SlingBox users - poor quality video?

Doublespresso

I was on holiday and was looking forward to be able to watch Sky broadcasts using my SlingBox

I was pretty disappointed at the blocky video although if you keep a small window on your PC it is just about ok.

I was wondering if I can improve the quality by uppgarding my Broadband package presumably a higher upstream speed would do the trick... would it?
I'm on an 1MB Tiscali package.

Before I commit, anyone has any wisdom to add to this?

Doublespresso

Anyone at all?

MercilessKiller

1MB Tiscali Package.. what upload speed does that have as download speed is mainly irellevant.

The problem with slingbox is that it sends everything to their servers first, so when you access your boix your accessing a slingbox server which is accessing your box.. thus you're relying on several things:

1) Home connection
2) connection when wanting to access slingbox
3) location and connection of slingbox server

If either one is slow, then it will bottleneck the whole system and quality would be severely reduced. I imagine the further you are away from the slingbox server, the less quality they provide in the streaming... so a higher upload stream may not indeed improve it in this case...

brookheather

The Slingbox video does NOT go via anyone's servers - it goes directly from the Slingbox over the internet to your PC. Yes changing your broadband provider to one with a higher upstream will improve the quality. I changed to Be value which is £14 per month for 8Mbps downstream and 1.3Mbps upstream and no usage limits.

My Slingbox sends video at around 450Kbps which gives a better picture though still not as good as on the internal home network when it goes up to around 1.5Mbps. I'm not sure why the Slingbox doesn't use more of the upstream bandwidth which would give a better picture.

- Simon.

MercilessKiller

I have been told by users that for LAN connection its direct but for WAN connection it goes via slingbox's own servers.

No need for the caps really mr 1 poster . No one likes an attitude.

brookheather

No the video over the WAN (internet) does not go via Slingbox servers - it is a direct connection between the Slingbox and your PC which is why it needs to open a port in your firewall.

- Simon.

MercilessKiller

Hmmm how odd. Ah well will look into it.

By the way even if it went via slingbox's servers a port would need to be opened

But ye... thanks