Home Theaters

My last post dealt with playing the media stored on your PC directly on your television, but if you are like me, your PC is more of a home theater than your television is. Today, I’d like to talk about doing the opposite and turning your PC into your television.

2005 saw the release of the Slingbox, a 14″ x 5″ device that connects to your home audio/video components and then through your broadband connection, remotely streams your live television feed to your Windows XP computer. Six months ago, the second generation variation hit the market and offered Mac and non-XP users the ability to enjoy television on their computer.

With the new version, once the software is installed on your machine, you literally can watch your cable and satellite programs anywhere in the world you have access to a high-speed connection. For those on the go, the newer version is even more valuable as it can be installed on pocket PC’s as well, though I have never seen the quality on one of these devices. Having seen it used on home PC’s and desktops, I can say the quality is much better when run through your home network and assume the lower quality is present on smaller devices, too.

The second generation release came in three varieties, but the Pro version allows the user to stream their television content on more than one device. This feature alone trumps the other versions for me, but if you only want television access on one computer, the Slingbox A/V is equal in quality and about $70 cheaper. At $250 for the Pro, the picture quality, operating system versatility, onscreen remote and ease of setup are worth the money. Being able to watch your computer screen as if it were your home television while travelling is also very comforting and worthy of the cost alone. There’s simply no better (or easier) way to take your home theater viewing on the road with you.

Check out some of the Slingbox’s versatility on the demo page here or find out which version is best for your needs. If you spend a lot of time on your computer and are looking for a way to spend even more, Slingbox has a product for you. If you’d rather keep your television viewing to your living room or home theater, but want your computer media available, then Apple TV is your product. All in all, both are great products and welcome additions to the home theater landscape depending on where and how you prefer to veg out.

For being more versatile than Apple TV and giving computer addicts like myself more reason to stay chained to it, Slingbox Pro gets two green envy buttons

Slingbox, Slingbox Pro, television, computer, PC, video