A few months ago, my husband couldn’t stop talking about something called the ‘Slingbox.’ He said that this cool new gear would allow him to watch live television on a mobile phone. For weeks he talked about this new invention as if it would change his life! He said we would be able to watch all the cable programs that we received on our home television – also on a mobile phone.
In order for it to work, he needed a phone that used the Microsoft's Windows Mobile Pocket PC operating system and the Slingbox Mobile. Within days he had bought a new phone. I decided that if you can’t fight it, embrace it – and a week later I bought the Slingbox Mobile for his birthday.
I was skeptical that the video quality would be too poor to watch, but I was curious to see how well the technology has evolved and whether watching TV on a tiny device is practical once the novice wears off.
I have been pleasantly surprised with the video quality. It’s definitely watchable and not so jerky that it’s distracting. But the audio quality could be better. If you’re at the airport or in a restaurant with background noise, it’s difficult to hear every word.
But the coolest thing to me was that it was free! Well, sort of. Once you buy a Windows phone ($500), the Slingbox ($250) and if you have an unlimited mobile data plan, there is no additional cost to watch television 24x7 – wherever you are.
This is exactly how it should work! I should only pay for television service once…and if I choose to watch it with different devices, it shouldn’t cost more. I recently found out that this capability is called ‘placeshifting.’
(Pretty Sci-Fi, huh?)
But not everyone agrees with the ‘pay once’ philosophy – especially the carriers. And it’s unknown if the wireless infrastructure can handle a significant amount of simultaneous Slingbox use. This year’s World Cup Soccer tournament is expected to test the Slingbox’s effects on wireless carriers in the UK.
The Slingbox has not changed my husband’s life and it can be annoying at times. But it is handy to have access to live television programming wherever you are. My bet is that placeshifting is here to stay.
-Barbara Reichert, Reichert Communications, LLC
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