The Unwired: Sling Media announced the Slingbox-launch in Japan
Sling Media, Inc. today announced that its award-winning Slingbox will soon be available for purchase across Japan...Included with the Slingbox hardware is a localized version of SlingPlayer PC software compatible with most cable and satellite set-top boxes available to Japanese customers...Heralded as one of the hottest consumer electronics products for 2005 by top U.S. industry and national publications alike, the Slingbox is a breakthrough consumer electronics device that enables consumers to watch their living room TV programming from wherever they are by turning virtually any Internet-connected Windows-based computer into a personal TV...more...

That's cool and all, but why should I have to buy a DVR to record if the TV is already playing on my computer?

adamukun wrote:That's cool and all, but why should I have to buy a DVR to record if the TV is already playing on my computer?

The slingbox is only a transmission device, not storage, although it can interface with DVRs and the such so you can remotely control them through the slingbox. So if you only want to only see your stuff "live" (ie, at the same time is being broadcasted where the slingbox is), you wouldn't need a DVR....but if you wanted to be able to watch content at your time and choosing, you would need a DVR

I haven't used a Slingbox but, as I understand it, it allows you to watch programming that you have already paid for via a cable or satellite subscription on an internet-connected Windows PC. I hear about friends who are able to watch their satellite sports programming while they are away on a business trip (or even holiday).

I don't know whether this would allow you to watch a US subscription on a PC in Japan, for example, but in theory it would if you have a Slingbox set up back in the US. The Japanese launch presumably would allow you to view your Japanese subscriptions outside the house.

Sounds like the Slingbox does the same thing as Sony's Location Free/Airboard combo.. Except you can use a PC to view TV instead of needing the Airboard.

Saw a demo of the Airboard at the Sony showroom last year:
US TV in Japan on a Sony?

The Slingbox looks funky..

GJ

GuyJean wrote:Sounds like the Slingbox does the same thing as Sony's Location Free/Airboard combo..

The original unwired article had a link to this piece:

Most of us already know, what Sling Media's SlingBox is, but not too many know that Sony has a similar product, available in North America already ...more...

While I haven't tried either one, I was under the impression that the slingbox plays better with other devices and just easier to use than the Sony location free device...which is reconfirmed by the reviews on Amazon for the two devices
10 mostly negative reviews for the Sony,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BGOWIE
vs.
the 91 mostly positive reviews for the slingbox
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMLXHW
although amazon's audience would likely skew towards 'look at how kwel I am' early adopters, and the slingbox has gotten much more ink than the Sony's location free device, which Sony now seems to be positioning here in the states as more as of extremely expensive accessory for the PSP.

The CEO has taken some videos of him using the product on the road, including using his tivo to watch the daily show while in Tokyo....Although he uses a bit of straw man by compairing the hotel weather/traffic channel on his room's TV to what's on his Tivo back home.
http://www.slingmedia.com/us/extreme/

Sling also has add on software product that will let you stream to pocket PC and other mobile devices including some cell phones (although the data fees from the cell phone providers would probably be horrendous)
http://www.slingmedia.com/us/slingbox/slingplayermobile.php

I own a SlingBox and have been pretty impressed with it so far. I connected the SlingBox to the DVR and positioned the IR Emitters. Using a unique access key and my personalized password, I can see what is broadcasting through my connected DVR, the IR Emitter allows me to change channels and navigate the DVR to watch pre-recorded programming. I have tested the unit's stream in my office (approximately 25 miles from my home) and at my girlfriend's place (approximately 35 miles from my home) both performed well.

The real performance test is going to occur when I arrive in Japan, set up my YahooBB service, and begin using the SlingBox connected to my DVR located in the US on my PC located in Japan.

Incidently, my girlfriend also purchased a SlingBox to set up at her parent's place in Japan. Its rather encouraging to hear that the product will soon be available in Japan (so support for some of the not-currently-supported-Japan DVRs should be forthcoming).

so is it just one subscription per slingbox?

could a group of mates or a family share the one slingbox?

could I share another FGs slingbox?

emperor wrote:so is it just one subscription per slingbox?

could a group of mates or a family share the one slingbox?

could I share another FGs slingbox?

Technically, it is not a subscription. You connect this to your home network, it broadcasts the video to whomever is connected. The subscription fees associated with your cable or DSS provider AND your Broadband ISP are probably enough.

As far as group use, the licencing agreement states one user per household and the unit itself will only permit one connection to it at one time. While it wouldn't be impossible to let other FGs in on the golden SlingBox goodness, you would have to compete with all of your other users to get into your own single-use SlingBox.

It isn't that it couldn't technically be done, but it would be a "violation of copyright" and if everyone knew your SlingID, you would probably have issues connecting to your own SlingBox when you actually needed (which would completely suck).

Personally, I assume it is probably "possible" for the unit to be designed to accomidate several clients, but copyright laws and bandwidth issue will probably prevent people from getting that kind of serious usage from the unit.

emperor wrote:so is it just one subscription per slingbox?

Here's a EXPENSIVE service called a2btv.com that sells a TV subscription + slingbox as a package---it's a satellite TV "Hosting Plan"* for $129.00/Month <ouch>.
[floatr][/floatr]
The a2btv slingbox hosting plan does not make much sense for FGs in Japan were SkyPerfecTV offers most of same English-language programs for a lot less money. But an FG working at Japan's Syowa Station in Antarctica without satellite/cable TV but plenty of broadband Internet would be overjoyed.


*That 'hosting' means, they: "configure and house your hardware (DVR and Slingbox) in our secure carrier-class co-location facilities and help coordinate the set up of your account with a satellite TV provider" in the US.

Taro Toporific wrote:it's a satellite TV "Hosting Plan"* for $129.00/Month <ouch>.

Holy fuck!.. The porn channels better provide actual girls!

GJ

Has anyone tried to set up a Slingbox in Japan and watch it overseas?
My wife wants to watch NHK while we are living abroad.

Thanks in advance.

unkosando wrote:Has anyone tried to set up a Slingbox in Japan and watch it overseas?
My wife wants to watch NHK while we are living abroad.

Thanks in advance.

A Japanese Doctor I know did it while he was here (in Denmark) doing research. I have no idea about the technical details, but for what it is worth it worked fine. Sorry I can't be of more help.

unkosando wrote:My wife wants to watch NHK while we are living abroad.

I thought getting away from NHK was one of the reasons to leave Japan!

I forgot about this. I wonder how much it would cost to set up fibre at my inlaws place. I could watch wowwow in ohio.

American Oyaji wrote:I forgot about this. I wonder how much it would cost to set up fibre at my inlaws place. I could watch wowwow in ohio.

Would it work with wowwow, or with most digital cable in the U.S for that matter?

I know the box my folks have at their place for digital cable has some sort of copy protection filtering on it so that you can't even connect it to the TV through a VCR without the signal getting all scrambled

Would you want to watch Wowow in Ohio. For us here in Japan, it is better than nothing, but they are still showing at least a year old CSI , Medium and the like. I think you can get much better stuff back in the states.
Speaking of US TV, have you seen that add on Japan today offering US channels all for the low low price of $79 a month. I guess they must be marketing to the expat community, that seems pretty damn high.

hey CM,
I'm getting ready to move and the Japanese language channel wont be available in the area I'm moving to.