So I bought a Slingbox M1 to upgrade from my Solo sling box. I debated it, as there really isn't much new except a built-in IR transmitter and wifi, which isn't a big deal as I had the Solo working fine, but I decided to give it a try for a few reasons. First, Sling offered it for $119 for upgrades based on entering the serial number from your old unit. Second, the Solo debuted over 5 years ago, I was hoping they improved the encoding hardware in that time. Third, the M1 supports the new Slingplayer app for PC or Mac, and I really didn't care for the web version.
So it arrives and setup was cake, as I was just upgrading. I adjusted my router to port forward to the new boxes IP address and set a IP address hold for the M1's MAC number, to ensure it never changes. The hardware is almost the same, a little slimmer and a different top, but nothing much different.
Tested the built-in IR emitter and it worked fine, so I did not use the included cable emitter. I did not test the wifi as I have ethernet already there.
I downloaded the Mac Slingplayer app and was impressed, very fast and efficient. Also ran fine on the Yosemite Beta. Tried it on a iMac and Macbook Air as well. Haven't tried the PC version yet but expect it would run the same.
Here is the part I am very pleased with - the video quality is better, particularly out of the home on the mobile apps, iPhone or iPad. I have a very limited upload speed of 768k via DSL. There is no faster upload available from my phone company, and there is no cable company where I live. My only other options are satellite or cellular, both which are cost prohibitive for me.
With the limited upload bandwidth, the video quality was smoother, less stuttering, and worked well. I did notice the picture was a little softer, but it mitigates some of the quality issues.
I am very pleased with the upgrade simply based on a better video quality with low-speed connections, and for people with an older sling box that have limited upload speeds I would recommend the M1.
For anyone looking for a first sling box, the M1 is an excellent unit and should meet any place-shifting needs. The other current model, Sling TV, is double the price and has many features, most of which I feel are unnecessary for a product designed to send your TV signal to a mobile device or remote location.
So it arrives and setup was cake, as I was just upgrading. I adjusted my router to port forward to the new boxes IP address and set a IP address hold for the M1's MAC number, to ensure it never changes. The hardware is almost the same, a little slimmer and a different top, but nothing much different.
Tested the built-in IR emitter and it worked fine, so I did not use the included cable emitter. I did not test the wifi as I have ethernet already there.
I downloaded the Mac Slingplayer app and was impressed, very fast and efficient. Also ran fine on the Yosemite Beta. Tried it on a iMac and Macbook Air as well. Haven't tried the PC version yet but expect it would run the same.
Here is the part I am very pleased with - the video quality is better, particularly out of the home on the mobile apps, iPhone or iPad. I have a very limited upload speed of 768k via DSL. There is no faster upload available from my phone company, and there is no cable company where I live. My only other options are satellite or cellular, both which are cost prohibitive for me.
With the limited upload bandwidth, the video quality was smoother, less stuttering, and worked well. I did notice the picture was a little softer, but it mitigates some of the quality issues.
I am very pleased with the upgrade simply based on a better video quality with low-speed connections, and for people with an older sling box that have limited upload speeds I would recommend the M1.
For anyone looking for a first sling box, the M1 is an excellent unit and should meet any place-shifting needs. The other current model, Sling TV, is double the price and has many features, most of which I feel are unnecessary for a product designed to send your TV signal to a mobile device or remote location.
