Sling Media Slingbox SOLO - RCA, S-Video, Component Video, USB, EthernetItem#: S126-1018  |  Model#: SB260100

Sling Media Slingbox SOLO

Reviewed By Our Editors

If the idea of watching your favorite television shows and accessing your DVR away from home is starting to grow on you, the you’ll love Sling Media’s Slingbox SOLO. Here we have a device that offers improved video quality, high-definition support, and expanded compatibility for an affordable price—even when you’re away from home. The Slingbox Solo by Sling Media lets you stream multimedia sources to your computer anywhere around the world.

The Slingbox Solo is like other Slingbox products in that it hooks into the video and audio outputs of your Tivo, cable box, TV tuner or satellite receiver, and effectively "broadcasts" the signal over your home network or even over the Web. Once it's up and running you can tune into your TV shows (recordings or live TV) and watch them on your PC, Mac or mobile device from anywhere in your home or anywhere in the world, as long as an internet connection is available. Oh, don't worry about someone hacking into your cable box PVR and seeing what you've been recording; each Slingbox is only accessible via a 31-digit hexadecimal number, which then requires a password to view. It also offers the advantage of integrated HD component inputs, which requires an optional HD Connect accessory. Add in support for Mac OS X, Windows, and a wide range of smart phones, and you have something that is truly versatile.

When it comes to design, the Solo's glossy black trapezoidal design sits unobtrusively in your AV setup with just two tiny red lights for power and network connectivity. Its size is just 8.7 x 4.0 x 1.9 inches, so you won't need much room even if your setup includes a TiVo, cable set-top box, and DVD player. On the back you'll see all the inputs and outputs neatly laid out in a grid, including component, composite, S-Video, power, Ethernet, and a USB port, which, according to Sling Media, is currently used as a service port. Also, the Solo comes with an included IR receiver for controlling your AV equipment remotely.

The Slingbox Solo comes with a quick start guide that shows you how to hook up multimedia devices, including the likes of cable boxes, satellite receivers or tuners. A loop output is provided so you can use the same device output to plug directly into your TV if necessary. The Slingbox has two other important outputs - a network connection (standard RJ45 Ethernet connector) and an infrared receiver which is supposed to be placed close to the IR sensor on your source device. This guided set-up helps you get your system up and running in no time.

Without a doubt, the Slingbox completely changes the rules of engagement between a person and his or her television shows. VCRs and DVRs allow us to time-shift our programs so we can view our shows whenever we want, and now Slingbox allows us to view TV wherever we want.

The Solo differs from earlier Slingbox devices in that it offers a component video input which makes it ideal for use with a high definition source component like DVR or tuner. Also, as the name implies, the Solo is meant to operate with just one source device. Other Slingbox models allow you to switch between different devices, like a DVD player and a cable box. Some models even have their own built-in tuners. The Sling Media Slingbox SOLO is definitely a device that no true multimedia enthusiast should live without.

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