slingbox alternative?

busher

first time poster so not too sure if I am in the right forum but anyway: I need advice on a cost effective way of streaming tv from an ntl box to a laptop.
I work in front of a PC a lot. I find whenever there is a game of ball on the tv that I am distracted and have to "take a break" to watch it. The thing is I never get back to work and am losing a lot of hours. I work on a desktop PC but have a laptop which I can use to stream games and watch as I work. The problem as you all know with streaming is that no matter how good your broadband is it is still likely to buffer, plus you stream from didgy sites that riddle your PC with viruses.

I went about getting a SLINGBOX today in PC World. Seemed like an ideal solution (if a little expensive). But this item proved useless to me as you need to have a router right next to the tv, I dont, just a wireless one in the office so that was ruled out. Then the guy suggested buying this SOCKET PLUG IN ROUTER EXTENDING DEVICE - something like that .. you plug it in next to your router and another one anywhere else in the house and it effectively increases the range on your router. Good solution but at €90 on top of the slingbox thats too much ..

so this is where I am .. all I want is to watch the footy while working but at a resonable price .. any solutions out there?

NullZer0

busher wrote: »

first time poster so not too sure if I am in the right forum but anyway: I need advice on a cost effective way of streaming tv from an ntl box to a laptop.
I work in front of a PC a lot. I find whenever there is a game of ball on the tv that I am distracted and have to "take a break" to watch it. The thing is I never get back to work and am losing a lot of hours. I work on a desktop PC but have a laptop which I can use to stream games and watch as I work. The problem as you all know with streaming is that no matter how good your broadband is it is still likely to buffer, plus you stream from didgy sites that riddle your PC with viruses.

I went about getting a SLINGBOX today in PC World. Seemed like an ideal solution (if a little expensive). But this item proved useless to me as you need to have a router right next to the tv, I dont, just a wireless one in the office so that was ruled out. Then the guy suggested buying this SOCKET PLUG IN ROUTER EXTENDING DEVICE - something like that .. you plug it in next to your router and another one anywhere else in the house and it effectively increases the range on your router. Good solution but at €90 on top of the slingbox thats too much ..

so this is where I am .. all I want is to watch the footy while working but at a resonable price .. any solutions out there?

If it was within the same lan you could get a TV card for a pc and use VLC to stream throughout the house - Tasty and cheap!

busher

is that VLC media player?? and also I have a laptop.. can the TV card be obtained for that?

iRock wrote: »

If it was within the same lan you could get a TV card for a pc and use VLC to stream throughout the house - Tasty and cheap!

NullZer0

Yup I would imagine you can get a USB type adaptor etc. I'm no expert but you can do it... just have a google

NullZer0

busher wrote: »

is that VLC media player??

And... yep it is!

Sam Vimes

you could get a slingbox and a wireless tv sender

murfie

there is also the slinglink, works through the electricity outlets! http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slt I know is $80 which you wanted to avoid. But another option.

I didnt know that this was possible. It may not be in Ireland however, 220V lines instead of 110. I dont know enough about it.