TV, LAPTOP, MOBILE, TABLET/ISTOCKPHOTO / SLINGBOX/COURTESY OF
SLINGBOX.COM
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
With a set-top box and an Internet connection, you can view your home’s cable TV from anywhere in the world. ::
TV to Go BY BOB MICHAEL I
f you like to watch TV while you’re on the road, you probably load up your iPad with your favorite
shows from the iTunes store or log onto Netfl ix from your laptop or go for pay-per-view movies at the hotel. All of these options come with
some inconvenience and cost. Now there’s another way: There
are set-top devices that allow you to tap into your home’s cable TV signal from anywhere in the world. This means that while you’re traveling you can use your laptop, tablet, or phone to watch whatever channels you have at home or whatever shows you’ve recorded on your TiVo or other DVR. The technology even lets you send
your home cable signal to a TV at your offi ce or your summer home, without having to pay for a second cable subscription.
HOW IT WORKS Just plug your cable box into
one end of a “place-shifting” device — they are sold by a number of companies. Into the other end of the place-shifter box, connect your Internet router. Now the device can send your cable feed to your phone, tablet, or computer, and transform these devices into remote controls with global reach — letting you change channels and view TV listings, or schedule, view, fast
68 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | MAY 2013
forward, and rewind recordings on your DVR. You can also plug video sources
other than your cable box into the place-shifter — for example your satellite receiver or Blu-ray player, or even a security camera.
COMING OF AGE This isn’t new technology, but it’s
just starting to become popular. The fi rst was TV2Me, which emerged in 2003 and is still available for the sticker-shock-inducing price of $3,275. Successors of the TV2Me system
can be purchased — at much lower prices — from companies such as Sling Media and Monsoon Multimedia. Sling off ers two high-defi nition
place-shifter models, the Slingbox 350 ($179.99) and the Slingbox 500 ($299.99). The latter features HDMI ports and Wi-Fi, so you can connect to your router wirelessly. Slingbox technology also
comes built-in with certain set-top devices including DISH Network’s XiP 913 DVR. Once you’ve installed the
Slingbox, just download the SlingPlayer App ($14.99)
to your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Windows phone, or Kindle Fire. You can also watch the Slingbox feed online, without the app, through
Slingbox.com or Facebook. Monsoon Multimedia’s Vulkano
Flow ($99) Vulkano Lava ($199), and Vulkano Blast ($249) can send your home signal in near-HD quality to iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry devices, as well as Windows or Mac computers. Just connect the Vulkano device
like a Slingbox, and download the Vulkano Player App ($12.99) on the target device. The Lava and Blast models allow
TV-to-TV sharing via the RemoteTV feature, which requires a second Vulkano box (Flow, Lava, or Blast) connected to the destination TV. Lava and Blast also work as
DVRs — Lava with 4 gigabytes of fl ash memory, and Blast with a 160-gigabyte onboard hard drive.
HAVE A BLAST The Slingbox 350 (left) and the Vulkano Blast off er program viewing outside of your home. No more limited hotel programing options.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92