Slingbox

Frequently asked Questions

Installing and Setting up your SlingCatcher

• What do I need to get started with my SlingCatcher?

  A television (standard definition or high definition), a broadband Internet connection (DSL/Cable modem) and a home network router.

  1. To watch TV from a Slingbox, you need a Slingbox.
  2. To watch Internet video from your PC, you need a Windows XP/Vista computer.
  3. To watch personal media from a USB hard drive, you need a FAT32 USB formatted hard drive.
• Will SlingCatcher work with my TV?

  Yes, SlingCatcher works with almost any kind of TV. It has a full complement of standard definition outputs (S-video, composite video) plus high definition outputs (component video, HDMI) to ensure compatibility with your TV. SlingCatcher can also output video signals that work with televisions worldwide (NTSC, PAL/SECAM, 720p, 1080i).

• Do I need a Slingbox to use SlingCatcher?

  No. You can use SlingProjector to watch almost anything from your Windows XP/Vista computer on your TV (Internet video, downloads, etc). You can also attach USB storage to SlingCatcher and view your favorite media files on your TV. Frankly, we’d love it if you had both a SlingCatcher and a Slingbox but SlingCatcher plays alone just fine.

• Do I need a PC to use SlingCatcher?

  A PC is optional. SlingCatcher comes with software that you can use to connect directly to your Slingbox... either in the next room, or halfway around the world. SlingCatcher can also play back most video and audio files directly from USB mass storage devices (like USB hard drives or small USB flash drives). You do need a Windows XP/Vista computer to watch Internet video from your PC ala SlingProjector.

• Can I use a SlingCatcher if I have a Mac OS computer?

  Yes! If you have a Mac, you can still use SlingCatcher to connect to your Slingbox, or to enjoy video and audio files loaded onto a USB drive. Unfortunately at this time, the SlingProjector application is only available for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista.

• My SlingCatcher is in a different room than my broadband modem and router. How do I connect my SlingCatcher to my home network?

  Check out the SlingLink TURBO. It turns the electrical wiring in your home into an ethernet network, so you can use any electrical outlet as an ethernet jack. SlingLinks come in a pair. You plug one unit into an electrical outlet wherever your router is located, then use the included ethernet cable to connect it to the router. Plug the other SlingLink unit into an electrical outlet near your Slingbox, and connect its ethernet jack to the one on the Slingbox.

Using SlingCatcher

General Questions

• How can I use my SlingCatcher?

  There are are three ways to use your SlingCatcher:

  Watch TV from your Slingbox
  You can access live or recorded video from any device connected to your Slingbox (Cable, satellite, PVR, or DVD player) on your TV at home or in another location.

  Watch Internet video from your PC
  Project something that's playing on your laptop's screen directly onto a television. This is great for viewing Internet video from your web browser, downloaded movies from your hard drive or even photo slideshows on your TV.

  Watch video from your external hard drive
  Load all your digital media files onto a USB storage drive attached to the SlingCatcher. Then you can watch your family videos, downloaded videos, and podcasts on your television.

• Are there subscription fees?

  No! Enjoy your SlingCatcher free of any monthly charges.

• How is SlingCatcher different from the Slingbox?
  Your Slingbox:

  • Transmits your TV programming to your computer or mobile phone.
  • Lets you watch your TV anywhere you have a computer or mobile phone and a broadband connection.
  • Works with SlingPlayer software (installed on your computer).

  Your SlingCatcher:

  • Receives video and images from your Slingbox and/or computer to a TV... so you can watch stuff on a TV, instead of sitting at your computer.
  • Also plays video and audio from a USB hard drive, or a USB thumb drive, to a TV.

SlingPlayer for TV

• What Slingbox versions are supported by SlingCatcher?

  All Slingbox generations are supported by SlingCatcher.

• Why would I want to watch video from a Slingbox with my SlingCatcher?

  You can watch all the programming from your Slingbox on another TV in your home, or on a TV in a remote location (such as a holiday home). For example, if you want to watch your PVR’s programming in another room, connect a Slingbox to your PVR and a SlingCatcher to the other TV. If you have a room in your house that is not wired for cable or satellite, you can use a Slingbox and SlingCatcher to watch TV in that room.

• If the Slingbox I am connecting to is remote, how fast does my network back home have to be for the SlingCatcher to get a good picture?

  While the minimum upstream bandwidth at the Slingbox location for viewing is 256kbs, for SlingCatcher you will really benefit from a pipe that is faster. If you have an upload speed of a sustained 1mbps, the picture really starts to improve. As with most stuff on the Internet, the faster the better.

SlingProjector

• How does SlingProjector work?

  SlingProjector is a free application you can download from downloads.slingmedia.com and install on your Windows XP/Vista computer or laptop. Once SlingProjector is installed, it lets you select any region on your PC/laptop screen to display on your TV via SlingCatcher. It is a great way to watch videos from your favorite streaming video web sites on the big screen.

• What types of video can I view on the TV with SlingProjector?

  Most video and audio content from a video player such as Windows Media player, or from internet video sites such as Lovefilm, BBCiPlayer ITV.com, and more. The resolution of video you can project to your TV will depend on the performance of your PC; a very high performance PC is required to project anything more than standard definition video.

• Are there any video players or sites that are not compatible with SlingProjector?

  PC-based HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players are not compatible with SlingProjector. Also, sites that stream high-definition video may not work well with SlingProjector.

• What are the PC and system requirements for SlingProjector?
  • High performance PC required for best results
  • Virtualized PCs are not supported
  • Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP with SP2 (32 and 64-bit systems ARE supported)
  • 1.6 GHz+ Intel Core Duo or 3.0 GHz+ Pentium IV/Pentium M CPU
  • 1 GB RAM for Windows Vista and 512 MB for Windows XP
  • Display resolution of 1024 x 768
  • 50 MB available disk space for installation
  • SlingProjector requires a consistent 5 Mbps wired/wireless network connection in your house between your PC, router, and SlingCatcher
• Is the SlingProjector application compatible with the MAC OS?

  Not currently

My Media

• How do I enjoy all my favorite audio and video files on my TV using SlingCatcher?

  You can copy video and audio files directly from your PC to a USB drive, then plug the drive into SlingCatcher. SlingCatcher lets you easily navigate the content on the USB drive and play the files on your TV.

• What USB devices are compatible with SlingCatcher?

  Any FAT32 formatted USB 2.0 hard disk drive or thumb drive.

• What video and audio file formats are supported by SlingCatcher's My Media feature?
  SlingCatcher supports most video and audio file formats, including the following:

  • Video: WMV, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, Xvid.
  • Audio: MP2, MP3, WMA, AAC, AC3. PCM.
  • File formats: .avi, .vob, .ifo, ps., .ts, .mpg, .wmv, .asf, .mov, .mp4, .m4v, .mp3, .wma, .mp4a, .m4a, .wav

  For more information on support file formats and other My Media specifications, here.