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[arniegang]

This was something spotted by our very own Zooter.

It is called a "slingbox". Basically for any UK expat living in Dubai and if like me you think the TV Packages are crap and well over priced, this is a gift from heaven.


If you know someone in the UK with a Sky or cable box and a BB connection, you can get the same channels in DXB.

On the other hand, even if you pay for a friend or relative to have a Sky Box installed and "you" pay the Sky package, that is everything except Movies for £20 a month ( 130 Dhs) it's still way way cheaper than the crap we pay megabucks for in Dubai.

This is the link

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/157886

All you need is a BB connection in DXB and have a lappy or PC with a "TV Out" and bob yer uncle, a full British Sky system at your fingertips/remote.

[arniegang]

ohhhh and.....


Even if you could not organise a Sky package, it works with "freeview" so it would give you BBC1, 2, 3 ITV1, 2, 3, Ch4, Ch5, E4

soooooooo you could watch BB

weyyyyyyy heyyyyyyyy

i'm sorted for my next visit. No more crappy TV for me

[shafique]

Arnie - looks like a tasty piece of kit!

how many 'friends' can watch what the kit is streaming? I mean, for example, if you are streaming the world cup final etc, can two or more people log in on your account and watch? If so, could we perhaps test it out...?? I'm happy to be a guniea pig

In terms of just streaming the tv content - there is a piece of free software that does the same job called ORB, but that needs a computer linked to the STB and I don't think you can control the STB remotely like this piece of kit.

Anyway - I only saw the last 30mins of England's game today and had to watch with Chinese commentary (can't complain, it was a stream off the internet and the commentary was less annoying than yesterday's ESPN American commentary for the opening game!)


Cheers,
Shafique

[arniegang]

I was thinking that too Shaff. I will look into it and report back.

[arniegang]

Shaf if i get the box, before i come over, maybe we could test run it via your set up. Then all we need to do, is get another forumer to test it out.

If we could multi stream, i would be more than happy to have a Sky set installed at one of my addy's and peeps could just share the cost.

[shafique]

cool.

I've had a look at the US website for the specs, and it appears that only one remote connection to a box is allowed

However, if you can stream the content through a pc, I'm sure it can be shared for all using something like ORB.. but I'm not that technical, perhaps someone can help?

[arniegang]

Even if it cant be shared, its still a cracking piece of kit and a great deal if you can find a relative or friend to have a sky box installed though.

My 2 DIC pacakges works out double the cost of Sky and i only get about 10 watchable channels.

[shafique]

I agree that the tv packages here are crap - I'm considering cancelling my subs to Orbit even though it will cost me 500 dhs in cancellation fees (bastards). My wife is more than happy with her Indian movies package - Pehla Silver, though.

I do find that I can download most of the tv programmes that I want to watch - and see them before they are even aired in the UK - they are on the web the next day after being aired in the States. The BBC also streams quite a number of news and current affairs programmes - for example every Friday morning I watch the previous evening's Question Time and over the weekend I watch Panorama and perhaps another political prog - such as This Week.

That said, I do miss the functionality of my Sky+ box.

Cheers,
Shafique

[arniegang]

and thats the beauty of the slingbox shaf, every function of Sky plus is avail anywhere.

[the_zooter]

I should be on commission for this tip!!!
Arnie - be sure to let us all know if you get one and how well it works. Apparently its important to have a quick internet connection at the source - one that have a high upload connection (according to a techie I asked at work!!).
Let me know what the quality is like etc.

Good luck!!

[arniegang]

i have 8 meg

[the_zooter]

i have 8 meg

Ahh, but is that the combined speed?? Usually, the upload and download streams are split and aren't adjustable! I bet its something like 7mb d/l and 1mb u/l ??
Worth looking into and whether its changeable!!

[arniegang]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh

OK

[the_zooter]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh

OK

The website of your provider should tell you, in the techie bit!
Who's your provider?

[arniegang]

AOL

[the_zooter]

AOL

Well, I suppose someone has got to be with them!!
Well I had a quick look, and it just says that it has "download speeds" of upto 8mb - no indication of what the upload speed is, but I suspect its probably around 20% of that (about 1.6mb).

[benwj]

cool.

I've had a look at the US website for the specs, and it appears that only one remote connection to a box is allowed

However, if you can stream the content through a pc, I'm sure it can be shared for all using something like ORB.. but I'm not that technical, perhaps someone can help?

That would add a whole new meaning to fighting over the remote control. Can you just imagine Arrnie and Shaf flicking between The Million Pound Property Experiment and Question Time!?

Anyway, well found Zooter. I still have my doubts about the picture quality at the other end, but it definately worth a try. I am going to try and get some feedback from current users.

[benwj]

AOL

Well, I suppose someone has got to be with them!!
Well I had a quick look, and it just says that it has "download speeds" of upto 8mb - no indication of what the upload speed is, but I suspect its probably around 20% of that (about 1.6mb).

That is being quite generous.
This sounds like "cable" which does not guarantee any speed (notice how they say "up to 8M"). Basically the more people that are connected to your cable the slower it gets. Only ADSL guarantees a max speed of about 2M download and only 256k upload.
You can test your speed properly using something like this:
http://support.primus.ca/en/dsl/speedtest.php

[arniegang]

my down load speed tested at 6.7 mbps and upload @ 1.7mbps

[benwj]

my down load speed tested at 6.7 mbps and upload @ 1.7mbps

What was that you were saying about AOL zooter?
Sounds pretty bloody good to me. I'd use then in an instant.
I can't find any regular isp Oz who will give me any more than 256kbps upload, which is the more important for this application.
256kbps is the minimun upload requirement, but I'd say 512kbps would give you a watchable picture.
From what I have read 1.7Mbps should give you a very good tv picture on a 42inch LCD.
The other problem I have is a limit of 20G per month, which wouldn't allow for a lot of viewing time, but AOL seems OK for this as well.

[Liban]

From what I have read 1.7Mbps should give you a very good tv picture on a 42inch LCD.

LCDs do not come in that size format. Plasmas do.

[benwj]

Don't they?

[the_zooter]

Ok - firstly, I withdraw my criticism of AOL - yes, that does seem pretty quick and I'm surprised by that upload speed.

Main point:

Has anyone had any actual experience of this set-up yet?? Does it really work?? What's the quality like??

[benwj]

the feedback from slingbox forums sounds good. But the upload speed is important. For someone like Arnie in the UK, already with a sky digital connection and very good broadband link, it would be worth doing. We will have to wait and see how he goes.