For Slingbox/SlingPlayer versions and compatibility information, please click here
Web-Based SlingPlayer Setup
- Connect to your Slingbox using your web browser or start a Web-based demo here
- Click the "gear" (Settings icon) below the video pane
- Change the mode from "Auto" to "Best HD"
- "Best HD" should get you the highest bitrate most quickly after you connect to your Slingbox, but if you see freezing, stuttering, or dropped connections, then "Auto" is probably your best choice. If you use "Auto", be patient - it may take as much as two minutes after you connect to find a stable bitrate. If you still ave trouble in "Auto", then give "Best" (near-HD quality) a try or for Slingbox PRO-HD users, try changing your Slingbox Network Mode, instructions here.
Here's what you should see:
SlingPlayer 2.0 Setup
This version of SlingPlayer is no longer supported by Sling, but you can download it here (Windows) or here (Mac) and it still works great with the Slingbox PRO-HD. For some users, this method works better than the Automatic method, but follow these steps to force your Slingbox to stream your video at HD resolution by doing the following:
- Start SlingPlayer
- Use ALT+O or click "Settings" > "SlingPlayer Options"
- In the "Options" window, select the "Encoding" tab
- In the "Internet Access" pulldown, select "1280x720"
- Click "OK"
Here's what you should see:
HD DVR Setup for the Slingbox PRO-HD (does not apply to the Slingbox 350)
When you feed your Slingbox PRO-HD 1080i video, it down-converts this video to
720p format (or lower if you have a slow connection). This down-conversion is a
computationally-intensive task which pushes the processor in your Slingbox to
the limits of its performance and as such, can cause your Slingbox to run hot.
When this happens, you'll generally see low bitrates and/or video that "freezes"
briefly every few seconds. By disabling the 1080i output mode of your DVR, the
down-conversion to 720p is handled by the more powerful processor in your DVR
and allows your Slingbox to "relax" a little bit more and stay cool. In no way
will doing this degrade the quality of your video, it just shifts the processing
burden to a more powerful VPU. We recommend that you do the following:
- Connect to your Slingbox
- On your virtual remote control, select the Menu key
- Using the arrow keys, navigate to "Parentals, Fav's & Setup" > "System Setup" >
"HDTV" > "TV Resolutions"
- De-select the all but "720p" mode
- Navigate back out using the left arrow key
Here's what you should see:
Changing resolutions in your DVR setup menu doesn't necessarily place your DVR in that mode off-the-bat. You need to do this manually! We recommend the following:
- Press the "Info" button on your virtual DIRECTV remote
- Right-arrow over to "Audio/Video"
- If the current mode starts with anything other than "720p":
- Select "Change Resolution & Format"
- Press "Select" until the mode is "720p Resolution + Pillar Box Format"
- Here's what you should see:
We hope these suggestions improve you experience. As always, if you have
any problems with these procedures, please let us know. We are here to help!