Sling receiver?

[erodzen 0]

Why does Sling or someone else not make a "Sling Receiver"?

 

I have a new Slingbox M1 connected to a dedicated DirecTV receiver at my son's house.  I want to watch it at my house over the net on my HD tv.  Works great, but... How crazy is it to have to dedicate a PC, Mac, or an iPad/Apple TV combi to stream to the tv?  Why does Sling not license the content to Sony and let me watch thru my Blu-Ray player like I do with Netflix?  Or thru my Apple TV in the same way?  Or even thru a "$49 Sling Receiver" that looks like an Apple TV and just receives SlingPlayer over the network?

 

While watching tv I want to use my PC for PC stuff, my iPad for Facebook and email, my phone as a phone.

 

Has anyone else figured out the least expensive dedicated device to use on the watched tv end of this thing?

[subtlecaffeine 5]

Sling actually used to make such a device, a SlingCatcher. But they no longer support it.

 

As to why they do things the way they do; it boils down to money or copyright. They want to charge for "premium" viewing that's not on a computer; which in my book is fair, we buy a piece of hardware from them once and they provide the backbone services that keep it running (which is also the technologies downfall).

 

I'm pretty sure the other issue is a "CYA" copyright issue. If they allowed *everything* to stream to a TV; there's some likelihood they would get more lawsuits than they already do. You have to remember, TV networks and content providers actually hate the concept of Slingbox, and they've been trying for *years* to get an injunction filed and get the technology banned. Luckly, the courts are on to that tactic and currently do see where the current setup is breaking any laws. 

 

As far as the cheapest option? That sadly is a second dedicated laptop. If you buy a device, you have to use the mobile app with it. I suppose you could get yourself a cheap $60 android TV stick; but then you'd have to buy the mobile app on top...which doesn't offer true HD on anything lower than a Slingbox 350. The second laptop idea gives you better picture quality while supporting HD on ProHD units...should you have one. My UK share is a ProHD box.

 

I actually don't even use a second laptop most of the time. Mine sits on a desk where it's connected to a TV with a long HDMI cable and I run Slingbox on the "second monitor" output. 

[blasterdaddy 0]

Slingbox used to make the Slingcather like the other poster said.  It is a dedicated receiver with a physical remote, they can be found on ebay still.  I have one and it works great.

 

They have developed an embedded Slingplayer for Streaming Devices like the Roku, WD Live TV, Chromecast and other streaming devices, and can license it to these folks. Which is similar to streaming via a web browser on a PC.

 

The Western Digital is a full blown embedded player, and the WD remote controls it.

The Roku and Chromecast utilize the SlingPlayer app that would be loaded on your Smartphone and throwing it  to the devices

 

Robert