Slingbox TV streaming from UK to TRNC

girnegeeza


Joined: 17/05/2010
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 02:29

Has anyone tried a Slingbox to stream live TV from the UK to the TRNC and if so how good are the results.



What sort of Internet connection would be needed to get a good reception without buffering.



Is this the way forward now that most terrestrial channels have been lost on the 4 metre dishes.



Any ideas and advice would be most appreciated.



Is there a company or individual that could set this up in the TRNC.

stockiefan


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 574

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 10:12

A friend of mine here has this system and uses it to good effect. At the moment it seems to be one of the alternatives to get the BBC channels. I am returning to the UK in two weeks and am setting it up, will keep you posted. If you have sky in the UK, you buy the slingbox set it up and receive the channles on your lap top here, thats how I understand it.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 10:28

@ msg 1, girnegeeza: I use a Slingbox (connected to the Internet in Holland) and we are usually very satisfied with the quality and reliability - seldom any problems. We can watch about 40 (inter)national channels on a computer screen or iPad. With a cheap extra device (SlingCatcher) you can watch TV on a normal TV set (wireless via your computer).

More info here: ▶ [ http://www.slingbox.com/ ].

Call me if you'd like to have more information: 0533 864 5433.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 12:59

I use a slingbox from UK on a 4mb ADSL (landline telephone) connection with Multimax, no real problems just a bit of buffering every now and then - faster speed would probably take care of it but I have what I need so far.



Hans, Please, please tell me where you can buy a "Cheap Extra Device (SlingCatcher)" as I can not find one for under £350.00 anywhere - and that is not cheap by my standard.

girnegeeza


Joined: 17/05/2010
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 16:45

Thank you for the responses.



Stockiefan: Please keep me posted on how your set up goes and what was needed for it.

Also you say if you have Sky in the UK, is this a requirement for Slingbox to work.



DutchCrusader: Thank you I will contact you should I require any further information.



Waddo: You say that you have ADSL (landline telephone) connection with Multimax. I thought Multimax were an internet company that operated via a satellite signal. Landlines were supplied by the Local Telephone company. I have contacted Multimax and asked them what MB download would be required to support the download of TV from the UK and am awaiting their reply.



Thanks again.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 16:52

@ Girnegeeza: Additional info: we receive the signal in our house via a wireless (maximum and usually less...) 2Mb Nethouse Network subscription. I don't know the exact situation in the UK, but in Holland people subscribe to a package: 30-40-50 or more channels. One picks the package with the preferred (inter)national channels.

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 17:05

girnegeeza what slinbox does is 'location shift' content. So it allows you to take content you have in one place (the UK) and watch it in another location (say TRNC) by using an internet connection.

What content you can get at the remote (TRNC) location depedns on what you plug into the slingbox at the sending location (UK). So if you plug it into a sky box in the UK, you will be able to get whatever sky content you get in the UK, but in the remote location. If you plug in a freeview box in the UK you get etc etc.

As to how much bandwidth you need on your internet connection again this is relevant ad 'both' ends. From the sending UK edn it will be the upload speed that matters and from the TRNC recieving end it will be the download speed that matters. Exactly how much you need depends on the quality you want. Higher quality needs higher bandwidth. At the lowest quality levels you would need around .5Mbs upload speed at UK end and same download at TRNC end. [cont]

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 17:12

at the highest possible quality levels this may go upt to 2 or more mbs second, again uplaod at the UK end and download at the TRNC end.



In general whilst is hsould work on a 2mbs connection here in the TRNC (and provided you internet connection in the UK end has enough uplaod capacity) I would say get yourself a 4mbs connection, this way you have more 'headroom' for using slingbox.



Do not forget that this works by having a sending unit (slingbox) in the UK attached to UK TV service of some sort (terstrial freeview, sky, or some other) and that your UK internet connection has enough UPSTREAM bandwidth to send out the signal

stockiefan


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 574

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 17:31

Dutch Crusader, Erolz, thank you for your information, very usefull indeed.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 18:15

Han's, Come on mate - where do I get this cheap slingcatcher?????? It is the last part for my system and I keep searching for one.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 18:19

@ Waddo: I bought one at eBay for 60 American Dollars.

khristy


Joined: 14/05/2010
Posts: 181

Message Posted:
29/02/2012 19:40

slingbox have stopped making the slingcatcher, so any for sale are now being sold for about £350 on places like ebay.



i use my slingbox and slingcatcher with virgin media from the uk and have 10mb from multimax and it works great

i did have 4mb from another company but it kept buffing

there is a new device called smart player and i am looking into that at the moment, they have it at techmar for around 350tl

girnegeeza


Joined: 17/05/2010
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 01:49

Thanks again for all the replies and helpful information.



I will buy a Slingbox and get it connected to my Humax Freeview Player in the UK, I do have good a good upload speed and intend to get a 4mb connection from Multimax in the TRNC.



I would require help to set it up in the TRNC and would be happy to pay a company or individual to sort out things like the laptop connection to the TV etc.



Again any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. I just want to get it up and running smoothly as quickly as possible.

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 07:43

girnegeeza I can help you with things like connecting the laptop to your TV. email me at erolz@cream.org if you want.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 09:01

Hans, Thanks for that, I guess I must be looking in the wrong places - not unusual for me - lol.

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 09:05

khristy, I am using a smart player for getting slingbox to my TV and it works - kind of - but slingbox direct to my PC is much better quality. My smart player is not one from Yen (Techmar) so please do not judge them by my comments. I have seen the quality that Yen gets on his TV and it is much better than mine but as I only payed £70.00 for my smart player off eBay - I got what I paid for!!!



I will still try to source a Sling catcher for a while then go down to see Yen when I have saved up again - doh!

LaptaGeezer


Joined: 01/06/2010
Posts: 407

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 09:36

Would the Slingbox work via an iPad2? If it was linked to the iPad, and as they have TV Out on them, would that take away the need to have a Slingcatcher to get the programmes onto your TV in Cyprus?

stockiefan


Joined: 04/05/2009
Posts: 574

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 10:57

khristy,

Thanks for your information. As a matter of interest which Virgin package did you opt for? We are thinking of ditching sky and going for that, just looked on Virgin web site, looked very complicated, do you have internet with them is so what speed? In other words what is the total cost in the UK please, I guess it beats sky?

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 11:14

@ msg 17, Laptageezer: (...) Would the Slingbox work via an iPad2? If it was linked to the iPad, and as they have TV Out on them, would that take away the need to have a Slingcatcher to get the programmes onto your TV in Cyprus? (...)



▶ Yes, it does and it does fine! Download the iPad app Slingplayer (grrr, not the cheapest app in the world...) and there you go. And I repeat: I use a Slingbox* based in Holland, a 2 Mb connection in Northern Cyprus and have seldom problems (I find two or three times a very short buffer time per evening acceptable).

I haven't tried the TV Out yet. Good idea though!



* The weakest point of the Slingbox (and it's a known problem) is the external charger. It's easy to buy a new one in Holland or the UK, but I'm not sure about TRNC. My suggestion: if you connect the Slingbox in TRNC, buy a spare charger.

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
01/03/2012 13:59

Just some info for those currently using ipads, ipods or iphones with bbc iplayer. THere are currently a couple of 'know' issues at the BBC end of things , which should be fixed soon. More info here



http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/announcements/iPad_playback_restart



http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/announcements/apple_browser_iplayer



oh and one for those just using a mac to watch iplayer (and OSX Lion 10.7.3)



http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/announcements/full_screen_mac_desktop