How would you like to watch and control your television and DVR on your iPad, while in a different room or on the road? The SlingPlayer Mobile iPhone App works over Wifi and 3G and lets you watch anything on your TV, while also giving you control of your DVR.
Currently, there isn’t a native iPad App for the SlingPlayer, so I thought I’d use the workaround and try the SlingPlayer iPhone App ($29.99), then put it to the quality test.
I purchased a Slingbox SOLO which costs approximately $179.99. Since my router is located in a different area of the house, I instead connected it to my DirecTV wireless adapter. This device must be connected to a router and your DVR, receiver or DVD Player.
Another option is purchasing the Slingbox TURBO, which expands your network throughout your house. The Slingbox TURBO will run you $79.99 for 1 port or $149.99 for 4 ports.
What Was Tested
Slingbox SOLO – Streams standard quality
Wifi- Cable, 10 MBPS download/1 MBPS upload
3G – The 3G is via AT&T
Slingbox iPhone App ($29.99)
Channel – HDNet
Quality
Slingbox using iPhone App, streaming on the iPad over Wifi, X1 size
Slingbox using iPhone App, streaming on iPad over Wifi, X2 size
Slingbox using iPhone App, streaming on the Ipad over 3G, X1 size
Slingbox using iPhone App, streaming on the iPad over 3G, X2
While, Wifi will always win over 3G, I noticed a very minimal difference over 3G. The streaming was a bit choppy at times, but occurred over both 3G and Wifi. Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised with the quality of the iPhone App on the iPad whether using 3G or Wifi. I’ve used this App in my kitchen at home and have also tested it over 3G at a community pool and a few other locations where Wifi is not available.
I’m sure in due time there will be a Slingbox iPad App available, but my guess is it will come at a price above the $29.99 iPhone pricetag. This is one of the few iPhone Apps I use on the iPad. The only difficulty I’ve found thus far is with the remote control used to flip channels or access your DVR. It seems to not function at times. I’m still investigating since this could be my settings.
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