place you have an internet connection, but that is also something I have yet to test out.
But to simply allow you to watch TV in the house on a computer, it's plenty good. Having a resizable window on the Mac is nice and being able to watch TV via our Dish Satellite box is fun.
Keep in mind, however, when you watch via the Sling box, it does cut out the ability to watch the receiver where the sling box is connected up. In other words, if you have the sling box in the bedroom and you suddenly start watching TV on your computer, nobody can watch TV in the bedroom via that receiver where the sling box is attached - it's an either or situation.
All in all, if you are seeking a means to watch TV on your computer, this is one options - especially for Apple, which may not support some of the other USB type tuners out there on the market.
5/20/15 Update
when you watch TV on cell or tablet away from the house it turns the TV on. I was working nights and wanted to watch a show. My wife is awaked by a blaring TV at 3am. WOW such a disappointment.
5/20/15 Update
when you watch TV on cell or tablet away from the house it turns the TV on. I was working nights and wanted to watch a show. My wife is awaked by a blaring TV at 3am. WOW such a disappointment.
Of course, the goal is to eliminate cable completely at our summer place and the small condo we visit for no more than once or twice a month. To make this possible we have purchased Apple TVs for both locations and will cancel our basic cable at those locations. In addition, we have upgraded our home cable to 220 channels in addition to the DVR, providing a much more satisfying experience than basic cable. So we will be able to program our DVR to record our favorite shows at home and then watch them when we are at one of the other locations (we travel with computers or iPads, necessary to access slingbox). A point that may be relevant for someone beginning to explore elimination of cable TV is that NETFLIX and Hulu Plus, while very good products with lots of wonderful content, do not provide access to recent shows unless you are willing to buy them (e.g., on the iTunes store and even then there is a 24h delay). Having a DVR and cable in one location makes it possible to record in real time and watch that same night.
A downside of Slingbox is that it is necessary for the person on Slingbox app and the home tv to watch the same show. An interesting possibility to eliminate this would be to rent a second cable box solely for Slingbox so that for the cost of one additional cable box at home you could watch two different stations.
Another feature that I find attractive is the ability to watch American TV abroad. I travel internationally several times a year and, because of time changes, not infrequently spend time awake at night (daytime in USA). Having access to US TV is provides a grounding experience.
I look forward to further exploration and will try to update this post in the future.
Top reviews from other countries
La faire programmer et installer est préférable par une personne qui connais l’informatique ou la programmation de ce genre d’appareils.
De notre côté,nous avons la même manette de notre tv /maison ( a programmer à l’installation GÉNIAL) qui apparaît sur notre iPad/ ou iPhone a distance partout à travers le monde ( il suffit d’un wifi de bonne qualité)
You can only have 1 user connected at a time. My TV supplier now offers they're own streaming app and everyone in my family can view what they want. A product like this isn't that useful.
And why are there Ads? My television supplier gives me enough of those now I have an ad before loading the Sling Media player and while watching TV in window mode.
This product was purchased for use in my office and is not a good fit. The office subscribes to Cogeco and the cable receiver model isn't listed so it takes a bit of searching to find a compatible model. There's no way to block out the channels we're not subscribed to and so it's a bit of guess work as to what channels we can watch. Again only 1 user can watch at a time and so for an office setting its use is almost non-existent.
It's just too much money with too few features.