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Full Version: Slingbox vs MLB.tv vs. Channelsurfing
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So I live in Milwaukee now and will no longer have access to television broadcasts of my beloved White Sox. I figure I have 3 options...

1) Buy a slingbox and put it at a friend's who lives in Chicago

2) Subscribe to the MLB.tv package and watch the games either on my laptop or HDMI them to my plasma

3) Try and watch games on channelsurfing.net all year

I've never used a slingbox nor do I know anyone who has. Am I correct that I would need a slingbox at my friends and a slingcatcher at my place if I wanted to just watch it directly on my TV? If not I would have to HDMI my laptop to my TV? Is anyone familiar with how serviceable these things are and how much the whole thing would cost me?

Anyone subscribed to the MLB.tv package before? How reliable is it? Good quality? $120 for the Premium package which allows you to watch up to 4 games at once, choose home or away audio, and DVR controls. Seems like it would be the cheaper way to go if the quality is good. I can just HDMI my laptop to my TV and watch the games that way.

Any advice/info would be appreciated. Thanks.
I am borrowing an older version of the Slingbox. I used it to watch my Dolphins on Sunday Ticket while I was vactioning in Maine.

It was tricky to set up. I have the AT&T 2-wire modem with a Linksys router. I still can not figure out how to pass the Slingbox through the router and the modem. What I finally had to settle for was hooking up the slingbox directly to the 2-wire modem ethernet port, and my entertainment center computer to the firewire port, thereby disconnecting my home network, while I was on the road.

I used a progam I wrote for my Slinke to change channels. It was tricky, because there was a ten to 15 second delay from when I sent the command, and when the program responded.

Quote:1) Buy a slingbox and put it at a friend's who lives in Chicago

How well do you trust your friend not to change channels on you. Does your friend trust you enough not to spy on him, or change his channels

Quote:2) Subscribe to the MLB.tv package and watch the games either on my laptop or HDMI them to my plasma

That's sounds reliable, if you want to spend the money.

Quote:3) Try and watch games on channelsurfing.net all year

I have no experience with that.
Become a brewers fan
(02-23-2010 02:22 PM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote: [ -> ]Become a brewers fan

Already am as far as the national league goes.

And Huskie Jon, thanks for the info. I didn't realize until after I started this thread that the "host" TV will need to be on whatever channel you are watching on your laptop...I don't want to inconvenience anyone/not be able to watch a game because they are watching something else. As of right now it looks like I might just spend the $120. I'd like to hear from someone who has used MLB.tv before though first.
Armour I have bought MLB.tv for the last 2 years. I have to say I really like it a lot. Especially with the home and away feeds. I have got it since the Braves no longer play on TBS. But the premium looks really good in high def. Plus you of course can access it anywhere you have internet access. This is nice for when I go back home during the summer to my hometown. I also have XM too so I hear the Braves a lot. I will say your lucky the sox don't play the Brewers in that you don't have to have those local games blackout. But thats only if you don't mind listening to the Brewers announcers for whenever the Sox play them. I will tell you channelsurfing to my knowledge has never shown any MLB games on there. But I hope this helps. For 100 dollars I think its a great deal. I mean you can watch any game and thats nice.
I've had MLB TV premium the last 3 years and enjoyed it.

-I never hooked it up to a tv but the picture on my laptop was fine blown out to full screen.
-Prob 90% of time the quality was great, 10% high res wouldn't be available for a few innings which could be annoying depending on the situation
-Using the dvr in game could be annoying..i believe it only goes in 30/60 sec intervals
-Got choppy feeds watching multiple games at the same time (if I remember correctly these were only available in lower res) but it is pretty quick to switch back and forth between games and they have the real time scores/situations tab that you can use to stay on top of other games (I think the video is about a minute behind the real time updates).
Go with MLB TV. Good quality, and should look real nice on TV through HDMI

Before you buy, make sure White Sox games aren't blackouted in your area. With the close vicinity of Milwaukee and Chicago, it might be a problem.
Thanks for the info everybody.
Just an update...I'm planning on getting the MLB.tv premium package. If anyone has questions about it feel free to post here or PM me
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